So we’re starting a new series where I sit down with these founders and get all the inside tea on their journey. Every month, we'll dive into how they spotted the gap everyone else missed, how they're building their business & brand in public, what content strategies are actually working for them, and what they're learning as they go.

The thing is, most founder stories gloss over the tactical stuff. The content strategies that actually moved the needle. The specific moment they figured out their positioning. The revenue milestones that changed everything.

In each feature, we'll dive deep into:

For our second feature, we’re spotlighting Phoebe from Phia - the "Google Flights for fashion" that helps users find the best prices on clothing items by comparing listings from various retailers and secondhand platforms.

Follow Phoebe: HERE

Download Phia for Mobile: HERE 

Download Phia for Desktop: HERE

Follow Phia: @phiaco

What she's building: An app and browser extension that helps users shopping for clothes online find similar options at better prices across retailers and secondhand platforms - making it easy to save money while shopping sustainably.

Why it matters: In a world where consumers want to shop sustainably and save money but hate the hassle, Phia proves that the right tech can make ethical and affordable choices the easy choice.

The lightbulb moment happened in a Stanford dorm room. Phoebe and her roommate, Sophia, both wanted to shop sustainably but found the process absolutely miserable.

"We bonded over how hard it was to find second-hand pieces we actually liked," Phoebe explains. They weren't alone in this struggle. "We realized so many women struggled with the same thing: they wanted to shop more sustainably, but the process was overwhelming, disjointed, and rarely fun."

The problem was clear: sustainable shopping was so complicated. Thrift stores were hit-or-miss, online resale was scattered across multiple platforms, and finding something you actually wanted to wear took forever.

So they built Phia to make sustainable shopping easy.

Building a startup isn't the glamorous highlight reel you see online. "Most of the job isn't the wins you see online. It's talking to users, debugging flows, and long hours in Figma, but that's the time and energy that actually moves the business forward," Phoebe explains.

What keeps her grounded? Her co-founder Sophia. "Having someone in the trenches with you makes all the difference. We support and grind together daily, she always has my back and having someone to build with has made all the difference for me.”

"You can't do everything at once. Ruthless prioritization and team trust are everything," Phoebe admits. "Learning that a huge part of my job is to hire people smarter than me to own areas of the business has been a key lesson as we grow."

For Phoebe, showing up online isn't just a nice thing to do - it's essential.

"It builds trust. Showing up online humanizes your brand, opens doors, and helps you connect with the community you're building for," she explains. But there's a deeper insight here about the changing landscape of consumer behavior.

The building-in-public advantage:

The result? A strong community and direct line to her audience.

Block time for content creation & batch your content. 

"Block 2-3 hours weekly to create. It's hard to context switch, so batch when you're in the zone. Aim for 30+ pieces from one session."

Context switching kills creativity and efficiency. But when you're in content creation mode, you can ride that wave and produce weeks’ worth of material.

Her complete system:

The result? Consistent visibility without the daily content creation stress that burns out most founders.

Start with a problem you live: Phoebe and Sophia weren't researching market gaps - they were living the frustration every day.

Guard your energy ruthlessly: Focus on what actually matters and grows the business. The most successful founders aren't the busiest; they're the most selective about where they spend their time.

Hire people smarter than you: As you grow, a huge part of your job becomes finding brilliant people to own areas of the business better than you ever could.

Batch your content creation: Block dedicated time weekly to create multiple pieces at once. Consistency beats perfection, and systems beat motivation.

Embrace the unglamorous work: The real work that builds companies isn't the wins you see online - it's talking to users, debugging flows, and long hours perfecting your product.

Find your support system: Having someone in the trenches with you makes all the difference. The right co-founder can be your competitive advantage.

Favorite business resources:

The Phia team is always improving the platform based on user feedback. Hit them up at [email protected] with any thoughts, and feel free to drop a review if you're enjoying the experience and want to spread the word!

Self Made is a content tool that creates your personalized content strategy, turns your expertise into scroll-stopping posts and track what actually works. So you can build your brand and your business.

As always, thanks for being here! And let me know! What founder do you want to see featured next?

The Girls Club Team

Say hi on Instagram or Linkedin.