Name: Ali Driesman
Company & Position: Co-Founder, Marketing & Customer Experience at Armoire
Tampon Tribe mashup: 4 reg / 8 super / 4 superplus

What was your first job? How did it shape what you’re doing now? My first job in college was Student Brand Ambassador at Red Bull. I was enticed by the promise of an endless free Red Bull supply and being paid to talk to strangers! That said it was an incredible experience – I was given visibility into the company strategy and then tasked to craft a marketing plan that was unique to my campus. What I loved about the role was that we were encouraged and rewarded for taking risks. I don’t see enough of that in the corporate world, and I try to remind myself every day. Jump off the ledge. See what happens! And if you don’t land, brush yourself off and try again- (and try not to break any bones in the process).

Tell us about Armoire. What inspired the idea?  Armoire is our answer to the modern woman’s stress-free closet. We’ve all had that frustrating moment staring into our closet trying to get dressed: so many clothes, and nothing to wear. Many women lack the time or desire to shop. . With Armoire, we wanted to create a hands-off way for busy women to wear new, chic pieces in every season, without the consequences of shopping – the time, the stress and of course the closet clutter. The idea of clothing rental allows for a continuous rotation of clothes, but after using many of the services available it was the same problem – so much time was wasted trying to find what to wear. Enter Armoire. It’s all the good stuff of rental, with the added benefit of curation. Our service recommends items specific to your style and fit preferences, making it easy to get the variety that your non-stop life demands.  The end result: You look great and get time back  — You know, for life stuff.

What advice do you have for young women dreaming of entrepreneurship? In essence—just go! You can sit there forever refining your PPT slides or improving your idea (and trust me, there is always something you can do differently or better). Embrace that the first stage might not be perfect but you have to start somewhere to get somewhere. Until you go out there and get your first customer or launch your product – whatever it is—taking the leap is the only way to learn, evolve, and get sh*t done (or GSD as we like to call it at Armoire).

We talk a lot about the challenges  women face in business. How does  being a female exec benefit you in the workplace? Our main demographic is a female clientele!  it’s extremely beneficial to have a primarily female founding team. We’re solving problems that we understand.

Tell us a moment in your career when you felt like you’d made it. During my last role at Microsoft, I was given the opportunity to run the Imagine Cup: a global competition for students that challenges them to use technology to solve the world’s biggest problems. The Imagine Cup reaches almost 300,000 students and culminates with Worldwide Finals (they were held in Australia that year). After going weeks of blood sweat and sleepless nights, I found myself  kicking off Microsoft’s Imagine Cup, in Sydney, on stage in front of hundreds people. I remember thinking – well damn, this feels good 🙂

Most mortifying period story? Ha, I have to pick just ONE ? ..  Once back in high school I was running to class after homeroom and didn’t have time to make a bathroom pitstop. I shrugged it off and went to class, thinking little of it. That is until the second bell rang and it came to my attention as I was getting ready to stand that the red seat I was getting up from… had been white when I sat down. Mortified, I somehow mouthed/signed to my girlfriend that I had a problem – period. True hero that she was (she still is) she began emphatically chatting up our History teacher, gesturing wildly and trying to distract him as I frantically tried to wipe away any evidence with my plaid uniform skirt. Our history teacher was thrilled that he had finally gotten us to care enough about King Henry VIII to stay after class. By the way my cleaning efforts failed miserably so I went for plan B: run. My friend followed and we sprinted to the nurse’s office, hysterically laughing while somehow also crying with embarrassment.  I vowed never to be too busy for a period pitstop again.

What health /beauty products can you not live without? Anyone with curls knows they have a mind of their own. Devacurl is one of my favorite brands – everything from their no-poo shampoo (you know what I’m talking about curlies) to their AnGel – put an extra bounce in my curls’ step.

What health/ wellness trend are you into right now? Y7 Yoga. It’s incredible. It’s yoga powered by hip-hop music in a candlelit room. They lead you through flows that you take on your own. I am a “slightly competitive” (cough) person – so I make it a challenge to myself to focus on the sequence and my breath and body when I do it on my own. While Wu Tang bangs away.  

What is your guilty pleasure? Wait, did you say candy??

… is something I am often heard saying. Sour gummies rank #1 –  less of a guilty pleasure, border lining  a dependency at this point. I know what you’re thinking—you can relate. “I get it Ali, sometimes I need a sugar fix too!” But spend a little time with me and your tune might turn to more: “You might have a problem.” And maybe I do. But when that sour strip hits your lips, I argue it’s worth it. There are worse habits to have ☺

TAMPON TRIBE + ARMOIRE

We’re teaming up to help simplify your life. To help you stay in style without the clutter, we’re offering Tampon Tribe customers their first month of Armoire for $35 off! Visit armoire.style to select your items, and use code: TAMPONTRIBE35 at checkout.