Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who’ve made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.
There’s no denying that private membership clubs have been having a moment, and now, they have even infiltrated the cleaning industry. Gwen Whiting—the co-founder of The Laundress, a luxury laundrycare brand—is now the visionary behind The Fill, a private cleaning club. At the helm of a new community for cleaning, Whiting has always had a knack for clothing. Her journey began while she was employed at Ralph Lauren. She co-founded The Laundress, bootstrapping the company without external financial aid. Over 17 years, she transformed The Laundress from a startup into a household name known for its simplicity, effectiveness, and luxury in fabric-care.
In 2019, The Laundress was acquired by Unilever, a step Whiting hoped would amplify the company’s global reach. She stayed on for two years to ensure a smooth transition but stepped away once her contract ended. However, 2022 brought unexpected challenges to the company when The Laundress had to recall all of its products due to bacterial contamination. Watching from the sidelines and unable to comment due to legal constraints, Whiting experienced a personal and professional trial that would test her resolve.
Initially, she had no inclination to return to the laundry sector, believing her chapter there was closed. Yet the aftermath of the recall and her deep-seated desire to continue aiding her loyal customer base in their cleaning endeavors propelled her back into the industry. This led to The Fill, a members-only cleaning community dedicated to sustainable, high-quality cleaning solutions.
Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to hear how Whiting has navigated different points of her career while also paving a completely new path in the cleaning realm.
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