With 20 years of executive sales experience, Tiffany D. Brown has been able to successfully utilize the skills she gained in corporate America to launch several businesses and coach other women to do the same. Her many “hats” include host of “The P Word” podcast, social media influencer, professional photographer, blogger, makeup artist, and business coach. This contemporary Renaissance woman is married with three children and resides in metro Orlando.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I have always been a saleswoman. From working in retail to securing top positions at some of the country’s largest pharmaceutical sales companies, I have a knack for closing deals. I am a businesswoman at heart, but my creative side is just as important. That is where my entrepreneurship comes into play. I have several LLCs and believe that a woman should be financially independent. Why not turn your passion into profit? This is why all of businesses started out with me doing what I love, and I have a lot of interests! I walk the walk and talk the talk.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
I really worked hard to get into the pharmaceutical sales industry, but I found myself unemployed in 2021 after more than a decade in the industry. From there, I decided that I was going to pour myself into being a full-time businessowner. I also discovered how my career helped to strengthen my entrepreneurship journey. Although I never know what’s coming the corner, God shows me that He is in control. My faith is strong because I know he will never fail me.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I wouldn’t call it funny, but I have been taking pictures for more than 10 years. It started when I had my first child and wanted to capture special moments. I was so scared to call myself a photographer and talked myself out of taking a chance on myself. Finally, in 2021, I purchased equipment, took several classes, attended workshops, and just told myself that I was going to do it! I launched my photography business (tiffanydbrownphotography.com) and have been shooting non-stop, not only in Florida but also Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas! I can’t believe I waited so long!
Ok. Let’s now move to the main focus of our discussion. For the benefit of our readers, can you explain why you are an authority about Social Media Marketing?
I started creating content on YouTube before I even knew what content creation was! I have been able to grow my personal brand by working with major companies like Toyota, Walmart, Walgreens, Aveeno, Johnson & Johnson … you name it! I have the credibility, but I also put in a lot of work. I believe in investing in myself because those rewards WILL come. I also review my analytics, study on the latest trends, and provide guides for other influencers and branding afficionados. I know what I’m doing AND I work to educate others. My content speaks for itself. I am consistent, professional, and project high-quality.
Which social media platform have you found to be most effective to use to increase business revenues? Can you share a story from your experience?
It would definitely be Instagram since it was such a game-changer for social media. Although it has changed over the years (and continues to do so), visual content is still the leader. I was able to build my influencer business almost effortlessly via Instagram. Working with big brands and learning to negotiate was key! Again, the corporate business training always circles back.
Let’s talk about Instagram specifically, now. Can you share five ways to leverage Instagram to dramatically improve your business? Please share a story or example for each.
Absolutely! Here are my five key tips:
Instagram can really increase your exposure as a brand, so be sure to be consistent and have quality content.
Creating authentic content that resonates with your audience or ideal client/customer is key. Do your research!
Think outside of the box while also remaining up to date with trends. You should be creative but also relevant.
Create. Video. Content. Reels are really fun to make, and all you need is your phone! (Save audio, too — it helps!)
Network with the brands to help secure paid partnerships! Don’t be afraid to take a chance on yourself.
Because of the position that you are in, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I love this question because it speaks to who I am as a person. I want to encourage all women to give themselves permission to follow their passions. If you want to launch a business, make sure it’s something that you love to do. Also, if you can, help another woman either discover or re-discover her passions. Even if you currently have a full-time job, you don’t have to give up on the things you love to do. You are a whole person! Embrace all of you.
Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them!
Oooh yes — Alicia Keys! I would love to learn more about her journey in embracing all the authentic parts of herself even when it was against popular opinion! I also respect how she balances family, work, and life in general! And … I can’t help myself … if I can slide another one in, it would be Beyoncé!
Thank you so much for these great insights. This was very enlightening!
Social identity: Appealing to the consumer’s sense of who they are in the world, what they stand for, is essential to success today and in the future. As buyers become more aware of how clothing is really made, it is important for brands to demonstrate how their socially responsible practices — in terms of both environmental and human rights impacts — align with the consumer’s values. Forging and reinforcing this alignment secures for the consumer a go-to source of purchasing confidence and trust, leading to brand loyalty. It also surrounds each purchase with a positive air of hope.
Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?
In our series called, “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”
As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Catherine Fisher.
Catherine Fisher has found inspiration as a biographer, innkeeper, acupressurist, baker, poem maker and, now, creator of clothing. Catherine Fisher Clothing celebrates the art of expression in the meeting of text and textile. Each sustainably-sourced, ethically-made garment is hand-embellished and/or accessorized to express the spirit of an original poem from which the design springs. The collection embraces the conviction that fewer is better, and supports literacy, the arts, food security, the environment and diversity by sharing a portion of each purchase with non-profit organizations aligned with the theme of each garment/poem.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
Thank you for asking, and for including me in Authority!
A New Englander all my life, I grew up on the south shore of Massachusetts and have family roots in Vermont and New Hampshire (as well as Pennsylvania.) I’ve now lived in Maine for 28 years.
Both my parents and two younger brothers were/are creative, all of us in different ways. Handcraft, drawing, music, woodworking — it was a house of projects, for sure. Our family home, which we just recently sold to a sweet young couple, was on a cranberry bog and that setting served as an important backdrop — a witness and player in our lives over the years.
As the eldest and the only daughter, I might be considered the headstrong one. Definitely an adult from a very young age, and always rather entrepreneurial.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
I have a mind that sort of works like a popcorn popper, I guess. A series of eureka! moments has resulted in a succession of endeavors and pursuits. Among other things, I’ve been a clown, dental assistant, and salesperson; an innkeeper, personal historian and acupressurist; a baker, archive worker, poem maker and now, a creator of clothing from those poems.
What all of these things have in common is a fascination with connection and story. I know that what I do and make (just as what you do and make) carries an energy that impacts the receiver of those interactions or objects, and being intentional about that transmission is where the juice is for me.
Each design in my collection of clothing springs from the meaning of a particular poem, and the printed poem accompanies each piece in the packaging. I believe that those ideas are woven into the fabric of the garments and inform the experience of the wearer. The wearer, then, infuses the clothing with their own energy and creates a new thing — a new poem — entirely.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
The “happened to you” part of your question is pulling me right in here, in that so many things have happened during this clothing chapter of my career that were so out of my control, not what I’d thought or hoped or wanted. Now, of course, I can see that each disappointment came with a new opportunity. No doubt, there are more such happenings to come.
To me, the most significant was the pivot I had to make in my original garment concept, which was that the garments would be inscribed with the poems.
For over a year I worked with a wonderful local screen printer to develop a system for printing my handwritten words on panels to then be worked into the garment construction. For some reason it just wasn’t flowing and we were having trouble getting it right. It was a very low spot in this process and I nearly gave up for how sick I felt. Then, it occurred to me that, in seeing the garment itself as the poem, having the words — my words — printed there was actually redundant, and didn’t leave any room for the wearer to make it their own. I immediately began designing hand-painted graphics to replace the text, and am so happy that their abstraction hints at the poetic origin of the garment without making it all about the actual words. And painting each one individually gives me a lot of control and connection.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Being a good collaborator is definitely a trait that I’ve developed since I began the clothing project. Many of my past incarnations were somewhat solitary endeavors, but as a newcomer to apparel and manufacturing in general, I’ve had to rely on the expertise, skills and guidance of others. This has brought me into fruitful relationships that I would not trade.
For example, instead of buying mass-produced calligraphy brushes, which are accessories included in my Brush duster, or trying to learn to make them myself, I collaborate with Wendy Pieh, a Maine organic cashmere goat farmer, and Ying Zhou, a master brush maker, to create one-of-a-kind works of art. I gather driftwood sticks with friends on Maine beaches, send the sticks and the goat hair to Ying in Florida, and receive back something utterly unique and special. Not knowing it all, and letting other makers do their thing, is really where it’s at.
At the same time, believing in myself is a trait I’ve had to ramp up exponentially in order to succeed. A general guiding principle, in thinking about success, is, “Why not me?” So in practice, I reserve many aspects of the work to do myself rather than hiring out because it helps me grow, keeps the product mine and ensures I feel connected to the wearer. Seven of the designs in my line have hand-painted panels sewn in, and I paint all of those individually. In this area, even though I’m not a classically-trained artist, I am the expert in what I want those panels to be. I need to believe they are good and right. My confidence and its growth have been essential.
