The art of becoming your own expert
with Eleanor Mooney, Co-founder of Verdant.
Some businesses begin with a market analysis or a spreadsheet. Verdant began with a friendship, a love of lingerie, and a belief that what we wear closest to our skin should move with us through every version of ourselves. My guest today, Eleanor, co-founded Verdant in New York alongside her friend Michelle — Verdant is their own story of resilience, craftsmanship, and confidence stitched into silk and lace.
What struck me most in this conversation isn’t just how they’re hand-sewing embellishments in and testing out pieces themselves or navigating the realities of luxury e-commerce. It’s the deeper thread: how easy it is for women founders to undervalue their expertise and how to reclaim that authority. Eleanor shares candidly about self-doubt, about learning who your customer really is (hint: it’s rarely who you thought at the start), and about the balance between grace and grit that entrepreneurship demands.
This episode is for anyone standing at that uncertain edge, wondering if they know enough, if they’re ready. Eleanor’s story reminds us that business is never just product — it’s community, it’s self-trust, it’s evolution. So let’s dive in.
