Female Disruptors: Tristan Thibodeau of Wild Womn Haus On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
“Slow down to speed up” — Your best ideas come when you are still. Whenever you feel “stuck” or ‘stagnant,” slow down your mind to receive the clarity and creativity that you need to catapult you forward.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tristan Thibodeau.
Tristan Thibodeau is a sought-after Brand Strategist and fierce CEO behind the leading brand and marketing agency Wild Womn Haus. In 2021, Thibodeau burst onto the scene with her intuitive approach to brand-building, garnering her the recognition of thousands of online entrepreneurs. Since then, she’s used her signature 8-step strategy to support the growth of high-profile brands such as beauty educator and TikTok Influencer Megan Lavallie and national cosmetic company Sedona Lace.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
The short story is that I became an entrepreneur to avoid being an employee. Anytime that I felt I was being limited by an organization’s hierarchy, I would immediately rebel.
The long story is that I have always felt an inner calling to create a meaningful impact in the world. Knowing this about myself, I became my own boss in 2016 when I opened my first business at the age of 23. From then on, I was hooked by the creative and financial freedom that entrepreneurship provided me.
I’ve since scaled businesses and pivoted specialties, ideal clients, price points, and even entire industries as I searched for a career that would fulfill my need for greater impact. Then, the pandemic happened. And like many of us, my need for fulfillment hit critical mass and I was forced into a period of deep self-reflection.
While half-panicking about my next steps and half-lit up by the excitement of all that was possible, I had time to evaluate how my knowledge, talents, and skills could collide in a single profession. Little did I know that this period of self-reflection would develop into a key piece of the signature brand-building process that I use with my clients today.
Within a few weeks, I discovered my edge. I had a talent for positioning, storytelling, and community-building, and was a natural creative. All of which are the pillars of brand-building and marketing.
Fast-forward through thousands of hours of self-education, mentorship, and of course, imperfect action, I created my signature 8-step process for brand development. And in February of 2022, I launched the Wild Womn Haus agency where my team and I use this process to help female-founded brands push beyond what they believe is possible for their businesses.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
In today’s world of trends, carbon copies, filters, and overly-hyped content, being an industry “rebel” is an asset. Unfortunately, very few people know how to extract and amplify the magic that these disruptors bring to the table.
Our society may claim that they “love a good rebel”, but the reality is that when presented with a true visionary, most people get intimidated and try to control what they don’t understand. However, the work that I do as a brand strategist is quite the opposite. I lean into the boldness that innovators bring to the table, because I know they probably haven’t received the support they need to make their impact.
Therefore, I take a radically different approach to brand-building than most strategists. I’m not interested in helping you “look like that brand you’re obsessed with on TikTok or Instagram.” If you want to recreate what’s already been done in your industry, I’m not your girl.
The value I offer as a brand strategist revolves around identifying your unique edge. I want to discover what you have that no one else can replicate because it is intrinsic to who you are as a leader. Then, I help you package your “it factor” into a brand that drives your business forward and helps you reach your goals. Because let’s be honest, if you’re in my world you probably have some pretty epic ones, right?
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you first started? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Let me preface by saying that I’m a Gemini, and I tend to be a little airy and clumsy at times. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to make a guest appearance on live television where I was asked to do a demo for the station’s “healthy lifestyle” segment. Through the nerves and excitement, I got a little tongue-tied and fumbled my words. I laughed it off and made a joke to the newscaster, but I was still extremely embarrassed. It was definitely one of those, “welp, guess I flubbed that incredible experience” moments.
But after my friends and family had the opportunity to give me their feedback, I realized that not a single person mentioned my slip-up. It was almost as if they didn’t even notice! This made me realize that we are always going to be our worst critics and instead of focusing on what we did wrong, we get to celebrate ourselves for our courage! It’s also healthy to laugh at yourself and enjoy the adrenaline of trying something new!
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I’ve had very few official mentors in my career as an entrepreneur. But what I can say is that I have dozens of friends who are also female business owners that always step in as my mentor when I need support.
I’ve learned countless leadership lessons from these women, but one story that stands out goes back to 2015 when I was going through a rough patch with my mental and physical health. After sharing my struggles with a friend, she invited me to a women’s retreat where I experienced what true “sisterhood” felt like. That may sound cliché, but it’s true!
