Enterprenuer
Aubri Steele, the Founder, CEO, and “il Capo,” at civile.
Steele is the CEO and Founder of Civile.
He also manages brand strategy, sales, product design, development, and retailing.
Steele found inspiration in Pickleball’s ability to bring her community together during the COVID-19 epidemic when the world was suffering from unparcelled loss and division.
Steele saw a market for active women who love the sport and set out to create a stylish, versatile, inclusive, and fashionable brand.
Steele was inspired by her father’s entrepreneurial spirit, benevolence, and generosity.
She saw an opportunity to build a legacy brand that would allow her to “build a boat” and carry family and friends through a shared purpose.
Before founding Civile, she taught at Mira Costa High School and California State University Monterey Bay.
She also held various roles in the commercial realty industry, including creative marketing director, brokerage specialist, and broker service specialist.
Steele is a mother to five children and has a wide range of business interests.
Steele holds a bachelor’s from California State University San Marcos and a master’s in education from Alliant University.
She specializes in linguistics/ESL.
Steele’s diverse background gives her unique insight and perspective as a CEO.
Steele can be found with her family, friends, and pets at home, as well as on the Pickleball court when she isn’t managing the business responsibilities.
What is the story of Civile Apparel?
Civile Apparel, which is female-founded and female-funded, is an American-made Pickleball apparel company.
It focuses on the new culture of the sport by modernizing the current fashion aesthetic.
The brand was born amid the pandemic and out of isolation.
I witnessed how the sport brought together my family and community during a time of great division around the globe.
Because of the smaller court size and dink-style play, it was easy for everyone to participate.
Soon, we were able to teach others how to play the game.
We also started inviting friends and neighbors to join us.
All while keeping our distance and cleaning up equipment.
Pickleball was a sport that we could play together with our children and parents. Pickleball brought us all together.
After digging deeper into the sport’s fashion, I realized that there wasn’t an urban-facing apparel brand that matched my active lifestyle and who I am as a woman.
There was also nothing that felt like I did.
Civile was created to fill that gap and remind us all to “be civil, be nice, play nicely” regardless of which side we are on.
How do you stay productive?
Pickleball is not my main focus these days.
My typical day involves everything, from designing the following core line to addressing current supply chain issues to updating the website to overseeing focus groups to gather feedback and evolve the business.
It’s a beautiful mess. Learning is my favorite part. Learning is my favorite part of life.
It feeds me in a way that few other things have.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Although I rarely get design ideas from clothing, I do often find inspiration from other items of clothing.
A fascinating documentary on creativity was shown to me recently.
It reminded me that inspiration could be found everywhere.
What’s your favorite trend?
Drop-crotch pants are a favorite of mine. My favorite piece right now is the Generous Harem.
This is a true drop style that looks great on the court and with heels.
We will be releasing a shorter version in one of our future drops.
What habits make you productive?
Note-taking. Sometimes my notes are borderline Memento-esque.
I can remember what I wrote by hand even if I don’t have the note.
I keep track of what I need to do.
Although the list is endless and long, it’s still manageable to keep it in order if it’s written down.
It’s old age, but typing doesn’t have the same effect on me.
It’s possible to imagine that it is for my children since their muscle memory is linked with typing in the same way as mine with “tablet & chalk.”
What’s your advice for the Noob?
People have always considered their work to be creative or mundane. It was simple.
If you didn’t have the proper credentials to be creative, you wouldn’t find yourself in a position to use those skills.
I gave up the licenses I held and allowed myself to be creative at 42 years old.
It was liberating to step into that space and see what I could create. I wish I had done it sooner.
Everyone has a creative side, and many people don’t explore it.
What is one thing we can all agree on?
When scaling a business, technology isn’t always the best tool.
There have been many significant advances over the years, and even the last decade, in helping small businesses reach large audiences.
Sometimes, however, the best approach is the old-fashioned one – whether
it’s writing notes or building authentic relationships with people in real life – that can make the most impact.
