Episode 92: Suzanne McKenzie
Join Lori and her guest, Suzanne McKenzie, the Founder and CEO of Able Made, as they discuss a unique soccer-inspired apparel and accessories brand with a mission to give back to youth soccer foundations. Able Made stands out not only for its stylish and high-quality products but also for its commitment to positively impacting communities and the environment!
Here are the things to expect in this episode:
Able Made and its mission.
What inspired Suzanne to start a soccer-inspired brand that gives back to youth soccer foundations?
The importance of strategic partnerships in the growth of both Able Made and the Breakaway Foundation.
How does compelling storytelling help in conveying a brand's mission and values?
And much more!
Able Made Website: https://ablemadeshop.com/
Able Made Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ablemade/
Suzanne's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-mckenzie-0488936/
Ucal Mckenzie Breakaway Foundation: https://ucalbreakaway.com/
00:05
You're listening to the positive impact philanthropy podcast where we share the journeys of everyday philanthropists as they incorporate philanthropy into their lives. Philanthropy is a personal journey. The stories we will share here, we hope that sparked something in you and how you can make your own philanthropic impact in the world. I'm your host. Lori Kranczer, attorney, philanthropic advisor, Legacy giving strategist. Today we're going to explore what it looks like to be an everyday philanthropist and make a positive impact in the world. Before we get started, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a new episode posted on Wednesdays. Now I'm really excited for our guest today. Her name is Suzanne McKenzie. She's the founder and CEO of able made welcome, Suzanne,
00:47
thank you so happy to be here.
00:49
Well, I'm happy to have you.
00:51
So why don't you share a little bit about yourself with our listeners?
00:58
So my background is design and strategist. I have over 20 years of experience working at big agencies, big fortune, 500 business, and have always wanted to leverage design for social impact. So that's really my passion, and I'm really excited to have that conversation today.
01:21
Well, tell us what is able made.
01:26
So we are the original off pitch soccer style brand. We are ready to wear parallel and accessories, and we are soccer inspired because we give back to soccer foundation out of Boston, Harvard and New York or city, girls and boys, HSA ATP and we really are values, mission driven for profit. And it's very excited to be able to not only give back proceeds to help fund city youth health, but also look at the entire supply chain and system of fashion. Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, so we're very, very diligent about materials we use the factories we partner with to produce, and really are blaming that whole theme of giving back and social responsibility throughout every touch point of the business. So you it's really
02:23
interesting with your background, and then what you've created, can you share the journey of how you went from point A to point B, and to develop this, to develop able made in the social impact that you've been having, because it's baked into what you do.
02:38
It's in your business model, absolutely so it's been a journey, and definitely a very personal journey. And we started a brand to fund a nonprofit. I created an honor of my late husband, who passed away of some cardiac arrest when we was playing a soccer game in 2009 and we started the Cal Mackenzie breakaway foundation in his honor, he was doing great community work in the Boston area through youth outreach. He was a local high school guidance counselor their boys varsity coach at New North High School, and did a lot of nights and weekends work with kids from underserved communities and lower income households with really well known throughout the Boston area. So immediately we we've started the foundation, and wanted to give girls and boys hsat 18, affordable underlying affordable access to top soccer training. And we partnered with new in the revolution. We partnered with the Boston Breakers when they had the women's team, Jane Smith, just water, Capital One, those were all early partners. We have a seven year partnership with Puma as well. And we started these affordable camps and clinics for for the community. And we turned 15 as an organization this year, he's brand three markets, between Boston, Hartford and New York City. And I will say, in addition to the soccer component, our huge differentiator of the program is that we integrate education, our education every day. We kind of sneak it in. They learn about hands on, the CPR and AED awareness, nutrition, sports recovery, injury prevention, suicide prevention, you know, list goes on, but it becomes some of the favorite, you know, touch points for the kids getting to learn from these professionals in the medical field. It gets them really excited, because we work really hard to make it interactive. So, you know, that program is really the reason why?
