From Embarrassment to Empowerment: Heidi Zak’s Fight for Inclusivity

Buddy Teaster sits down with Heidi Zak, co-founder and CEO of ThirdLove, a revolutionary lingerie brand known for its inclusive sizing and body-positive messaging. 

In this episode of re:Purpose, Heidi shares her inspiring journey of building ThirdLove from the ground up, taking on industry giant Victoria’s Secret, and creating a brand that empowers women. 

But as you’ll see, her path was far from easy. Like many entrepreneurs, Heidi’s journey to success was met with challenges, setbacks, and moments of required reinvention.

The Tailspin:

Heidi Zak’s journey began with personal frustration. After a disappointing shopping experience at Victoria’s Secret, she realized there was a gap in the market for a brand that truly understood and catered to women. “I took that pink striped bag and stuffed it into a bigger bag because I was so embarrassed to be shopping there,” Heidi recalls. “That was my aha moment—why am I spending money on a brand that doesn’t represent who I am?”

But turning that frustration into a successful business was no small feat. In the early days, ThirdLove faced significant production challenges. “We had bras coming off the line like a Frankenstein bra,” Heidi admits. “It was not good.” The company had invested over $100,000 in a made-to-order production model that simply didn’t work. “We had to table that idea and start again,” she says. “It was a huge loss, and it was really hard.”

The challenges didn’t stop there. When Heidi appeared on the Today Show to promote ThirdLove, the company’s website crashed. “We had built our own website because Shopify didn’t exist yet,” she explains. “It was a disaster.” These early setbacks were a tailspin for Heidi and her team, but they also became opportunities to learn and grow.

The Work:

Heidi and her team knew they had to pivot. One of their most significant breakthroughs came with the introduction of the “try before you buy” model. “We said, ‘Look, we’ll send you this bra for free. You don’t need to pay for it. Try it on, wash it, wear it. If you love it, keep it. If you don’t, we’ll pay for return shipping,’” Heidi explains. This innovative approach removed all risk for the customer and resonated deeply with women. “It was really risky because if we didn’t have a great product, we would have been out of money in two months,” she says. “But it worked, and that really scaled our first couple million customers.”

Heidi also focused on creating a brand that was inclusive and empowering. “From the beginning, we wanted to create something that any woman could look at and say, ‘Yeah, that brand gets me,’” she says. This commitment to inclusivity extended to their marketing and product offerings. “We had to dig far and wide to find models who weren’t cookie-cutter,” Heidi recalls. “We used women who weren’t even models at first, and many of them have gone on to work with big brands like Victoria’s Secret.”

The Tailwind:

Today, ThirdLove is the third-largest online intimate apparel brand in the U.S., and Heidi’s vision of creating a brand that empowers women has become a reality. “Our mission is to help women feel confident and comfortable every single day,” Heidi says. “We want to be there for women at different moments in their lives—whether they’re working from home, picking up their kids, or going into a big meeting.”

Heidi’s commitment to inclusivity and social impact has also set ThirdLove apart. The company has a strong social impact program, donating bras and underwear to women in need around the world. “We believe it’s really important to impact all women, not just our customers,” Heidi explains. “It’s a small way to give back, but it’s something our team feels passionately about.”

Heidi’s journey has also been deeply personal. As a mother, she’s proud to see her daughter growing up in a world where ThirdLove is making a difference. “It’s super cool to see her start to understand what ThirdLove is and how her parents built this company,” Heidi says. “We’ve made bra shopping comfortable for young girls, and that’s something I don’t take for granted.”

Heidi Zak’s journey from tailspin to tailwind is a story of resilience, innovation, and purpose. By staying true to her vision of creating a brand that empowers women, Heidi has transformed ThirdLove into a household name and a force for good in the lingerie industry. Her story is a reminder that even in the face of challenges, success is possible with determination, creativity, and a commitment to making a difference.

To hear more about Heidi’s inspiring journey, leadership philosophy, and goals for the future, check out the full episode of re:Purpose with Buddy Teaster.

Be sure to follow the re:Purpose podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your audio content. Pre-order From Tailspin to Tailwind now on Amazon.