18. From Going Viral To Building a Brand that Lasts w/ 'Nasty Woman' Creator & CEO of Shrill Society, Amanda Brinkman

Enoughness with Lisa Carmen Wang

In the final moments of the presidential debate, Hillary Clinton was answering a question when Donald Trump quietly called her a “nasty woman”. Clinton may not have flinched at the words, but the rest of the world did. Trump’s mumbled insult stirred up an online storm. Amanda Brinkman’s simple, clever idea transformed into a call for solidarity among women across the globe. A spur-of-the-moment idea, she decided to put “Nasty Woman” on a t-shirt, put them up for sale, and donate half the proceeds to Planned Parenthood. What was meant to be an ironic statement turned into a viral success overnight, changing the course of Amanda’s life. In the days that followed, Amanda worked tirelessly to build a business that could withstand and outlast her 5 minutes of fame. Her overnight success did not come easy, and was accompanied with death threats, legal barriers, and an overwhelming load of t-shirt orders she now had to supply. Today's interview dives into the challenges faced in the touch-and-go world of social media fame, developing resilience, differentiating your brand, and most importantly - building a meaningful business that you can proudly stand behind. Some Questions I Ask: What are some of your fears? (08:12) How do you differentiate your products? (16:05) How do you define pop culture and the impact it can have? (28:15) How is pop culture influencing what we feel is possible? (30:27) How do you think about brands and how can they create sustainable value? (33:50) Do you feel integrity wins out in the long run? (36:15) How to market to customers that aren't in your target market? (40:20) In This Episode, You Will Learn: How 'Nasty Woman' became a viral call for solidarity (05:20) Why you don't need to have everything figured out when starting a business (07:30) The dark side of going viral which no one talks about (09:35) Understanding your fears and feeling enough as a person (17:40) Coming up with the idea for ' The Nasty Woman Game ' and how it has sparked important conversations (24:00) The importance of a strong brand identity (36:49) Links and Resources Mentioned: Pelican Bomb Shrill Society The Nasty Woman Game Book recommendation: Circe by Madeline Miller --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/enoughness-lisa-wang/support