Meet Jocelyn Thompson

We were lucky to catch up with Jocelyn Thompson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jocelyn, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic came from my upbringing. Growing up, we weren’t allowed to watch TV until all our homework was done and by the time it was completed, it was normally too late to watch TV anyway. Similarly, if there was a high school basketball game and I had too much homework I wasn’t allowed to go. Homework and school always came first. In high school, I remember even skipping club soccer practice when I had too much homework. This intense work ethic followed me into adulthood, and I now keep myself on a tight schedule with everything meticulously planned in calendar invites so I can effectively use my time. It’s funny because it’s come full circle, and now my Mom (who always put homework first) tells me I need to relax more. So now I spend a lot of time working on balance.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am the Founder of an e-commerce business called Epiphany LA. I started the business because I disliked the thin, flimsy padding inserts that came in most swimsuit tops and wanted to create a thicker padding insert that  offered push-up. With no experience in manufacturing, design, business, or e-commerce I started this business. My hero product is a triangle shaped push-up padding insert which has been wildly successful (thankfully!). I created this padding insert in 2017 and since then I have launched a swimsuit line, an activewear line, and a second style of padding insert (intended for bandeau and strapless style tops).

All my products are sculpting products intended to help any woman look and feel her best. I’ve always been someone who adjusted clothing to make it more flattering, and now I’m designing all my own styles. Think of my brand as Spanx for swimwear and activewear!

Typical women’s swimsuit tops have a pocket inside the top intended for a pad. My product is just an improved version of the pad that already existed. Most of my inspiration comes from finding styles I like, then making modifications to the style until it’s something I can’t live without. I have my padding inserts stuffed into every swimsuit and sports bra I own, so I regularly use about 7-10 pairs on rotation. My dream is that one day every woman in the USA will have several pairs of my padding inserts inside her closet.

This Spring I’m launching a black ribbed one-piece swimsuit with shapewear built inside of it. Yes, you heard that right! I found a style of tummy-sculpting shapewear that I loved and thought, “why not build this into a swimsuit!” This new swimsuit features a lace up back to contour your waist for an ultra-sleek and curvy fit. The top portion of the swimsuit is tight and works like a push-up bra, then you can add our padding inserts, and it’s a waist-cinching, push-up masterpiece. This swimsuit is launching in Spring 2023 on our website and Amazon.com for $88.

Additionally, this Summer I’m launching my sculpting activewear line. The leggings are designed with no front seam (no camel toe) and they have two-layers of shaping panels over the belly. I specifically engineered these leggings to have extra tummy support that won’t suffocate you or dig in and cause bulging. The leggings will not slide down (we tested them while doing high knees!),  and they enhance your backside with thoughtfully placed seams that help keep your butt looking rounded and high. The sports bra is a square-neck, balconette style push-up top that offers high-impact support while also being stylish and flirty. My activewear line is designed to be functional and comfortable, while sculpting and accentuating curves. This style will be made in a matte material and offered in colors olive green and black.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Not quitting / staying consistent – If you consistently work on something, good things will happen. I like to repeat this quote often, “Luck is just what happens when preparation meets opportunity”. If you work hard on something every day, opportunities will come your way.

Technical Skills / Learning Software – You can literally YouTube anything, so take advantage of it! I’m constantly on YouTube and consider it a great resource. I’m always trying to expand my technical skillset and I think it’s important for growth. At one point, I hired someone off Upwork.com who called themself an “e-commerce expert” and I paid them $35 an hour to simply teach me their skills. It was awesome and well worth the money.

Networking – Try to talk to as many people as you can. Always try to help people and connect them to others, it will make you feel good, and the energy will come back to you in the future. As part of my effort to network more, I joined Dee Murthy’s running club (he’s a successful entrepreneur and owns several e-commerce businesses). His running club meets every Saturday at 9am (at the fountain on the corner of Doheny and Santa Monica – it’s an open invite so come join!!!). I’ve met so many amazing entrepreneurs through this club and I can honestly say it’s changed my life in so many ways (fitness included – we run 3 miles each Saturday). After attending this run club for 3 years (every Saturday for 3 THREE years, let that sink in lol) I asked Dee for an intro to his friends at PacSun. Because I had a warm intro, they were more likely to pay attention to me. The buyers at PacSun said my product sounded interesting and asked to see my catalog, but mentioned that they didn’t carry anything similar to my padding inserts and that it might take a few weeks for them to send a response. Within 24 hours their buyers responded and said they wanted to carry my padding inserts and my swimsuit line. I basically fell out of my computer chair when I read the email.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
I recently started reading Atomic Habits after hearing so much hype about it and I’m definitely enjoying it. One of the most impactful takeaways is the concept of habit stacking. I habit stack eveeerything! Habit stacking is taking a habit that you normally do, and then attaching another habit to it. So, for example, every morning I brew coffee, so while I brew coffee, I do the dishes. Instead of trying to find time for a new habit, you just pair the new habit with something you already do.

I love habit stacking because it’s an easy way to help implement lots of healthy routines into your day. Here’s a few I do daily: when I wake up, I immediately change into workout clothes and do a home workout. While I drink my coffee and wake up, I respond to friends and catch up on texts. While I go on an afternoon walk, I listen to an educational podcast (shout out to Group Chat podcast – I listen to EVERY episode).

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