Meet Yulia Drummond, the designer and creator of Voda Swim
Yulia, please tell us about your childhood and how you grew up.
I grew up in Kyrgyzstan, a post Soviet Union country. I discovered my interest in design when I was very young. When I was 6 years old, I would make custom clothes for all of my dolls from random materials and fabrics I could find around the house. I still remember a beautiful dress that I made for one of my dolls, it had a blue Lycra one shoulder top that was sewn to a calf-length puffy dark green skirt. It was so elegant and stylish. Another one that stands out to me was when I was 15, I made a sexy crop top for myself from my mom's old blouse that she no longer wore and it came out perfect.
Those are some fun stories. How did your childhood passion grow from there?
Growing up I was very tall so my mom made all of my clothes. Her and I would sit side by side - her sewing while I would create patterns. This is where I learned all the intricacies of patterns, how to properly handle the material and the characteristics of each. Later on in high school I took sewing and pattern making classes and fell in love with designing from there!
Did you ever dream or think that you would be a designer or a business owner?
I always knew from a very young age that I would be a business owner. I can't really explain the feeling but I always knew it in my heart.
I was 8 years old when the Soviet Union broke up. At the time, my dad worked for one of the largest metal engineering and manufacturing factories in the Soviet Union. As the collapse was happening, I remember watching my dad taking all of his life savings and borrowing money from everyone he knew so he could purchase machinery and start his own business with two other partners. Fast forward to later on in life, he ended up buying them out so he can have 100% ownership of the very successful company he started.
You watched your dad take great risks and you learned from him?
As a kid I was so impressed by my dad's full commitment, determination and confidence that it inspired me on a deep subconscious level. Since then, I had an unwavering feeling that someday I will own my own business.
What was the turning moment that pushed you into creating Voda Swim?
When I moved to America, I went to college and switched schools a couple times, studied multiple majors from business management to education and accounting but nothing sparked joy. I decided to model again as I really enjoyed doing it back home.
With lots of hard work and determination, I became a very successful model in Los Angeles. I was in high demand, making great money and really loved what I was doing! However, every time I would wear a bikini I felt uncomfortable because of my small bust. I used to put gel inserts into my bikini tops but still never felt at ease. One time I was on set for a major swimwear and clothing campaign, I was in a bikini and we were shooting on a sailboat. The photographer asked all of us to jump into the water - after my head floated above the water, I saw with horror, two of my gel inserts floating on the surface of the water next to me! Needless to say, I was very embarrassed and was hoping no one noticed.
After that traumatic experience, I realized there has to be a bikini out there that makes me feel sexy and confident at the beach. I went to the mall and tried on every pushup bikini I could find but to my dismay, nothing worked. I noticed many of the brands didn’t even offer bikinis in my size and my first thought was, there are many women that are even more petite than me, why do they do to enhance their bust in a bikini?
Tell us about how Voda Swim got started?
My bikini modeling disaster was a turning point for me and the wheels in my head started spinning. I found Lycra fabrics at home and started playing with materials and foam padding cups. I had many unsuccessful attempts but my husband Dustin was always by my side encouraging me not to give up, to take breaks and try again. It quickly became my new morning routine to wake up, try again and try some more until I got it just right. It took me close to a year in research and development before I came up with the perfect push-up top that made me feel amazing in my own skin. I tried it on for my girlfriends and everyone had to have one! I realized all of my hard work and research was finally coming to fruition and the next step would be to start production and find better materials.
What were some things that made a difference in your business after you started?
I knew when I started Voda Swim there were two very important things to me - having a retail site, because at the time many fashion brands were focused on wholesale, to focus heavily on direct to consumer business and the importance of having a PR agency to spotlight the brand to get featured in major publications, on TV shows and celebrities, etc.
Did you do all of the work yourself or did you have some help?
