Purpose Over Profit

The Frank & Eileen Accelerator Program for the Leaders of Tomorrow recently welcomed entrepreneur Ashlee Turner, founder of The Pocket Panty, to share invaluable wisdom with our aspiring business leaders. 

Ms. Turner, whose entrepreneurial path has taken her from a candy store to flavored French fries before launching a mission-driven venture, emphasized to students the importance of finding your purpose to build a sustainable business.

“Chase purpose, not paper,” Ms. Turner advised students, highlighting that true entrepreneurial success comes from solving meaningful problems. “Do the thing that will get you out of bed everyday even if you’re not getting paid for it right away,” she counseled. That philosophy has guided Ms. Turner through numerous ventures before finding her true calling with The Pocket Panty, a business dedicated to addressing period poverty and dignity for women and girls.

The Pocket Panty offers individually wrapped underwear in a discreet, smell-proof bag for life’s unexpected emergencies. A nonprofit component ensures access to menstrual products and hygiene education for young girls. Her mission extends beyond making money; she champions dignity and self-sufficiency for young women navigating their changing bodies, especially those in vulnerable situations. 

For Accelerator participants developing their own ventures, Ms. Turner offered practical guidance she learned through her entrepreneurial journey:

1. Embrace the long game: Unless you have “virality, money for advertising, or celebrating endorsements,” building brand awareness requires persistence and patience.
2. Start before you’re ready: “Don’t wait for perfection!” Ms. Turner emphasized. She taught students about the pitfalls of “analysis paralysis,” encouraging them not to over-analyze their ideas to the point where they delay even starting. “Just get out there and refine as you go,” she said.
3. Be open to pivoting: Ms. Turner’s products have evolved significantly since she launched, responding to customer feedback and market needs. “Do not hesitate to pivot when necessary,” she advised, reminding students to be open to feedback and listen to what their customers share with them.
4. Stay consistent: Even after facing rejection on Shark Tank, Ms. Turner remained committed to her vision. “A ‘no’ just means it’s ‘not right now,’ or you’re talking to the wrong person,” she explained, revealing how her own persistence eventually led to finding the right venture capital investment partner. 
5. Balance product and community: There is a real power in being both product-centered and community-driven. Ms. Turner described how students can create quality offerings while building a supportive ecosystem of advocates who believe in their businesses’ missions. 

The visit concluded with Ms. Turner offering individualized advice to students based on their developing ventures ranging from sustainable blankets to gluten-free baked goods to menstrual product marketing innovations, demonstrating the Accelerator Program’s commitment to personalized mentorship and real-world application. 

“The world needs what you’re creating,” Ms. Turner told students. “Think about your idea, write it down, refine, research, improve, pivot…and then just start.”