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Female Founders: Leslie Marmol of Virago Swim On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Stop waiting for the perfect time to magically appear. Whether in your professional or personal life it will never be the perfect time. Just begin and figure it out as you go. I felt my responsibilities for my children and my household would not allow me the freedom to create something on the side. I held myself back for many years until I realized that the only person holding myself back was myself.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Leslie Marmol.

Founded by Leslie Marmol, Virago Swim is a luxury swimwear label inspired by women. The term Virago defines a strong, resilient, heroic female warrior. Her vision with every collection is to create designs that will make every woman feel empowered, elegant, and sexy.

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?

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in fashion since I was a child. I always loved being able to express my creative side, particularly when it comes to designing. It’s something I’ve wanted for many years. No matter what stage in life I was in, the desire never quelled. I felt I had to give this dream a chance and see where this would take me. It is a powerful outlet for me. It completes me.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

An interesting time was the creation of Virago Swim’s very first campaign. Historically campaigns are something that are done locally and in house. A campaign allows you to showcase your items in photos by storytelling. Due to the pandemic I had to put my trust into complete strangers in executing this for me. I created visuals for them that including the suits, styling, makeup, hair, and my vision of ambience. I am always hands on when it comes to anything I work on. As you can imagine this was a bit unnerving allowing someone else to put together a vision that I created. It taught me so much about taking risks, delegating tasks, and trusting others. I am very grateful for this experience and my team.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

A funny mistake was not being familiar with spray tans. We were in the middle of doing a fitting for a fashion show and one of the swimsuits had a bronze smear on it. I learned very quickly that I needed to make sure I always carry a tide pen with me! Luckily for me my sister, whose purse would resemble a convenience store, was nearby and came to save the day just before show time.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

As they say it takes an army. My family and friends are such an amazing support system in my life. My husband Adalberto, who has always believed in me and has always reminded me of what I can achieve. I would also like to mention my aunt Mary Mena who took it upon herself to take me to the design district for the very first time after briefly mentioning my interest as a teenager. She introduced me to all it takes to create a piece, from deciding on different fabric types, sketching, creating patterns, and so much more.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

In a world dominated by males, women are seldom taken seriously. We unfortunately live in a world where the expectation for many years is that the woman’s only role is to be a caregiver. We have fought and continue fighting against this stigma. We live in a constant state of having to prove ourselves and time and time again have shown that we can do it all. These social expectations have tried to place us in a box and limit us. It is time for society to start believing and empowering others. Imagine all that we could accomplish if we supported one another in our journeys instead of trying to dictate how others should live their lives.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

As individuals we must place focus on how we interact with each other as human beings. Are we being the best and most powerful version to ourselves and others? If we moved from a place of compassion, understanding and equality skies would be the limit. Something I strongly believe in is seeing yourself in others. We could grow as a society if we lived by this and thought this way. To achieve social integration and inclusion our voice and concerns must be heard. As a society we must recognize how our choices can make an impact towards a group of people. All the while working on solutions that will help empower said group. At a government level one way we can help overcome these kinds of obstacles is to get creative with our tax breaks for corporations. These tax breaks should also be used to incentivize corporations to build a workplace that is representative of societies’ demographics. Women make up half the population yet only 15% of CEOs are women. I think if a corporation can make the effort to have a workplace where half its employees are women, at all levels, the government can reward them accordingly.

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

Gender diversity creates diversity of thought. We should encourage social inclusion and try to ensure equal opportunities for all. There are so many benefits in having Women in positions of leadership. We offer a different perspective that can help contribute successful changes. Women are also capable of greatness. Society benefits from diversity.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?

A few myths that I would like to dispel about being a founder is that entrepreneurs can focus on what they love doing and will have so much free time. The reality is that you will be wearing many different hats and you will learn to do things you never imagined. Most startup businesses don’t have the capital to hire a team to handle these tasks for you. You are forced to learn everything from scratch as you go. When I began, I thought I could focus on what I love, which is creating. You soon find out that is not that case, and that you must learn your business inside out. I’ve become so knowledgeable in areas I never thought would be a part of this process.

Many believe that once you have your own business you will have free time. Being an entrepreneur takes commitment and nonstop work to keep it running. You are responsible for every detail that goes along with it and there is no one there to keep you on track or to guide you. Your business becomes your baby, and it needs all your attention. There is always something that you could be working on to make your business greater. Very soon after starting your business you realize that you must work harder to create a work life balance.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

I believe both being a founder and an employee are equally important and require similar traits. You must be disciplined, determined, and willing to work with others. What gives you fulfillment will determine your journey. Being a founder is an incredibly difficult job and is not for everyone and that is okay. To be a successful founder you must willing to take risks and learn to be comfortable with uncertainty. While being a founder has its perks, it isn’t without a degree of fear, stress, and added responsibility.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

5 Things I wish someone told me before I started my business would be…

1. Stop waiting for the perfect time to magically appear. Whether in your professional or personal life it will never be the perfect time. Just begin and figure it out as you go. I felt my responsibilities for my children and my household would not allow me the freedom to create something on the side. I held myself back for many years until I realized that the only person holding myself back was myself.

2. If you are looking to create your own brand, start off small! Do not feel pressured to create a large line at first. Focus on selling your first collection and getting exposure for your brand. When I started people loved the items so much and would make requests for new pieces. I felt pressured to produce a new collection even though I just released one. We are so accustomed to fast fashion that we expect new things immediately. I believe as designers we have a responsibility to manage when we decide to create new releases. This in turn will help our environment and help reduce waste.

3. Be prepared for the unexpected and trust yourself. You will get through it and will gain experience from each situation which will make you mentally stronger.

4. Tap into your passion whenever you feel overwhelmed remind yourself why you started. Building a business is not easy and it is not always fun. If you tap into your passion and stay determined it will all, be worth it.

5. Keep an open mindset. Always be open to change and do not be afraid of failure.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

Virago Swim is committed to reducing waste by producing based on demand. We are also part of the Eco Packaging Alliance which is a community of businesses and brands that choose to utilize sustainable packaging. For every order we place we help in reducing global deforestation by planting a tree in areas in need for reforestation. We placed a large emphasis on partnering with a factory that is also aligned with our core values. Along with our factory, we support the ZeroWaste project, which helps clean our oceans and supports grassroots organizations, which advance women’s education. I am still very early on in my career, but I am excited to continue and do much more in the future. As a Latina it is important for me to provide opportunities to all and to ensure that my company represents my beliefs.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I would like to continue to use my platform to represent all walks of life. I want to make sure that anyone who visits my site sees themselves. There is something so powerful about being represented. This is something I did not have growing up and promised myself I would take a part in changing.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

I would love to have the opportunity to have lunch with Jennifer Lopez. There is so much bravery in tapping into areas of work that you have never done before and not allowing others’ opinions to deter you. She is constantly raising the bar and showing there is no limit to what you can do if you do it with passion and hard work. I’ve always been inspired by her story and believe I could learn a lot from her.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.


Female Founders: Leslie Marmol of Virago Swim On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.