1. What’s the quick origin story of your brand, and what makes your product or positioning genuinely different from other options in your niche?

Kaitlin McCarthy: ARX came out of a simple, but overlooked problem: women in the field were being issued personal protective equipment (PPE) that didn’t fit. In many cases, it didn’t function safely because of it.

We approached this less as a product tweak and more as a systems failure. PPE wasn’t designed with a significant portion of the workforce in mind, yet companies were still expected to meet the same safety and compliance standards for all of its members.
We built ARX to close that gap. Our products are designed specifically for women from the ground up and are not resized men’s gear. That difference directly impacts safety, performance, and compliance.

We don’t position ourselves as a “women’s brand.” We’re a safety company solving a real operational risk that has been largely ignored.

2. Since launch, what have been the 1–2 real turning points for your brand-specific decisions, pivots, or experiments that noticeably changed your growth or profitability-and what did you learn from them?

Kaitlin McCarthy: The biggest inflection point was changing how we framed the problem.
Initially, we led with fit and comfort, which resonated on a human level but didn’t always drive action from buyers. When we shifted to framing ill-fitting PPE as a safety risk and potential compliance gap, engagement changed immediately. It reframed ARX from a “nice-to-have” to something companies needed to address.

The second turning point came from product design. Early on, we experimented with making PPE that looked more distinct and visibly for women. What we learned quickly is that most women in the field do not want to stand out because of their gear. They want to be equipped to do their job safely while looking like everyone else on the crew. They want to be “on the team.” We realized there was power in the uniform.

That insight fundamentally changed our approach. We focused on delivering superior fit and function within the visual standards of the job site, rather than differentiating through aesthetics.

The broader lesson was that solving the real problem, not the assumed one, is what drives adoption.

3. Which 2-3 channels drive most of your revenue right now (for example SEO, paid social, email, marketplaces, influencers), and what have you learned about making those channels work in your category?

Kaitlin McCarthy: Our most effective channels are targeted outbound (email, presentations, and direct customer engagement), strategic partnerships, and educational content.

Outbound works because the problem is often under-recognized but immediately understood once introduced. The key is precision. We focus on clear, direct messaging grounded in operational impact.

Partnerships have been critical for credibility and distribution. In a category like PPE, trust compounds quickly when you align with the right partners.

Educational content supports both. Buyers in this space are less influenced by branding and more by clarity, compliance, and proof. The more directly you can speak to those, the more effective every channel becomes.

4. How are you thinking about search in 2025 – Google, AI assistants like ChatGPT, and other discovery platforms? What, if anything, have you changed in your content or site to stay visible as AI search grows?

Kaitlin McCarthy: Search is shifting from keyword optimization to answer optimization.

We’re investing in content that directly addresses high-intent questions around PPE standards, fit, and risk. These are areas where both Google and AI systems pull structured, authoritative answers.

We’ve also simplified how information is presented on our site so it’s clear, credible, and easily parsed by both buyers and by AI systems.

The opportunity is to become the default answer when someone asks, “What are the risks of ill-fitting PPE?” or “How should PPE fit women in the field?” Visibility follows authority.

5. What do you do to turn first‑time buyers into repeat customers and advocates? Are there specific experiences, content, or community touches that work especially well for you?

Kaitlin McCarthy: In our category, retention is driven by performance and relationships.

When teams experience PPE that actually fits and functions properly, the difference is immediate. That creates repeat purchasing behavior without heavy incentives.
We also stay close to our customers. Direct feedback loops allow us to continuously refine the product and strengthen relationships.

Advocacy often comes from safety leaders who feel they’ve solved a real problem for their workforce. When that happens, they tend to bring ARX with them across roles and organizations.

6. If you had to write a short playbook for an ecommerce founder one stage behind you, what would you double down on over the next 12 months – and what would you stop doing entirely?

Kaitlin McCarthy: Double down on understanding your buyer at a decision-making level, not just a user level. The person using your product and the person buying it are often different. Optimizing for the wrong one slows everything down.

Focus on a small number of channels that directly reach your buyer, and execute them exceptionally well.

What I would stop doing is over-indexing on brand aesthetics or broad awareness too early. Those things matter, but they don’t drive growth without a clear, urgent problem and a tightly defined customer.