The Delusional Confidence That Built a MULTIMILLION Dollar Activewear Brand
Tue Feb 03 2026
In this episode, I sit down with Stefana Avera, founder of Liaison the Label, to talk about building a multimillion-dollar activewear brand from scratch—with zero experience in fashion or manufacturing. Stefana shares the raw, unfiltered journey of bartending to afford $80 product samples, crying over failed prototypes 3 years into development, and the delusional confidence it took to keep going when no one believed in her vision.
This isn't a story of overnight success. It's about slow, steady growth, building community before going viral, and trusting your gut even when you don't know the "equation." If you're thinking about starting a brand or just need a reminder that you don't need a perfect background to build something incredible, this episode is for you.
Shop Liasion the Label: https://www.liaisonlabel.com/
Follow Stefana: https://www.instagram.com/stefana.avara/
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro: Meet Stefana & Liaison the Label
3:40 - How Stefana Started in Fitness (2017)
8:20 - The Moment She Decided to Build Liaison
12:00 - Bartending for $80 Product Samples
19:30 - 3 Years of Development & Almost Giving Up
24:30 - Building Community vs. Going Viral
32:00 - The Manufacturing Process (No Experience Required)
45:00 - Delusional Confidence & Founder Intuition
EXTENDED SUBSTACK ARTICLE COMING SOON WITH STEFANA, SUBSCRIBE TO NOT MISS IT:
https://thegrowthlist.substack.com
Get 10% off your first purchase or domain by going to https://squarespace.com/nataliebarbu or use code NATALIEBARBU at checkout.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More
In this episode, I sit down with Stefana Avera, founder of Liaison the Label, to talk about building a multimillion-dollar activewear brand from scratch—with zero experience in fashion or manufacturing. Stefana shares the raw, unfiltered journey of bartending to afford $80 product samples, crying over failed prototypes 3 years into development, and the delusional confidence it took to keep going when no one believed in her vision. This isn't a story of overnight success. It's about slow, steady growth, building community before going viral, and trusting your gut even when you don't know the "equation." If you're thinking about starting a brand or just need a reminder that you don't need a perfect background to build something incredible, this episode is for you. Shop Liasion the Label: https://www.liaisonlabel.com/ Follow Stefana: https://www.instagram.com/stefana.avara/ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro: Meet Stefana & Liaison the Label 3:40 - How Stefana Started in Fitness (2017) 8:20 - The Moment She Decided to Build Liaison 12:00 - Bartending for $80 Product Samples 19:30 - 3 Years of Development & Almost Giving Up 24:30 - Building Community vs. Going Viral 32:00 - The Manufacturing Process (No Experience Required) 45:00 - Delusional Confidence & Founder Intuition EXTENDED SUBSTACK ARTICLE COMING SOON WITH STEFANA, SUBSCRIBE TO NOT MISS IT: https://thegrowthlist.substack.com Get 10% off your first purchase or domain by going to https://squarespace.com/nataliebarbu or use code NATALIEBARBU at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices