Meet Rechelle Balanzat: The Founder of Juliette

The digital laundry concierge service you need for all those holiday sequin dresses

Juliette Technologies, founded by Rechelle Balanzat, offers fashion concierge services to those living in NYC. Their digitally enabled service provides pickup, cleaning, and delivery of your clothes… all at the tap of a button.

We had the chance to discuss Rechelle’s journey as a female founder and CEO, as well as try the service ourselves.

What inspired you to start Juliette Technologies?

I saw a problem that needed to be solved. I noticed that local cleaners required you to call them to coordinate the pickup & delivery of clothes. They were unreliable and inefficient. I was also placing a lot of orders for food delivery on my phone during this time, and one day it all clicked - what if there was an app for you to have your laundry picked up, cleaned, and delivered back to you in a short amount of time? That was the start of this incredible journey.

Can you explain to our readers what Juliette Technologies provides its customers?

Juliette Technologies offers a frictionless experience for clients to request laundry and/or dry cleaning pick-up. The experience is enhanced by our signature brand touches - flawless garments delicately placed on black velvet hangers and a personalized reusable garment bag.

Did you identify that there was a gap in this market? If so, how did you come to this conclusion?

Yes. The industry is antiquated and fragmented. Many cleaners still run their businesses with a pencil and notebook. Simple technologies like POS or cell phones have still not penetrated the market. In addition, I noticed a huge gap when it came to client experiences. A consistent, recognizable branded experience simply did not exist.

By combining our frictionless technology with our signature branded experience, Juliette aims to become a category leader. We could be everywhere, without being anywhere.

What do you have on your desk right now?

I always have at least 1 laptop, an iPad, a notebook, 2 phones, and lipstick on my desk.

How do you feel the fashion/lifestyle world is changing in terms of technology?

Fashion and lifestyle have evolved through technology and social media. Influencers on social media have affected shoppers’ psychology from “gone shopping” to “always shopping”. For example, many social posts now contain links and tags to purchase products.

This has changed how consumers engage with brands because it gives them a 360-degree view of a product. It gives a lifestyle view. This is further enhanced through immersive and experiential experiences like Pop Up Shoppes or Digital Boutiques.

Lifestyle has also evolved from “educated purchase decisions” to “elevated purchase decisions”. In other words, consumers’ purchase decisions are influenced by a brand’s values. Consumers not only expect the best product or service. They expect brands to be socially and environmentally responsible.

What motivates you to be a pioneer in this industry?

I want to bridge the gap between fashion, lifestyle, technology, and garment care. Our clothes are an extension of who we are. It’s only natural that garment care completes the lifecycle of our wardrobe. The dry cleaning industry has yet to intersect with fashion, lifestyle, and technology. I want to lead the way.

What is the best career advice you’ve received?

Surround yourself with people you can learn from and who inspire you to be your best. There is no amount of money that can buy experience. By surrounding myself with seasoned professionals, I can tap into lessons they’ve learned along the way.

What advice would you give someone wanting to start their own company?

It’s okay to make mistakes. Success does not happen overnight and nobody sets out on a business venture knowing exactly what to do and how to do it right. Making mistakes along the way is what helps you to grow and learn how to be better and more efficient at what you do. Also, always remember the importance of networking and maintaining solid relationships with people in your field. Having a rapport with people who are already established in their own careers, even outside of your industry, can help you tremendously in ways that you wouldn’t even expect. Be an advocate for yourself and your dreams and don’t be afraid of doing everything in your power to accomplish those things.

What do you wish you knew before starting Juliette Technologies?

The sacrifices and the compromises that I would have to make.

What are your five favorite apps on your phone?

All things JULIETTE! I’m always reviewing our client-facing, logistics, communication, and POS apps. Also, my calendar app.

What have been some customer responses to your service?

"I cannot think of a service more indispensable to my life than Juliette. Amazon, Uber, Netflix... all wonderful, but I would give up any of them without hesitation before Juliette. In an instant, Rechelle delivered a product that solved a decade-long struggle for me and many others in NYC: a timely, professional, high class, technologically-efficient laundry / dry cleaning service that operates outside the typical 7am-5pm window."

- Timothy Parks, Hedge Fund Trader

What has been the biggest milestone/proudest moment for Juliette Technologies?

Someone once said to me, “You stand out simply by standing up”.

Running a technology company is not for the faint of heart. There’s fundraising involved, proof of concept, scalability, profitability, retention rates, and so many other KPIs to keep up with. I’ve been running my company solo since 2014 without institutional funding. In that time, I have managed to not only survive Covid but actually triple our revenue and enhance our technologies in real-time.

Despite the obstacles, the fact that Juliette still stands is my proudest accomplishment.

What is next for Juliette Technologies?

Juliette aims to become a category leader and the first recognizable brand in laundry & dry cleaning. Our technology will pave the way for how clients engage with cleaners.

What is next for you?

Getting Juliette to the finish line.