She built a multi-million dollar brand out of her guest bedroom. Then she bought a second one. with Melissa Parvis

Melissa Parvis built Fresh Clean Threads from her guest bedroom, packing subscription boxes by hand until USPS needed a bigger truck for pickup, into a venture-backed, multi-million dollar DTC apparel empire. Now, instead of starting a third brand from scratch, she's done something most founders don't: she acquired one. In this episode, Melissa breaks down why she and her husband bought Recess Pickleball instead of building a new label, how she's rebranding it into Club Recess, and the lawyer-and-paperwork lesson she says is non-negotiable for anyone considering a brand acquisition.

Key Takeaways & Highlights:

• Strive for excellence, not perfection: Melissa's core operating principle, and the one thing she says has kept her from burning out across two brands.

• The first hire that changed everything: warehousing. Once Fresh Clean Threads hit 1,000 subscribers, getting packing and shipping out of the house freed her up for strategy and marketing.

• Brand recognition was the deciding factor: Melissa and her husband almost started a third brand from scratch before realizing buying an existing community was the smarter move.

• A rebrand isn't a demolition: Club Recess kept the backbone of what people already knew and loved about Recess Pickleball while updating colors, logo, and product line.

• Get a great lawyer, get everything in writing: Melissa's non-negotiable advice for anyone building, buying, or exiting a business.

• Believe in yourself, follow your heart, enjoy the journey: her closing advice to any woman building or rebuilding something of her own.

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RESOURCES + LINKS

Fresh Clean Threads, freshcleanthreads.com 

Club Recess, clubrecess.com

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Sarah Benken Foushee: www.instagram.com/sarahbenkenfoushee

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ABOUT KNOW WOMEN AND THE HAF PODCAST

The High Achieving Female Podcast, powered by KNOW, where women who've actually built it come to share how they did it. KNOW is a national media and network company for high-impact women in business, spotlighting the founders, CEOs, and leaders who are scaling real companies through KNOW Magazine, live events, the 50 Women to KNOW recognition program, and a curated network of 250 top-tier women entrepreneurs and executives. Every episode is a conversation with someone who's built something real, the wins, the setbacks, and the path, so the next generation of women has a roadmap, not just inspiration.

ABOUT SARAH BENKEN FOUSHEE

Sarah Benken Foushee is the Founder, Publisher, and CEO of KNOW, an invite-only national media company and network elevating multimillion-dollar women founders across the country. With roots in accounting and operations, she built her business long before she built her brand, five profitable exits and two brands scaled internationally later, she's one of the most credentialed voices in women's entrepreneurship.

Her work blends luxury and leadership: sharp business intelligence with a no-nonsense, sister-to-sister delivery. She's been featured in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and 50+ outlets, and has the awards to match.

She believes community is a power move. And that being a founder isn't glamorous. It's strategic.