The Crowfunding & PR Journey with Jill Apgar of Coco Beans

Jill Apgar is the founder of Coco Beans, a luxury bedding and sleepwear brand offering luxurious silk crib sheets and pillow cases using the world’s softest, most innovative fabrics that families can trust. The company is best known for their machine-washable, 100% silk crib sheets. Following a forced layoff from her corporate career in 2020, Jill launched her company with a desire to source the best crib sheet fabrics that not only felt luxurious to the skin, but also helped reduced tangled hair for children and adults. Jill holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University and is a member of the Board of Directors for Harper’s Corner Foundation, Inc. She has over 12 years of experience in the corporate retail merchandising industry with some of the most iconic brands, including Abercrombie & Fitch and Victoria Secret.

Jill joins us today to share what it was like to launch a luxury bedding and sleepwear company during a worldwide pandemic. She shares the initial steps she took to launch her company and why it’s important to learn from your mistakes and failures as well as your successes. We discuss how her personal painpoint led to launching the company and the value of networking and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Jill shares her experience with crowdfunding and how her products have evolved over the last two years. We also discuss tips for being ‘media-ready’ and ‘camera-ready’ as a new startup founder and how to craft your startup story to have the most impact.

“For 30 to 45 days, you’re selling. If you want to be successful at that – you need a strategy and marketing plan.” – Jill Apgar

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week on Startups in Stilettos:

• How a painpoint in Jill’s personal life led to launching the Coco Beans company
• What it was like to launch a new business during the pandemic
• The importance of learning from your mistakes and failures as well as your successes
• The initial steps Jill took to launch her business
• The value of networking, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, and keeping yourself accountable
• Bootstrapping the product development costs and how Jill financed the launch of her business
• The lessons Jill learned while raising money to launch her business
• What kept Jill going despite facing challenges and setbacks
• The process of creating the Coco Beans brand
• How the Coco Beans products have evolved over the last two years
• Embracing and understanding your inherent strengths as an entrepreneur
• The PR journey and how Jill promoted her product
• The value of joining a business community of like-minded entrepreneurs
• Tips for being media and camera ready as a new startup founder
• How to craft your startup story and identify what to include and what to leave out
• What’s next for Coco Beans

Resources Mentioned:

• Columbus College of Arts & Design
• Shopify
• Klaviyo Email Marketing

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “You have to start somewhere.” – Jill Apgar
• “Have a day-by-day marketing strategy to get you through that crowdfunding campaign.” – Jill Apgar
• “Understand what you are inherently good at as an entrepreneur, and find people to fill the gaps.” – Jill Apgar

Connect with Jill Apgar:

• Coco Beans – use Promo Code: Entreprenista15 to get 15% off your first order!
• Coco Beans on LinkedIn
• Coco Beans on Instagram
• Coco Beans on Facebook
• Coco Beans on Twitter
• Jill Apgar on LinkedIn

Connect with your Startups in Stilettos hosts!

• Stephanie Cartin on Instagram
• Stephanie Cartin on LinkedIn
• Jessica Abo on Instagram
• Jessica Abo on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Jessica Abo here

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join.

We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

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