Sophie Boulanger, co-founder of BonLook, dives into how the company shook up Canada's eyewear scene. Sophie talks about her entrepreneurial path, inspired by her family and shaped by her experiences at L’Oreal Canada and Luxottica. They delve into BonLook’s inception and strategic decisions, including cutting out middlemen, expanding store presence, and picking prime locations, along with insights on hiring for retail. Finally, Sophie discusses why she sold BonLook, her future aspirations, and her intention to remain active in tech and entrepreneurship.
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BonLook website https://www.bonlook.ca/
BonLook Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bonlook/
Sophie Boulanger https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-boulanger-19b2b71/
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Show Notes:
02:44 From corporate to eyewear entrepreneur
04:57 Disrupting the eyewear industry
10:51 Challenges and innovations in online retail
13:09 The strategic shift to brick-and-mortar stores
21:19 Building a successful retail team
25:43 The financial anatomy of a retail store
29:05 Optimizing sales per square footage
30:22 Navigating challenges of underperforming stores
32:06 The importance of real estate and lease negotiations
35:10 Reflecting on a successful exit strategy
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Links Discussed
L'Oreal https://www.loreal.com/
Luxottica https://www.essilorluxottica.com/
Oakley https://www.oakley.com/
Ray Ban https://www.ray-ban.com/
Vogue Eyewear https://www.vogue-eyewear.com/
LensCrafters https://www.lenscrafters.ca/
SunglassesHut https://www.sunglasshut.com/
Warby Parker https://warbyparker.com/
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The Great Pursuit is a podcast that dives into the art and science of finding product market fit. Through in-depth conversations with founders, entrepreneurs and investors, we uncover actionable insights to help you go from 0 to 1.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegreatpursuit.substack.com
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