Image of Building a Women-First Brand: How BRANWYN Is Redefining Performance Innerwear with CEO Deanne Buck

Building a Women-First Brand: How BRANWYN Is Redefining Performance Innerwear with CEO Deanne Buck

  • January 20, 2026
  • |
  • Team @ Fall Line Digital

In this episode of the Après Business Podcast, host Rebecca Babicz sits down with Deanne Buck, CEO of women-founded performance brand BRANWYN, to explore what it truly means to build a business by and for women.

Deanne shares her unconventional career path from conservation and nonprofit leadership into the for-profit DTC world, and how BRANWYN’s dual North Stars—supporting women and sustainability—guide every decision the company makes. The conversation dives deep into why BRANWYN remains women-only, how merino wool performance innerwear solves real health and comfort problems, and what radical trust with customers looks like in practice.

From generous return policies to transparent sourcing and customer-first operations, this episode offers a powerful look at how values-led leadership and thoughtful product design can create lasting brand loyalty—without compromising integrity.

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Quotables

Deanne Buck, CEO of BRANWYN

  • “Our North Star is to support all women, always—and sustainability sits right alongside that.”

  • “Women’s base layers aren’t t-shirts. They’re bras and underwear.”

  • “We’re not luxury because of branding. We’re expensive because it’s hard to make this product well.”

  • “If women could show up exactly as they are and put energy into what brings them joy, the world would look very different.”

  • “Buying a bra online is scary. Our job is to make women feel safe trusting us.”

Rebecca Babicz, Host

  • “Soft skills like leadership are actually harder to acquire than hard skills like product or margins.”

  • “When you add men into a women-first brand, it completely changes the story.”

What You’ll Learn

  • Why BRANWYN chose to remain a women-only brand—and why that focus matters

  • How merino wool outperforms traditional fabrics for women’s base layers

  • The difference between selling a product and selling trust

  • What nonprofit leadership teaches you about building values-driven companies

  • How radical transparency impacts customer loyalty in DTC brands

  • Why generous return and warranty policies can still align with sustainability

Key Takeaways from This Episode

  • Women-first design is not shrink-it-and-pink-it: BRANWYN builds from the inside out, based on women’s real bodies and needs.

  • Trust is a business strategy: Clear communication, guarantees, and accessibility reduce friction and fear in online purchasing.

  • Values must be operationalized: Supporting women and sustainability only works when embedded into daily decisions.

  • Leadership skills transfer across industries: Soft skills often matter more than technical expertise when scaling a brand.

  • DTC brands thrive on community, not convenience: Thoughtful customers behave differently than mass-market shoppers.

People and Resources Mentioned in This Episode
🔗 Connect with Deanne
🔗 Connect with Becca