And, persistence. My persistence has been tested over and over again — the evolution of this company has not been easy or smooth. Some people have proven to be those great gifts of collaboration, and others haven’t been very nice. A contractor doesn’t communicate or care; a key recycled fabric is discontinued; or I hit the next limit in my knowledge. I just keep moving forward. I just keep going. And learning.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
On the face of it, a sustainable clothing line that lives at the intersection of fashion, art and writing, with a focus on connection to the wearer and giving back, does beg some notice. It’s not always understood at first glance, but once people get it, they become excited and invested.
I think another stand-out is our commitment to diversity in garment sizes (XS-2X) and the racial, gender, age, size and sexual diversity of our website models and intended wearers. Our website’s Collection page does not look like that of most brands. I’m striving to connect on a deeper level. All wearers are welcome.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
This passage from the memoir How I Became Hettie Jones, by Hettie Jones,was tacked to my door in college and has been pinned and taped to many bulletin boards and refrigerators in the ensuing decades: “The idea, as I saw it, was to ease the possible past the expected, and in this eerie solitude, while the rest of the world was home in bed, I’d feel closer to the edge, the spillover point that might push out something, make the coming move clear. What should I do now to make myself happen? What’s next?” Becoming, for me, is a lifelong art. As you’ve probably gathered by now, I like reinvention, and am in love with change.
“I dwell in possibility,” Emily Dickinson’s line describing poetry as the place she inhabits, has also been a tickertape running as a loop in my mind for always. I need that to be true.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?
Well, speaking of possibility, I’d say the fashion industry is doing just that — dwelling in possibility. At the intersection of textiles and science is bio-fabrication, and more sustainable fabrics and vegan leathers are being made from seaweed, pineapple husks, fungus, algae, tea and yeast, just to name a few. As high-profile brands like Stella McCartney, Eileen Fisher and Everlane continue to incorporate recycled and even bio-fabricated materials into their lines, other brands will hopefully follow suit and consumer demand will rise. Increased focus on closed-loop manufacturing is another exciting area to watch. Materials used in production can be reused, and at the end of the garment’s life, it can be recollected as post-consumer waste and turned back into raw materials to create more of the same type of product.
Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?
I love this question! Because, in addition to not wanting to participate in the badness — in proliferating unethically-manufactured and unsustainably-sourced products — bringing goodness is really the whole point, right? First, I hope that the garments themselves, and the poems that inspired them, will add something to the lives of those who wear them, or those who just visit the site and enjoy the images and read and listen to the poems.
More to your question, each purchase benefits two organizations — one local to Maine/New England and one national/international. The organizations are chosen for their alignment with the topic of the poem and its garment. For example, the sales of the Latchkey jacket, which springs from a poem about abandoned houses and rooms of the soul, benefit two organizations that fight homelessness — Habitat for Humanity nationally and Preble Street Resource Center in Portland, Maine. The Brush duster, whose poem “Brush” likens the graze of a fingertip on skin to the touching down of a paintbrush on paper, benefits the National Museum for Women in the Arts and the locally-based Indigo Arts Alliance for artists of African descent. I love this aspect of the work so much.
Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?
My company is still somewhat young, and I’m fortunate in that I created my line completely married to ethical and sustainable practices from the very beginning. I consulted at the outset with the Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator, an experimental sustainability hub created by Pratt Institute in New York. I took from there a list of vetted sources for materials, both importers and manufacturers, as well as greater understanding of beneficial apparel design and construction. The landscape is ever-changing, and new information and approaches are being developed all the time. There’s so much to learn!
Limiting ourselves to environmentally-sustainable fabrics and notions, made from natural or recycled materials, makes up one half of the equation, and the other key piece is ethical production. If I am not buying direct from the maker of the material, I can trust that the vetted vendors I work with do not buy from factories that employ child labor, exploit workers with low wages and unhealthy, unsafe working conditions, or abuse animals.
Fast fashion has an advantage, that it is affordable for most people, but it also has the drawback that it does not last very long and is therefore not very sustainable. What are your thoughts about this? How does your company address this question?
