Build A Global Supply Chain With Zero Industry Experience, With Kady Zinke

KADYLUXE started with a $23,000 Kickstarter, a stolen engineering fund, and a garage in Denver. Today, it partners with 50+ NCAA universities and major pro teams, including the Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bulls.The episode covers her journey of cold-calling the Colorado School of Mines to develop patented technology, sewing NFL leggings with exiled Mormon seamstresses in the Colorado mountains, losing a million-dollar client to Lululemon overnight, and the moment she sold out the Broncos team store before the opening whistle even blew. This conversation is loaded with hard-won wisdom about cash cycles, blue ocean strategy, AI in operations, and the one financial habit that separates a real business from an expensive hobby.KEY TOPICS:Women's sports fashion and the "pink it, shrink it" gapBootstrapping vs. being properly capitalizedBlue ocean strategy in licensed sports apparelAI as an operational enhancement toolCash flow management for CPG businessesThe power of audacious cold outreachFemale entrepreneurship in male-dominated industriesCHAPTERS:00:00:02 - From the Court to the Company 00:07:23 - Kickstarter, Stolen Funds, and Resilience00:19:51 - The Real-World MBA in Shanghai 00:23:57 - Sewing with the Mormon Women 00:30:04 - David vs. Goliath: Competing with Lululemon00:36:39 - The Denver Broncos Breakthrough 00:46:44 - Scaling Operations and Embracing AI 00:52:49 - Know Your Numbers or It's a Hobby:ABOUT KADY:Kady Zinke is the Founder & CEO of KADYLUXE, a 100% women-owned fashion house designing premium sports apparel for women. Based in Denver, Colorado, the brand partners with 50+ NCAA universities, NFL teams (Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys), NBA teams (Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks), and NHL teams (Pittsburgh Penguins). Kady is a former NBA dancer, holds a patented material technology, and was the first woman in Colorado to win a state accelerator award for her R&D work.RESOURCES MENTIONED:Book Referenced: Blue Ocean Strategy.Partner Institution: Colorado School of MinesCoupon Code: KLPurpose15 - 15% off entire order at kadyluxe.comFollow the Host, Rachel Bernier-Green:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelberniergreen/Website: www.instagram.com/jointhryvo/Instagram: www.instagram.com/jointhryvo/LinkedIn (Company): www.linkedin.com/company/jointhryvo/Twitter/X: x.com/jointhryvoFacebook: www.facebook.com/jointhryvoTiktok: www.tiktok.com/@jointhryvoListening Links:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kmrlBqo4QHftlfmqo2Q32Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-purpose-profit-shift/id1829627732Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PurposeProfitShift----------------------------If this episode resonated with you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow business owner who needs to hear this!