🦥 #11 Your Closet is Dumb. Here's How Lynn Mikolajczak is Making It Smarter

What’s on the Menu?

• 🍦 Scoop: Chat with Meta Ai in WhatsApp

• 💬 Words of Wisdom: From the mind of Mel Robbins

• ✋ Antwerpreneur: Discover how Lynn Mikolajczak went from lawyer to entrepreneur, built an AI-powered digital wardrobe, and is on a mission to make fashion more sustainable!

• 💎 Quiz Question: Do you know how much of your wardrobe you wear? Let’s find out!

🍦 Scoop

Did you know that you can now ask Meta AI questions directly in WhatsApp? 🤯

I just found out about this yesterday, and it blew my mind. You can literally chat with an AI like it’s just another contact on your list.

It’s only available in a few countries right now, so you might not have access yet, even if other people around you do. I don’t have it yet, but imagine having all the info you need without ever leaving your chat.

Have you tried it? What do you think?

💬 Words of Wisdom

✋ Antwerpreneur: Lynn Mikolajczak

Most people wake up, stare at their closet, and think:

"I have nothing to wear."

Meanwhile, their closet is full.

What if your wardrobe wasn’t just a wardrobe? What if it could help you get dressed and reduce fashion waste?

That’s exactly what Lynn Mikolajczak built, an AI-powered digital closet that thinks for you.

From Lawyer to Entrepreneur

By day, she was a lawyer. By night, she worked on her business ideas.

One day, her boss pulled her aside.

“Life’s too short; chase your dreams.”

She listened.

This became the turning point that encouraged her to leave the law firm and join a marketing agency, where she could focus more on her ideas at night.

• Step 1: Started a blog. “I wanted to understand the real motivations behind why people start their own businesses.”

• Step 2: Became an influencer and landed brand deals for content.

• Step 3: Built a fashion agency to help brands with PR and marketing.

It was all working.

Then COVID hit.

Brand deals? Gone.

She felt trapped in her marketing job.

For weeks, she struggled with her health. Then, the inevitable happened.

She got laid off.

Instead of panicking, Lynn began building “The Acquired.”

The Birth of The Acquired, The App That Organizes Your Closet (So You Don’t Have To)

Lynn’s original idea was a “Zalando of business wear.”

But then she took a trend-watching course that changed her perspective. “It inspired me to create something sustainable to fight overproduction and overconsumption in the fashion industry.”

This led to the creation of “The Acquired.”

An AI-powered digital wardrobe that organizes your closet, suggests outfits and keeps track of what you actually wear.

It started simple, with a Notion template.

Now users can:

• Digitize their wardrobe (so they see what you own)

• Get outfit suggestions based on their style

• Track their most and least worn clothes

• Create lists and even export lists for travel

And the latest feature? Automatic wardrobe updates.

When you buy or add items to your cart from select stores using the same email as your account, the item magically appears in your digital wardrobe.

No manual input. No effort.

“It’s the first fashion app to offer this feature.”

In the future, the app will eventually include services like repairs, rentals, resale, and donations.

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Funding, Growth, and Why Listening to Users is Everything

Lynn didn’t raise VC money to get started.

Instead, she secured grants which helped her validate the idea before scaling.

But the hack to grow? User feedback loop.

Instead of developing features based on assumptions, Lynn listens to what users want inside her community. “We added universal items like white shirts and jeans, thinking they’d be useful for everyone. But users didn’t want them. That’s when we realized: we have to build based on real needs, not assumptions.”

Partnering and Rebranding with COSH!

Everything was going well with The Acquired.

Then Lynn met the team at COSH!, a platform giving location-based sustainable shopping advice.

The connection was instant. Same vision. Same values. Different angles of the same problem.

The partnership wasn't just a partnership - it was a full rebrand. "The Acquired" became "COSH!"

Together they have a lot of data to help reduce waste in the fashion industry and collaborate with brands.

Now, COSH! app has:

• 3,000+ downloads

• 30% daily active users

• Present in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Spain.

And the big dream? 20,000 downloads, onboarding 2-3 retailers per week and expanding to Switzerland, UK and US.

The Key to Success: Early Mornings and Execution

Lynn starts every day at 4:50 AM. “It’s my time to prepare for the day ahead,” she says. 

Her routine? Toothbrush. Shower. Skincare. Makeup. Cup of tea (no coffee for the first two hours).

Then? Content creation.

“Having a big goal keeps me motivated. No matter the setbacks, I keep pushing forward.”

Lynn’s journey was not without challenges.

She got rejected three times by Startit KBC.

Most people would quit.

She kept applying until she got accepted. “I wanted to be part of Startit KBC to get the network, share struggles, ask for help, and find support.”

The Right Outfit Can Make Someone Feel Powerful

Back when she was a lawyer, Lynn had a trick:

She wore navy suits.

Why? Because they made her look confident.

Now, she still believes clothes impact how people perceive you. “When you’re pitching to investors or meeting important people, the right outfit can make a good impression.”

Inspiring Dinner Conversations and Antwerp’s Role in Her Success

Lynn dream dinner guests would be “Steven Bartlett for his insights on entrepreneurship, Lauryn Bosstick for building a beauty empire, Sanne Vloet for blending health and app creation, Allison Bornstein for her TikTok styling expertise, and Codie Sanchez for her business acquisition strategies.”

She also credits Antwerp’s status as a fashion hub for shaping her journey. “Living here gave me the exposure and connections I needed.”

Lynn’s Advice

To entrepreneurs: “Dare more, experiment, and execute faster.” In entrepreneurship, perfection is rarely the goal. It’s all about executing well enough to get feedback and improve. Her advice highlights the importance of resilience.

To app users: “Start with 5 bottoms and 5 tops, and take it from there. Be selective with your items. If something doesn’t feel right, maybe it’s time to let it go.”

Lynn’s ability to push through tough times, learn from her failures, and stay focused on her long-term goals has been key to her success.

Her ability to pivot, listen, and execute fast is what makes COSH! a game-changer.

And if she gets her way?

Your dumb closet is about to get a whole lot smarter.

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Lynn’s Recommendations

• Podcasts: The Diary of a CEO, The Skinny Confidential, Mel Robbins, and On Purpose with Jay Shetty

• Books: The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes

• Currently listening: Lynn doesn’t listen to music. Instead, she enjoys podcasts or beats that help her focus

• Favorite place in Antwerp: Charlie’s

Where can you find Lynn?

You can find her on Instagram and LinkedIn. She’s also started experimenting on TikTok, where she’ll soon document her wardrobe rebuild using the app.

Antwerpreneur-to-Antwerpreneur

Question If you can go back in time and change something what would it be?

Lynn’s answer: “Don’t let my actions depend on what other people are saying. I used to have too many expectations based on others’ opinions. I’ve learned that my opinion matters the most, and I need to trust my confidence.”

💎 Quiz Question

What percentage of your wardrobe do you actually wear?

A) 20%

B) 40%

C) 60%

D) 80%

_{You can find the answer at the end}