My goal from the beginning has been to create something that inspires confident, motivated, empowered women.
The name of the company is Swoob, and any internet user well-versed in Urban Dictionary will recognize the term as slang for “sweaty boob.” If you just raised your eyebrows, the name had the effect Swoob CEO Kyle Muir hoped it would. “If you are going to try at anything consumer good related you better at least have a differentiated product and a memorable name,” Muir says. “I knew my name had to have a hook.” Muir explains that the shocked and delighted reactions he gets when customers hear the company name evoke enough emotion to turn a charged word into a brand that serves as a platform for women to share their fitness stories and go farther than they ever have before.
So, you’re probably asking, how does SWOOB, maker of women’s fitness apparel, help women to go farther than they ever have before? With pockets in sports bras. Or rather, the pocket-ed sports bras demonstrate the brand’s ability to identify the needs of active women. “My goal from the beginning has been to create something that inspires confident, motivated, empowered women,” Muir says. Swoob started during a climb when Muir noticed a female friend place her phone in her sports bra. Muir started asking questions and was surprised to learn that there wasn’t a bra on the market that let women easily store their personal items. “In the beginning we solved simply for a common problem faced by girls everyday — where do you quickly store personal items when most outfits have non-functional pockets or no pockets at all?,” Muir explains. The company has grown from there into a brand that empowers women by recognizing their needs and designing for them.
Take, for example, the Panther Sports Bra, which is lined with a material that protects against radio frequency radiation and electromagnetic fields. Or the Luana Bra, which has a water/sweat proof lining. Or the Dragonfly and Hummingbird bras made specifically for travel. All of these bras have been designed with the very specific needs of women in mind, and have been made using high quality, weighed material making the whole bra-wearing experience much more comfortable for all women involved.
Swoob also hopes to make the whole bra-buying experience, a venture often comparable to the emotional torment of visiting the dentist or waiting in line at the DMV, more enjoyable for the women involved. The Swoob website features a SwoobFit Girls page, where each girl that has been a part of Swoob is featured with a bio and links of their choosing. “The page is a showcase of talented women that live active, healthy lives and a great venue for women to connect and build community around inspiring and motivating stories,” Muir says. Swoob is transforming bra shopping from a humiliating dressing room experience into an uplifting community experience.
The original funding for Swoob came from Muir’s own personal savings, and as the company has grown, he has had the good sense to listen to the advice of others in and out of the industry, spending his money wisely and building on his own business wisdom the ever evolving plans of the company. “With the budgets we have available we have stayed true to what I desired in the beginning: namely, passions around holistic health and active lifestyles and community that provides empowerment for active women living active lives,” Muir says.
Hyper Active Capital is helping Swoob finance the next product line, and the company is meeting with Macy’s and similar buyers, but the brand is waiting to implement a few new strategies before actively seeking more investing. Those strategies include updates to the website to incorporate even more female empowerment, marketing campaigns, and the launch of the 2016 product line The Three Faces of Eve.
On running a startup in Utah, Muir says the Salt Lake startup scene has never been better. “Utah has a great track record with consumer goods that have spawned amazing sales networks,” Muir says, making Utah the ideal place for Swoob to thrive. And as a woman with…um…swoob….living in Utah, I’m glad they’re here.
Published 5/13/2015
