Meet Elizabeth Rietz | CEO & Co-Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Rietz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When my daughter was 8 years old, she began to develop and needed to wear a camisole or bra under her tops. We struggled to find a camisole that was both comfortable and had a shelf bra inside for an extra layer of coverage. Then, we had an even harder time trying to find bras that she would wear since she has a lot of sensory issues. I began talking to other moms about this struggle and quickly realized I wasn’t alone.

Even though I had never been in the apparel industry before, I decided to research what it would take to get a sample made. After searching for awhile, I found people who could help me understand the process and help design our first line. Then, my husband decided to join me to build this business. With his background in the technology industry, he built our website on Shopify.

Since I was raised by a serial entrepreneur, I always knew I wanted to start my own business from a young age. Before starting Bleuet, I started a recycled billboard bag company and owned a marketing consultancy for 11 years.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Born of a mom and daughter’s frustration while shopping for undergarments, Bleuet (pronounced Blue-A) was created to provide the most comfortable bras, camisoles and other undergarments for tween and teen girls – all designed with a growing girl’s body in mind. With their active lifestyle that often includes play, sports, freeze tag, dance, cartwheels, P.E., Bleuet undergarments are designed to be durable with dual layers for extra coverage. Each garment is made with breathable, moisture-wicking performance fabric or light, sustainable fabric ensuring girls will stay dry and cool without embarrassing sweat stains. All Bleuet bras and camisoles are made with minimal seams for itch-free comfort in a range of fun colors in age-appropriate designs.

Our products stand out because they were created with the most sensitive girl in mind. We have many customers who have sensory issues, Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Downs Syndrome or other special needs. We also have customers who have found wearing our camisoles helps prevent chafing under a back brace for Scoliosis. Our bamboo bras and organic cotton bras have been perfect for girls with skin allergies, ezcema or other skin sensitivities.

Another reason our company stands out is how we regularly give back by partnering with girl social entrepreneurs who have started businesses to help others through our Bleuet Girl Entrepreneurship Program. We have been able to provide both awareness and financial support to each of our girl entrepreneurs. We also donate our gently used returns to both foster girls in need and girls in Ghana, Africa.

Also, Bleuet believes in ethical apparel manufacturing by working with reputable factories in the United States and around the world. The company strives to ensure that all manufacturing partners offer fair and sustainable wages, reasonable hours and safe working environments.

We are most proud two things: our Bleum Bra, which now has over 500 5-star reviews on our website. We are overjoyed that we have helped so many girls feel more confident and have helped frustrated parents who tried many different brands before finding success with ours. Also, we are proud that through our Bleuet Girl Entrepreneurship Program we have helped 15-year old Hailey O’Donnell expand her Hailey’s Haven operation to a second location in New Jersey (she provides backpacks to foster kids in need). We have also helped to fund a community fridge in LA for Khloe Thompson of Khloe Kares and helped 14-year old Rachael Rosenberg with her goal of creating 500 care packages for the homeless in LA.

Throughout the pandemic, we experienced many challenges in regards to our manufacturing and USPS delays. We had to work around Covid restrictions, delayed deliveries from suppliers and manufacturing delays due to Covid. It was incredibly frustrating, and we had to have an enormous amount of patience in waiting for more inventory to come in last April. We were transparent with our customer base and let them know that we were experiencing manufacturing delays. By being open and honest with them, it made them more understanding. We also had to navigate major shipping delays to customers, which led to lots of customer service issues. From the beginning, we have focused on providing a quick response to customers and always giving them the benefit of the doubt. This has helped us to keep their business when they have been frustrated with late or lost shipments.

We have learned that customer reviews are absolutely critical when you are a new brand! Our advice is to make an investment in a review platform like Yatpo, which auto-generates review questions after a customer receives their item. It has really helped us`gain more traction and has brought more customers to our site. Facebook advertising has also been a huge driver of business for us.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh I love telling people where to go in LA! So here you go… 1) Start with the beach – grab a sandwich from Bay Cities in Santa Monica (get the Godmother!) and head north up the PCH where it is less crowded at Will Rogers State Beach or up to Malibu.
2) Hiking for the best views of the city – I LOVE hiking in Griffith Park and do so every week. It’s just incredible especially in the winter. If you hike up to the Griffith Observatory at Fern Dell, you can finish off your hike with pastries or a sandwich from The Trail Cafe. Love their pie & lavender shortbread cookies. We also love to picnic in Griffith Park with sandwiches & sweets from Proof Bakery or Say Cheese or picking up items from Wine & Eggs in Atwater or The Cheese Store in Silver Lake.
3) Tacos!! You must, must go on a taco crawl. There are so many fantastic taco stands throughout LA. A few favorites are Ricky’s Fish Tacos (Baja fish tacos), Leo’s Tacos (Al pastor), El Flamin’ (Al pastor), Taco Zone (Mulitas), Tacos Arrizas (carnitas), El Momo (carnitas), Mariscos Jaliscos (fried shrimp tacos) and Guisados (grilled fish tacos). There is also HomeState, which has the best breakfast tacos just like they make them in Texas (I’m from there so I can vouch that they are indeed just like home!)
4) Explore Silver Lake (my neighborhood) – so many great shops & culture to see & coffee to drink like from Go Get’em Tiger, LA Mill or Broome Street General Store (a fun place to shop & grab a coffee). Lots of great shops in Atwater Village. Stop by Proof for coffee & croissant or Dune for their fried chicken plate for lunch. Another favorite spot is Wine & Eggs. In Silver Lake you can get great natural wine & dinner at All Time, Kismet, Ostrich Farm, Botanica, or Alimento. Also, great natural wine selection at both Silver Lake Wine or Lou.
5) Grand Central Market & Last Bookstore in downtown. Walk around the Arts District. Favorite downtown restaurants include Emmerson Royce for burgers & cocktails, Bestia, Bavel and Majordomo.
6) Venice – Abbott Kinney is one of my favorite streets in the city. Start with Gjusta for breakfast pastries and wander the shops. One of my favorite ice cream spots, Salt & Straw, is there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jessica Honegger, Co-CEO & Founder of Noonday Collection. Her book, Imperfect Courage, helped encourage me to take that first step and move forward despite being afraid. I remember one day driving through downtown LA and crying out of frustration with the sample process (I could not get the elastic measurement right to save my life). I played the audiobook and just listening to Jessica’s experience of multiple ups and downs gave me the motivation to push through a difficult situation. Also, I listened to her podcast, “Going Scared,” throughout the pandemic, which helped me feel less alone as an entrepreneur and provided further encouragement.

Website: https://bleuetgirl.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bleuetgirl/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethrietz/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bleuetgirl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bleuetgirl

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOY9yAhN_e21Mxyt3ZFhNg