Ladies, we’ve all been there, am I right? In the dressing room trying on countless swimsuits… and the discard pile of nos and just-not-rights piling up on the floor. Hayley Segar was one with us. Packing for a trip to Miami, growing frustrated with her swimsuit options, she realized she simply wanted something that felt one with her body. With the perfect words spoken aloud, the perfect idea came to light for the young entrepreneur. If she couldn’t find the ideal swimsuit, she’d create it. With research and development, Segar soon had a brand built on swimwear with universally flattering silhouettes, smoothing bonding, and raw-cut edges that are seamless on the skin. With their signature, patent-pending onewith Swim fit and success on Shark Tank (landing deals with not one but two sharks), Segar and onewith are doing swimmingly well.
The swimsuit shapeshifter sat down with Beauty News NYC to chat about finding the perfect swimsuit fit, running a business, and what it’s really like to appear on Shark Tank.
What has it been like to see the brand really grow and have the success it’s had?
It’s been like watching a dream come true. It sounds cliche, but I’ve felt the potential of onewith and its concept since the moment I thought of the idea. I’ve been watching what I envisioned become a reality. If I didn’t wholeheartedly believe in its potential, I wouldn’t have embarked on the journey to create it. Seeing onewith resonate with so many women, actually changing the way they experience swimwear…is exactly why I set out to create it in the first place.
It’s one thing to have an idea but another to launch a successful brand. What was that process like?
It’s one thing to have an idea, but it’s another thing entirely to launch something, and something that has product-market fit, on top of that. I had tunnel vision from the moment I came up with the idea for onewith. I was sitting on my living room floor when I said out loud, “I just want a swimsuit that fits like my favorite no-show undies.” That was the lightbulb moment.
From that day in April 2019, I’ve had complete blinders on; my sole focus has been on bringing onewith to life. I have an unrelenting, unwavering passion for this business. I absolutely love what I do, and I’ve loved what I’ve done every single day since that moment six years ago.
That said, this isn’t to glamorize or make the process look glossy. There are incredibly hard days, hard weeks, hard months. But there’s truly nothing else I’d rather be doing. I’ve had to level myself up in every area: personally, professionally, emotionally to be able to meet onewith where it’s at and give it everything I have. It’s been the most rewarding experience of my life.
What was it like going on Shark Tank? Do you think you’d be where you are today without that exposure and support?
When people ask me what Shark Tank was like, I always say it’s everything you think it is: nerve-wracking, high-stakes, high-pressure… truly the scariest thing I’ve ever done, but also the most gratifying. I physically can’t imagine being more nervous than I was that day. It was the culmination of so much of the work I’ve done in my life. Not just professionally, but emotionally, to prepare for that moment.
It was absolutely incredible, and I’m so grateful for the entire Shark Tank experience and the outcome I had in the Tank, which was the result of months of prep and years of passion. I do believe we would’ve reached the same level of success without the show, but I do think that course would have looked very different. Different support, different energy, different people around me. The network that Shark Tank provides is second to none. And of course, I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten the Sharks I did; Barbara Corcoran and Jamie Kern Lima. I’m deeply thankful that a platform like Shark Tank exists and gives founders like me a chance to live the American dream on TV.
What are some of the biggest struggles you face as a business owner? And what are the greatest rewards?
Every single day as a business owner, you’re tested. You’re constantly having to become an expert in something new, whether it’s legal, operations, marketing, finance or something else entirely. The breadth of challenges is massive… but the breadth of rewards is wider. That’s what I always try to remind myself; the valleys are what make the peaks so meaningful. This journey stretches you in every way, but that’s also what makes it so fulfilling.
What do you hope for the future of onewith? Where do you hope to see yourself and the brand 10 years from now?
It’s always been my hope that, just like we all universally know Spanx as the solution to feeling better in your dress or jeans, people come to recognize onewith as the solution to feeling better in your swim. That kind of household recognition and widespread acknowledgment for the power of this product, that’s what I work toward every single day. Ten years from now, I want onewith to be a name that’s synonymous with confidence in swimwear. That’s the vision.
What makes for the perfect swimsuit?
Of course, I’m biased; I’d say the perfect swimsuit is one from onewith that fits like your favorite no-show underwear! But in all seriousness, the real answer is that the perfect swimsuit is whatever makes you feel your best. And that’s different for everyone.
Who are some business leaders you look to for inspiration?
When I was in the earliest days of creating onewith, I absorbed so much content from Sara Blakely and all the interviews she did about building Spanx. I took so many cues from her, especially around the idea of keeping your idea quiet while it’s still in its infancy and most vulnerable. Her product is also very much in the same universe as mine, so I paid close attention to the nuances of her story. That said, the era she built Spanx in is very different from the one I’m building onewith in, so for more contemporary advice, I’ve always loved Sophia Amoruso of Nasty Gal and Girlboss. I align with her sensibilities in a big way. And I’m not just saying this because they’re my Sharks…but Barbara Corcoran and Jamie Kern Lima have genuinely become major role models and sources of inspiration (and strategy!) for me.
Is there one style that is most popular for onewith?
It’s funny, two of our three best-selling styles of all time have been in the collection since the very beginning: the Westerly and the Woodmont. The Westerly top is a classic tie-front bikini top that’s universally flattering, offering controllable push-up and support, all with our signature edgeless construction. The Woodmont bottom is a timeless cheeky bikini bottom you truly can’t go wrong with, and of course, it fits like no-show undies, to boot! Our third best-seller is the Merritt bottom, a sister style to the Woodmont. So with that, the message is clear; as a brand, you can’t go wrong with the classics! Especially classics with a second-skin fit.
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