Meet Louise Lai | Founder & CEO of Gatherall

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

Hi Louise, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Gatherall bra was born four years ago out of my frustrations from not being able to find a truly supportive, backless, strapless, adhesive bra. This type of product was and is a staple of my wardrobe because I believe the correct undergarments not only provide countless style choices but also ensure comfort. Feeling this need personally and unsatisfied with the available options at the time, I decided to create a product that would work for me.

What should our readers know about your business?
As the founder and CEO, I take great care to make sure every aspect of my business is a reflection of my vision. From designing and redesigning the countless prototypes, scouting production sites, setting the brand’s aesthetic to designing the packaging, building displays for trade shows, holding product shoots on my kitchen table, fulfilling orders, and responding to customer service inquiries, To this day, I manage Gatherall’s social media, curating content that fits with the brand’s aesthetic while keeping customers engaged. Anything I can infuse with my personal touch, I do and will continue to do so. A challenge that follows from this way of operating is determining how much of my time I need to allocate to certain tasks. Determining which items require more or less of my full attention has been a trial and error process with my seeking advice from other business owners and professionals of various fields such as finance, marketing and PR. I’ve learned how crucial it is to build a team whose opinions I value and that I can trust to execute my visions.
Knowing myself, I know that despite the delegating and compartmentalizing, I’ll inevitably involve myself in what may seem like even the minutiae. However, by being aware of the ins and outs of my company, I hope I can build a brand that adheres to its core principles while responding to continuous flow of customer feedback and changing needs.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Having lived in a number of cities from Bangkok to London, Los Angeles, and now New York City, I would first tell my friend, the best way to see the city is to walk! They should come prepared with some comfortable shoes. We would definitely save a day for SoHo, wandering through the boutiques and showrooms for inspiration. Then, a couple days would be spent visiting some of the many museums in the city, my favorites being the Met or MoMA.
We would most likely visit Union Square Farmers Market and Central Park. In between these activities I would make sure to encourage more than the daily meals worth of pit stops to the amazing restaurants throughout the city. And of course, a few nights of barhopping. (Too many to count!)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Since the very beginning, I’ve made it a point to seek out and support women entrepreneurs, creatives, etc. so that we can support and empower each other through our collaborative processes and lift each other up in our respective journeys. Gatherall would not be here today if it were not for the talented women from all fields-designers, photographers, lawyers, makeup artists, creative directors, PR, professional and amateur models, small business owners, moms and so on. The list goes on and on. I’m thankful everyday for these valuable connections and continue to rely on this supportive community that has strengthened my core philosophy when it comes to leading a women owned business: we are stronger when we gather.

Website: www.wegatherall.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/wegatherall

Facebook: www.facebook.com/wegatherall