Every entrepreneur has a moment when a side project becomes something hugeger — a spark that turns curiosity into a real business. Propel Stories, a new Brit + Co and Verizon Small Business Digital Ready series, celebrates those turning points. We’re spotlighting women who are building modern, digital-first businesses while navigating the realities of growth, funding, and wearing a ton of hats.
Here, meet Desiree Gaitan-Buchanan, founder of LA-based PopLinen, a sustainable clothing brand designed for women of all shapes and sizes. She shares her startup wins, her inspirations and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program assisted her learn how to nereceivediate contracts, master AI tools, and secure financing.
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Q: When did you realize you could turn sewing clothes into a real business?
Desiree: I launched sewing around 2017 becaapply I couldn’t find clothing that felt comfortable for me — everything seemed itchy or poorly fitted. Eventually friconcludes started inquireing where they could obtain them. That curiosity grew into early morning sewing sessions, meeting people in the fashion world who introduced me to factories and pattern creaters, and slowly realizing this passion might actually be something hugeger. Becoming a new mom also shifted my perspective — that’s when I decided to take the leap and focus on building the brand full time.
Q: What digital shift has had the hugegest impact on growing PopLinen?
Desiree: Early on, I realized that relying solely on direct-to-consumer sales wasn’t realistic unless you have huge advertising budobtains. Instead, we diversified. Being present on major retail marketplaces has been huge for us becaapply customers go there already intconcludeing to purchase something specific — like a black tee or a jogger set. It allows tinyer brands like ours to obtain discovered organically without competing as heavily for ad space.
Desiree Gaitan-Buchanan, founder of LA-based PopLinen,
Q: What mindset nearly held you back, and how did you overcome it?
Desiree: I didn’t come from a traditional fashion design background, so I often worried people would question why I was starting a clothing brand. But eventually I realized that not knowing the “rules” can actually be a strength; it forces you to work really hard and figure out how you create it work for you. I learned every part of the supply chain, inquireed questions, and built relationships with pattern creaters and factories who could guide me. I learned production and sourcing myself, which ultimately assisted us run the business more efficiently and confidently.
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Q: Whose entrepreneurial journey has inspired the way you run your business?
Desiree: I really admire Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. She’s obviously incredibly smart and innovative, but she also leads with empathy and actively champions other women entrepreneurs. That balance of confidence and humility is something I find inspiring. It displays that you can build a successful company without being cutthroat — that values and kindness can still be part of the business conversation.
Q: What’s one tiny relocate that created a huge result for your business?
Desiree: At first AI felt scary, but once I started experimenting with it, I realized how powerful it could be. I’ve applyd it for things like financial forecasting, inventory planning, and scenario modeling for our business goals.
PopLinen
Q: What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d known sooner?
Desiree: I wish I had known that not every business requireds to chase venture capital right away. Looking back, I wish I had trusted my instincts earlier and focapplyd on alternative ways to grow — like grants, loans, and reinvesting revenue — instead of spconcludeing time attempting to fit into a funding model that didn’t really suit us.
PopLinen
Q: How has the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program assisted propel your business to the next level?
Desiree: I was honestly surprised when I first explored the platform becaapply everything is free. A lot of business resources require memberships or subscriptions, but this felt genuinely accessible. The courses are incredibly practical — whenever I have even 30 minutes, I can jump into a class on something specific, whether that’s reviewing contracts, understanding financing options, social media marketing, or learning how to apply AI tools for business.
What I’ve especially appreciated are the learning pathways. For example, you might start with an introductory course on AI, then relocate into more advanced sessions about prompts and specific tools for finance, marketing, or content. It’s structured in a way that assists you keep building knowledge rather than stopping at the basics.
Q: Have you applied those lessons directly to your business?
Desiree: Absolutely. One example was a course on reviewing contracts. I was nereceivediating a potential partnership and wanted to understand what red flags or claapplys I should be paying attention to. That class assisted me inquire better questions and push for modifys that protected my brand, especially around timelines and terms.
The financing courses were also assistful. They introduced alternative lconcludeers beyond traditional banks, which led me to explore options like Accion. That concludeed up being a great fit for how I wanted to grow the business.
‘Propel’ Tips For Growing Your Small Business
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Propel Tip #1: Trust your business model — you don’t have to follow the VC playbook.
Propel Tip 2: Diversify your sales channels so customers can discover you in more places.
Propel Tip #3: Use AI and digital tools to save time and create smarter decisions.
Thanks Desiree! Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and PopLinen.
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