04:42
Yeah, it's really interesting. Because a lot of people that I work with and speak with and mentor, they sometimes they start with their business and then figure out how to add the social impact afterwards. But you started from the beginning with the social impact in mind. Can you share, like, how that may have changed the way that the business developed your partnerships. And also, I know that you have a foundation as well,
05:07
so you can share a bit about that as
05:09
well. Yeah, I mean, partnerships have been really integral to the growth of both the nonprofit and for profit. So from the beginning, we've always, you know, had a very tight budget on the foundation side, so we were very strategic in selecting who our partners would be for that journey and growing first the foundation. And actually we launched able me with partnerships as well exclusive partnerships, collaborations with Puma, with Project Runway, with other really great designers, and just did these limited edition products that were responsibly made. That was actually the inception of able made. And then we pivoted, and kind of came back to our own story of our own soccer heritage in 2022 and so we relaunched the brand to come back to that kind of being of soccer and connection to the sport. And that's really when it started exploding in a good way. You know, we work with luxury fashion on upcycling. We got into Nordstrom in record time. I think it was like maybe seven weeks where we started retailing from start to finish. We are being worn across every single kind of sport, professionally, from Premier League, La Liga, amazing Syria, MLS, NWSL, but also NBA, WNBA, NFL, Major leading baseball. It's and that's been done all with no budget. And you know, to speak to the question you have about starting with the impact first, I think that speaks to your authenticity of the brand. It's just not a marketing proposition. It's not trying to, like, add it on after something's already built as a business. It's really the reason why, and I think that's why so many partners are connecting with us, and also as well,
07:04
you know, just on a I think it's fantastic. I mean, it's it's so clear from your product and your business of what your values are. And I wonder, for those that are listening, that are either starting out in corporate social responsibility or trying to add impact to their existing business, what kind of resources or tips maybe you can share to how to build those partnerships, or to build maybe the marketing or design more social impact inside their business?
07:35
Yeah, I think it really varies with the type of business you have, business to business. It really will will vary, but I will say having strategic partners that have the same goals as you, you know, whether it be for us, it was like whether in fashion or through sport, those are the people in the health obviously, the health component are the people that we connect with, some content perspective and align with there. So I think the first step is just really identifying the people who it makes sense to partner with on both sides, you know, not just for you, but for them as well. And I think that's why we build long standing partnerships, like, for example, pool is a now eight year, actually eight year partner, and it's because we are showing them the value of being a partner with us. Otherwise they would have probably dropped out, you know, first after the first year. But, you know, we show them the value that we have in these communities. We give them pictures and video and really show the impact of their donation of equipment and more. So I think that's important the other I think a really simple suggestion is actually, when you're talking to a potential partner, to listen first. So a little tip I have is always having them speak first to hear about their strategic goals, because then you can mirror back what they're looking for. So really simple thing, but it really makes a big difference when you're trying to pitch something or, you know, take the partnership maybe to the next level, really, like understanding what their own goals are, so that you can identify ways that you can help them reach those goals. Yeah, and
09:13
you mentioned, well, a couple things you mentioned before. I want to circle back to So number one, limited budget. So when, when you have a limited budget and you're trying to create a huge impact what you're doing, and it's been growing, how do you allocate those resources? I
09:27
What did you focus on first?
09:29
I mean, we've been under capitalized for both the foundation and the business since the beginning. We just, you know, really completed the capital round for ABLE made as of this month, and really the foundation has been built off of partners and people doing in kind donations. So I've always kind of had a survivor alert, if you will. Like mentality, and I know how to work really, really, really lean. And I think it's actually like a gift, not a curse. Because now, even when I do have some budget for the first time, I'm going to be super specific on what I what I, you know, allocate that for and for the business, I would say just marketing. We've never actually run a paid marketing campaign ever for the ABLE mean business, and we are completely set up to really, like, elevate awareness in the coming months about the brand. I mean, we already have this groundswell of organic awareness, but I think taking it to the next level is really important. And the more people that know about us and can discover us, is going to be the next 1224, months, really the goal. So that's where the spend is going to be made there. And also our product, we know where, which products are, one of the most popular. We're really excited about this upcoming bags launch that we're going to be having in August. And it's, yeah, it's super exciting. So just being really specific and strategic, but also, you know, I'm not going to be spending money unless it's necessary. So, like, I still have that mentality of being, like, really scrappy and not having much to work with. So it's made me very disciplined. And then, on the foundation side, we're actually doing a fundraiser for our 15 year anniversary this year, so that should be accounting to our budget. And as I, as I mentioned we were, we've expanded into three different markets, so just continuing the programming that we offer is what we will be investing on the nonprofit
11:30
side. And so let's go into that now, like sharing is more trips about the revenue and investing inside your nonprofit, what does that look like and then, and what kind of impact are you looking for, and how do you measure that?
