Meet Jessica Dorsey of Wambas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Dorsey.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jessica. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a serial DIYer. If I can’t easily find something that meets my specifications and needs, I prefer to do/create it myself, rather than settle for something that isn’t quite what I want.

This applies to furniture, clothing/costumes, hair cuts, full-blown landscaping, and everything in between. Sometimes, the end result is exactly, or better than I envisioned, and other times, I waste a ton of time and money trying to do it myself.

So here I was, a veteran marathoner, who had been running for more than half her life. I had purchased and tried virtually every piece of running gear/apparel for storage on the go, but could not find even one piece that worked for my needs.

When running longer distances, one usually needs to bring “stuff” along to support the effort- phone: a necessity for security, as well as for music or podcasts to pass the time; energy gels: to fuel the longer miles; pepper spray: for safety, etc. Female runners especially often feel the increased need for having a phone and pepper spray.

I tried literally everything on the market to help me carry these items. I bought a variety of belts and fanny packs- none of them were comfortable or convenient. Most either bounced and bruised my hip bones or chafed me. I tried several armbands for my phone, but those also chafed me, were uncomfortable, and were hard to get in and out of when I wanted to switch a song or take a photo. Shorts with pockets didn’t have adequate space for both my gels and my phone. Nothing worked!

In the last few years, I started finding some sports bras with pockets. Perfect! I’m a minimalist and do not like to be weighed down with extra gear. A sports bra? I need to wear one anyway, so if it could double as a storage option, even better! This was the best option I had found, but as I tried several out, I realized I still had issues. None of them had the combination of the space I desired, a convenient and easy-to-access pocket opening (some of the pockets were on the back!), and most importantly, none of them had any sort of protection against my phone’s RF waves.

See, I was running almost every day and sticking my phone in my bra pocket. I didn’t need to be an expert in EMF/RF exposure to know that it probably wasn’t ideal to have my phone pressed up against my breasts for several hours each week. I had heard about EMF blocking materials, and wondered why no one was sticking it in the lining of these pockets?

It caused me enough anxiety that, coupled with the other hangups I had with the storage bras on the market, it made me wonder- how hard could it be to make the perfect EMF-blocking storage bra myself? (spoiler- a little harder than my idealistic-dreamer self imagined!)

I was such an amateur, with no background in design or fashion, manufacturing, e-commerce, nor marketing, but I had a very clear vision of what I wanted and what I didn’t, and the passion to really see my idea through.

I am fortunate to live in LA, one of the fashion capitals of the world, where everything I could ever need in terms of materials and manufacturers is at my fingertips. I learned as much as I could through online courses, Youtube, books, and podcasts.

A good friend gave me the contact to a manufacturer who would help me bring my sketches and ideas to life and also end up investing in the company as partners. I had dozens of friends in the running community here in LA who helped test prototypes and stepped in as models. Within three months of completing my first sketches, I launched the company, Wambas, online.

Has it been a smooth road?
Yes and no. When I think back on the past ten months or so, it’s hard to believe how quickly it’s actually all come together, and for the most part, pretty smoothly. At every occasion, from the initial launch to each event we have done (mostly race expos), we have exceeded our expectations and goals. I do not take that for granted and feel very grateful for the warm reception we have received.

Though the startup was relatively quick, and I had no formal training in this industry, the idea and product was years in the making. As someone who knows the industry intimately, I used my own insight and dozens of other women’s input to carefully and purposefully design every single detail of the bra. After the initial launch, we requested feedback from our early adopters and made the necessary changes immediately. Being open to feedback in the initial design process I believe has eliminated many potential issues.

The biggest struggle along the way has come from the production and sourcing side of things. Things that can only be learned through experience. I have learned to temper and buffer expectations and timelines more than anything. I have learned that so much of entrepreneurship isn’t the exciting, fun, glamorous side I see portrayed on social media often, but a lot of the administrative and research side of things.

It hasn’t been easy, but it has been worth it.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Wambas – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are Wambas. A sports bra with a built-in storage pocket that also blocks EMF radiation. Designed with runners in mind, but a solution for women from all walks of life. Our sports bras comfortably, conveniently, and safely store your essentials on the go.

Wambas have a large storage pocket (large enough for any smartphone on the market), that is located in the front of the bra, Your items are easy to access even while moving, and the pocket’s liner contains an EMF-blocking material that blocks 99% of your phone’s RF waves.

The bra is made of strong, comfortable, and moisture-wicking performance material that makes it supportive enough to exercise in, and comfortable enough to sleep in.

A bra designed by women for women, with the functionality and technology of the modern woman in mind. We saw many women, including ourselves, struggling with where to store essentials, sticking phones, cash, and other items directly into bras. We decided to create a better solution.

Our EMF-blocking design is patent-pending and one of a kind.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and the least?
My favorite thing about LA is the endless inspiration and opportunity! In almost any industry, the contacts, tools, and resources you need to make your dreams come true are at your fingertips.

For my company specifically, not only was the idea born over thousands of miles of training runs along LA’s beaches, roads, and trails, but the entire creative process and production was made possible by the industries within our city’s limits.

Almost all of my fabrics are sourced here in LA, the factories that cut and sew the bras are here as well. I am able to show up, witness, or make changes in real time to any stage of production. I honestly do not think my idea would have amounted to anything more than sketches if I lived anywhere else in the world than LA.

The thing I like least about our city would be trying to make it to the factory in East LA on a Friday afternoon. 😉

Pricing:

• Wambas EMF-Blocking Storage Bras – Retail $55.00

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wambas.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mywambas/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mywambas

Image Credit:
Josh Gross, Travis Miller

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