Alongside her two other siblings, Courtney Glasser founded the well-known clothing company, Grey Bandit. As triplets, the three siblings were a “power trio” in the sense that they each had strengths in their own separate areas—all crucial to the success of their startup. In a Podcast, Courtney stated that she specialized in understanding Grey Bandit’s market. She was knowledgeable about social media and understanding customer behavior. Lindsey considered herself a strong “people-person” and took care of relations. As for Robert, he took charge of warehousing and inventory. All three of them were exemplary in their own areas. Even though they served separate roles, their functions all contributed to one large machine—that being their business.
Grey Bandit did not start as a multi-million-dollar business. It all started with their mother. She, too, was an entrepreneur. As their role model, her successes became an inspiration for her children. Courtney and Lindsey demonstrated that same entrepreneurial passion in their early years. In 8th grade, the girls began selling t-shirts and progressed to shorts in 9th grade. They received plenty of encouragement in school, which the girls claim was a great motivator for their largest project, Grey Bandit.
Within just one year of the launch, Grey Bandit reached nearly 60,000 followers. The girls attest this success to the investments they made back into the business, which were the Instagram influencers they paid to promote their brand. On average, every post from these influencers would result in 150 more followers for the company. The growth was exponential.
What remains admirable about these young entrepreneurs is the social impact they had on the world. Profit, although a benefit, was not the purpose of the platform. Their purpose was to break the stigma that is often associated with mental illness. There was a deeper message involved in their business. In their Ride The Wave Collection, 30% of any item purchased would be donated to several mental health organizations they supported. Not only were Courtney, Lindsey, and Robert great entrepreneurial thinkers, but they were also determined action takers. The important takeaway from their business is to act on your ideas and be willing to ask for help in fields outside your expertise.
Where most of us think of entrepreneurship as this world where we constantly come up with first-world ideas, one person went to a third-world place for innovation. Robert Felder’s story embodies not just innovation but also empathy. His journey began in high school with a transformative trip to South Asia, where he saw that while Bangladesh being a major apparel manufacturer, its people lacked basic clothing, and this deeply affected him. When he came home to the humid Florida winter, he couldn’t find any shorts he liked. These experiences became the driving force behind the company he founded right out of high school, Bearbottom.
