Dani Kagan: Building From Scratch, Staying Curious, and Knowing When to Walk Away

Dani Kagan is the co-founder of Mave & Chez, a luxury ergonomic slipper brand designed for women. We talk about how the brand started from a real health problem she experienced during pregnancy, how she figured out manufacturing and product development with no background in either, and what it took to get from prototype to a Kickstarter that sold out in 12 hours. We also get into building in public, why she thinks founders need to be the face of their brand, the realities of ethical sourcing and manufacturing costs, and why staying curious has kept her going more than any end goal ever could.Follow Lani:IG - @gettin_chaiYouTube - @gettinchaipodcastFollow Dani:IG - @maveandchezWebsite - maveandchez.com00:00 — Intro04:18 — Why Collaboration Always Wins and the Story Behind the Name Maeve & Shea07:13 — The Health Problem That Started It All and How She Built the Product11:09 — Trusting Her Gut, Finding the Right Partner, and Getting Through the Hard Days14:13 — Launching on Kickstarter, Selling Out in 12 Hours, and Why She Didn't Wait Until It Was Perfect20:36 — Building in Public, Ethical Sourcing, and the Realities of Manufacturing27:56 — Conscious Consuming, Profit for Purpose, and Why Founders Are the Brand Now33:09 — Getting Comfortable Asking for Things and Sitting in Discomfort to Grow