Welcome back to the Aprés Business Podcast!

In this episode, Madison Hilson and Tina Thomson share the early journey of building Seniq, the women-led outdoor brand challenging the status quo of gear design. They open up about how their experiences at Victoria’s Secret and Backcountry trained them to solve real problems for women, why balancing trend with technical function was their big market opportunity, and how mental health and community became central to Seniq’s DNA.

From breathable bibs that finally address “boob sweat” to flattering base layers and perfectly fitted hiking pants, Madison and Tina reveal the product innovations and relentless persistence that helped them build early traction and wholesale success in just two years.

Listen Now:

Spotify

Apple

What We Talked About

• How their backgrounds at Victoria’s Secret and Backcountry shaped their approach to product innovation.

• Why women’s outdoor gear has historically been deprioritized — and how Seniq is filling that gap.

• Product innovations like the ski bib that solves boob sweat, contouring base layers, and the Trail Mix hiking pant.

• The power of co-founder chemistry and why they call it their “secret sauce.”

• How mental health and community became the core mission of Seniq.

• Year one vs. year two of startup life — from “throwing spaghetti at the wall” to securing retail partnerships.

Quotables

• “We were trained as merchants to really think about female problems and solve them with innovation… and when we came to the outdoor world, there was so much more opportunity to do that.” - Tina Thompson

• “One of my pet peeves as a snowboarder is boob sweat… so we designed a bib that actually breathes and solves that problem.” - Tina Thompson

• “It’s almost more important than picking a husband. You spend most of your day with your co-founder and put your whole life in their hands.” - Madison Hilson

• “Our hikes turned into therapy hikes. That’s why mental health and community are at the core of Seniq.” - Tina Thompson

• “Year one was proving the concept. Year two is all about strategy and scaling with wholesale.” - Madison Hilson

• “The product sells itself. We just had to get it into buyers’ hands.” - Tina Thompson

What You’ll Learn

• How Madison and Tina’s time at Victoria’s Secret prepared them to think about product innovation differently.

• Why women’s outdoor gear has been deprioritized and how Seniq fills that gap.

• The design innovations behind Seniq’s most popular pieces: the bib, sculpting base layers, and Trail Mix hiking pants.

• The importance of co-founder dynamics and emotional resilience in building a startup.

• How mental health and community shaped Seniq’s mission and even inspired its name.

• What year one vs. year two looked like—from throwing spaghetti at the wall to securing wholesale partnerships.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

• Real women’s problems drive design. Seniq’s gear innovations come directly from personal frustrations and customer feedback.

• Credibility starts with product. Seniq built trust in high-output gear by obsessing over technical performance.

• Co-founders are a superpower. Their complementary skills and shared resilience make the grind sustainable.

• Community and mental health aren’t side stories. They are Seniq’s brand DNA and differentiator.

• Persistence opens doors. Buyers said yes once they tested the product—proof that good gear speaks for itself.

People and Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Victoria’s Secret – where Madison & Tina first worked together.

• Backcountry – where they merged outdoor passion with merchandising.

• Outdoor Voices – part of their career journey before Seniq.

• Chris McClary – referenced for his philosophy on evolving roles as entrepreneurs.

• Retail partners – Backcountry, Evo, Christy Sports, and others.

Where to find Seniq:

• Website: https://seniqbrand.com

• Instagram: @seniq @valentinathompson___ @madison_hilson

Connect with Rebecca Babicz:

• podcast@falllinedigital.com