Get To Know Larissa Gadsby, Founder of BRAE by Gadsbys | Canadian Business Owner Spotlights by Kelsey Reidl, Marketing Consultant.
Meet Larissa Gadsby!
Founder of BRAE by Gadsbys,
a family owned and operated menswear store founded in 2009.
Welcome to our Canadian Business Owner Spotlight Series hosted by me… Kelsey Reidl (Business & Marketing Consultant).
In this series, I'll be catching up with the most talented, generous & inspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in Canada & beyond.
Enjoy learning more about these wonderful humans, and give them a ‘follow’ or get in touch in order to collaborate with them + work with them.
-Kelsey
The TL;DR for Larissa Gadsby of BRAE by Gadsbys.
I’m a pediatric nurse practitioner turned entrepreneur. I’m the co-owner and Chief Operating Officer of Gadsbys Clothing Co, and founder of BRAE by Gadsbys.
As a wife and mom of two kids, I left my full time career in healthcare to work alongside my husband to scale our family business and build.
Okay, let’s get to know Larissa!
Name
Larissa Gadsby
Profession / Title
Multi-location retail store owner
Business Name
BRAE by Gadsbys
Industry / Niche
Women’s Clothing Boutique and Styling Services
My Business Was Founded In
2022
Current Location
Personally, Kitchener, ON
Boutiques in Downtown Cambridge, Dundas, Paris, Stratford
3 words you would use to describe yourself…
Visionary.
Discerning.
Driven.
Tell us more about your business
Gadsbys Clothing is a family owned and operated menswear store founded in 2009. Alongside my husband Brandon, we purchased the family business in 2022 and have scaled to 4 locations. BRAE by Gadsbys was founded as the women’s expression of Gadsbys Clothing in fall 2022.
BRAE is a fusion of Canadian and European fashion, curated to highlight the lifestyle and femininity of the modern woman. Timeless pieces with a flair of “cool girl" to complement your personal style through the ebbs and flows of womanhood. BRAE isn't just about clothes. It's about confidence, ease, and self expression - for you, your daughter, sister, mom, and friends.
I spend most of my time developing systems and growing leaders within our team.
You can find me best on instagram @braebygadsbys or @larissagadsby.
In one or two sentences, what specific problem does your business solve for your clients?
Cutting through the noise of chasing trends, style philosophies, and accelerated fashion cycles, at BRAE we help women curate wardrobes that are timeless, while enhancing their personal style.
What is a recent investment you’ve made in your business
After purchasing our family business, with zero business experience, and scaling very fast in the first three years. Things became heavy, really fast while juggling multiple hats of running a business and being a wife/mom.
Owning a business can be very isolating, and you can only lead your team where you have led yourself. Joining communities like High Vibe Women, and attending events like Wave for Women and High Vibe full day events were transformative for me in how I viewed myself as an entrepreneur and was integral in building community for the highs and lows business brings.
Being in rooms of women who are so much further ahead in business has expanded my ability to dream, learn from others' mistakes, and be challenged to keep moving forward working on my business, not staying stagnant in the day-to-day.
The second critical investment we made was after realizing we scaled beyond what our internal systems could handle, we invested in a practical business coaching program that focused on development and implementation of systems.
It felt risky at the time, but I knew that where we had grown the business wasn't sustainable and we didn’t have the expertise to come up with solutions on our own.
But investing in a program with practical training, we were able to implement critical systems and processes that have strengthened the foundation of our business we can continue to scale from.
What changed after that investment? Why do you see it as an investment, not an expense?
Investing in community has been integral in supporting my personal growth as a business owner. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone and into rooms that are expansive and stretching. This is a must if you want a business that grows and doesn’t stagnate. Once you as a leader plateau in your growth, it’s only a matter of time your business does as well.
Investing in a practical business coaching program was such a quick ROI. We were able to implement systems immediately, which provided so much more clarity for our team. This in turn elevated our team performance as a whole which translated into a smooth customer experience which is our ultimate value as a company.
What would you tell a new entrepreneur who's considering investing in the same thing, but is hesitant?
Find a community and join it. Commit to showing up, attending the calls, and doing the work. From there lean on the strength of others to help coach, mentor, and cheer you on as you build.
Each step out of your comfort zone, is one step closer to the next breakthrough or idea that could be the difference maker in your business. Commit to not doing business alone and you will go farther than you could have ever imagined!
Now for some fun stuff!
Always…
Always take time to seek understanding and move with discernment as you grow your business.
Never…
Never compare your day 1 to someone else’s year 10.
Advice for other entrepreneurs, who are slightly less far along…
Take the time to do your market research before major action. Surround yourself with a few trusted people who aren’t afraid of asking the tough questions and will tell you what you need to hear, not just the niceties. Leaning into the uncomfortable conversations and doing the inner work will help your business build on a strong foundation.
What is a tool, resource, podcast, book or person you’ve invested in that’s added value to your entrepreneurial journey
Books: The Hard Thing About Hard Things; Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0
Favourite way to wind down after a long workweek
Once kids are in bed, having a hot shower with a nice skin care routine and a good facemask. Cozying up to a sports game or netflix show with my husband and some good food. :)
Before starting my workday, I make sure to…
Brain dump everything in my head and make a plan of action on what my priorities are that day.
Best part of my work is…
Every day is different - one day I could be working from home, the next I could be remerchandising the sales floor at any one of our locations, processing inventory, doing bookkeeping and backend maintenance. I love the variety and changing my work setting keeps me inspired!
Last vacation you took (and where did you go)
We spent a week at the cottage with family and I snuck a quick weekend earlier in the summer to the Canadian Grand Prix. A trip with the family and a trip for me…it’s all about balance 🙂
