Episode Spotlight

Do you wash your fine linens in special detergent?...“Start Part-time”

Lindsey Wieber and Gwen Whiting, founders of The Laundress, discuss the key moves they made to turn their dreams into a reality.

THE LAUNDRESS - “Open for Business” just over a year

Valuing the importance of properly cared for clothing and home linens, Lindsey Wieber and Gwen Whiting designed and developed THE LAUNDRESS product collection to create a luxurious experience for a necessary domestic chore.

Where did you get the idea for The Laundress?

Born out of necessity and practicality; personal needs initiated international research.

Gwen and Lindsey shopped internationally for the “best of the best”: cashmere wash from Paris, fragrant detergent from Mexico, and deodorant from Uruguay. When an international product that they were using became discontinued they decided to take matters into their own hands.

Tell us about your extensive research – did you feel like you were ready to be in the market when your product was introduced?

They started part-time, conducting market research while working for Chanel and Ralph Lauren; they discovered a gap in the market. Three years of international product research unveiled the mystery of product development and manufacturing.

Describe the $100,000 SBA loan you got and how you landed it.

While attending Cornell University, young entrepreneurs, Gwen Whiting and Lindsey Wieber, listened to Professor Breen, “Use your 401K as collateral for a SBA loan”. They were granted a $100,000 loan, which financed THE LAUNDRESS startup.