Tracy Lewis: We strive to make the shopper experience a positive one and accurate reduce the frustrations associated with receiving incorrect sized apparel and having to return it.”

Passen is a digital fitting platform that delivers clothing that fits. Our founding philosophy is solving fit based by using the highest quality body and clothing data to produce the highest accurate fit recommendations.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF?

Having worked in various industries such as garment manufacturing, transportation manufacturing, and iconic luxury brands, I possess a diverse background and wide range of experiences. I have been exposed to several intricacies of each business, materials, craftsmanship, and design. I believe strongly that my previous experiences have brought me to where I am today and what I have learned will allow me to help accelerate Passen’s people culture and business. One of my major objectives in joining Passen is to help build a strong culture. One that encompasses integrity, respect and accountability. I believe in the mission of best fitting clothing that in turn reduces returns and ultimately clothing in landfill.

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME A YEAR OR TWO, WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOURSELF?

Reflecting back a year or two, the things that I have learned having experienced both good and bad, I can say that a title or rank in a company doesn’t imply immediate respect, trust, or magically turn you into a leader. While terrible leaders may create challenging work environments, there are still several positive takeaways that can be gained from these experiences. Here are a few:
Resilience: Dealing with a bad leader can teach you how to be strong and resilient in adverse situations. It tests your ability to maintain professionalism, adapt, and keep positive mindset despite challenging circumstances. Lesson, resilience is an essential quality for effective leadership as it fosters self care to maintain physical and mental well-being, a positive mindset, emotional intelligence and to seek support and feedback.
Self-awareness: Bad leaders often highlight their own shortcomings, which can help you develop a strong sense of self-awareness. Lesson, by observing their negative behaviour, you can reflect on what kind of leader you don’t want to become and strive to improve your own leadership skills. Self-awareness is a crucial aspect of effective leadership. It involves understanding your own strengths, weaknesses, emotions, values and impact on others.
Problem-solving skills: Bad leaders often create numerous problems or obstacles for their teams. Lesson, by finding solutions and workarounds to overcome these challenges, you can develop strong problem-solving skills and expand your ability to think outside the box. Excellent leadership teaches you to identify problems, evaluate possible solutions, and implement effective strategies to overcome obstacles. It also encourages critical thinking, creativity, and innovation in finding solutions to complex issues.


Empathy and emotional intelligence: Bad leaders may help you develop empathy as you understand the impact their actions have on yourself and others. Lesson, this can enhance your emotional intelligence by making you more aware of the emotions and needs of those around you. Good leadership emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence. Understanding and managing your own emotions, as well as recognising and empathizing with the emotions of others, are integral to building strong relationships and fostering a positive team environment.
Team bonding: A shared struggle under a bad leader can often create a bond among colleagues. Going through challenging times together can strengthen relationships and foster a supportive work environment. Lesson, great leadership promotes collaboration and teamwork. It teaches you to foster a supportive and inclusive environment where individuals feel valued, motivated, and encouraged to work together towards common goals.
Independence and autonomy: When working under a terrible leader you may find yourself needing to take initiative and work independently. Lesson, this can lead to personal growth, as you develop self-reliance and learn to trust your own judgement. Good leaders empower their team members and build trust by delegating responsibilities. Leadership teaches you to recognize the skills and strengths of others, assign tasks accordingly, and provide support and guidance when needed.
Appreciation for good leadership: Experiencing a bad leader can make you truly appreciate the qualities of a good leader. Bad leadership teaches you a lesson on avoiding certain conducts as they are perceived by the people you are leading. Lesson, it helps you differentiate between effective leadership and ineffective management practices, allowing you to seek out and value the guidance of strong leaders in the future.
While dealing with a terrible leader can be difficult, it also provides valuable lessons and growth opportunities. It’s essential to focus on what you can learn from the experience and use it as a steppingstone towards your own personal and professional development. You can take something positive out of every negative situation by looking beyond the problem.

WHAT PROBLEM DOES YOUR BUSINESS SOLVE?

We are solving the problem of limiting returns associated with ill-fitting apparel on ecommerce platforms. We strive to make the shopper experience a positive one and accurate reduce the frustrations associated with receiving incorrect sized apparel and having to return it.

WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR BUSINESS?

The inspiration behind the business came from our founders who recognized a need for a better, more accurate way of shopping on-line for apparel. The company’s technology has evolved over the years from a large booth-type scanner typically found in mall settings to a smart phone device from the comfort of your home. The founders recognized the impact of poor fitting apparel on the environment and the cost to correct. The problem is a multi-billion-dollar problem in North America and the impact on landfill is catastrophic. In addition to an accurate fitting garment, we will reduce returns which will impact carbon footprint as well as reduce impact on landfill.

WHAT IS YOUR MAGIC SAUCE?

Our ability to take the data from the smart phone scanner and translate it to the exact style of the garment that you are purchasing. This is done through a series of strategic measurements of the apparel as well as specific scan points from the scan data. The two combined to make a 90+% accuracy fit rate.

WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE?

Our plan for the next 5 years is to scale up the business with people and to create a culture conducive of the values that I have outlined. We feel there is an opportunity for our technology to move into other sectors of business that we plan to explore in the next 24 months. Our intention short-terms is to be recognized as the premier provider of digital fit solution to consumers on e-com platforms. Our long-term vision is to be able to use our platform to solve other problems related to fit.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED SO FAR?

Our biggest challenge is transitioning from a large phone booth-type booth scanners to hand-held smart phone device scanners. The reason that we changed course is because of the pandemic. We had to move away from a mall setting to an individual experience. This has resulted in a complete change in our technology and use of our technology.

HOW DO PEOPLE GET INVOLVED/BUY INTO YOUR VISION?

People can get involved by helping us advance our business over the short-term. We are looking for good, qualified people of which postings will show up on the hiring platforms. In addition, we are actively seeking retail customers who feel that an accurate fitting garment and reduction in returns are equally important to them as it is to Passen.