This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Michelle Wahler, co-founder and former CEO of the Activewear brand Beyond Yoga. Wahler started Beyond Yoga with Jodi Guber Brufsky in 2006. Years later, Levi's contacted Wahler through LinkedIn direct messaging, eventually acquiring the company for $400 million in 2021. Under Wahler's leadership, Beyond Yoga achieved 19% year-over-year growth and surpassed $115 million in revenue in 2023. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Image credit: Greyson Tarantino. Michelle Wahler.
What was your day job or main occupation when you started? side hustle?
After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in graphic design, I moved to New York to work in publishing, first in The people magazine and later Harper's Bazaar. It was then that I started drawing illustrations of my friends, which I put on t-shirts to give them as birthday presents.
it hobby mine eventually morphed into a company I called Unsweetened, with clothing and accessories featuring illustrations of women—in what I saw as an “unsweetened” version of them.
Where did you find inspiration for yourself? side hustle?
(In my magazine jobs), I got a first-hand look at the photoshopping that happens in the industry. Both jobs were incredible experiences, but they shed light on the unrealistic expectations the media was placing on the market and in the minds of their consumers. Throughout my life, I've seen incredible, smart, beautiful women who don't see themselves as they are and try to fit into a unique idea of beauty. As this frustration set in, I struggled to make ends meet, working long hours for little pay but gaining lots of invaluable experience! At the time, my best friend and roommate's birthday was coming up, and since I couldn't afford to buy her anything fancy, I decided to give her a birthday present – I sketched it and put the illustration on a blouse. .
All my friends loved it, so for the next year, they all got one of these unique drawings of themselves on a t-shirt. These illustrations celebrated them for what they were – twists, careers and fun! I called their version “unsweetened” and before I knew it, I started selling them. It felt very fulfilling to do something I loved while promoting at the same time body positivity and confidence from within.
What were some of the first steps you took to get your hustle off the ground?
IN The peoplei had one compartment right across from the publisher – a high traffic cube! — and put all my sketches on the wall. People started asking me to make them for them for their friends, and the next thing I knew, I was buying a t-shirt press, getting a wholesale license, buying the t-shirts and printing and packaging them in my shared apartment after the roommate. went to bed.
The t-shirts were a hit and I started spending all my free time working on Unsweetened. I sold the shirts at holiday bazaars and craft shows and eventually got a booth at the New York City Gift Show and the Los Angeles Gift Show. Eventually, I left New York City with the intention of doing a full run of Unsweetened on the West Coast; however, things quickly changed upon my arrival.
What made you decide to turn your side hustle into a full-time business Beyond Yoga?
I moved to California and quickly met Jodi (Guber Brufsky), who would become my future business partner. I immediately fell in love with Beyond Yoga's mission, put Unsweetened on hold, and charged forward building Beyond Yoga—a brand that would ultimately change industry standards and expectations forever. these days, inclusion in size is a given for a new brand starting out, but that wasn't the case 20 years ago when we started building Beyond Yoga. It's really something that we started and I'm proud to be a big part of that movement.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Beyond Yoga
The idea of creating a clothing line that celebrates women of all shapes and sizes was very exciting to me. After meeting Jodi, I shared some of my business and product ideas. From that moment, I spent the next 18.5 years building Beyond Yoga from an idea to an idea global brandemploying hundreds of people (directly and indirectly), bringing in over half a billion in revenue and running a profitable business without taking any additional funding.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building Beyond Yoga, and how did you navigate them?
At the beginning of building Beyond Yoga, everything was a challenge! Entering stores and securing reliable wholesale partners, learning the business data, teaching yourself everything on the fly and team building from the ground up. It was a lot of work, but it was very rewarding and a time in my career where I learned many valuable lessons and skills.
Some of the biggest challenges I faced included understanding fabric shrinkage and how to apply it to a pattern, figuring out ERP, teaching myself to trade and forecast, hiring and firing, learning how to delegate – the list goes on and on.
It was a long journey and in the early days, we were a very lean and green team. We did absolutely everything ourselves, and there was a lot to learn. Things started to change about five years into the business, which is also around the time of one of my most impactful hires: our COO/CFO. Having him on board helped give me more comfort about investing in our team and upping the ante by bringing in more experienced professionals.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Beyond Yoga
How was the company's growth experience over the years? What were some highlights?
Growing Beyond Yoga, getting into the company it is today was no small feat, but it's something I'm extremely proud of. Although we began to invest more aggressively over the years, we always drove the business for growth, investing every penny back into the business. After we reached about $20 million, we thought it might be time to get investors. After learning some valuable lessons, we exited the market and decided to focus on profits and controlling our own destiny.
An important milestone was when I discovered Space Dye, which became the foundation of the company. It was a game changer – so soft yet durable with perfect stretch and recovery. It quickly became a fan favorite and is still a big part of Beyond Yoga collections today. I love that an exploratory meeting of the fabric in 2013 led to so much growth and became a pillar for the brand. My love of fabrics gave way to a style revolution that transformed the activewear landscape that continues to be emulated today.
Another highlight during my career was becoming a mother, when I learned balancing actlove, family and friends. It was also where Beyond the Bump was born. Becoming a mother and watching my friends and peers go through this transition helped inspire the creation of our Beyond the Bump line. After being so frustrated with the lack of comfortable clothes for women during and after pregnancy, the only way I was going to find options I liked was if I designed them myself, so I did. This ended up being one of our most successful brand extensions and a great way to introduce new customers to Beyond Yoga.
When and how did Levi's purchase come about? Why was that a “full circle moment”?
When Levi's reached out, we weren't looking to sell at that point, and frankly, I don't think we would have sold to anyone else. I was flattered! Levi's is an iconic brand, and after learning about its values and principles on a win-win mentality, I was excited to explore this opportunity.
The more we looked into this, the more it felt like the right fit to ensure our company had a legacy that lasted beyond me and the team. Negotiating an agreement of this caliber and scale was something I had never done before, so naturally, it was exciting. It was easily one of the biggest challenges of my career, but also one of my biggest achievements. It was a unique experience and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn this side of the business.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Beyond Yoga
Throughout the process, from starting my own business to negotiate the terms of one of the industry's largest sales of female-led sports to date, I stayed true to myself, our shareholders and the company I've poured my heart into over the years, which I wouldn't trade for nothing.
What is your advice to others hoping to start successful side hustles or their own full-time businesses?
My biggest tip is to make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. Do it because you're passionate, do it because you want to create and give it your all, do it because you think you've solved a problem that will benefit people, or because you've created a better version of something that already exists.
Once you've figured out what you're going to do, get started. Don't wait for the moment perfect – will not come! Sometimes, you just have to jump right in.
it Women Entrepreneurs® article is part of our ongoing series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of running a business as a woman.