Meet Meghan Russell | CEO/Founder – Detoure

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

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
1. What was your thought process behind starting your own business?

I started Detoure after working in the fashion industry and realizing just how much waste it generates. The idea for Detoure sparked at an influencer event. I was speaking to influencers about their overflowing closets – influencers are constantly having to purchase new clothing, just to wear it once on their social media before it’s banished to the back of their closets. But there was no easy solution for them to sustainably and easily re-sell these items.
I thought, “People follow you to dress in your style— so why not create a way for them to thrift your closet directly?”
I started Detoure because I saw an opportunity to make a real impact on sustainability in fashion. I wanted to create something that didn’t exist yet, and help bridge a gap in the market by offering a simple, sustainable solution.

2. What’s one thing about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?

The sheer volume of clothing each influencer has is mind-blowing! We pick up hundreds of bags full of clothes every month from influencers – and their closets still are packed! Reselling their closets to our customers gives the clothing a second chance to be worn and loved, without ending up in the landfill.

3. Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?

Being an entrepreneur means taking a leap of faith and believing in your idea enough to leave behind the security of a stable job and income. But as much as starting a business is a risk, there’s also a risk in not trying at all. What if you stay in your “safe” job and then get laid off? Or what if your “risky” idea actually succeeds? Life is unpredictable, and you never know what could happen if you don’t take that chance.

For me, I think about at the end of my life, will I be happy with doing the status quo and never taking a risk? Or will I be happy that I took a risk and grew by trying something new, even if it doesn’t pan out how I thought? At the end of the day I still will have grown by stretching myself outside my comfort zone, no matter what happens.

4. Other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?

“Starting it ugly” – I feel like what holds a lot of entrepreneurs back is the fear that something isn’t perfect before they start it. As a recovering perfectionist this held me back a lot of my life. I realized that with starting a business, you have to launch it “ugly” – that’s the only way you can learn and iterate on the business. As the Nike slogan says, “Just do it.” Whether it’s starting your business, launching a website, or sending that email, sometimes you need to just take the leap and just do it. Give it your best effort. It’s okay if things aren’t perfect. The important thing is to just start and you can learn and pivot along the way.

5. What is the most important factor behind your success/ the success of your brand?

The key to our brand’s success is making sure our customers (and in our case influencer clients) are happy. When it comes to working with influencers, if they genuinely love your brand, they’ll naturally share it with their followers—essentially, the marketing happens on its own. We haven’t run a single ad, thanks to the organic reach our influencers provide, and we’re so grateful for them. Without them, we wouldn’t have a brand, so it’s crucial for us to prioritize their satisfaction and ensure they’re happy with our consignment services.

6. What’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?

I started my company when I was 23 without any prior entrepreneurial experience, so along the way I’ve had to navigate tough decisions and learn from my mistakes. One of the hardest challenges for me has been making hiring decisions. It’s daunting to open up your vision and trust others with something that feels like your “baby.” But the truth is, you can’t build a successful company on your own. You need the right people to help take your business to the next level and support your growth.

7. Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about balance?

When I first started my company, and it was just me working on it – I would work on it constantly. I remember staying up until 4 AM multiple times a week to fulfill orders in the beginning. As the company grew, I was finally able to hire a team and start delegating tasks, which allowed me to reclaim some balance and actually have a life again!

I do think that at the beginning of starting a business you have to grind and dedicate massive amounts of time to it, but also with age I’ve learned that people are the most important part of life and making time for your friends and family over work is what matters at the end of the day. Now, I’ve become much better at finding a balance and prioritizing time for myself and my loved ones.

8. Do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?

Zech 4:10
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin”
This gave me so much encouragement at the beginning stages of my company!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A few of my favorite things to do in LA:
1. Grab breakfast at Breakfast by Salts Cure in Santa Monica (their griddle pancakes are INCREDIBLE)
2. Head to Malibu for a beach day (I know the perfect hidden beach), then eat lunch at Taverna Tony’s for the best greek food + walk around the little shops at Malibu Country Mart
3. Have a Beverly Hills day (eat at Honor Bar in Beverly Hills for the best chicken sandwich of your life) + walk around the shops on Rodeo (it’s so cute for Christmas right now)
4. Grab a drink at Perch for a DTLA rooftop experience + live jazz band
5. Watch the sunset at Griffith Observatory
6. Visit the Getty Museum and eat a picnic on the grass
7. Thrift shop on Melrose Ave (on Sunday to hit Melrose Trading Post) and visit Detoure of course!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My team at Detoure – thank you for supporting me and helping bring my dream to life.

Website: https://detoure.co/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-mckenzie-russell-9b188a153/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/detoureshop/

Image Credits
Team photo: Catherine Ricker, Tori Concepcion, Meghan Russell, Kat Vodhanel, Amy Hart
Pink shelf photo: Meghan Russell and friend/woodworker Jamie Eddins