Phoebe Yu | Ettitude
PHOEBE YU
Founder and CEO of Ettitude, a direct-to-consumer bedding and homewares brand that uses innovative fabric technologies.
What Is Ettitude?
Ettitude is a direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand offering sustainable, luxurious bedding, sleepwear, and towels made from the world’s first CleanBamboo™ fabric. This innovative fabric is feathery soft, thermo-regulating, extremely breathable, antimicrobial and water-saving, resulting in bed sheets that are better for you and the environment.
I started ettitude in 2014 to explore how we could all live comfortably without damaging the planet. I understood the textile space very well thanks to my previous career in homewares and logistics, so I was acutely aware of how toxic and damaging textile production can be. My primary mission when I started the brand was to create a next generation fabric that could be used in multiple applications that would save water, minimize waste and prove that quality and comfort did not have to be sacrificed in the end result. By operating as a DTC brand, we cut out the middleman and can pass on those savings to our customers.
What Is Your Background? What Led You To Starting Your Own Company, And How Did You Choose This Space?
I spent 15 years in Asia producing homewares for large US retailers. It taught me a huge amount about logistics and strong supply chains in the lifestyle goods sector, but equally, I had a front-row seat to the compromises that were made to quality and sustainability in the name of saving money and keeping costs as low as possible.
When I moved to Australia and started decorating my new home, I saw a huge gap in the market for homewares that were well-made, reasonably priced and made in ethical and sustainable ways. I couldn’t find bedding that felt and looked good that didn’t cost a fortune and was environmentally friendly. ettitude is really the culmination of my career experience and the personal values that came from that experience.
How Did You Come Up With Your Company Name?
It’s actually quite simple: ettitude means eco-attitude. I wanted to capture the brand’s values as well as the mindset of our customers, who are looking to find more sustainable and gentle ways of living without losing any quality of enjoyment along the way. Those with eco-attitude know comfort shouldn’t come at a cost to the planet.
What Have Been Both Your Favorite And Least-Liked Parts Of Your Entrepreneurial Journey? What Have Been Your Most Challenging And Most Exciting Moments For You And The Company?
Starting any business is challenging and requires huge sacrifice in many aspects of your life. Commercializing the patent on our exclusive textile was a huge moment at the outset of the ettitude journey. Some of our biggest highlights include expanding into the United States, after which we grew our revenue by 200% in just 12 months. The opening of our first pop-up store in Los Angeles was another big one for me—seeing the brand come to life and having our global team together in the one environment was a fantastic leadership moment. And finally, just last month, closing our first seed round was very exciting.
Without a doubt, the time-intensive prototyping phase was the most challenging part of our journey so far. Bedding has to be both soft and durable, and because we created a new type of fabric composition, there was a lot of testing that had to happen. All the trial and error could sometimes be disheartening. Overcoming that was really a matter of perseverance and patience. I am of course so glad we stuck with it. Second to that, it’s certainly not the easiest ride being a female immigrant founder working across two different regions. Statistically, female-led startups have a much harder time achieving fundraising goals.
Ettitude Recently Completed A Funding Round. Who Participated In The Round And How Do You Plan On Putting The Money To Work?
In May this year, we closed a AUD $2.54 million seed round. It was really years in the making, the result of a relationship with our lead investor that was established and nurtured for a long time. This financing round was led by Drumbeat Ventures, a US-based fund investing in breakout brands with a strong sense of purpose and set of values that, together, serve as the foundation of their business model and organizational culture. Drumbeat was joined by TA Ventures, a European female-founded fund focusing on technology innovation, and Metropolis Ventures, a global venture fund focused on early-stage technology and digital-first companies. The raise will go toward product category expansion, further research into our environmental footprint, and continued growth of our team.
How Has Ettitude Been Doing Over The Last Couple Of Months In Relation To The Last Couple Of Years?
With more and more people stuck at home and seeking small luxuries to make their lives more comfortable, we actually saw a huge surge in customers through April and May. We’re incredibly fortunate to have had two of our best months on record. This does come after 24 months of sustained revenue growth since we expanded into the US. We’re excited to expand our product line to meet this growing and diversified demand.
How Has COVID-19 Affected Your Business And What Have You Done To Adapt To Any Changes?
In the early days and weeks of COVID-19’s impact on Australia and the US, there was a lot of uncertainty around how we should respond. It was unlike anything we’d seen before. Luckily, as an e-commerce enabled brand, we didn’t have to contend with store closures or cancelled events. Our company culture is one of proactivity and independence, so there were no issues with our team working from home. I would typically travel between Los Angeles and Melbourne several times a year. Of course this is not a viable option right now, so we have moved further into virtual meetings. An adaptable and energized company like ettitude is well-equipped to shift behaviorally when needed. From a business standpoint, we’ve been very blessed to have an uptick in revenue through this time as more and more customers seek out ways to make their life at home more comfortable and enjoyable.