11:44
So it's been really exciting to see the program grow, and actually the kids grow year over year when they return. So I've actually seen, you know, eight year olds go through the program, and every year seeing their families again, or seeing because I actually physically go to the camps and, like will work the the table. So it's really super impactful, not only to be, you know, on the ground, if you will, to see the community that you're actually serving, and to like have understanding of where the challenges are, and actually have face to face time and get the feedback about the program from both the kids and their families. So no growing that into the three markets. And you know, we're going to be entering into New York City for the first time, which is super exciting. Brooklyn and the Bronx are two of the markets that we're going to be looking at first. And there could be some professional league teams involved with that which we're working out now. So, you know, just being able to take the model that we started to build and seeing it in Hartford for now seven years, and now bringing me into our third market, and seeing how the program can address the same needs in those three communities has been really powerful. So, you know, making sure we make that investment and duplicating that successful model and borrowing it in both, you know, Hartford and New York City.
13:09
Yeah, I love the model, and I like that. It's obviously worked. And you mentioned at some point you had an explosion of growth, so on both sides, right? So what was the turning point? Is there something that happened, or just, it's, you know, the consistency paid off over time. Or did you, you know, pivot, or what happened there?
13:29
I mean, I liken it to flying a plane and needing to gas up mid flight. You can't land. You can't if you need to, like, literally, refuel in the air. So I would say, like last year was the most stressful year, because both were both sides were growing, and the access to the working capital both sides was not necessarily catching up to the momentum of what we had built so and as you may know, like the funding from, you know, women run businesses and organizations is, you know, less than 3% globally, which is insane. Um, so that was really challenging. But we rallied, we got, you know, the funding done for the Able, made cyber, you know, working on the strategic partnerships, and, you know, fundraising for foundation. But I will say, just like felt like just wrapping your arms around both organizations and like holding it together while you wait for the money to come in, was crazy stressful. And, you know, at times, and this is me being very connected, from an emotional standpoint, to both, both, you know, the nonprofit and for profit. I was like, I don't know if I can do this. You know, no matter how hard I was working, no matter if I was putting seven days a weekend, I was not seeing the money come in. And it's a lot for me to say I might not be able to do something, but I was at that point, you know, where I was like, Wow, maybe I can't do it because of the systematic issues there are with raising capital, with how conservative people are being, with giving, with my own like challenges, with having to grow that part of my community, like the people that have the funds to, you know, do that, you know, do that giving with, whether an investment or a do the nation, you really use the full time job to grow that community. So it was super challenging, but we pushed through. We made it, but it was, it was pretty crazy.
15:28
Yes, I can imagine. So what was it that that put that pulled you through? Was there something that happened because you're this is such a you know? Thank you for sharing the story, because I think a lot of people can relate to this. Don't really talk about that much. People want to share, like the great successes that everyone's had, but you know, it it's ups and downs so, so when did you start to go up from that point?
15:50
And I will, I want to underline what you just said, because I think, especially as women, we only, we feel pressure to only show our wins, right? And we always want to show, like, how much momentum building, or like, look how great, you know, our progress has been. I also think we have to be brave enough to show and to share and be transparent about the system that we're working in and how difficult it is and the systematic challenges that are there. I just returned from Dublin, Ireland and spoke at the investor conference about our fundraising journey, and just hearing from other women, super accomplished women, from a global level, about the challenges they've had from a systematic level on bringing money in. I think, you know, hearing from other women who are sharing the same challenges, you kind of feel like, Oh, am I doing wrong with my pitch deck or what is my presentation? What is about this that isn't hitting but when you're hearing that same theme throughout on a global level, it makes you feel like it's not you, it's the system, and I think that's a very important narrative to share, and nothing's going to change unless you dress and be transparent about that. So I wanted to start by saying that first. And I think, you know, just digging in and just, like, non stop, like, even when you're getting 1000 no's, there's got to be some yeses. And actually, this year, I got a bulk of the funding in more so than even the full of last year. So it's like, you never know how close you are, so you just have to keep pushing it sort of a cliche, but like, don't give up. And you know, I think women have to work 1000 times harder to get to that end goal. So I think it's just diligence and just keeping at it is, is what got us to the goal. It's
17:35
great. You say us. Is there other people that are joining you in your journey? Yeah,
17:40
