Thirty Minute Mentors Podcast Transcript: Interview with Balance Athletica Co-Founder and CEO Taylor Dilk

I recently interviewed Taylor Dilk on my podcast, Thirty Minute Mentors. Here is a transcript of our interview:

Adam: Our guest today launched a clothing company in 2018 that quickly became one of the hottest direct to consumer brands in her space. Taylor Dilk is the founder and CEO of Balance Athletica, which offers athletic leisurewear to customers of all shapes and sizes, and has been growing rapidly in times good and bad. Taylor, thank you for joining us.

Taylor: Yeah, thanks, Adam, for having me.

Adam: How did balanced Athletica come together? How did you come up with the idea for it and ultimately create a business that took off?

Taylor: Yeah, so Balance Athletica. It's been an amazing process to see it grow and everything and especially being in it with my family and my husband and sister who are also co-owners and co-founders. But to start off, I was in the fitness industry for I think three years before we started it. So I created my online platform, Instagram and YouTube, my senior year of college, which I went to Purdue. And at the time, really no one was really doing it. So if you look back at my content it’s kind of funny. I show a lot of recipes and just random fitness content. But I knew that one day, the social media thing would be huge for me, like I felt that inside of me that this would be a huge thing for my career. So I kept on for about two years. I was linking to like 20 likes per post on Instagram or YouTube view. And so from there, I kind of grew this platform, just through doing different things like I was with sponsors like bodybuilding.com, and Gymshark, and just different companies that helped me kind of grow my platform. And then at the time, I was also competing in bikini competitions to get my IFBB pro card. So there was a lot going on, I was trying to build my online fitness, coaching and competing in bikini. And then while also growing my social media platform. And about three years into that I, my sister and I, had always wanted to start our own companies together. And we didn't know exactly what it would be, but I came back from a fitness Expo, which is kind of like a trade show for supplements and fitness clothing. And I was like, you know what? I feel like, when I look around and see fitness clothing companies, there's something missing. And I feel like it is the inclusivity aspect. And at the time no one was really including all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. And Chloe, Anna, I, and Steve felt like we could change that and make waves in the fitness industry by doing so. When I would look on Instagram or social media, I would see these tiny shredded girls in these fitness clothes. And it just wasn't relatable for the average person. So that's kind of where the idea of balance came to be. And the name. Actually I was going through sort of a hard time competing in bikini competitions. I felt like I wasn't living life to the fullest. I felt very drained, very depressed, it was just wearing on me mentally to be so consumed by something that was all about external looks. And so I just sat down one day crying to my husband, Steve now, just about all the things I was feeling. And at the end of the conversation, I told him what I felt like I was missing was balance in my life. And a few days later, when we were thinking about naming the company, we were like what about Balance? Just because we feel like that is a huge aspect to people's lives. And it really is when people find their balance, they find their happiness in life. And while it is ever evolving, it is so important. So that's kind of where the story came to me.

Adam: Taylor, that's great. And I think it's incredible how much success you've enjoyed in such a short period of time and plan on diving into all the different items you brought up, but one of the things you mentioned was a key part of your success with building your own personal brand, and cultivating relationships with different companies that sponsored you. I would love to know what advice you could share with listeners on the topic of building a successful brand, personally, and building a successful brand as a business.

Taylor: Yes, those are two completely separate things, I'm going to dive into each. For the personal brand, it's really important for you to stay consistent. You're going to get very discouraged right off the bat. I think a lot of people think that once they post, that one video is going to go viral, or that one post is going to go viral. And that's simply not the case. You have to post every single day with the intention of why you are posting to help people. Are you posting to help grow your business, focusing on that “why” every single day, no matter what is going on to help you be consistent. So the number one thing is consistency on the personal branding side. The next thing would be to just be yourself. I think that a lot of people, when they go on their Instagram stories or create this online persona, a couple years down the road, they start to feel like almost imposter syndrome, because they've created this person online, which they're not in person. So I think being yourself, remaining relatable, talking about your struggles, talking about something that's motivated you or telling a story. I think it's really important to be yourself and stay consistent on that personal side. Another thing is to talk to your social media platform like it's your best friend. I think that people get very intimidated, just putting themselves out there. And yes, it's very intimidating, because you open yourself up to so much judgment. But you at the end of the day have to realize that sharing your life and sharing your struggles and what motivates you and all of those things, helps other people not feel alone in their own journey in life. So those are some really important things to consider when building your personal brand. There's no perfect time to start either. So that's the personal side. So with a brand, it's a little bit different. I truly believe that people invest in people before they do a brand. So it's really important for you to possibly seek out content creators that align with your brand really well. So for Balance, which is our swimwear company, we have people that represent us that truly represent balance as a whole and who are genuinely kind people. So it's not all about how many followers they have, how many likes they have. It's truly about who connects with your brand and represents your brand the best that they can. That way you get your customers involved with your brand, because they support that person who is sponsored by your brand. So people invest in people. Also, it's important for you, as the owner, to share a little bit about you on the page or on the story, whatever it may be. People like to support the people behind the brand. So I think that's an important aspect that a lot of brands don't do. They like to stay really behind the scenes and not touch it. But I think it's important for you to dive in and be relatable to your customer. I think something else that's also very important is to tell a story with your captions and your newsletters and your campaigns. I think that a lot of brands, when they think about posting content, they only think about the sale, they don't think about the person behind the screen. But what we like to try to do with our brands is motivate people to help them through their struggles to create a story. We want them to walk away with added value to their life, rather than come to our page just because we have pretty photos or a pretty, pretty product. And that way too, you can feel good and go to sleep easy knowing that you are changing lives, rather than just selling a product, which is also important, but I think both are pretty important.

