Interview with Melissa Hardie

Melissa is the owner and founder of Lissie Lingerie, an inclusive online lingerie store that caters to women with cup sizes of B-K and back sizes of 28-48. She also offers a bra fitting service in her Glenrothes office, or this can be done via Zoom!

The idea for the business was born from Mel’s own frustrations, as somebody who has been a large cup since she was a young teen, shopping for a bra was always a huge struggle, and it’s been Groundhog Day since. Fuelled by the desire for change, Mel’s mission is to create a brand that is recognised for its size range and inclusivity, and most importantly, takes the dread out of lingerie shopping.

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What inspired you to start your own business, and what challenges did you face in the initial stages of entrepreneurship?

The inspiration behind Lissie Lingerie was through my own personal experience, the struggles really, that I had continually faced since I was 13 when I was fitted for a bra for the first time. If you’re busty, I don’t even need to explain myself (if you know, you know), but for those who aren’t, finding nice, size inclusive bras that I actually wanted to wear, especially as a young woman, felt impossible. It was always a frustrating and disheartening process that made me resent my body. Rewind to 2018, when I was once again struggling to find my size in a style that I liked in a shop that didn’t have my size, I was trying to squeeze myself into their biggest cup size, and I had a lightbulb moment “what a good idea for a business!” and then the seed was planted.

How do you maintain a work life balance whilst running a successful business?

Well, I don’t really have much of an answer for this as I’m currently working 6 days a week to make it a successful business, and I’m pretty much switched on 24/7. I’m still in my first year of business, and the adjustment of going self employed is still ongoing. I’m trying to readjust my “all or nothing” attitude because it’s not sustainable, so, I take a Sunday off, I’m gentle with myself if I’m not having a good day, and I give myself an hour at night to read with my phone on the other side of the room. One of the great things about being your own boss is you can set your hours, so I’ve found that getting real with myself, working out the best way to spend my time, and trying to add some discipline (slowly but surely) to my day-to-day life has made a positive change.

Can you share a significant milestone or achievement that you are particularly proud of in your entrepreneurial journey?

Honestly just getting started, so far that’s been the hardest thing and I’m honestly so proud of myself for actually pulling it together and just doing it. Like I said, I’m still fairly new to all this and I’m working on hitting those milestones, but there was a time that I thought I might not even get round to making the first move because of the fear. I first thought about this business in 2018 and it wasn’t until December 2023 that the first real big girl move was made. Without exaggeration, I thought about Lissie everyday for 6 years, talking myself in and out of it, being excited and also worried about the sacrifices you have to make. I could have got started way quicker but I held myself back.

Have you experienced gender related obstacles or biases since starting your own business?

I’m pleased to report that I haven’t, the lingerie industry is mostly women based, and also incredibly supportive. From what I’ve seen it’s very much a community over competition kind of space, which I love, and my customer base up until now has been solely women. Everybody I speak to, from my reps to my customer service contacts, are women, apart from the DHL and postman who are always really nice! I feel very safe in my job and enjoy that it’s mostly women, it’s very comforting.

How do you empower and support other women in business?

My circle is still quite small, but when the opportunity arises, I absolutely love to empower and support my fellow boss girls. I like to use instagram to spread awareness of a service or just another business gal in general. I’ll spread through word of mouth, share my experiences with other women and just generally be a cheerleader, in person and online. For me, I now understand how much it means when somebody chooses to support you, and when I truly love and believe in what somebody else is doing I will not shut up about it.

What role has mentorship played in your career, and how has it influenced your growth as a business owner?

I always say that I have a secret weapon: my dad. Not only has he built his own business from nothing (and I mean nothing) he’s always been incredibly supportive, encouraging and has instilled in me that your attitude to life is everything. I grew up hearing that you can do anything, you just have to put your mind to it, work hard, and have unshakeable faith in yourself, and that’s stuck. He is very experienced in business, and I continue to learn a lot from him.

How have you found marketing your business - has it been easy for you, or have you found it quite difficult?

Challenging would be the word I’d use, I have no experience in the field and it continues to be a huge learning curve for me. It’s quite fun, takes a lot of time and can be adapted at any time so I’m not stressing about it too much. In time I’ll be in a position to hire people to help and who can do it a million times better than me, but for now I’m just throwing different ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks, along with a content strategy.

What are your main marketing activities, and what do you find works best for you?

So, I have a few, and plan to add more when the business can afford it. I have a very comprehensive SEO strategy woven into my website, this is to capture as many organic online customers as possible, but it’s a long term strategy and I won’t see the benefits of this for a while. Short term has been social media, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Don’t sleep on TikTok, I repeat, don’t sleep on TikTok! This platform has allowed me to attract the majority of my customer base to date (about 75%) and has amassed over 20K in sales in my first 5 months in business (wtf). It’s slowly becoming the new Google, so if you want people to find you, I believe that’s where you need to be. Instagram has been more for community building, and is great for converting and bringing people along on the journey of my new small business, same as Facebook. In time I’ll look to utilise paid ads, and explore other avenues which aren’t on social media, such as local newspapers and approaching local businesses for things like fitting days.

Can you discuss a time you had to pivot or adapt your business strategy?

One thing you need to know about starting a business is it’s probably not going to go to plan, and you need to be okay with that. Having the ability to adapt will take you and your business places you might not have even dreamt about, and if you’re not willing to adapt, you’re probably holding yourself back. My initial business idea was an online lingerie shop, my website took 6 months later than the 3 I had been advised, and in the meantime I had no money coming in, so I started bra fitting from my office. That was never a part of my plan, and now it’s the highlight of my job. It’s allowed cash flow, I’m learning so much and I get to directly help my local community feel better in themselves, absolute win-win.

Looking ahead, what are your future goals and aspirations for your business?

Humbly, I’m not in this to play small. I see a flagship store, I see my own lingerie line, I see a body staff, I see Lissie Lingerie going global (Pitbull style) I see millions in the bank, not because I want millions in the bank, but because I know that I’m capable of it. I tell people that I’m a bra fitter, but first and foremost, I’m a business woman, and I hope to be a bloody good one. I’m so excited to see where we’ll go, the sky’s the limit.