After two fantastic years at Mass Challenge, we are moving our corporate headquarters to Newbury Street in Boston. We are so thankful for all the wonderful people we have met during our time here and so proud to be a part of this community. Best of luck to the Mass Challenge Class of 2012!

Custom Bras Blog | Zyrra

I am a Certified Fit Specialist for Zyrra and thought it might be helpful to hear why I became a Fit Specialist, and more importantly why I continue to be one.

I am a very giving person, sometimes to a fault, but I find joy in giving to others. I became a Fit Specialist because I believed in the concept that comfortable bras can be made for women. I am dismayed to hear women’s stories of how they have suffered for years in bras that don’t fit. Being a Fit Specialist gives me the opportunity to solve the problem of uncomfortable, ill-fitting bras.

I am realizing my dream of owning my own business and becoming a successful salesperson.

At this point in my life I believe all the stars are aligned to for me to grow my Zyrra business to achieve my goals of financial and career independence.

Rita

Custom Bras Blog | Zyrra

The Chew talks about our favorite topic – bras! Check out this clip:

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/videos/PL55125609/_m_VD55202861

Custom Bras Blog | Zyrra

I met Donna Real, a Zyrra Fit Specialist, at a networking function. When she stood up and said she was with Zyrra and they were a company that made custom fit bras I could not get to her fast enough. As soon as the function was over, I went up to her, we exchanged information and I booked a private fitting. I thought my days of wearing bras too tight, too big, too this, too that were over. After the fitting my bra was mailed and it fit me, yes me. The girl with big bosoms that has struggled her entire life to find a bra that fits proper. I was so happy! I felt like I had been cloned. No more huge white large Marge grandma bras for me. I’m sporting a sexy, comfortable ensemble that was made just for me. The Pam bra. My ecstatic happiness about finally finding a bra that fit lead me to independent sales with Zyrra. I’d like to educate every woman I meet that the world finally has a solution for the dreaded bra. Zyrra the custom fit bra that is guaranteed to fit. Thanks Zyrra!

By Pam Sard

Custom Bras Blog | Zyrra

Even celebrities have issues finding the right bra. Watch as Rosie O’Donnell tries to find a solution.

Custom Bras Blog | Zyrra

Why does anybody want to join something? They do it because it represents something that resonates with that person. For Zyrra, that something is our culture and our “why.” As the CEO and co-founder of that culture, that stems in part from why I’ve worked to create this company. In other words, my personal “why” impacts everything about who works with me, and who joins us in any capacity (Fit Specialist, Hostess, Supplier, advisor, investor, employee, board member, etc.)

As a guy, my “why” is not a problem I have with bras – I don’t wear them. My “why” is the same as the day I got involved with the Zyrra concept. It has to do with the responses from the 500 women I spoke with about their bras. I realized (1) there are a lot of women who are suffering every day, and (2) they don’t have any real solution to that suffering. I believed that I could help and that this was an opportunity to revolutionize something big.

So I took a sewing class, learned to sew, and spent several years sewing prototypes and building software, finding suppliers, and finding people. Along the way I learned something else: direct selling, done right, is an incredibly powerful selling channel, both for scaling a company and for positively affecting many lives.

We won the Mass Challenge competition at the end of 2010, and the criterion for the judging was simple: IMPACT. I do what I do every day because I believe that we can make an impact, a big one, helping women everywhere feel better and stand taller. We do this by providing opportunities to set goals, connect and be part of an inspiring culture, and to earn money. Oh, and we also make beautiful bras that fit and work better.

That’s my why.

By Derek Ohly

Custom Bras Blog | Zyrra

Zyrra Bra Bus - Campaign 2012

A couple of weeks ago, the wave of “primary fever” came through our neighborhood with the republican primary in New Hampshire.  We are located in Boston, less than an hour from New Hampshire, and we saw an opportunity to engage in the discussion.

So we grabbed our bra bus, and headed North with our messages about job creation, entrepreneurship, and manufacturing.  I blogged about it before we departed.

