August 31, 2020 | By jwdavies

Davies Allen, P.C. Interviews Jennifer Anderson of Lime Ricki

Meet Jennifer Anderson, one of the founders of Lime Ricki, a stylish-modest swimsuit company.

What started as simple lunch dates, turned into monthly business dinners: “We thought we could do something more meaningful, so we would get together once a month, and have dinner with our husbands, and everyone had to bring business ideas to the table.”

Lime Ricki was started in 2007 by Nicole, Jennifer, and Collette: three sisters that wanted to design swimsuits they wanted to wear. “We wanted something cute, that was also modest, but didn’t look like a grandma’s suit.” When it came time to name the company, they wanted something that sounded fresh, summery, fun and inviting. Nicole and her husband had a brainstorming session where they wrote down any words that met the credentials – and from there Jennifer and Collette sat down separately with the list, and they were both drawn to Lime Ricki. “When we were young, we used to go to Arctic Circle and get a Lime Ricki drink, so it had some good memories there too.”

Lime Ricki currently has two stores: in Salt Lake City, Utah and Provo, Utah. They want to continue to grow online and reach new areas of the country and the world. “We love the internet; you can reach anyone around the world vs. a store that’s just local.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lime Ricki has seen an impact with stores being slower and being required to close them for 4-6 weeks at the beginning. “It was tough for us because it hit right when swimsuit season starts to pick up; however online shopping this year has been incredible. We are grateful for loyal customers, and people that have supported smaller businesses during this time.”

When asked what the most challenging and rewarding parts of working in this industry have been, Jennifer said the most challenging is coming up with new designs, new prints, and projecting what colors are going to be in demand. Along with style projections, Jennifer mentioned that marketing is sometimes a challenge, “When we started, Facebook didn’t even exist, it was just barely starting, and now it seems like every year things are changing: how influencers work, how algorithms on Facebook work – keeping up on the latest in the marketing world.” As for the rewarding side of things, it’s obvious that the customer is Lime Ricki’s #1 priority. It’s all about customer comments for them: “To have customers come in and say ‘I haven’t worn a swimsuit for five years’ or whatever, and just really dreading it, and walking out with two or three suits that they just absolutely love and see a light in their eyes.” Lime Ricki doesn’t just want you to buy their swimsuits, they want you to love yourself in their swimsuits, and shine.

At Lime Ricki, you not only look good wearing your new suit, you can also feel good about it too! Lime Ricki donates a portion of all sales to Charity Water, a national organization that helps drill wells, or find other ways to bring clean water to third-world countries. “One of the reasons we chose Charity Water, is because a lot of the times it’s the women who are out having to get the water, and being a women owned business, and a family that’s lived in third-world countries before, it really struck home.”

Along with supporting Charity Water, Lime Ricki was also dedicated from the very beginning to never photoshop or airbrush their models. “Our first photo shoots were in a garage with a white sheet, and we realized it’s just being real, being who we are, and not being ashamed or trying to put on a fake appearance. That’s been a big part of our mission statement, come as you are, and there’s a suit for everyone.”

When it comes to working with Davies Allen, Jennifer says it’s been fabulous. “It’s almost like having a mentor to guide us financially with business decisions, and I’ve loved the suggestions of things perhaps we didn’t look at, or ways to save money on either taxes or revenue or thinking of cash flow. Brad looks through our numbers to find the story of our business; shows us things we can change, add, or look at in a new way. He just has this gift of finding the story of why the numbers look the way they do, and what those numbers are telling us about the business.”

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Jennifer recommends that when you have a dream, you go for it. “Don’t wait until you have all of the answers, or know exactly how it’s going to turn out, or have all the resources in front of you. As you take a step forward, each resource appears at the right time and in the right ways. It’s a constant leap of faith from one thing to the next, and somehow it all works out.”

A huge thank you to the sisters of Lime Ricki, and their team. To contact them, visit limericki.com and @limericki on Instagram. Or visit one of their locations to check out their fabulous swimwear – keep your eye out for the Gingham Knotted Crop Top and matching High-Waist Bottoms!