Kevin Lavelle is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Mizzen + Main, and he was the CEO before stepping down to take on the Chairman role. Mizzen + Main transformed the apparel industry by creating a comfortable dress shirt out of high-performance fabric. Kevin is now a Senior Vice President at Stand Together, a non-profit organization that aims to help social entrepreneurs supercharge their efforts to help people change their lives.

Kevin joins me on the show to discuss where he got the idea for the Mizzen + Main performance dress shirts and why it took several years for him to progress to developing the garments. He shares his career trajectory and why he never envisioned being an entrepreneur and the moment that finally made him take the leap.

"If you have a good idea, someone else has it too. The question is, are you taking the right steps to actually make it happen?" - Kevin Lavelle

"if I tried to write the business plan to account for all of the eventualities, I might have missed those opportunities. Trying to stay focused is exactly what we're trying to do." - Kevin Lavelle

"When you're driven by something as your core ideology on how the world can be a better place. It's a really inspiring thing to do." - Kevin Lavelle

This week on The Wow Factor:

• The early years of Mizzen + Main and the steps he took to set up the company
• How he came up with the name that embodied a classic American East Coast brand
• Whether there was ever a moment that Kevin thought the company wouldn't make it
• How he set up the partnership deal without bankers and ended up signing the final papers in the delivery room
• How Mizzen + Main has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic
• How he got engaged with Stand Together, a non-profit organization that is committed to creating a society where everyone has the chance to succeed
• Why he decided to work with an executive coach and what he learned about adding value to organizations
• How Stand Together is funded and managed and their aims and visions for solving challenges in society

Kevin Lavelle's Words of Wisdom:

Gratitude ties a lot of things together as a leader. It also helps drive how I try to function as a leader, both as the Founder of Mizzen + Main and as a leader of a big team at Stand Together. I'm grateful for people wanting to be a part of the work that we do.

Connect with Kevin Lavelle:

• Mizzen and Main Website
• Stand Together Website
• Stand Together on Facebook
• Stand Together on Instagram
• Stand Together on Twitter
• Your Life in Weeks Chart

Connect with The WOW Factor:

• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life by Brad Formsma
• Words of Wisdom Website
• Brad Formsma on LinkedIn
• Brad Formsma on Instagram
• Brad Formsma on Facebook
• Brad Formsma on Twitter