The event was a success: we engaged with several candidates and with a number of media companies, giving interviews to spread our message with TV, radio, print, and web media.

One of the many people we were privileged to meet in NH was Adam Kokesh, who runs an online channel called “Adam Vs the Man.”  I did an interview with him, and he filmed my conversation with Rick Santorum.  Check it out:

Campaign 2012

The Bra Man vs Santorum

Our message is simple: Most of the job creation in the US comes from startups and small
businesses.  Every candidate talks about job creation, but if that rhetoric is to mean anything, it must be backed up by action that helps startups and small businesses thrive.  So we showed up to say that action matters, and there are thousands of startups like Zyrra that will be affected by those actions (or inactions).  The candidates, the press, and the people need to understand this.  Please share it, tweet it, post it.  Startups are the future of the US economy, and we don’t have a lobbying group.

[Note that Zyrra is NOT a political organization, and does not endorse or support any particular candidate or party.  Our policy is: “You support who you want.  We’ll support you.”]

Derek Ohly, CEO

Custom Bras Blog | Zyrra

Quinn, Maiti, and Rosie the Rat

As I enter my home I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or search the place for casualties. I walk through the kitchen slowly surveying the destruction…I look at my phone log to see just how long I had been gone. Good gravy, a lot can happen in 27 minutes.

Apparently, someone attempted to have Cheerios – hundreds and hundreds of those healthy little O’s are scattered (crunch, crunch…don’t move) all over the floor. Aahh, what’s a bowl of Cheerios without milk? About a half gallon of milk, actually, pooling on the counter, spreading under the coffee pot and microwave, and dripping on the floor.

Slowly, I peek into the living room – the block village my 2 littlest munchkins worked on for hours looked as if had been taken down by Godzilla himself.

Oh, great, someone was feeling artistic – markers and construction paper all over the couch. Of course, the caps are off and there’s many colorful smudges accentuating the tan of the fabric. Note to self: next couch navy blue or black microfiber.

Suddenly the silence becomes deafening and I’m afraid to move on and find them. I check the playroom -  it’s clean with the exception of an empty bowl and a serving spoon. I don’t know why, but my children always grab the first utensil to do the job, size and appropriate function are almost never a priority.

I check their bedrooms…spotless. I smile when I look at the beds which had all been made by my 7 year old daughter, Quinn. She’s a fantastic housekeeper and loves the domestic chores, admittedly, a somewhat odd child. Rosie, the red-eyed bald rat peaks out from behind the pillow and I pick her up and put her in the cage before the dog discovers she’s out.

I look out the front and back windows, still no one. Then I hear a giggle…and another one…full on laughter. I follow the source to my bedroom –  and there they are. My 13 year old son is laying in my bed with jewels and a crown on watching tv. My 2 girls, 5 and 7, are dressed in my work clothes with princess accessories. Hmmmm, maybe I should try that – a crown, pearls, and hot pink satin gloves might get me noticed at my next networking function. My son looks at me and says, “I thought you said 15 minutes, you’ve been gone FOREVER!”

The funniness of the moment far outweighs the mess and the truth of the matter is that this kind of stuff has been going on for years and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I work from home. I was outside in my car on a conference call while the Godzilla princesses trashed the house in my business attire and the prince in drag watched the History Channel.

Mothers always give me sympathetic condolences when I reveal that I work from home. Everyone else gives me a wink as if “work” translates to eating bon-bons and watching Ellen and the 20 other talking heads all day. I’ve never even eaten a bon-bon nor watched more than 15 minutes of a talk show.

After I had my second child, I knew I would need to work from home more often. I had a great employer who allowed me a flexible schedule. Then I was laid off and had to be creative and look for ways to work from home while generating a viable income.

There are many at home business solutions from direct selling to freelance. However, launching any sort of business takes serious dedication and managing a family on top of that takes organization and a great sense of humor. What I love the most is that I make my own schedule and I appreciate that I can attend a classroom sing at 10 AM on a Wednesday.