The higher cost to the consumer of garments that are manufactured sustainably is most certainly a very real issue. Now, choosing upcycled and recycled clothing is a great way to add to a wardrobe without supporting detrimental practices. Another way is to buy fewer but better pieces, those that are well-made, timelessly styled and meant to be enjoyed for a long time. In this practice, the cost may even out over time, and a byproduct may also be a more keenly-honed sense of one’s personal style and identity that happens when making more thoughtful choices.
I am very conscious that the retail price of my garments is not within reach for many people if they are still purchasing the same quantity of garments per season, say. I know that I have paid well everyone involved in their making, I know that the materials and their manufacturing are healthful for humans, animals and the planet, and I know that this makes their price higher. I try to tip the scale toward equity with our Giving Back initiatives, and I hope that ultimately, when combined with the “fewer is better” model, the ultimate math will end up where we need it to be.
Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.
I find that successful brands make garments that have a story, and that they sincerely connect those narratives to the stories of consumers in these five areas:
Personal Identity: When brands understand and encourage buying fewer and better, they guide the consumer to curate/hone their look with only those items that really reflect their image and amplify their style, resulting in strong identification with the brand.
In the case of my line, each garment is born from a story, a poem that touches on universal questions and themes. When those themes, and the garment that embodies them, resonate with a person, there is a stronger reason for the wearer to bring that item into their wardrobe. Also, my own story is one of evolution, of becoming, and I think many people can relate to that.
Social identity: Appealing to the consumer’s sense of who they are in the world, what they stand for, is essential to success today and in the future. As buyers become more aware of how clothing is really made, it is important for brands to demonstrate how their socially responsible practices — in terms of both environmental and human rights impacts — align with the consumer’s values. Forging and reinforcing this alignment secures for the consumer a go-to source of purchasing confidence and trust, leading to brand loyalty. It also surrounds each purchase with a positive air of hope.
Greenwashing and lies by omission, however, are not OK. When it is discovered that a brand has misrepresented their practices, such betrayal of the consumer’s trust can, and should, result in a punishing backlash.
I try to emphasize that we are all continuing to develop best practices in order to make the change real and lasting. We’re not there yet, but I know that those who are part of the CFC community see themselves as part of a movement for good.
Philanthropy: Brands that give back to particular causes enable the consumer to accomplish two things at once — care for themselves by purchasing clothing, and support something good through an easy, no-cost donation.
As I’ve said, each purchase of CFC clothing benefits two identified organizations specific to that item. Links to all organizations are on the website so that people can learn exactly what their money is supporting. Literacy, the arts, food and housing security, the environment and diversity are the main areas of focus. It is exciting to see these donations grow.
Feelings: Emphasizing the positive feelings sewn into the fibers of a slow fashion garment, and not just the negative ones intrinsic to knowingly supporting fast fashion, is really important. We offer not only the enjoyment of wearing the pieces, but also the pride and joy one can feel in doing good — and that never washes out. Guilt and pride are two powerful emotions, and choosing slow fashion just feels better each time you put it on.
In addition to the customary listing of a garment’s materials, I try to be as transparent as possible on my website about the what and who of each garment and accessory, and also about the internal practices of the company — packaging, stationery, studio supplies, etc. Transparency builds trust, and also keeps me honest in honoring that trust and making sure my choices are something I am happy to lay out there.
Uniqueness: Finally, where possible, brands that incorporate the handmade, upcycled, and made to order offer to the wearer the pleasure of being unique. Independent brands that highlight the maker’s identity foster the desirability of wearing things that are special and connected in a personal way.
In the end, I believe that what makes these pieces unique and special is the energy of the wearer and how that connects with the ideas from which the designs spring. The spirit of the person who animates each garment brings it all to fruition. My focus on the wearer, that relationship, is where it begins and ends for me. I am grateful for their choices, and work to honor our connection long past each purchase.
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
Transparency. We must be truthful about our own brand’s practices and our goals and plans for improvement. We must strive to be a brand that is rated as a “Rockstar” rather than an “Offender” by organizations such as Remake. Transparency is one key piece of making change — that consumers demand it and brands step up.
Planning and Restraint. We need to cease to overproduce garments that then end up in landfills. Make fewer.
