Fashion: How Bianca Gates built Birdies and broke the mold in footwear

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan talks with Bianca Gates, founder and CEO of Birdies, about her entrepreneurial journey. Bianca shares her upbringing as the daughter of Latin American immigrants, her early aspirations to be a career woman, and her inspiring career trajectory from pharmaceutical and media sales to her dream job at Facebook. Bianca discusses the creation of Birdies, a brand of stylish and comfortable 'social slippers,' and how she leveraged her sales know-how and experiences at Facebook to turn Birdies into the beloved footwear brand it is today. 

Guest Bio and Links:

Bianca Gates is the CEO and co-founder of Birdies, a leading footwear brand that introduced the concept of the "social slipper." Before Birdies, Bianca built a successful career in sales at Univision, MTV, and Facebook, where she worked closely with Sheryl Sandberg. Born to Latin American immigrants, Bianca is a pioneer in combining entrepreneurial drive with a commitment to empowering women.

Listeners can learn more about Bianca Gates on her website, on IG @biancagates

Show Notes: 

• (0:00) Intro 
• (0:25) Leah introduces guest, Bianca Gates, CEO of Birdies Footwear 
• (2:00) The struggle for the perfect shoe
• (3:45) Setting a new precedent in footwear
• (6:00) Growing up Latina in America
• (9:30) “I tell people sometimes when you're in a weak moment or you're feeling isolated or that you don't belong, I think sometimes it was like the best lessons that you can do something positive with it later in life.”
• (15:00) Pursuing independence and career aspirations
• (20:30) Landing a sales gig at Johnson and Johnson
• (24:30) Proving sales potential at Univision 
• (29:00) Pitching Hyundai Kia
• (32:30) Finding love and moving west back home
• (36:30) Gaining inspiration from Sheryl Sandberg 
• (38:00) The determination to join Facebook
• (42:30) Taking the leap and joining Facebook
• (45:00) The Birth of Birdies
• (48:30) “Be bold and also done is better than perfect.”
• (51:00) The early days of launching Birdies
• (54:00) Navigating the retail landscape
• (57:00) Leaving Facebook to focus on Birdies 
• (1:01:00) Finetuning the niche with Birdies until it worked

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Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world.

Connect with Leah:

Website: breakingprecedent.com/ 

Instagram: @labunleashed

X: @labunleashed