Aspiring Women Who Inspire: Marguerite Adzick

Philadelphia-based female entrepreneur, Marguerite Adzick, combined high-function with coveted fashion when creating her company, Addison Bay, a destination for high-performance women’s activewear. A powerhouse and inspiration to anyone that knows her, we’re thrilled to feature Marguerite on this week’s Aspiring Women Who Inspire. Please welcome her to the blog!

Introduce yourself.

I’m Marguerite Adzick, my family and friends call me Marghi or Margs. I was born in Philadelphia, attended the University of Virginia where I played lacrosse for 4 years, before moving back to Center City Philadelphia with my future husband. I met my husband in high school, we were Senior Prom dates and we have dated since we were 18 years old – beyond lucky to have him. I’m a mom to an adorable 2-year-old girl and baby boy on the way. I’m the Founder & CEO of Addison Bay, a fashion forward activewear company, which launched in 2018. I started Addison Bay when I was pregnant with my daughter, Annie, and haven’t looked back since – it has been the most amazing and insane rollercoaster of my life.

How did you get into your industry? Was this always where you saw yourself?

Post college, I started working at Lilly Pulitzer headquarters on the Marketing team. I spent 7 years there and loved every second – I got the opportunity to learn from incredible leaders while understanding how a corporate company operates. While I was at Lilly, I had been thinking about the concept for Addison Bay and finally got the guts to go for it. I resigned from a job that I loved when I was 6 months pregnant to start AB. I think I always had the entrepreneurial itch to start my own business, but I didn’t have the exact vision for how or when I’d take the leap.

From your experience, what are the three key factors or strategies for starting and establishing a brand?

Write a business plan – it’s one of the hardest and most therapeutic processes of starting a company and I still reference it to this day.

Establish emotional connection – I’ve created a connection with my consumer through our brand voice and my personal journey. I’m an on-the-go, multi-tasking, working mom and I think a lot of women can relate to that.

Budget – money matters. No matter how much you raise, you need to be smart about how you allocate the funds and working and reworking (and reworking) the budget is a huge part of my daily schedule. I think it can take a company from being good to being great.

What’s an accomplishment you consider to be the most significant in your career so far?

Launching our Addison Bay label in December 2018 was a ‘WOW’ moment. We went from curating the best assortment of fashion forward activewear brands to creating our own and having our collection be the leader of our assortment. It helped us stand out in a sea of the same, while giving us significant opportunity for growth and scale.

What’s a failure that turned into a blessing?

Every failure has eventually turned into something great, without realizing it in the moment.

Morning routine?

My alarm goes off very early – I’m awake before the rest of the house to sneak in a quick Peloton workout. A daily sweat is key for me. Post workout, I get my daughter up and ready, get myself ready, quick breakfast, and out the door. My husband and I walk to work together with a coffee stop on the way into the office.

Who’s an aspiring woman who inspires you?

Sara Blakely – I’m a total fan girl, personally and professionally. I think she has something special when it comes to being authentic, balancing being a mom and CEO, and obviously building an explosive and innovative brand.

What’s one piece of career advice you’d give a young person looking to follow in your footsteps?

Life is a marathon, not a sprint – I was always trying to make everything happen so quickly and great things take time. Put in the time, have patience, work tirelessly to iron out your idea, and believe in yourself. I definitely have moments where I still waver but at the end of the day, I believe in myself and my vision for the company.