ELEVEN by VENUS WILLIAMS
Where performance meets personal style, and strategy powers sustainable growth.
As President/Partner of SWAT, I partnered with Venus Williams to evolve ELEVEN from a strong product brand into a high‑performing business platform. We rebuilt DTC, introduced a tiered content system, launched prestige retail partnerships, and created a scalable operating model. In the first six months, revenue grew 65 percent, return customer rate doubled, and conversion nearly quadrupled. ELEVEN became a brand that matched the precision and power of its founder.
The Setup
Before we met, Venus had already made the bold choice to forgo major endorsement deals and build her own tennis and performance brand from the ground up. She wore ELEVEN in every major match, which meant the quality had to perform at the highest level on the biggest global stages.
She also took the business seriously. Venus earned a fashion design degree to ensure she could lead with creative authority. When we sat down for the first time at the Edition Hotel in Flatiron, I could see it immediately. She wasn’t lending her name. She was building something real.
From Brand to Business
ELEVEN had great product and the right founder. What it needed was a clear strategy and system that could unlock growth at scale.
Working closely with Venus, her COO and a lean internal team, I led a transformation across four core pillars:
Brand Strategy
Developed the brand platform Walk Tall. Be Proud., capturing the confidence, strength, and identity Venus wanted every woman to feel when wearing ELEVEN.Digital and DTC Overhaul
Rebuilt the Shopify experience around editorial storytelling, smarter product flow, and capsule drops tied to Venus’s on‑court calendar.Content and Creative Engine
Produced photo and video shoots designed to maximize every dollar. Each asset was planned to serve multiple needs: social, e-commerce, look books, investor decks, and major retail activations. Nothing wasted. Everything worked.Retail and Wholesale Expansion
Led a fresh approach to market segmentation to best match products with a tiered retailer approach to secure global prestige retail partners including Selfridges and Lane Crawford, and positioning ELEVEN in the true performance and fashion space.
Connecting On‑Court Performance to Commerce
One of the most valuable untapped opportunities was the built‑in exposure Venus had at every major tournament.
I developed and launched a simple concept that reshaped demand: Want Her Look?
Email and social teasers revealing what Venus was wearing on court, directing fans to shop the exact outfit she was debuting globally that day.
Our first drop sold out in five hours.
A direct line between broadcast visibility and revenue performance.
Overall Results
65 percent lift in revenue in six months
2x return customer rate
Nearly 4x conversion
Tiered content and operational rhythm built for long‑term momentum
Elevated brand presence on court and online
Most importantly, Venus gained a growth engine that strengthened her voice as a founder. ELEVEN became a reflection of the woman behind it.
Eleven by Venus launch at Selfridges
Takeaway
This work proves a fundamental truth: brands succeed when they treat business and brand strategy as one. Venus brought incredible creative intelligence and discipline. My role was to build the infrastructure that allowed her ambition to scale without compromising quality.
Budgets were tight. Stakes were high. The work had to be smart and efficient. And when every decision supports the strategy, performance follows.
ELEVEN did exactly what Venus does: It showed up. It delivered. And it rose to the moment.