My passion is building businesses from the ground up, and fixing things when they inevitably stop working. For me, it’s the vision, strategy, scaling, and restructuring parts that are so thrilling. If I get to do it together with amazing people, even better! I keep it moving by creating results-driven change, from tactical strategy, to long term vision, to restructurings and workouts. I’m comfortable having the tough conversations and making the hard decisions. Managing through multiple retail apocalypses and financial crashes will do that to you.

READ MY STORY

Hey, I’m Sarah!

I’m a self-made entrepreneur influenced by many advisors, bosses, colleagues, teachers, family, exes, and staff over time.

I honed my business expertise as at a bulge-bracket investment bank, as a Financial Analyst in corporate finance and then as a Director in Equity Sales & Trading, launching their investor relations advisory service and building out international teams. I was one of only 2 people in the bank with security clearance across the information barrier.
When I wasn’t watching the sun come up over Park Avenue during my frequent all-nighters at the office or protesting the Iraq War, I was designing products. I wanted to wear comfortable, vibrant dresses as the antidote to the office lady clothes we had to wear in finance, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. So I decided to make it myself. One of my apparel prototypes was so popular that I decided to make a business out of it. I quit my Wall Street job when I was 30 and spent $10,000 launching Leota, my size-inclusive women’s apparel brand, with a handmade sample and some savings that allowed me to not make a salary for a few months. Leota sparked a body-positive and diverse revolution in fashion. Back then, no one was talking about empowering women through comfortable convenient clothes that fit your real body, or hiring models of color or plus size models. Now, it’s nearly table stakes. I’m usually ahead of the game.

When I wasn’t watching the sun come up over Park Avenue during my frequent all-nighters at the office or protesting the Iraq War, I was designing products. I wanted to wear comfortable, vibrant dresses as the antidote to the office lady clothes we had to wear in finance, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. So I decided to make it myself. One of my apparel prototypes was so popular that I decided to make a business out of it.

I quit my Wall Street job when I was 30 and spent $10,000 launching Leota, my size-inclusive women’s apparel brand, with a handmade sample and some savings that allowed me to not make a salary for a few months. Leota sparked a body-positive and diverse revolution in fashion. Back then, no one was talking about empowering women through comfortable convenient clothes that fit your real body, or hiring models of color or plus size models. Now, it’s nearly table stakes. I’m usually ahead of the game.

I was one of only 2 people in the bank with security clearance across the information barrier.

Today, Leota is an omnichannel brand with a global supply chain that has sold over $100 million at retail, and remains a 100% women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ owned and operated independent brand.

We’ve donated thousands of dresses and dollars to women escaping domestic violence, emerging from the criminal industrial complex, and with housing insecurity.

visit leota.com

The truth is, scaling up operations as an independent brand was nearly impossible. After seeing competitors fail, I recognised the benefit of a larger group that could share expenses, expertise, and resources. I couldn’t find any such group for smaller emerging brands, so I decided to make it myself. I co-founded a growing conglomerate of brands, called L Holdings (link) for now, until I think of a good name. I’m looking for DTC brands to acquire and people to run them, so get in touch.
The legendary grit it took for me to be a champion full contact kung fu fighter and a successful solo founder probably contributed to my success and all the accolades over the years. But I don’t recommend it. Now, as a strategic advisor and board member, I help other founders and leaders figure out the short cuts through scalable strategy and operations that get everyone rowing in the same direction.
Now, it’s nearly table stakes. I’m usually ahead of the game. Get in touch if you’d like to work with me.

After seeing competitors fail, I recognised the benefit of a larger group that could share expenses, expertise, and resources. I couldn’t find any such group for smaller emerging brands, so I decided to make it myself. I co-founded a growing conglomerate of brands, called L Holdings (link) for now, until I think of a good name. I’m looking for DTC brands to acquire and people to run them, so get in touch.

The legendary grit it took for me to be a champion full contact kung fu fighter and a successful solo founder probably contributed to my success and all the accolades over the years. But I don’t recommend it. Now, as a strategic advisor and board member, I help other founders and leaders figure out the short cuts through scalable strategy and operations that get everyone rowing in the same direction.
Now, it’s nearly table stakes. I’m usually ahead of the game. Get in touch if you’d like to work with me.