I learned to open up and share my challenges with other women and in doing so, realized that community is absolutely essential to creating success and fulfillment in all areas of life.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
I love this question because it highlights an important distinction between “creating change” VS “creating noise”.
For example, Lady Gaga’s brand “Haus Laboratories” shakes up the status quo with a story about celebrating our differences and using makeup to emphasize what makes us unique. In an industry fueled by trends, Gaga compels her audience to be disruptive and use her products to define for themselves what beauty looks like.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are many personal brands (let’s not name names) in the beauty space that use their celebrity to spew drama and chaos. In effect, their content is still technically causing disruption by making headlines in tabloids and social media. However, this type of disruption only adds to the noise of the online space and denigrates the integrity of the beauty industry as a whole.
At the end of the day, the value of being an industry disruptor will be reflected in the maturity, ethics, awareness, and intentions of the brand at play. Disruption is a beautiful way to create change, but without intentionality, can easily become pointless noise.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
“Slow down to speed up”
– Your best ideas come when you are still. Whenever you feel “stuck” or ‘stagnant,” slow down your mind to receive the clarity and creativity that you need to catapult you forward.
“Get your hands dirty”
– The more willing you are to fall down, the more likely you are to succeed. So, experiment with life. Try new things. Explore. Meet new people.
“What story are you telling yourself?”
– Nothing in life is inherently true, and the stories we tell ourselves create our reality. Make sure that you are telling yourself empowering stories.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Well, what’s the fun in serving all the tea the second you sit down at the table?
In all seriousness, my work is ever-evolving. I am always finding new and exciting ways to shake things up.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
I recently went through the journey of choosing motherhood or choosing to be childless. Because of the mass implications on practically every area of my life, this decision was (hands down) the hardest choice I have ever had to make.
I read books, listened to podcasts, prayed, and talked to practically every woman I knew who was a mother, as well as the women who chose a child-free life. What I experienced was a slew of comments such as “a baby will make you just as happy as a career”, or “you’re definitely going to regret not having kids”.
Well, what if I know in my heart of hearts that the life of a mother isn’t for me? Does that make me broken or under-developed? This is a special form of guilt and shame that women disruptors carry that I don’t believe men have to experience.
Women’s reproductive bodies have been policed for ages, and the biggest challenge women disruptors face is the cultural expectation to set aside their goals and ambitions in order to give birth.
Through grappling with the guilt and shame, I’ve learned to powerfully claim the life that I want for myself. My work lights my entire soul on fire, and I am perfectly happy if the life that I birth into the world are brands that uplift everyone they touch.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
Honestly, anything by Marty Neumeier and Seth Godin. I absolutely love the way Godin’s marketing brain works, and how Neumeier makes branding so intuitive. Some of my favorite titles from these two are “This is Marketing” by Godin, and “Scramble” by Neumeier.
I also absolutely love books on wealth consciousness and money mindset. Learning to live in a state of abundance has transformed my entire life. Some classics would be “A Happy Pocket Full of Money” by Gikandi.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I’d petition for a culture that rewards self-expression, individuality, and community. This may be the hippy/bi-sexual/rebel in me, but there is nothing more beautiful than a person who is proud to be unique. My movement would inspire a culture of celebration, and an environment where creativity was more heavily rewarded.
I also want to inspire a movement that brings the siesta to America. Because I think we all need more sleep, right?
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Be a woman of confidence, not cockiness. Know your boundaries, and set no limits. Speak your kindness and turn your back to conformed groups. The only way to be a woman of change in this world is to walk what you talk and set your own soul free first.”
- Nikki Rowe
Whenever I read this quote, it reminds me that I have to go first if I want change to happen. In love, in life, in business, I get the honor to go first and create the first ripple.
How can our readers follow you online?
To learn more about the Wild Womn Haus agency, our brand and marketing services, as well as dozens of free resources for building your brand, head to wildwomnhaus.com.
I also love to connect with fellow wild womn entrepreneurs on social media, so you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @tristan.wildwomnhaus!
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Female Disruptors: Tristan Thibodeau of Wild Womn Haus On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.