Real Founder Stories: How Elyce Arons Built Kate Spade, The Power of Getting Press, And How She Started Over After Loss
Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners
Lindsay Pinchuk
4.9 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 3 March 2026
⏱️ 44 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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Attention from the media can change the trajectory of a brand, but it is rarely the full story. In this episode of Dear FoundHer, Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Elyce Arons to talk about what getting press really did for her business and how it influenced long term growth. If you are focused on founder visibility and questioning how getting press translates into revenue, this conversation offers valuable insight.
Elyce shares one of the most grounded real founder stories about building Kate Spade and later launching Frances Valentine. She shares stories of meeting Katie in college, how the business really started in Katie and Andy’s loft, and how getting press created credibility and momentum for the handbag company, especially in a pre-social media era. Elyce explains that disciplined execution turned that visibility into demand. Publicity can spark interest, but managing rapid growth is what determines whether a company can sustain it.
They also discuss scaling responsibly when cash flow is tight and every decision carries so much weight. Elyce reflects on motherhood and entrepreneurship and how her priorities evolved as her business grew. This episode is for founders who want stronger visibility, are navigating expansion, or are thinking carefully about how to build something that lasts well beyond early recognition.
Episode Breakdown:
00:01 Elyce Arons On Building Kate Spade And Starting Over With Frances Valentine
02:03 From Kansas To New York: The Friendship That Started It All
10:27 The Small Branding Choice That Made Kate Spade Instantly Recognizable
12:44 Getting Press Before Social Media: Editorial Coverage As A Growth Engine
16:57 Managing Rapid Growth And The Decision To Sell Kate Spade
20:22 Motherhood And Entrepreneurship After Exit: Identity And Chapter Two
25:05 Leading Frances Valentine Through Loss And Protecting Katie’s Legacy
41:29 3 Lessons For Women Founders On Experience, Funding, And Trusting Your Gut
Connect with Elyce Arons:
Follow Frances Valentine on Instagram
FoundHer Faves:
Join our online networking community: Dear FoundHer Forum
Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | She co-founded one of the most iconic American fashion brands of all time, built it from a loft |
| 0:06.5 | apartment with no air conditioning, got into Vogue won a CFDA award and eventually sold it. |
| 0:13.5 | Then she walked away, raised her kids, and when she was ready, she built again. |
| 0:18.8 | Today, Elise Aaron's co-founder of Kate Spade and Francis Valentine is here to share her |
| 0:23.9 | real founder's story from how they grew a brand before the internet existed to the publicity |
| 0:28.9 | strategy that put Kate Spade on the map to what it took to start over after unimaginable |
| 0:35.8 | loss. |
| 0:37.0 | If you've ever wondered whether there's a chapter two |
| 0:40.3 | waiting for you, this one is going to hit different. Let's get into it. Welcome to Dear Founder. |
| 0:48.5 | I'm Lindsay Pinchuk, founder, acquired entrepreneur, and part of the less than 1% of female founders |
| 0:54.1 | who have led a company |
| 0:55.2 | through acquisition. I built my first business from just $500 to seven figures without a marketing |
| 1:01.1 | budget, simply using community, smart publicity, partnerships, and clear messaging. Now, I host this |
| 1:07.7 | show for women over 40 stepping into their next chapter, whether that's launching, |
| 1:12.2 | pivoting, or scaling. Each week, you'll hear real founder stories about growing an audience, |
| 1:17.5 | getting press, leading teams, navigating, scaling challenges, and becoming more visible in the right |
| 1:24.1 | ways. No fluff, no gatekeeping, just what works. Around here, we build businesses |
| 1:29.6 | that actually work with strategy, visibility, and each other. Welcome back to another episode |
| 1:37.2 | of Dear Founder. I am so excited about today's guest, as I just told her, my very first designer |
| 1:43.4 | item was a bag from the company that she co-founded |
| 1:47.7 | Kate Spade. Elise Ehrens is here. She is not only the co-founder of Kate Spade. She is also the co-founder |
| 1:53.4 | of Francis Valentine and an author. And I am so excited to dive in. I think there's so much to talk |
... |
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