Adam: I couldn't agree with you more. I think you truly hit the nail on the head. And clearly in everything you're describing, so much of it is being authentic, being yourself, being relatable. And that's a big part of your story. And another big part of your story, which you mentioned in the beginning of our conversation was your ability to cultivate relationships at a really early age. And I wanted to ask you, how you were able to do that. How did you build those relationships with big brands, and what advice you have on how to build Winning relationships.

Taylor: Yeah, I think in life it's all about who you know, not necessarily what you know. I think that it's funny too, because when you graduate college or when you graduate high school you're taught, you need to know these things. And that's what's going to make you successful. But I think at the end of the day, it truly is your connections and your relationships with people. Even when we hire people at Balance Athletica we don't even necessarily look at their credentials, we work with them and see how they are as human beings. So I think the connection and relationship, those are very important, and how I cultivated them, I put myself out there, if you're trying to, you know, get sponsored by a brand or connect with a brand, it's really important for you to purchase their products before reaching out to them to collaborate, or whatever the case may be, it's important for you to stay engaged with the company. And it's also important for you to make sure you align with the company, I've I've been sponsored by companies before where two months in I'm very sorry that I signed a contract because I realized that I was after a company that was just a big name, rather than a company that truly aligned with who I was, and I regretted it at the end of the day. So make sure that that company aligns with you just as much as they align with themselves. And I think also, it's important for you to not think that there's going to be the perfect time to do something in life, like reach out to someone or start your personal brand, or start your social media, because there truly isn't, and along the way, just do the right thing and be a good person. And I think that'll get you pretty far in life.

Adam: Taylor, I agree with just about everything you said. And just to pick up on one of the points you made. Something that I tell audiences that I speak to is, it's never too early, and it's never too late to get on that journey. Whether it's the journey of self discovery, whether it's the journey to become your best self, whether it's the journey to become the best leader you can be. And they're all related. They're all connected. But I think a lot of people, to your point, get intimidated and say to themselves, am I too old to do this? Or am I old enough to do this, am I experienced enough to do this? And I think you're a great example that it doesn't matter what experience you have, it doesn't matter how old you are. And I've had so many people on my podcast, who have done things at all ages, and with all different levels of experience, that no matter where you are in your life, go for it. Get started. So I really appreciate you sharing that perspective.

Taylor: Yeah, I'd like to add to that growing up, I lived a certain lifestyle. And it wasn't until my family went bankrupt in 2009, that I had to start to really figure out my life on my own, and work for what I wanted, because no one was going to hand it to me. And I think that from someone who literally thought they weren't going to go to college, who had no money to go to college, take it from me, you can do anything you put your mind to be the hardest worker in the room, and you can get to where you want to go. I truly, truly believe that with everything in me.

Adam: On the topic of relationships, your co-founders are your husband and your sister. And this is a question that I get asked a lot, so I'm going to ask you. What advice do you have for those considering working with family or friends?

Taylor: Yeah, it's actually really funny because probably 90% of people, when we told them we were starting this business together, they were like, don't do it. Here's a horror story for you. Don't do it, you guys aren't gonna have a good relationship at the end of the day. And so we never let that scare us away. And I'm so glad we did it because we are three strong willed people, individuals, but when we put our heads together, we create magic and Balance wouldn’t be what it is today without the three of us together. And so I'm very glad that we have been able to do this company together and stay true to who we are. And yes, there are times where we want to wring each other's necks and argue and get so mad at each other because when you are so close to people, you know how to push each other's buttons and talk to each other a certain way that irks each other. So it's really a fine line. It's just growing within those relationships and creating those boundaries and respecting one another will get you through any of those hardships. And if you can do that together, you can do anything in life together, you'll be able to go through any adversity if you can run a business together. But it's been a great experience. I'm so happy that we have been able to do this. Because you know, when we're older, we're going to be able to look back and still be together and look at what we've created.