Zyrra has been a tremendous opportunity for me and it’s exciting to be part of a young startup company that offers products that are valuable to women. Anyone who follows Zyrra on Facebook knows that Zyrra is a family affair for me. My children are incorporated into my work life and they have had many opportunities to learn about sales, marketing, operations, work ethic, and team work.

Custom Bras Blog | Zyrra

How do you determine the true value of a bra that fits perfectly?

There is a big difference between the price you pay for each bra you own and the value of each bra you wear.

To illustrate, let me share a conversation I had with my mom before she hosted her first Zyrra Party last month in Maine:

Me: Mom, how many bras do you own?

Mom: 5

Me: What’s the average price you paid for each bra?

Mom: $60

Me: So, that’s $300 worth of bras (5*$60). Right?

Mom: Right.

Me: Now, how many bras do you actually wear?

Mom: 3

Me: So, the real value of each bra you wear is $100 per bra ($300/3) because the other 2 that you don’t wear are collecting dust in your bra drawer. Right?

Mom nods.

Me: So, you’re spending $100 per bra that you wear.

Mom: I get it. Now go clean your room.

That last bit about cleaning my room is not true because I don’t live at home (thankfully) and my bedroom is clean. But the point is: My mom is really paying $100 per bra that she uses (!!!). The other bras, stuck in the back of the drawer, aren’t doing anybody any good. They are a waste of money, effort, materials and space. So spend the money on a good bra that really works, whether that’s from Zyrra or someone else. You will look better, feel better, and you will end up spending LESS money overall on your underwear drawer.

Now, who wants to meet my Mom?

Note: Noah Gordon is on the Sales & Marketing team at Zyrra. He does not do any measuring that allows Zyrra to custom sew and produce a perfectly fitting bra. That is the work of an all-female team of Certified Fit Specialists that Noah helps recruit.

Goodbye 36B or 40DD…hello size you.

With 10 measurements in 10 minutes, a Certified Fit Specialist can order you a custom bra that is 100% guaranteed to fit. Using your unique measurements, we sew a bra that is custom fit to your unique curves. No more 36B or 40DD — Zyrra bras only come in size you!

Get Fitted, Today!

-

featured photo by Maggie Osterberg

Custom Bras Blog | Zyrra

One talking point we’ve heard a lot, and are likely to hear until Election Day: JOBS. The presidential candidates tell us that they know how to create jobs and get the economy rolling again. Okay, so – to each of you who would like to become or continue to be president: Will you take the Zyrra challenge?

Zyrra is a small and innovative start-up that makes bra shopping fast, fun and easy. Founded by two Babson MBAs, Zyrra designs and manufactures bras that are guaranteed to fit perfectly. We won the MassChallenge (a Startup America affiliate) in 2010, and we represent a powerful voice of small and innovative companies that won’t be small for long.

We want to create 500+ jobs this year. We want to explore opportunities in manufacturing in this country with an innovative, never-been-done-before product. We want to help the American economy get back on its feet.

And, we want you to help us find our way to the people, and to the manufacturers so we can grow our business, create new jobs and shift our custom bra manufacturing back to America so we can say that Zyrra bras are “Made in the USA.” This is the Zyrra challenge and we are going to make it easy for you to accept.

This weekend, we are bringing the Zyrra Bra Bus to New Hampshire to launch Campaign 2012: Rhetoric or Action? We want to meet with you and have a frank discussion about entrepreneurship, job creation and US manufacturing. We promise a photo opportunity of unspeakable value. And, if you win, we will make a bra for the first lady to wear on Inauguration Day. Just for her. (So you don’t think we’re bribing you, we will charge you for it.) That’s how much we care.

Do you accept the Zyrra challenge? If so, let’s meet this weekend.

- Derek Ohly, Co-Founder & CEO, Zyrra
2012@zyrra.com

For more information on Campaign 2012: Rhetoric or Action? Download the Zyrra Campaign 2012 Postcard (Chrome, Firefox) or through Google Docs (recommended for those with Internet Explorer).

Custom Bras Blog | Zyrra