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Heidi Zak took a bra that didn’t fit and turned that frustration into ThirdLove, a DTC brand that challenged an industry dominated by one player and proved that listening to women could transform everything about how a product is made, marketed, and sold.
For Dear FoundHer’s 300th episode, Lindsay Pinchuk talks with Heidi about the decisions and risks that shaped ThirdLove’s growth, from introducing half-cup sizes that the industry said were impossible, to launching the “Try Before You Buy” program that asked women to truly live in the product before deciding if it was right for them. Heidi shares how customer feedback revealed insights far deeper than price or style preferences, and how those insights shaped both the brand’s identity and its ability to earn trust online. She shares about the missteps, the manufacturing roadblocks, and the moments where abandoning an idea saved time and money.
Lindsay and Heidi’s conversation is about building in direct response to the people you serve, scaling in a competitive DTC space without losing sight of product quality, and staying committed to innovation even when the path forward is messy and uncertain.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introducing Heidi Zak
06:19 Heidi Zak’s Founding Story of ThirdLove
14:01 Launching the First Product Line and Market Strategy
19:35 Creating Half-Cup Sizes and Disrupting the Bra Industry
24:08 Building Trust and Driving Customer Acquisition
32:01 How Customer Feedback Shaped ThirdLove’s Growth
36:17 Lessons Learned from Failed Experiments
38:56 ThirdLove’s Current Status and Future Plans
Connect with Heidi Zak:
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