Lemon Fuller: CEO and Founder of Lemonade Dolls

November 23, 2024·26 min·2 clips

Lemon Fuller noticed her more talented female peers lacked confidence, igniting her drive to empower women.

This episode features host Elliot Moss interviewing Lemon Fuller, CEO and founder of the inclusive lingerie brand Lemonade Dolls. Fuller transitioned into business after a 12-year career as a singer, songwriter, and dancer working with artists like Beyoncé, Avicii, and Justin Bieber. She founded the company to address a lack of confidence and representation she observed among her female peers in the entertainment industry. Fuller launched the Lemonade Dolls Instagram community in 2017 to help women feel good about themselves, later identifying a specific market gap for cool, inclusive lingerie. She notes Victoria's Secret dominated the market with an image she opposed, while other options like Marks & Spencer lacked appeal for many. A pivotal realization was that friends above a size 20 had no brands catering to them, broadening her mission beyond her own needs. The business faced significant early challenges, including a venture capital deal where Fuller was removed as CEO and lost most of her shares before relaunching and regaining control. She recalls the company nearly entered administration, forcing her to make critical decisions to survive. A surprising insight is Fuller's admission that she struggles with being a CEO daily, feeling more comfortable performing on stage than managing a team. She states the brand's mission is more important than the product itself, driving decisions like using recycled fabrics despite a 30% cost increase. The company has donated over 45,000 pairs of underwear to refugee camps in Europe. Fuller emphasizes that female founders receive only 2% of venture capital funding, a figure even lower for Black women, necessitating harder work to secure investment. She hires for entrepreneurial spirit over impressive CVs, finding that early hires with extensive experience clashed with her desire for a rule-breaking, risk-taking culture. Product innovations were directly inspired by community feedback, including focus groups with menopausal, Black, Asian, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. This led to creating the first supportive H-cup bralette and moving the gusset on underwear four centimeters forward after being told it was impossible. Fuller chose the song "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers, recalling singing it as a solo in her childhood dance school. The tone is conversational and inspirational, blending a personal narrative with practical business lessons. Moss adopts an admiring, interviewer-led style, prompting Fuller to reflect on her journey from performer to mission-driven CEO. Listeners interested in entrepreneurship, female-founded brands, and inclusive business models would love this episode. Those seeking a highly technical business case or a critique of the fashion industry might find it less applicable.

As heard by us

A candid founder story about ownership, self-belief, and rebuilding after outside money changed the terms.

Lemon Fuller's path is not the clean founder myth people often expect. The episode moves from her years as a singer, songwriter, and dancer with artists such as Beyonce, Avicii, and Justin Bieber into the first stretch of Lemonade Dolls, then into the harder part: outside money,…

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Why you'd press play

A founder story about a VC setback, a relaunch, and a hard-won reset.

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