I found a factory in the USA that would produce swimwear and I ordered custom jewelry and bra cups from the suppliers. I knew nothing about building a website but my husband actually knew some HTML coding and offered to help. I have to say he built a very impressive website that could sell both tops and bottoms on the same page and that was during 2008, the onset of the digital revolution. After that, Dustin joined Voda Swim and we’ve been working together ever since. At the time, he was doing shipping, logistics, customer service, marketing and website design, while I was handling design, manufacturing and production. He was also the photographer and I was the model during our first few photoshoots and until this day. That's how Voda Swim got started...out of our Garage!
We have worked very hard to have amazing customer service and fast free shipping. All of our customers are so important to us and we strive to provide everyone with great quality swimwear and friendly customer service.
So your business was started in 2008? Not the easiest time for America...
Yes, everyone kept asking us if we were crazy to start a company during the great recession in the USA. We had something unique and we worked our butts off on a shoestring budget to make it work. The first few years it was tough - working so hard while losing money but eventually we started turning a profit and grew the business into the successful company it is today!
Voda, such a beautiful name. What does it mean?
I wanted to incorporate a piece of my Russian heritage into the company name. "Voda" in Russian means "Water" was a perfect fit. We also did research and discovered many successful companies at the time had four letters in their name such as Coke, Nike, Sony, etc which was great because we wanted a four letter name anyway.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion and we all know that it’s not always easy. Would you say things have been easy for you?
I have to say that I wouldn't be able to accomplish this without the help of my husband Dustin and the support of our close family and friends. Back in 2010, we were both running Voda Swim, working 100 hour weeks and still hadn't paid ourselves a single dollar. We had burned through all of our savings and maxed out all of our credit cards. In December 2010, I remember we only had about $300 left in our bank accounts. It was really tough and we were considering closing the business down. I told Dustin that starting January 1, 2011 we shouldn't put any more money into the business and at that time we either close up shop or it would be successful.
A very interesting fact is that once you start a business, you really know who your true friends are. Many of my friends were jealous of the success and just kind of removed themselves from my life. In the end, I only had the support of several close friends and family members because they were the ones giving me advice and continuing to support along the way.
So what was the breaking moment for Voda Swim?
January 2011, we appeared on The Bachelorette show with Ali Fedotowsky. We gifted her on the Bachelor's previous season and when she became the Bachelorette, she specifically requested to only wear Voda Swim during her filming of the episodes. Yay! That year we appeared in Fitness, Glamour, Seventeen, Family Circle, Real Simple, Star magazine and many others.
Later in the year, Voda Swim appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, highlighting four styles! It was a great exposure and finally the success moment I have been visualizing for Voda Swim. We had customers calling us and asking "Where can I buy the Sports Illustrated bikini?" Or "when will the suit Ali wore be back in stock?".
Has luck played a meaningful role in your business?
It's interesting because many people say "I wish I was that lucky", but at the same time they don't see all of the hard work that goes into starting a business. Many people have a regular 9-5 job and don't think about work after they turn off their work computer and go home. The thing about owning your own business is that you always bring work home, work late nights and on the weekends. There is a quote by Samuel Goldwyn I love, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” Of course, there were some great moments that Voda Swim has had, and someone might consider it lucky, but it wouldn't have come without the hard work that was invested by my husband and I.
Speaking of celebrities, who are some of the stars that wore Voda Swim?
Olivia Wilde, Jenny McCarthy, Kendra Wilkinson, AnnaLynne McCord and of course Ali Fedotowsky! We still continue to gift new The Bachelorettes!
Where are the swimsuits made?
All Voda Swim swimwear is proudly made in the USA. We love supporting local businesses and are very proud to still be made in the states.
Who is Voda Swim for?
For every woman that wants to feel sexy and stride with confidence in a bikini at the beach! I created Voda to conquer my own insecurities in a bikini, but no matter what shape, size, age, ethnicity - every woman is beautiful and unique and deserves to feel confident.
Anything else you would like to add?
It’s easy to spend a great deal of our day and energy doubting ourselves, judging and diminishing ourselves. We forget to believe that every one of us is a unique human being. We are smart, intelligent and driven - we just need to find what drives us. We are so talented and creative, don’t forget to give yourself credit! Love yourself, believe in yourself and to find your spark within and love it to let it shine through!