Adam: Do you have any specific tips for those who are considering going into business with friends or family to ensure that the relationship stays strong, whether the business is a winning business, or if the business doesn't do well, how to ensure that the relationships nonetheless endure?

Taylor: Yeah, so we've been really lucky to have my dad as sort of a mentor, he has been an entrepreneur all his life. So I think that's where Chloe and I get our entrepreneurial blood. But he's been able to kind of help us guide this relationship from the start. One of the things that he said was, create clear expectations of one another, and you guys will be completely fine. So from the get go, we created an operating agreement, we created our titles, what each of us are going to focus on, and over time it has evolved into our specific categories of what we do. But from the get go, I would say to make sure you guys have clear expectations of one another. If someone's falling behind or not pulling their weight, be honest with each other and sit down- you want to clear the air right when things happen because if you let them stew, they'll become bigger issues in the future. Then we do also have a clear cut way if someone wants to be bought out or something happens to one another. So just look at it from a business aspect rather than a relationship aspect. Because at the start, you're going to be so excited, you're like, oh, nothing's going to happen, you know, rainbows and sunshine. But as long as you separate personal relationship and business relationship from the get go, it's gonna be a lot easier.

Adam: Taylor, you hit on so many important themes there that I think are critical for success in any business, whether you're going into business with friends, with family members or with strangers, because it is imperative to have great mentors around you. That's not going to come as a surprise coming from me, the host of 30 Minute Mentors, it's imperative to set clear expectations. It's so important to lead with clear communication every step of the way. And if you, as a leader, are communicating effectively, if you're acting rationally- I had a guest earlier on the podcast, Gary Noesner, who was the chief hostage negotiator for the FBI. A guiding principle of Gary's is to always act rationally. And when you're engaged in potential disputes, the more clear headed you are, the more easily you'll be able to figure out how to come to a resolution that's amicable for all parties and you could ultimately move on with genuine smiles on your faces instead of there being bad blood. So I think that that's really important for anyone thinking about how to best navigate this.

Taylor: Yeah, actually, I'd like to talk about that. So something that has helped me along this journey is making sure my mental health is in check. I'm someone who has struggled deeply with anxiety and building this business has made it only worse. You know, there was a time during COVID where I'd wake up every day with a panic attack, three times a day. And it wasn't until I found something called neurofeedback, that really helped me with my anxiety but also helped me be so much more clear headed to make decisions and to go through stressful situations a lot easier, because I took care of that mental health. So I think that that is a huge aspect as a business owner to do.

Adam: I did want to ask you- you said the name Balance Athletica came from your desire to emphasize the importance of balance? Can you share your thoughts on how we can attain more balance in our lives? What advice do you have on the subject of finding balance?

Taylor: Yeah, so as you guys know, with my story that I told previously, I felt there was a time where I felt very depressed and felt like I have no balance in life. And, again, it is ever evolving. But I think that a huge thing is creating boundaries with your work, and your life. So something that I do every night is at 5pm, I put my phone away, I do not look at work until the next morning. I focus fully on my marriage and my relationships at that time. And that has really allowed me to have better work life balance. And I will admit, balance for me right now, in a lot of aspects is very, very hard. But you have to set clear expectations at the beginning of each week and make it a goal to find that balance in your life. Because if you guys are listening to your business owners, you know, you don't even have time to wash your hair sometimes. But it is really important to try and find that balance wherever it may be; with working out, with eating healthy. I think that it's a huge aspect and every part of your life that just is different for everyone.

Adam: Taylor, in your experience, what are the key characteristics of an effective leader and how can anyone become a better leader?

Taylor: For me, personally, I like to be the leader who helps people grow, and who helps people become the best, their best selves every single day. So for instance, I work alongside our social media team very closely. And just being here next to them every single day and also putting in the work shows them a lot, I think. And as a leader, sometimes we think we're too good to go package an order or we’re too good to go clean the kitchen. But I think that is kind of what makes people respect you in a way if, as a leader, they see you willing to do the things to make your company successful no matter what. I think that communication is a big thing as a leader. I think that being level headed in situations is a good aspect to being a leader. I think that also developing yourself as a leader every single day is what's going to help you grow to become that best self.

Adam: Many stakeholders in Balance Athletica and employees and customers are Gen Zers or millennials. And I asked this question to you as an old millennial who's written about and speaks about this topic. From your perspective and experience what should leaders understand about millennials and about Generation Z?

