<p>Lisa Carmen Wang interviews Heidi Zak, co-founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.thirdlove.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">ThirdLove</a><strong> </strong> on how she built a billion‑dollar lingerie brand by centering women’s real needs and refusing to follow the old Victoria’s Secret playbook.</p><p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>From annoyance to empire:</strong> Heidi turned her own frustration with bra shopping into ThirdLove, an online, fit‑first lingerie brand that solved a real problem women had simply learned to tolerate.</li><li><strong>Redefining “sexy” and “normal”:</strong> ThirdLove built its brand around inclusivity and comfort, using real bodies, half‑cup sizes, and diverse imagery long before it was industry standard.</li><li><strong>Calling out the old guard:</strong> Heidi publicly challenged Victoria’s Secret with a bold open letter and “To Each, Her Own” campaign, using advocacy and brand storytelling to push the industry toward representation and respect.</li><li><strong>Leading with calm, data, and intuition:</strong> She shares how she makes big decisions by balancing numbers with gut instinct—and why staying calm, clear, and authentically feminine is her leadership superpower.</li><li><strong>Owning your narrative as a woman founder:</strong> Heidi talks candidly about fundraising in a male‑dominated space, being underestimated, and why women must introduce themselves with their full power and accomplishments—no shrinking.</li></ul><p>Follow on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lisacarmenwang" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">@lisacarmewang </a>@<a href="instagram.com/thebadbitchempire" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">thebadbitchempire</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/heidi" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">@heidi</a> @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thirdlove/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">thirdlove</a></p>