What is MPowHer all about?

Oh hey, I'm Megan! Founder, Owner and Designer of MPowHer Collective. I'm so stoked you're here to see what MPowHer is all about! 

I know it can confusing at first glance, whether you're here on my site or Instagram - there's activewear, coaching testimonials, loads of transparency around all things motherhood, my past and more. You see MPowHer Fit, MPowHer Apparel and now MPowHer Collective.. which one is it?! I'm here to tell you EXACTLY who MPowHer is by highlighting main brand features, focuses and timeline! 

Okay, okay - where to start?! Let's begin with the name, MPowHer. Why is it spelled so funky? How do you pronounce it? Easy answers! MP are my initials (Megan Perron) and I have specialized in working with women since the inception of MPowHer, (MP)ow(Her) = MPowHer, pronounced exactly like empower. It's an insanely common mixup that its empower her, which is nice, but empower has a more powerful ring to it ;) 

Next up - is it Fit, Apparel, Collective? All three? I little timeline makes this all make more sense, hang with me! 

I founded my very first LLC, MPowHer Fit in June of 2020. Three days after filing, I took a positive pregnancy test (it was our very first month trying and after years and years of chronic health conditions, docs told me I would have trouble getting pregnant. Well, I didn't with B.) Over the last three years, I've had the honor of walking along with over 150 women on their journeys to finding their power and potential. I've acquired four certifications - NASM CPT, CNC, GGS Pre/Postnatal Specialist and PN1.

I went through a lot as a teen and young adult. After both parents exited my life, I was left with nothing and have never felt more alone. I began MPowHer's giving back initiative with hopes other women won't have to feel that pain, or at least not have to walk through it alone! We give back to women in need, both monetarily and with time. Last year we gave back over five digits and this year I've become a Mentor at Teen Challenge, where I mentor a gal in long term recovery to help be a friend and guide on her journey. 

Working with so many women has been such a gift for many reasons, one of which is what led to the conception of MPowHer Apparel. I saw firsthand SO many issues in women's activewear my clients would encounter in stages of their journey - maybe they had extra skin after weightloss or a pregnancy that didn't feel comfortable in most popular brands. Many struggled with not feeling represented by big brands since they weren't athletes. I encountered my own issues after giving birth, too. As a gym rat of over a decade, I had my go-to brands. The problem? I didn't feel comfortable or confident anymore in them after giving birth. They squeezed me in the wrong places. The front seams were incredibly uncomfy, getting ALL up in my business. There was a massive demographic of women being neglected in mainstream activewear designs. 

That's when I began thoughtfully designing activewear for bodies that have been through it all + can do it all. It took over a year of designing, sampling (SO many samples), building relationships and finding trusted manufacturers. In February 2022, I filed my second LLC, MPowHer Apparel.

My coaching business has funded MPowHer Apparel to keep complete creative freedom and enjoy the beauty of a slow growth model. I started with just one design, Everyday Leggings - that are now a best seller!

Fun fact: the version you see today is the fourth version of the original design. Anytime I design something new, I do a 'wear test'. This starts with sending the design to my manufacturers, they bring it to life and send it to me. From there, I wear it, sweat in it, chase B around, wash and repeat a few times. Quality is of utmost importance to my brand. If a product doesn't meet my standards, it's back to the drawing board! It can be as simple as needing to adjust some seams, or a complete rework and starting over with a new fabric. Color schemes are strategically picked to offer both diversity and cohesion of what you can find in most women's current wardrobe. 

I have grown a community of over 90 Brand Ambassadors all over the country (and Canada!) repping MPowHer. My goal with the ambassador program looks different than most other brands’. My main goal with the program is creating community and a place for women to connect and make new friends. Making new friends as an adult is HARD. MPowHer Ambassadors are all likeminded women who love getting active and supporting small! 

When MPowHer Apparel first started, I was operating out of the loft in our townhome. I quickly outgrew it and moved into a co-warehousing space in December of '22. It still seems surreal that I'm here doing all of this. Me, a girl who just decided to go for it. Crazy. What it actually is? Crazy faith. I had an idea laid on my heart when I was around 18 that I would own a business helping women. I let fear of the unknown stop me from exploring that more. It took a global pandemic and me losing my job for me to finally take the jump - and praise God that I did. 

I’ve experienced a massive barrier to entry with apparel that I identified early on. What is it? Trust issues. There are TOO many amazon dupe brands that are tricking people into buying shoddy quality fits that fall apart and aren’t worth a penny. I get the apprehension, but man is it FRUSTRATING. I’m so confident in the designs at MPowHer, the mission and what we’re all about! That is exactly why I made the mission of 2023 getting MPowHer into new hands and building the brand awareness! I’m accomplishing this by getting out into the community every chance I have and teaming up with other small businesses for events and pop ups. It lights my heart on fire to help a woman find her new staples for her activewear and lounge wardrobe - helping her feel confident and hot! 

Earlier this year, I ventured into wholesale. I’m currently housed in six Minnesota locations and one in Phoenix, Arizona! I’m ready and eager to grow in the wholesale world and work with larger partners. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me! 

As the apparel side of things has picked up in such a massive way, I knew that something had to give. First a foremost, I am a mother. I only have a couple more years of B wanting to spend every moment with me, and I plan on taking full advantage of this time. My heart and passion professionally lie with growing the apparel brand into the next big name activewear brand. We will spread the mission across the world! 

To finally answer the question of which is it? Fit? Apparel? Collective? Technically, all three. I do have two separate LLC's, but they run parallel in so many ways. MPowHer Collective is my preferred name of the brand, but it isn't wrong to call it one of the other names! 

Whether you've been supporting MPowHer since day one, or if you're brand new around here - I have SO much love for you. Thank you all for growing with me! It’s just the beginning! 

*You can read the other blog posts here on my site to dive into specific parts of my past and my brand's story. I am an open book when it comes to most things; if you have questions - ask away!*