Friends side hustle scores 8 points: ‘Have to pinch yourself’

This Side Hustle Spotlight quiz features Jen Menchaca, 56, of Los Angeles, California, and Lisa Hickey, 44, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Menchaca and Hickey are friends and co-founders perfectwhitenessAn apparel brand that has grown by eight figures within the last three years. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

^{Image credit: Steak Studio. Jane Menchaca, left, and Lisa Hickey, right.}

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What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your job?
Menchaca: I was working in entertainment, moving between being a writer’s assistant and PR at David E. Kelly Productions. It was a wonderful experience to work with someone like him. I started a small t-shirt line and decided to grow from there. I was always busy, but I love brand-building. And tees – I love tees.

Hickey: I run the wholesale agency Showroom Delfina in New York. We help brands enter boutiques, department stores, and online spaces like Shopbop. The thing I love most is bringing new brands to market and helping them grow.

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When did you start your side and where did you get the inspiration from?
Menchaca: We started PerfectWhiteness in 2020. The idea was inspired by the need for a line that went with the simple tee, was always in stock and always fit perfectly.

Hickey: When we started, I also had a retail location and I noticed how hard it was to find a brand that kept their tees in stock for constant replenishment. Jen and I realized right away that if we could make the best-fitting tees and sweatshirts and keep them in stock reliably, that was really all we needed to make.

What were the first steps you took to get your cause off the ground?
Menchaca: We started small: seven styles in five colors and partnered with a manufacturing company that specializes in beautiful weaves.

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Are there any free or paid resources that have been particularly helpful to you in getting this business up and running?
Menchaca: Shopify was huge for getting online faster. Once we started scaling, Klaviyo and meta ads for email helped. Canva is my favorite choice for quick creativity, and honestly, hearing about other brands’ experiences gave me more perspective than any business class I took at the University of Texas.

If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you had done it differently?
Menchaca: You don’t have to say yes to everything. Learn to say no.

Hickey: Information is everything, but organizing it in a way that actually helps you make quick decisions is always a challenge. Over the past few years, technology has really evolved, and there are now plenty of SaaS tools that make a difference – not just in retail with Shopify, but in production as well.

When it comes to this specific business, what is something that you have found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but perhaps aren’t?
Menchaca: Lisa and I actually started Perfectivity just as a wholesale brand, so our first challenges were the standard long lead times, strict terms and all the cash flow gymnastics that comes with that. When we later moved into direct-to-consumer, it was a completely different rhythm: faster, more responsive and constantly shaped by new technology. It feels like every other month there’s some new platform update, algorithm change, or tool that we need to learn about. What’s surprising to me is how quickly the rules of the game change. If you are entering this field, you have to be ready to adapt and change at a moment’s notice.

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Can you remember a specific example when something went horribly wrong? How did you fix it?
Menchaca: In the beginning, we had some inventory management challenges. During a huge Black Friday sale, we discovered that a large portion of our warehouse was off the shelves. Many of our customers purchased items that we did not have in stock. We all rolled up our sleeves and contacted each person to let them know that we needed to change a few things for them to help them secure some great deals and, more importantly, give them the opportunity to personally shop for our brand. they loved it.

How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue?
Menchaca: It became a side hustle for me from day one. Lisa and I showed the brand at major trade shows in New York City and did some good business with people we knew. We started shipping a month later and then we faced a shutdown due to the pandemic the day after our first shipping day. We set out to make thousands of masks from the beautiful fabrics we had on hand, and then started getting calls from buyers for the tees and sweats we had in our warehouse. the rest is history.

What do growth and revenues look like now?
Menchaca: We started with explosive growth and have continued to deliver strong, sustainable profits on top of that foundation year after year. In the last three years, PerfectWhiteness has become an eight-figure brand. Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves when we see it on paper.

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What do you enjoy most about running this business?
Menchaca: Seeing someone in the woods wearing one of our pieces and then, seeing the look on their face when I tell them it’s my brand. It’s still the best feeling.

Hickey: I’m very proud of the team we’ve built; We have some amazing and passionate people on our team who make it all possible. I enjoy working with and learning from him every day.

What is your best specific, actionable business advice?
Menchaca: Don’t scale anarchy. Before you move, get your systems in place. If you don’t know how to do something, hire someone. Even for simple things like how you store files or track inventory. Development without structure and the right people in the right places will burn you out very quickly.

Hickey: Find people to work on your team who care about your brand (business) as much as you do. I saw it once: The best employees act like bosses, and the best bosses act like employees. Think beyond your title. One small accomplishment at a time – and don’t forget to celebrate each of them.

This article is part of our ongoing Women Entrepreneur® series that highlights the stories, challenges and triumphs of running a business as a woman.

This Side Hustle Spotlight quiz features Jen Menchaca, 56, of Los Angeles, California, and Lisa Hickey, 44, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Menchaca and Hickey are friends and co-founders perfectwhitenessAn apparel brand that has grown by eight figures within the last three years. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

^{Image credit: Steak Studio. Jane Menchaca, left, and Lisa Hickey, right.}

Want to read more stories like this? agree money makersOur free newsletter is full of creative side hustle ideas and successful strategies. Sign up here.