Today we have an incredible conversation on topics like growing and scaling your business, becoming a leader AND balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood. Today’s a doozy and we can’t wait for you to hear this conversation.

Today’s guest is the lovely Ashley Merrill, founder of Lunya, an intentionally crafted rest wear brand.

Today we chatted with Ashley about her story of starting her rest wear brand Lunya, and how she went into the startup with a blind naivety that actually served her well. Ashley shares her biggest challenges in scaling her businesses, how her leadership has evolved over the course of being an entrepreneur, and how she balances being both an entrepreneur and a mom. She gets vulnerable and we are here for her honestly. I hope this episode gives you a little slice of everything from inspiration on how to start your own business, to wise advice on scaling when it gets hard, to navigating the mom guilt that comes along with being a momtrepreneur. 

 

Ashley’s Story 

As founder of Lunya and their sister brand Lahgo for men, Ashley Merrill is on a simple mission: to elevate rest in people’s lives.

Beyond Lunya and Lahgo, Ashley is an investor, and also co-founder of The Deep, and the Chairwoman of Outdoor Voices. Both personally and professionally, she is an active supporter of organizations like SOLA, Upstream, and United Medical Corps. She is a Southern California native and resides there with her husband and their two young children.

 

What was the biggest challenge with a product business? 

Ashley’s own lack of knowledge of running a product-centered company. Coming from media and wasn’t used to dealing with a physical good and all the nuances that come along with that. What she did know was a much smaller list. It was overwhelming, but in some ways, that naivety is what makes start-ups successful. You have no mental constraints. Some things that were maybe “impossible”, were made possible by that lack of understanding of conventional ways of doing things. 

 

Leadership 

There is vision, which is future-forward, a picture in your mind’s eye of what could be. Then there is leadership, which is more about inspiring others towards that vision. Then there is management setting people up to be successful in ascertaining that vision through the clear process, accountability, planning, etc. 

As a company grows, the company needs changes. You might early on have someone that is really great at doing a bunch of stuff, then as you grow you want someone to go narrow and deep. And not as wide and shallow. 

 

The biggest challenge when it comes to scaling

People. People are the hardest and the best part of the business. Dealing with the transition of people’s roles as you grow is hard when your business is young. You have a very family-style relationship with your team, it’s more intimate. The things you value from your people and love about them are well suited for that stage of business. As that business grows you want to make a business that people can stay, but as you grow not everybody will be able to make that transition and want to. Navigating the relationships with people that aren’t going to grow with the business can be challenging. 

 

Balancing being a business owner and scaling your business and being a mom

Ashley says she doesn’t balance both. She looks at life as a giant pie graph. When looking back on her life and looking at her pie graph, will she be happy with how she lived her life and allocated her time? Unfortunately or fortunately you tend to peak in your career when you biologically need to have children. You feel like you need to get ahead in your career before you start thinking ahead about children. 

 

What is the biggest lesson you have learned in business?

The people were the hardest part to get good at it. Ashley learned that a high bar and high devotion were how she approached leadership with her people. 

 

Show notes

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www.lunya.co

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