{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Not Another CEO Podcast","title":"Empowering Plus-Size Fashion - Nadia Boujarwah - Dia&Co - Episode #36","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3397,"description":"How do you build a brand that resonates deeply with millions of customers? In this episode of Not Another CEO Podcast, David Politis sits down with Nadia Boujarwah, Co-Founder and Former CEO of Dia&Co, to discuss her journey in revolutionizing plus-size fashion. Nadia shares the challenges of building an inclusive brand, navigating venture funding, and leading a mission-driven company through rapid growth and industry shifts. She also reflects on the power of community, hiring the right team, and the lessons she learned stepping down as CEO after a decade at the helm. Takeaways:The Power of a Co-Founder Relationship: Nadia emphasizes that choosing the right Co-Founder is one of the most critical decisions in a startup journey. She shares how this played a pivotal role in shaping Dia&Co and why equal economics from day one helped maintain a strong partnership.Building a Business from the Ground Up: Before developing a scalable platform, Nadia and her Co-Founder personally shopped for thousands of customers to deeply understand their needs. She explains why doing things manually in the early days was key to creating a product-market fit.Fundraising Challenges & Breakthroughs: Raising Dia&Co’s first million dollars took nearly a year, yet within 18 months, they secured over $100 million in funding. Nadia shares insights on what changed, how she navigated investor skepticism, and why the right investors can make all the difference.Scaling from Startup to Major Brand: At its peak, Dia&Co hired 600 people in a single year. Nadia discusses the challenges of leading a fast-growing organization, maintaining company culture, and evolving her leadership style to keep up with the business’s rapid expansion.The Role of Community in Brand Building: The Dia&Co customer base formed organic Facebook groups that grew into a passionate and engaged community. Nadia shares how customers turned into brand ambassadors, planned meetups, and even got tattoos to represent the brand’s...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/sV5oG0UPiuOwQtjYJ4R33dtJrr0auifTJH43QFNIbdg/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hOGE4/MTI1MDViYzBlMzky/ZTQxNzdhNmMwZGIw/ZTE3YS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}