From Side Hustle to Swimwear Empire: The Andie Swim Story with Founder Melanie Travis

Melanie Travis didn’t go to fashion school. She didn’t work at a legacy brand. She didn’t have a co-founder, a warehouse, or a team.

What she did have was a miserable experience swimsuit shopping for a company retreat and a hunch that other women felt the same.

In this episode of Unfinished Business, Melanie joins Alex and Lee to share how she turned a universal frustration into Andie Swim, a nationally recognized brand that’s sold millions of swimsuits and recently expanded into new categories through strategic acquisition.

We talk about:

– The origin story: from BarkBox employee to Kickstarter campaign to CEO

– How she taught herself the fashion supply chain using an Airbnb “fashion tour”

– Why she believes the classic DTC playbook no longer works

– The truth about raising $30M and still struggling to reach profitability

– Her approach to omnichannel growth, from Nordstrom to private label deals

– What she looks for in brand acquisitions (and how she bought her first)

– How she’s building a multi-brand portfolio while juggling two young kids

Melanie keeps it brutally honest about fundraising, scaling, hiring, and growth. This episode is a masterclass for consumer founders and a reality check for anyone chasing the DTC dream.