ALL ABOUT HAYLEY SEGAR
“Self-esteem is built on keeping the promises we make to ourselves.”
A few days ago, Hayley Segar and I sat down for a video call to talk about the launch of her brand, onewith. I had the pleasure of working on the campaign video for this brand back in May, and I had sooo much fun getting to know Hayley back then and sharing some of our life stories in the car, and was eager to continue those conversations. Let’s just say this interview has been longg anticipated.
Hayley attended the University of Connecticut and graduated in 2017 with a major in English. She commuted her entire 4 years so that she could work alongside school (we love a hustling queen), and UCONN was very helpful in making accommodations throughout Hayley’s journey. Some jobs Hayley was partaking in during college included working in Bridal and as a Social Media Influencer. At one point she was going to school, interning, working in Bridal, working as an influencer, and working in New York simultaneously which I found very inspiring.
In the Spring of 2019, Hayley was trying on bathing suits for an upcoming trip and as she was trying them all on she had the thought, “I just want a swimsuit that fits like my seamless underwear does.” Instantly, she knew that if this didn’t already exist, she was going to make it happen and bring this concept to life. As someone who has tried on the swimwear and owns a set, I can confidently say that Hayley’s swimwear is unlike any other bathing suit I’ve ever worn before. It’s not only extremely comfortable and has this buttery smooth, seamless feel, it also has an inner silicone strip that keeps the suit in place! I can not stress the importance of this silicone lining- my biggest pet peeve is when I’m constantly adjusting my bathing suit because it’s either riding up or not covering all the right places, and I never have that problem with this swimsuit. I genuinely believe everyone needs to buy swimwear from https://onewithswim.com/ so you can experience it for yourself. These bathing suits are beyond worth it and I will only be buying them from now on <3 (And I’m being 100% honest and not just saying this because I’m proud of Hayley).
Hayley sources inspiration from her own upbringing and a big portion of that was spent growing up by the shoreline. The pieces are named after Northeast spots that have been prevalent/nostalgic to Hayley growing up, which I thought was super cool because I’ve never seen someone incorporate the Northeast into a product line. Hayley is also inspired by Sarah Blakely from Spanx, as well as Sophia Amoruso from NastyGal.
When asked what the most difficult aspect of bringing the product to life was, Hayley didn’t hesitate to answer “Manufacturing.” From the work that goes into convincing someone to take on a new product to making the tech packs and having to modify the style or design multiple times, you have to be ready for setbacks. They are annoying but inevitable and this moves the process much slower than you may be anticipating. On the other hand, one of her favorite parts of the job included forming the branding as she described it to feel very natural.
I asked Hayley if she were able to go back to college and do something differently, what would it be? Her response to this was… quite frankly.. nothing. Hayley was pleased with the experience she got from UCONN and how accomodating professors/the school, in general, were with her lifestyle.
Lastly, Hayley and I talked about her quote and the difference between self-confidence and self-esteem. Hayley explained how you can fake self-confidence but you can’t fake self-esteem because that’s what you go to bed with every night. Self-esteem is built on coming through for yourself and showing up; doing the things you say you want to do or at least trying. It’s a conscious effort to try and keep showing up for yourself (although we all have our off days) and Hayley genuinely believes these are building blocks in the foundation of your relationship with yourself. Some valuable advice she left me with is to never use college or my age as an excuse! The best time to start is now (and this pertains to anything, not just starting a business!)
Hayley, thank you again for answering all my questions and offering such valuable advice. You never fail to inspire me and I can’t wait to watch onewith grow!!! <3