Civile has always valued the genuine relationships we have built with our customers through face-to-face meetings.
We enjoy the time we spend with our clients, whether playing or just talking to them.
This has helped us define ourselves as a company and has been a tremendous asset in building and maintaining exceptional customer loyalty.
What do you recommend as an entrepreneur?
Always put the customer first. It’s a simple concept: “You will never regret being kind.”
What’s your rich strategy?
My values are the most important to me. It’s been a blessing to find people who share our values.
We have been able to stand up to the values that Civile was founded on and honor them in all we do.
They may not matter to some, but they are essential to our customers.
Investors are also affected by this.
How do you overcome Failure?
You’ll need more paper! Although most failures are small in scale, they can keep you awake at night, even though they may be tiny.
Fortunately, my failures are not too numerous. Blind trust is one of my biggest problems.
Unfortunately, not all business people are trustworthy.
I have been burned more times than once by businesses or contractors who saw an opportunity for me to be taken advantage of.
This is a sad reality, but it doesn’t change my belief that most people and businesses are good-intentioned.
Can you share a business idea?
Shark Tank is here! I have been adamant for many years that shopping carts need brakes.
I don’t know how many times I have parked the cart against my car, cringing at all the marks it left in my paint.
This was to prevent it from running away in the parking lot.
Although I have mastered keeping one foot on it while lifting heavy objects out, it has been a few times that it ran away with a child inside.
These are proud mom moments. I looked into it, and I found a trademark for the idea.
However, I have never seen it come to fruition. Directly sell to the shops, not to customers. It would be a huge difference!
What’s your recent best buy?
The other night, we spontaneously rented a campsite on our local beach.
It was not warm, and only a few children went near the water.
All our children, one of their significant others, three neighbors kids, a niece, and our parents were there to share pizza, smores, and laugh around the campfire—the best $100 spent in quite a while.
What are your favorite Softwares or Apps?
Shopify has an affiliate program that we have added to our account.
It has proven to be a handy tool. It’s great to have affiliates all over the country, as it has helped us spread the word about Civile.
We are a small business in San Diego.
Affiliates get a kickback for sales made through the program.
We believe it’s a great way of getting enthusiastic people to the ground in other parts of the country.
Which book would you recommend?
The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman. This book is comprehensive and covers everything you need to consider when starting your own business.
You often avoid business concepts because you lack the freedom to create.
The book provided me with a lot of valuable and exciting information.
It also exposed me to ideas and vernacular that I had not encountered in my previous career.
What’s your favorite quote?
“A rising tide lifts every boat” was a quote that my father believed in.
He put his idea into practice when he opened the doors to a small manufacturing company in Burbank, CA.
He had no college degree. His plan was simple and humble.
If the business were successful, he would use the profits to feed his family.
When he felt no need, he would close the doors and sell the equipment.
He truly made a difference in the lives of all those he touched.
In awe and admiration, I watched as he constructed his metaphorical boat, loaded everyone inside, and guided us to a better future.
Civile is committed to promoting good in the community by supporting charities, volunteering at events, and contributing to fundraising efforts great and small.
The biggest goal of all is to build the boat. A boat that will transport people to a better world.
A ship that rises with the tide. A ship that can house families, teach sailing, and take us all to a better, brighter place.
TL;DR by Aubri Steele
- All boats are lifted by a rising tide. You should not only strive to achieve your own success, but also to help others. A boat that rises with the tide is a boat that can house families and teach them how to sail. It will bring everyone together to a better, brighter place.
- In all areas of your life, be civil and have a good time. In times of hardship and pain, be there for one another and help them find joy. Contribute to your local communities, no matter how small or large. Everyone has a place, so make sure to be inclusive.
- Do not place restrictions on creativity based on the job title or credentials. You should allow the mind and heart freedom to use those muscles without permission. This is when magic happens. Everybody has a creative side. But, many people don’t give themselves the chance. Let’s make this a better place.
