"Being an entrepreneur takes a ton of work, but I love that the work schedule is mine to create" with Dr. Sarah Reidenbach

Dr. Sarah Reidenbach is CEO of Rabble Rousers’ Trousers, an ethical and social justice seeking apparel brand in California. Sarah is a veterinarian who worked as an animal shelter medical director for several years and has extensive experience developing programs in underserved communities. Her educational background in nonprofit management and business gave her a base from which to transition into her role as a socially conscious CEO. Rabble Rousers’ Trousers was created to empower all of us to turn our collective frustration about heartbreaking community issues into positive and effective solutions through an everyday necessity, our clothes.  www.rabblerouserstrousers.com.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

Hello! Thank you for the opportunity to share with you. I grew up in Northern California with a mom who was a self-proclaimed “bleeding heart”. She often brought home animals from the shelter and showed empathy in all that she did. Early on, she helped me realize that I wanted to spend my life trying to make the world better. Of course, fixing the brokenness of the world isn’t easy, so I meandered through various explorations, trying to find the means to my mission. I planned to go to medical school, but when I was studying medicine abroad, couldn’t ignore the overwhelming suffering of animals. This led me to become a veterinarian.

My plan was never to be a traditional veterinarian, but more so to earn my way into a position where I could serve both people and animals. I worked as a veterinarian and medical director in several animal shelters but knew my eventual goal was to create something new. I also grew frustrated with being at the end of a long road of suffering for so many animals and families. I wanted to do something more upstream, more positive, and more preventative. Eventually, I left my day job and have been working on Rabble Rousers’ and its associated nonprofit full time.

 What inspired you to start your business?

I noticed three groups of people. There were those who were directly involved with difficult issues such as climate change, abuse, gun control, and others by working, volunteering, or donating. Then there were people who acted like they didn’t give a crap about what was happening in the world. And then there was the majority of people who cared and were motivated to make a difference, but they weren’t yet engaged. I wondered what would happen if we could engage those who cared a lot but weren’t yet involved. What additional progress could be made? How many more voices would there be if we could create a positive and easy way for all of these people to get involved in solutions? The idea for Rabble Rousers’ Trousers came from that goal: recruiting the caring, heartbroken, and frustrated people to take action about what mattered to them, even if just a small action.

 Where is your business based?

We are located in Sebastopol, California, a town near the Northern California coast. 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

After overthinking it for several years, I was still too insecure to jump right in and start my business. I took my ideas through two learning opportunities: One was the MIT entrepreneurship boot camp. This online course broke down how to create a viable business and filled in some of my skills gaps. Then I went through Factory 45, a sustainable fashion accelerator program. More specific to fashion, this one helped me understand step by step what I needed to do. After I nerded out in these programs, I felt more competent and capable. At that point, I incorporated, set up my website and social media, and began planning and pre-production.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Connections made in conversations with friends, community members, strangers, business conference attendees, and online groups have been the most effective way to raise awareness for us. Social media wasn’t the golden ticket that I thought it would be, although of course it’s useful and has so many potential applications. It was initially an extremely vulnerable thing for me to tell my family and friends that I was starting a business. I felt exposed. It felt so personal for my private idea to be on display. But slowly, the validation and feedback started to roll in, and now sharing our brand is fun. Starting an e-mail newsletter has also been helpful, as well as seeking press.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Raising money and awareness have been our biggest challenges. I think most entrepreneurs who don’t launch with a large nest egg or celebrity status go through a phase of needing money to find customers but needing customers to make money. I assumed that blasting my business to my personal social media audience would immediately grant me a large customer base, but that didn’t happen. Those were my supporters but not my customers. I assumed that my crowdfunding campaign would be quickly fulfilled, but that didn’t happen either. We had to work hard, with a ton of elbow grease, to reach our ideal customer. It has truly been one person at a time.

How do you stay focused?

I love working on this business, so it’s not difficult to work on it all day every day (at least weekdays). However, I do have trouble focusing on one task at a time, since I’m wearing so many hats right now, and they all could easily be a full-time job. The first thing I do in the morning, after coffee and a little exercise, is making a to-do list. Sometimes I make my to-do list the night before when it’s fresh where I’m leaving off. I don’t schedule the individual tasks from my to-do list into time slots, so I have some flexibility based on my energy level and mood, but I try to have a top-heavy day, knocking the harder things off the list first.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Rabble Rousers’ Trousers is mission-based, first and foremost. That’s the heart and bones of the business. That makes us fundamentally different than most, although there are many spectacular benefit corporations and social entrepreneurship programs these days. We also are creating products based on ethical, vegan, and eco-friendly production. That’s not the easiest or cheapest option, but we believe that’s where the world, and especially our customers, are going. We know that our commitment earns the trust of our customers. 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Being authentic has been the most effective marketing strategy for us. Nobody liked our stock photos or our generic posts. When we reveal ourselves, we get a response. Everyone wants to see the truth - the wizard behind the curtain.   

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

1.     Just start. Find an entry point and start. You are never going to get a guarantee, you’re never going to feel ready. I wish I had started earlier.

2.     Get your idea clear and simple. If it’s too confusing to explain, whittle it down more.

3.     Stay flexible. Don’t be so in love with an idea that you won’t let it evolve.

4.     Don’t quit at the first obstacle. When you haven’t made it yet, no one has confidence in you and you’re not getting the validation that you will eventually get. You’ll have to believe in yourself enough to keep going. You are worthy and capable. Don’t waste time grappling with confidence.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

App: Insight Timer. I meditate every day and this is the best app by far. Meditation has changed my mood, mental health, and perspective.

Blog: Students for a free Tibet – because modern collective action is badass.

Book: Becoming Wise by Krista Tippet. This book is a series of interviews about all of the topics my soul was craving to explore, and it is beautifully written.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

YouTube. There are so many tutorials and experts on YouTube. As a budding entrepreneur, you can learn a large amount on your own before needing to pay someone else to do it. Believe it or not, in veterinary school, part of our surgery training was to watch surgery videos on YouTube. There’s a lot of junk on YouTube, but there’s also an enormous amount of free resources.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Jeff Skoll. Jeff went from being the first president of eBay to creating the Skoll Foundation, a high-impact social catalyst. I appreciate his commitment to doing something bigger than himself, while also doing it on a large and successful scale.

How do you balance work and life?

Being an entrepreneur takes a ton of work, but I love that the work schedule is mine to create. That’s priceless. I have three kids and take breaks for doctor’s appointments, baseball games, family dinner, and to help with homework. On the downside, the accessibility to my work through all the screens in my house is like a powerful addiction constantly inviting me to work more, so I have zones of my house where devices are off-limits, like the dinner table. I want to be present with my loved ones and not blue-light my life away. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

My current favorite way to decompress is a “pickleback”: a shot of bourbon followed by a shot of pickle brine. It’s not as gross as it sounds. I also spoon my dogs. I’d love to answer this question with something healthy like exercise or meditation, and I do both of those with significant benefits, but they still involve work. A pickleback, on the other hand, is a purely indulgent and relaxing way to end the day.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

In the next 6 months, Rabble Rousers’ Trousers are launching our first two products, both sports bras, currently in pre-production. With the COVID pandemic, everything has been altered, from production to supply chains to our customer’s financial stability. We’ll need to be flexible, but we’re moving forward. The amount of thought and effort that has gone into our early phases will probably cause me to cry when I finally see those first items coming off the production line. We’re also continuing to design our future products and refine our business model.

How can our readers connect with you?

You can find us at www.rabblerouserstrousers.com, @rabble.rousers.trousers, or facebook.com/rabblerouserstrousers. Feel free to reach out anytime.