we have an amazing advisory board. We have about 20 people on the team, and I'm super proud of the caliber of talent that we've built, how inclusive the team is, and that's just happened naturally. It's not something that we're trying to, like, check a box like we have people of different ages, backgrounds. How people identify, just makes the product better and the end result of what we're doing better, but it's just who's in our community. So naturally, like, it's just a very diverse group, and the community that we have on the ABLE made side actually reflects the foundation community that we serve. So that's super special, and I haven't been really appreciating how different that is from other business cultures. I've worked recently for another fashion house. I've worked in corporate America, of course, but I do have to like pause and recognize how special that part of the culture is, the nonprofit side you mentioned, both honestly, like I think mostly I'm addressing the fashion side, just because fashion is still white, male driven, and the cultures in which you know, those teams are built are not diverse or inclusive, haven't worked in many of them myself, and I'm just more so appreciating and taking time to recognize how special that is. Of our team,
19:03
fantastic. And so we talk on this show about where the inspiration comes from to give back. And so I love to do a little digging into people's past and to find out, when can you think back growing up, at some point where you had that inspiration, that there was some sort of event that got you interested in giving back at any level, in any way, and
19:32
it's interesting that I'm recording this with you for me, where I grew up, but when I was growing up, my dad did The refrigeration for Ben and Jerry's, and it was literally my first piece of how something really cool and great product can be married with great design and great social impact and great values. And that, like was really impactful and formative for me, and how I wanted to, you know, take design and and use it as a catalyst for social change. So, you know, that was pretty formative in going into advertising and art school, double majoring, and then going bringing that mentality into the first ad agency I worked at Arnold worldwide in Boston for the first almost 10 years of my career, being able to do something really creative. And, you know, doing things out of status quo that are super cool and conceptual, and then, you know, taking those great ideas and ability to execute at a high level into making that social impact is really what my practice is about.
20:35
Where is your social impact going? I mean, if you have that, not that we have this magic wand, necessarily, but like, where are you leading it to? Like, what's the ideal for you to create?
20:47
I mean, I think in terms of the social impact for both the fashion and soccer nonprofit are really about empowering communities so or the breakaway foundation, it's about, you know, giving these kids the opportunity to have be empowered with, you know, education about physical health, but also, you know, the financial literacy education we do. You know, taking care of what you put in your body, even if there's two deserts, like, what can you do to access, like, healthy food? How can you influence the household to make more healthier decisions? You know, really empowering them with different parts of education for healthy lifestyle. And I would say healthy lifestyle is also, you know, something we do in the ABLE meat side, are very diligent about the materials. We choose a lot that sort of organic which is better for the people who are making our you know, materials is not toxic inks. So, you know, skins, your biggest absorbing organ. And then also that Fair, fair pay for our our factory partners have safe work conditions. I can walk into literally any of our factories on the five minute notice. Sometimes I'm, you know, not even notice at all. And you see the work conditions in which people are making sort of local, you know, between LA and North Carolina and New York City. And that's been very, you know, that wellness and health component of how we operate the business side.
22:21
Okay, well, it's amazing what you've accomplished, and it's all growing more and more, which is exciting to see. So can you share with us what you consider like now we're looking forward to think about what you you want your legacy to look like.
22:38
Think design as a catalyst of soul changes, how I would sum up, like my whole approach to everything I touch. And it is. It's super powerful. If you could do something really great quality that has a story, that has a beautiful narrative, you can take that storytelling and quality to make anybody pay attention, and then that's an opportunity for you to help people be educated or learn about, you know, the fitness, social impact part you're doing, but you have to have something cool for people to want to see before you can really tell that impact story. In my personal opinion, I think if you lead with impact, yes, maybe compelling, but like, if you lead with something that's super cool and, you know, robust and dynamic, I think people are going to pay attention more. And I will say that's why we've done so much on the ABLE lead side, in terms of having these professionals across different schools, whereas it's like great quality style school, they feel as good wearing it in their telephone outfit. We're getting top tier media coverage from Women's Wear Daily to Forbes to Boston Globe and more. And I think that quality and that standalone part of the design, first to get people into the story, and then a reason to believe this, because all of this great work that's really authentic to the brand and our values and automation,
24:07
fantastic. So we're at that point in their interview that we want to know more about, where people could find out more information about you. Able made anything that you want to share
24:20
on Instagram, we're at able maids, so you can follow us on Instagram. We have great product on our website, ablemaidshop.com and on the foundation side, it's new Cal breakaway.com and there's a Donate button if you'd like to donate to our cause. And yeah, they're both growing, so we're very excited.
24:41
I'm excited to see what's next with you mentioned the bag collection,
24:48
all right, so there's still, there's
24:49
constantly new things coming out. So everyone check it out. Check out Suzanne's Instagram, and certainly look at the foundation and see if you can get involved in any way. So Suzanne, thank you so much for joining and sharing your journey. You're creating and growing a huge impact. And so, in, it's exciting to watch it. So thank you.