Hayley Segar
Founder + Operator of onewith
What inspired you to start your business?
I always loved fashion, but hated swimwear. I knew there was something wrong with it, but couldn’t put my finger on the exact issue. I just sucked it up and wore subpar swimwear that dug and squeezed, year after year.
That was, until April of 2019 when I had my lightbulb moment after trying on dozens of swimsuits. I literally said out loud out of frustration, ‘I just want a swimsuit that fits like my favorite no-show underwear does.’ And it was in that moment that it hit me. I knew had to create it.
What three traits define you?
The words I always go back to when defining myself are: creative, tenacious, and disciplined.
What do you love about being a business owner?
I can truly say I’ve never felt more myself than being a founder/owner. It’s what I’m built for, and I’m right where I need to be; that’s what I love about it.
What’s the hardest part about being a business owner?
No one will feel anything like you feel it as the owner of a business, so everything is weightier. Every decision, every issue, every win, every…everything. It cuts deep in the best and worst ways, and the only person who can know that level of depth is another owner of a product-based business. But I wouldn’t trade it!
How do you define success?
It’s a feeling and it goes beyond a set list of criteria; I know when I feel successful. I don’t see it as a goal, I see it as a state of mind.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
There are so many quotes like this, but something to the effect of…where there is a will, there is a way.
- “everything is figureoutable” – Marie Forleo
- “there’s always a third door” – something a marketer said to me
- “I’ll figure it out, I always do,” – me, multiple times a day, every day
What are you reading or listening to now? (Book, blog, magazine, podcast, etc.)
Podcasts, always & forever! I see my podcasts in 2 ways – work & play, and I’m always listening to a mix of both.
Work – Limited Supply, How I Built This
Play – Dark House, Kennedy Dynasty, You Must Remember This
Good Mix of Work & Play – The Skinny Confidential Him & Her
What’s the best way to start your day?
Routine…currently typing this from my hotel room bed, completely thrown off because I am not amidst my at-home morning routine right now. I used to be embarrassed that I relied on a rigid routine so heavily; but once I lived into the fact that routine is necessary for me to be at my most-optimized (and just feeling content, more importantly!), it was really freeing. Discipline is freedom, as they say.
Fill in the blank:
When I face a challenge, I step back for a minute. Breathe. Strategize.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself listen to your gut more, and peripheral people less.
The one thing I couldn’t live without is cats.
By this time next year, I will be doing whatever the moment calls for 🙂
To get my creative juices flowing, I take a drive, a shower, a walk, or meditate.
One way I ensure my company stays innovative is following my gut and executing on most of the things that pop into my head.
onewith
Onewith swimwear is patent-pending, dig-free, elastic-free, and edgeless, just like your favorite no-show undies. Truly onewith a woman’s body.