Gimme founder Lydia Kirkland rebranded twice and put her business up for sale before it became a success
Gimme founder Lydia Kirkland speaks with Business Coach Alison Morgan about how she rebranded twice and put her business up for sale before it finally became a success.
Gimme actually began in 2018 under the name Scarfy, when Lydia and her friend Mizpah King started making hair scarves at the dining table as a side hustle whilst working full time jobs.
As the brand grew and they wanted to offer a more diverse range of accessories, they rebranded to Trove. Under this name they released a couple of very successful collaborations with influencers, were approached by Sephora and collaborated with the retailer twice, and started to be seen on Australian celebrities.
The founders decided to trademark the name now that Trove was gaining momentum but were too late - another brand had already taken the name. So they rebranded yet again, this time to Gimme.
Behind the scenes the founders were stretched thin between juggling full-time jobs, growing families and rebuilding the brand and its new name. Ultimately, and with heavy hearts, they decided the best decision was to put the business on the market.
Despite several inquiries from potential buyers, none seemed quite the right fit, and Lydia couldn’t shake the belief that GIMME had potential. With Mizpah's support, Lydia bought out her friend and threw herself entirely into the business - all while pregnant with her second child, raising a toddler and working in her part-time communications job!
Fast forward to the present and Lydia has released 3 successful collections this year (including a jewellery collaboration with Leigh Campbell which saw 2 designs sell out in 12 hours and multiple restocks to meet demand), and the brand sells a piece every 45mins. The 4th collection is dropping tomorrow.
Code : ALISON15 for 15% off Gimme Store