Pregnant Founder Pitched 'Shark Tank' Via Husband and Pete Davidson — Now Her Sock Company Does Millions in Sales

Allison Strumeyer wanted experience in finance and a startup before launching her own. She says working for BlackRock showed her how to work to a high standard. She launched a sock company that does millions in annual sales.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Allison Strumeyer, cofounder and CEO of doublesoul. It has been edited for length and clarity. When I was in college at the University of Pennsylvania, I had a side hustle selling T-shirts.

I would connect with local artists to feature their work and sell the shirts on campus. I also did pitch competitions with my now-husband, Ben. I've always felt very native to entrepreneurship, and I knew I wanted to start my own business.

Yet, when I graduated, I chose to work at BlackRock. It was intentional: I believed working with a global finance company would give me insights valuable to me as an entrepreneur. BlackRock also taught me how to perform at a high level, in everything from communications to project management.