Taylor: Yeah, I think that a lot of people look at millennials and Gen Zers as lazy, as they don't want to put in the work. And I think that is simply not true. I think that they are some of the hardest working people but the smartest, hardest working people, because they are innovating in ways that we can't even see. They are making things easier for themselves. They're changing the world, because they see issues that maybe evolved because of previous generations. I think that they are some of the smartest people even though generations, previous generations think otherwise. I think that they should be listened to and not pushed aside because some of their ideas are not only up and coming but they're here. And I think that they can really help move and shake the world and help businesses in a way too. I think that it's important to listen to everyone's point of view and listen to everyone's ideas, because I think that some previous generations may think that they know everything, but there's always new ideas and innovations coming and they should be willing to open their ears up to listen. So I guess at the end of the day, listening to those millennials and Gen Zers more than they should be.

Adam: I couldn't agree with you more on everything you said but more broadly on the importance of listening and not only listening to millennials and listening to Gen Zers but listening to everyone. One of the core principles of effective leadership is listening. Great leaders are great listeners and one of the things that anyone who has enjoyed any level of success can tell you is that if you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room. So you need to have the humility to understand that there are so many people around you who can offer a lot of wisdom. So take the time to listen to them. And it doesn't matter how old they are. And the truth is, the fact that they are younger means that they have a lot of value that they can offer you because, as you said, there is perspective. And there are a set of life experiences that millennials and Gen Zers are bringing to the table that members of other generations don't have. So we should cherish that, and we should take advantage of it. So I'm with you on that. Every step of the way. A lot of listeners tuning in are asking themselves, how can I make my business, how can I make my product, how can I make my service better known? And you've been able to do this with incredible success, personally and professionally. What advice would you give them?

Taylor: First of all, thank you, Adam, very much. That's very nice of you. I think that for me personally, it was I understood what was growing businesses at a younger age, because I dove into it myself, which was social media. And although no one around me understood what the heck I was doing and wanted to make fun of it, I still kept on that path. And now I have gained this knowledge of social media and how important it is for a brand. So I'm very lucky to have been able to take that leap of faith. But for us personally, I know that every business has their own story. For us personally, we have used social media a lot, specifically Instagram. That is definitely more of what I'm better at in the social media realm. But we've used social media, with content creators, and through myself and through telling a story through the Balance Instagram. So those three right there really helped it grow pretty rapidly from the start. Again, like I talked about before, the content creators that you do choose to represent your brand are very important. You didn't need to make sure that they love your product, you need to make sure that they align with your brand, and that they're willing to share not only your product, but your mission, too. You need to have a very strong why, and a very strong mission that people can stand behind. So for us, it's not only inclusivity, but every single launch we donate. This year we've donated $300,000. And so we wouldn't have been able to do that with the support of our customers who have stood behind our brand. So standing by your why, sharing your mission, creating value to that customer, having content creators who also align with that mission really helps your brand grow exponentially.

Adam: Taylor, before we go, you mentioned a moment in your life in which you're able to really bounce back from adversity. Your parents went through a personal bankruptcy. I wanted to know if you could share a moment of adversity that you've experienced as an entrepreneur, how you were able to manage it, and then more broadly, what advice you have for listeners on how to manage and overcome whatever adversity they're facing in their lives or in their careers?

Taylor: Yeah, a lot of people don't know this, but Balance, our first year of business, we were about six months in and we were even scared that we were not going to be able to pay our payroll that December. Like we've had our adversities, we've had our trials. I think every single day, there's adversity, so I can't pinpoint one. But that one specifically stuck out in my head because it was the very start of our business. That's when you're the most vulnerable. I truly believe that. And if it wasn't for the people that we surrounded ourselves with, and the mindset that we had, that no one was going to stop us from doing this business and making it successful, we wouldn't be where we are today. And so I think that mindset is a huge thing when you're going through adversity. I've been through a lot in my life. My dad has cancer, he just had a heart attack three days ago. I've been through an eating disorder, like we all have our struggles and adversities in life. It's what we tell ourselves in our heads that get us through. And so what I try and tell myself is that I always make it through the end of the day and it can always be worse. Failures are honestly successes because they help you grow the most. Like when I look back in my life, I don't look at the successes, I look at the failures, because those are the times where I truly was able to grow into myself and grow into who I'm supposed to be in this life.

Adam: You hit the nail on the head Taylor, that was awesome. Thank you so much for all the great advice you shared. And thank you for joining us.

Taylor: Yeah, thanks, Adam. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and thanks for listening.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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