How Do You Think Your Industry And The Workplace Will Change Post-COVID?
COVID-19 has sort of been a big experiment in how workplaces can decentralize and offer staff the ability to work in a way that might better suit them. That’s a universal change that I believe will stick once the pandemic dissipates. As a sustainable lifestyle and homewares brand, I see an opportunity to build on the awareness of how we comfort, nurture and sustain ourselves with a renewed focus on being more gentle on the earth. I would like to see the textile industry and homewares industry respond to consumers’ growing mindfulness of what they purchase. This year has been a wake up call beyond anything we could imagine.
That Said, How Do You Think DTC Will Evolve Over The Next Few Years?
As more people begin to normalize the retail practices adopted during this time of social distancing, the DTC industry will benefit. But not every DTC company will thrive—only the ones that have a strong and diversified supply chain and workforce. When people start to get comfortable going out again, an omni-channel strategy for e-commerce will once again become vital, but less for distribution of products and more as a media channel for brands.
Who Are Your Cofounders Or People Who You Work Very Closely With? How Do Their Skills Supplement Yours?
When ettitude expanded into the US, I brought on Kat Dey—a US-based serial entrepreneur—as a business partner to advise on the local market. She was vital to ettitude finding its feet early after the move, and her enormous passion and knowledge of the US startup scene is a huge attribute to the brand. We have a close-knit team across the US and Australia, and each team member certainly brings a wealth of knowledge to the business. Because we work across two regions, the local knowledge of our two teams is invaluable. In early 2020, we brought on Marlee Rosenblum as our Global Marketing Director. Coming most recently from Uber where she helped to scale marketing from local to national, Marlee has helped us refine our brand identity, product strategy and marketing positioning, taking our product market fit to the next level to fuel our growth potential.
Can You Walk Us Through A Work Day? What Does A Typical Day For You Look Like From When You Wake Up Till You Go To Sleep?
I usually wake up around 6:30am and start my day with a large glass of water with berocca to hydrate and replenish electrolytes. Before the lockdown came into place, I would go to a Crossfit gym two or three times a week. Now, I do it at home almost every day, so I feel very energized!
My working day runs from about 9am to 7pm. It’s always quite busy, with lots of meetings to cover across four time zones. Most of our investors are located on the US East Coast, so my mornings are spent communicating with them, and afternoons are spent with our Australia team and with our manufacturing partners in China. After a quick dinner, my husband and I will take a walk in our neighborhood to wind down. We usually go uphill to watch the sunset over LA. I’ll end my evening with emails, research and reading. I try to be in bed by 10:30pm to make sure I get enough sleep.
What Are The Top Three Most Important Skills A Modern Day Entrepreneur Needs In Order To Be Successful?
Persistence is a given, but on top of that I think a modern entrepreneur needs to be hungry for knowledge, optimistic and agile. As we have seen this year with the pandemic, there can be so much global unpredictability and subsequent volatility in business. It’s important to remain steadfast in your commitment to your mission, because this will help guide you through these very uncertain and difficult times. On top of that, now in 2020 there is absolutely no excuse not to build an inclusive business and brand that can serve as a force for change in the world, be it socially, environmentally or culturally.
Any Other Advice For Entrepreneurs Who Are Just Starting Out?
The biggest “failure” would be that you never tried.
I had a dream, I pursued it, and I totally enjoyed the process. Other so-called ‘failures’ are temporary, and just lessons to be learned so you can be better next time. You need to have the ‘weight lifter mindset’. Keep lifting, keep failing, but at the same time you are getting better and better. Dropping the barbell once in a while is just part of it.
What Do You Do In Your Free Time?
Living in Australia made me more into outdoor activities. Over the weekend if I can, I go hiking, swimming, surfing, skiing etc. I also like visiting museums, theaters. Those are the things I have missed most during the lockdown.
What Is Your Favorite Quote And Why Does It Resonate With You?
Tell me and I will forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I will understand – Confucius
Running ettitude, I involve the team in lots of core decisions so they understand our mission and vision better, and are proud to be part of helping to shape the company.
If You Can Have A One-Hour Meeting With Someone Famous Who Is Alive, Who Would It Be And Why?
The founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard. He is my role model, inspiring me that owning and running a profitable company that is also socially and environmentally responsible is totally possible! I’m currently reading his book Let My People Go Surfing and learning a lot.
What Are Your Top Three Favorite Books?
Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
Journey To The West by Wu Cheng’en (an ancient Chinese novel, regarded as one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature)
A Brief History Of Time by Stephen Hawking
What Does Success Mean To You?
Knowing that each day was spent either making a positive impact or learning new things.
