Hi Squad!
March is here and EVJ is celebrating WOMEN! As a woman owned brand, we are beyond proud and excited to highlight all the women we admire and work with on a daily basis - because we KNOW how important women supporting women is.
After all, we wouldn't be here accomplishing half the things had it not been for all the amazing women we encounter daily, the women who support us, and women we are simply inspired by!
Come along on this journey and help us celebrate some of the most admirable power houses!
Tiffany Chan - Joor Integration Manager
Q: Tell us a little about your career so far. What led to your role as Integration Manager for JOOR.
- A: I began my career as a consultant for 7 years before becoming an Implementation Manager at a financial tech startup. I was fortunate to experience all the phases of startup life - funding rounds with high growth periods and an eventual acquisition. I became an expert in our products, all while working with a wide variety of clients from small startups to a top five bank. With more tech experience under my belt, I wanted to move to a company in a different industry that I was more interested in. Eventually I found JOOR, which was at the intersection of both fashion and technology and had a product I thought was impactful for customers. JOOR gave me the opportunity to build on my tech skills, while working with our clients, like Ellie Vail Jewelry, to make sure they get the most out of our platform.
Q: Who Is the Woman You Admire Most?
- One of the women I admire is Nicole Newlin, my former manager at my last company. She embodied many of the qualities I’m always striving for in both professional and personal life. She made a huge impact on the company by scaling our operations as our company grew. She was a true advocate for everyone on the team, both internally and externally. I knew she would always go to bat for me and genuinely cared about my personal career growth and wellbeing on a personal level. In addition to being a team player, she was also an advocate for women in the workplace. She started the women’s employee group at our company and was a huge proponent of bringing more women into leadership positions. I would one day love to have the same impact on my team and company.
Q: Words of advice for fellow women in the business
- Trust your gut - I’ve often been guilty of not trusting my instincts enough. I once had a client present a technical solution to me, and my gut told me it wasn’t the right solution. I kept questioning myself and coming up with reasons why I could be wrong - was relatively new to the company, maybe I didn’t understand our products well enough. I wasted hours looking for additional evidence to convince myself, which was totally unnecessary. I’m constantly working to trust my gut, which I remind myself has come from the experiences and knowledge I’ve amassed over my career.
Alex, MAHO SHADES Co-Founder
Q: What has been your biggest challenge in owning your business and how do you thrive from it?
- My biggest challenge has been organizing an increasingly large and complex business. I have found it fairly easy to design products that our customers love. The harder problem has always been, and continues to be managing a supply chain, numerous distribution channels, and a team to ensure our customers' needs and wants are constantly met. I thrive not on the minutiae of organizing and supply chain logistics, but on finding ways Maho can better serve our customers.
Q: Words of Advice for fellow women entrepreneurs.
- Don't think small! From the start, I've wanted Maho to become an international brand that challenges and beats the world's largest sunglass brands at their own game. It's possible I won't ever meet all of my goals, but I believe you have to start with a goal of something big to make all of the challenges and sacrifices in running a business worthwhile.
NEELI AND LO
Q: What has been your biggest challenge in owning your business and how do you thrive from it?
- Our biggest challenge in owning our own business so far has been opening during the middle of the pandemic. Having this store has been a dream of ours for about 10 years now and we finally decided to make that dream come true. Opening a store during a pandemic seemed crazy and had many challenges. We thrived from this challenge by using our community and the incredible shop small mentality that was created by the pandemic. We were able to really get to know our customers and form relationships with them one on one and learn what they loved and didn't love and were able to cater our merchandise to our customers needs in the very beginning. We have remained positive and have been so grateful to everyone who has spread the word about us and shared us on social media and really helped us to thrive during such a crazy time.
Q: Words of advice for fellow women entrepreneurs
- Don't be afraid to take a leap and do something that scares you. The thing that scares you often has the greatest reward. Opening a business during a pandemic was scary and still is scary, but we go to sleep every night thankful that we are able to be our own boss and do something that we absolutely love because we took a risk and believed in ourselves. I saw a quote that I hung up on my bathroom mirror that I think every entrepreneur should have on their mirror that read "make it happen girl. shock everyone". So to my fellow women entrepreneurs... make it happen girl, shock everyone!
JOELEENE - Christina
Q: What has been your biggest challenge in owning your business and how do you thrive from it?
- My biggest challenge in owning my own business has been maintaining a balance in my life. There will always be new and interesting issues and stresses that arise when running a business. I personally think I thrive under pressure. But knowing when to step away and take time for myself and my family has been a battle. Knowing how to ask for help and letting go is difficulty. I still don’t have the right formula, but I’m working on it.
Q: Words of Advice for fellow women entrepreneurs
- First of all know that it is not going to be easy, it is going to take everything you have and then some. For this reason you must love what you do. If you are passionate about what you will create and you are willing to give it your all, then just do it! Don’t listen to the worst case scenario, the critics, and the haters (they have probably never risked before). You have to risk it and you have to fight for it. There is always a way, 100% is possible, 100% of the time. You may have to renegotiate, even if it’s with yourself, but it’s possible and you just have to risk it. Also, remember to be true to yourself and what you set out to do.
Natasha Geddes - GOOD GODDESS
Q: What has been your biggest challenge in owning your business and how do you thrive from it?
- The biggest challenge is, especially in the beginning, is having to do it all. And by "all" I mean things I know I suck at. Like bookkeeping. It's the price we pay for following our dreams... I like to see it as tuition and know that if/when you had to do it all over again, you'd be that much better.
Q: Words of Advice for fellow women entrepreneurs.
Loaded question but the top 3 for me are:
- 1. be a nerd about your taxes, download a receipt keeping app (like Dext), don't mix business and personal finances and obviously pay them on time
- 2. Let people help if they offer, I know it's hard to do when you're building a brand/business and you want all control but you'll be more productive in the end if you delegate.
- 3. Don't get held up with perfection or it will keep you from moving forward
Pamela Magga, Founder of Browela Fitness Fashion
www.browela.com
@Browela_fitness_fashion
Holly Walsh, Founder of Gild and Ash
www.gildandash.com
@gildandash
xx,
EVJ Team