What if a hoodie could help someone feel calm enough to enjoy lunch with friends? In this episode of Hard Hat to CEO, Chris G chats with Julia DeNey, a former special ed teacher who started a clothing brand for people with sensory needs. Her clothes are designed with features such as sound-blocking hoods, magnetic closures, and built-in fidgets to help children and adults on the autism spectrum feel more at ease. Julia shares how one of her hoodies helped a boy eat in the cafeteria for the first time. She also talks about what it’s like running a business on her own, keeping prices affordable, and learning as she goes. If you’ve ever wanted to take a real-life problem and turn it into a business, you’ll love this conversation.

Julia DeNey is the founder of Sense-ational You, a clothing brand designed for autistic individuals and those with sensory processing needs. With a background in both special education and fashion design, Julia combines her skills to create adaptive clothing that helps people feel more comfortable and included in their daily lives. Her designs include features like sound-reducing hoods, magnetic closures, tagless seams, and built-in sensory tools.

Julia started her company after volunteering at an autism preschool and noticing the daily clothing struggles faced by kids and families. Since launching, she has done nearly everything herself—from design to fulfillment—and now ships her products to customers in over 30 countries. Julia is passionate about making sensory-friendly fashion both functional and affordable, and she continues to grow her brand based on feedback from the community she serves.

Connect with Julia:
Website: https://shopsenseationalyou.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-deney-a07a87122/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/senseational_you/?hl=en

Episode highlights:
(0:00 ) Intro
(2:04 ) Julia’s background and purpose
(2:45 ) What sensory-friendly clothing really means
(5:47 ) A hoodie that changed a child’s school life
(6:54 ) The bigger vision behind the brand
(10:02 ) Pricing, profit, and compassion
(16:27 ) Growing the product line based on real needs
(22:34 ) Marketing to a niche community
(25:08 ) Fulfillment and family support
(27:42 ) Why the internet makes this all possible
(31:46 ) Finding ideas by noticing daily problems
(35:30 ) Designing with fashion and function in mind
(37:40 ) Where to buy
(39:05 ) Outro

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