Elizabeth Medina and her mom Deb Kusmec know that girls are strong. And smart. And brave. That they’re artists, scientists, athletes, explorers and anything they want to be.
Their company, Girl Wonderful, celebrates these facts.
They created the lifestyle brand in early 2014, starting out with their iconic message T-shirts, and have since expanded to sell sweatshirts, onesies, pins, mugs, hats, totes and even a special coffee blend.
Based in Verona, the dynamic mom-and-daughter duo coordinate the business and creative sides of Girl Wonderful, while Elizabeth also raises five-year-old Isabella and two-year-old Mateo with husband Juan Carlos.
The two share what it’s like to spread the #GirlWonderful message of empowerment around the world.
How did the idea for Girl Wonderful form?
Elizabeth: I had been working in New York’s fashion industry for a number of years, working long hours on projects that were fun but nothing I was truly passionate about. When I found out my husband and I were expecting our first child, and then that we were having a girl, I started to think about how I was spending my time and talents and began wanting something more meaningful and fulfilling. At the same time, I started to notice all the pink clothes well-meaning people were gifting to us prior to my daughter’s birth and some of the not-so-subtle messaging that was coming through in the books and toys she was receiving. I decided I wanted to create something for girls that came with a different kind of message — a meaningful one that was focused on the real life potential of girls.
How did you turn this idea into a brand and business?
Elizabeth: I could not have done it without my mom. I’m a creative person and ideas are not hard for me to come by, but I was missing startup know-how and a business mindset. That’s what my mom has brought to the table, along with years of being and working with entrepreneurs. She is absolutely the reason we are still in business.
How did your move back to Wisconsin happen?
Elizabeth: Shortly after my son was born in 2015, I was able to convince my husband to give Wisconsin a try. I missed my family and was having a hard time envisioning how childhood was going to play out for my kids with two parents having to devote so much time to work, not to mention the commute. I wanted to slow things down for all of us, so we moved to Wisconsin in October of 2015. Almost immediately after we arrived, my mom and I were able to start spending more time on the business just because we lived so close. And by close I mean we lived in my parents’ basement our first year here.
Do you have a favorite item or message? Or has one proven to be the most popular?
Deb: I love our message about being strong. Whether it’s our GIRL STRONG tee or “Here’s to Strong Women” greeting card, encouraging girls and women to own their strengths is important. Especially in this time in history, it’s important to recognize one another’s strengths and celebrate them.
Elizabeth: Currently, GIRL STRONG is our best-selling style. It’s interesting, though, because we see styles kind of pick up out of nowhere. For example, GIRL ASTRONAUT stayed pretty quiet the first couple of years to the point we were thinking of archiving that one. But in the last couple of months, we can’t seem to keep it in stock!
One question we get a lot is, “Why can’t the t-shirt just say ASTRONAUT? Why does it have to say GIRL ASTRONAUT?” For us, it’s all about making sure girls are included in the conversations they’ve been left out of for far too long.
We love how you say that when someone sees a girl wearing one of your shirts, it could change the conversation.
Elizabeth: I’ve experienced it firsthand when my daughter wears one of our tees. People will come up to her and start asking her great question! Like, “Do you want to be president one day?” Or “Do you like science?” Or even just passing comments that have nothing to do with the way she looks. Like, “Girl astronaut, love it!” We’re all so busy and tend to fall back on our established social pleasantries (“What a pretty girl!”) and I really believe these tees call for attention in a really positive way.
Your Instagram feed is filled with all these awesome girls and women wearing your products. What’s it like to see your message going out into the world?
Elizabeth: I get chills just thinking about it. I think the unique thing about our brand is that it really can be made into the wearer’s own — her own experiences, her own struggles, her own triumphs, her own story. It becomes very personal. GIRL STRONG, for example. There was a girl who wore it to her first flag football game of the season in a league with all boys. She wore it as a show of strength and confidence. That girl was going to get that flag no matter what! A girl with Pitt Hopkins, a rare developmental disease, wore GIRL STRONG for her first photo standing up. Her amazing mom turned it into their mantra. We even had a dad wear a GIRL STRONG tee for the birth of his daughter. He wore it in awe of his new baby girl. Our customers’ stories are absolutely what keep us going.
What’s it been like to work on this business with together?
Deb: It’s a joy! I have a lot of respect for Elizabeth’s talent. When she was growing up we were always creating something. This is a new facet of our relationship, learning about each other’s strengths and learning from each other. It’s put us on an even footing; we’re equal partners. It’s exhilarating working with her. I enjoy her so much and it doesn’t feel like work. We find ourselves laughing and smiling as we work on the business.
Elizabeth: It’s been such an incredible growing experience for me. I obviously learned a lot from her growing up, but now I’m learning different things. Things about business, things about her as a business woman, stories from her past she hadn’t shared before about trying to juggle it all, which I can relate to now as a woman trying to juggle it all. I’m getting to know her on a whole new level, which has been so incredible.
What have you learned from working on Girl Wonderful?
Elizabeth: I’ve learned confidence. I’ve learned networking. I’ve learned to be afraid and to do it anyway. I’ve learned to respond to critics. I’ve learned disappointment. I’ve learned perseverance. I’ve learned how to better communicate with my mom. I’ve learned how to better communicate, period. I’ve learned about biases I didn’t know I had, and I’ve learned how to address them with myself. I’ve learned that I’ve lived a privileged life and that I have to use that privilege to help others. I’ve learned there’s a lot I have left to learn, but that it won’t stop me from continuing to put Girl Wonderful’s message out there. As I learn and evolve, I know the company will, too.
Photos by Marla Bergh.