Founder‑led marketing and a viral TikTok

Most people spot a gap in the market and do nothing — Konnie Tsimiklis spotted one, had zero fashion experience, and built a brand around it anyway.

A management consultant by trade, Konnie spent decades avoiding swimming pools because no swimwear on the market made her feel like herself. So she created her own — Unity Cove, Australia's first gender-inclusive swimwear brand — and hit $27,000 in sales in her first three months without spending a cent on ads.

In this episode, Konnie holds nothing back about what it really costs to bring a physical product to life — the $20K+ first production run, selling out on Black Friday and going three months without stock, and the single TikTok she filmed before launch that still drives the majority of her revenue today.

What you'll learn in this interview:

• How one unscripted TikTok with no call-to-action generated 1,000 waitlist signups and became her highest-performing ad
• The real cost of launching a physical product — and why the "start with $500" advice doesn't always hold up
• Why being the face of your brand isn't just a strategy — it might be your biggest competitive advantage
• How to choose a manufacturer when your top two options don't both tick every box
• What selling out too fast actually costs you — and how to fix your inventory strategy before it happens again
• The difference between unisex and truly inclusive product design (and why it matters more than most brands realise)
• How she went from one-off hype drops to monthly pallet deliveries in under 18 months
• The unglamorous cash flow reality of apparel: long production cycles, tied-up capital, and hard-won supplier negotiations
• Why in-person community events created the kind of brand loyalty no paid ad ever could
• How to keep building when the financial payoff hasn't come yet — and what actually makes it worth it

If you've ever had an idea you talked yourself out of because you didn't have the right background, the right budget, or the right moment — this episode will change how you think about what it actually takes to start.

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WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS? Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → ⁠⁠https://foundr.com/operators⁠⁠ HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ → Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH KONNIE TSIMIKLIS Instagram → ⁠https://www.instagram.com/konnie___/ Website → ⁠https://unitycoveswim.com

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