Building a Women-First Brand: How BRANWYN Is Redefining Performance Innerwear with CEO Deanne Buck

In this episode of the Après Business Podcast, host Rebecca Babicz sits down with Deanne, CEO of women-founded performance brand BRANWYN, to explore how a women-first approach to product design, leadership, and sustainability is reshaping the performance innerwear industry.Deanne shares her unconventional path from conservation and nonprofit leadership into the role of CEO at BRANWYN Performance Innerwear, a direct-to-consumer brand known for seamless merino wool bras, underwear, and leggings designed by and for women. Together, Rebecca and Deanne discuss why BRANWYN remains a women-only brand, how trust and transparency drive long-term customer relationships, and what it really takes to build a values-led business in today’s DTC landscape.This conversation dives deep into women’s performance base layers, the health and comfort benefits of merino wool, and why BRANWYN believes women’s underwear and bras are the true foundation of performance apparel. Deanne also opens up about leading without prior product experience, the power of soft skills in executive roles, and why BRANWYN prioritizes community, sustainability, and radical customer trust over fast growth.If you’re interested in brand-building, women-led companies, sustainable fashion, or how BRANWYN is redefining performance innerwear for women, this episode offers practical insight and honest perspective from inside the business.