Knowledge and action. We must know the composition of our materials. Stop using non-biodegradable fabrics, including recycled polyesters, and materials derived from animals. Limit our choices to organic, renewable and biodegradable fibers. Be clear about who makes our garments, under what conditions and for what pay, and stop running or using factories who exploit workers and use child labor. Just STOP. Monitor the use of natural resources and energy that go into the manufacture of our products and make choices to reduce carbon emissions, reduce water and chemical usage, and stop the pollution of our waterways.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I love the ginormity of this question. I’m thinking locally right now, hoping to band together local designers and manufacturers to deal with our cut-and-sew waste in more innovative ways, ways that provide new opportunities and foster new industries. Getting the larger scraps to local artisans for their creations, and shredding smaller scraps to create filling that might be used in pillows, dog beds and even insulation. If we got a grant and developed a central hub for this kind of operation to serve our state, and perhaps New England, it might then become a model for other states. Keeping the hubs as local as possible would avoid the additional carbon emissions created in trucking scraps any great distances. It’s a thought. Everything begins with a thought, right? A thought based in a feeling of possibility.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Women In Wellness: Kasia Rothe of Rustic MAKA On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Stay connected to your family and friends: get together with your parents, siblings, nieces or nephews, grandparents, and friends on a regular basis. Holidays shouldn’t be the only time we are connected to each other. Have dinner together, your favorite dessert or just meet up for coffee at least once a week. Spend time doing different activities which can lead to getting to know each other and create a more intimate relationship. You can volunteer in your community; find a place where you can pay forward to those around you who need help.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kasia Rothe.
Kasia Rothe is the CEO and co-founder of Rustic MAKA, and has over 15 years in corporate setting, business practices, and customer relations and her past entrepreneurial endeavors include wedding photography business and health and wellness blog. She created a natural deodorant and personal care routine that worked in tune with her body after natural products on the market failed to perform. This became a catalyst to a new way customers care for their underarms and the beginning of Rustic MAKA.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
It all started with a simple comment from my husband: “Honey, I think you need to do something about your deodorant.” Since bad body odor isn’t easy to face, and when you develop something this embarrassing that’s evident to everyone around you, you become determined to find the right solution. So, what’s a girl to do when life gives you stinky lemons? You make Sweet Lemonade Natural Deodorant, but the story goes back to growing up in Poland in the 80’s, which wasn’t easy.
Very early on, my sister Monica and I have learned what it means to live simply. Without having access to mainstream beauty and hygiene products, our mom, Anna, taught us to make do with what we had. She used potato starch and water solution to soak dry hands. She put sour milk or yogurt on sunburned skin and used active yeast to make hair soft and silky. When our younger sister Alex was born, our mom used chamomile water to soothe her sensitive skin. We learned to take nature’s gifts and use simple remedies to battle many bodily ailments.
After moving to the United States, the lessons from the past combined with the passion for organic and wholesome products became our way of life. Yet, as natural products became available on the market, many of them failed to perform.
Our first product, a natural deodorant, was the result of a personal experience and giving up on what’s out there. We needed something simple and healthy, but at the same time it needed to really work. With our mom’s guidance and recalling lessons from the past, we spent countless hours researching just the right ingredients and cooking batch after batch in the family kitchen. When we realized we had something that truly delivers results, our journey started and Rustic MAKA was born. We now have an effective product filled not only with wholesome and healthy ingredients, but also pride and joy. With lots of hard work and utilizing gifts from nature, our products became loved by many and are available across the U.S. and beyond.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
When we first started Rustic MAKA, our main goal was to get in front of the customers and be carried by retailers. Since I previously worked as a marketing and sales rep for a local organic bread company, I had an idea of who would be the best retailer partner. It’s also important to get yourself known among local customers so they can become your fans, your advocates and sort of an extension of your brand when your products start popping up at local stores. It’s a great way to meet and build relationships with your customers.
But this is all a process and sometimes people are hesitant and need that testimony that you are a legit company, and your products will sell before they are willing to place them on their shelves. So, we were very determined to get the word out and get on the “radar” of the local news stations and be on TV.
I made a list of local newspapers and looked up every writer that was remotely related to business, beauty or start-up entrepreneurship. The list was growing, and I started sending out the emails in hope to connect with just one writer or news editor. At the same time, we had some local retailers picking up our deodorants and at some local events people were giving us leads to what stores would be a great fit for us. Someone even mentioned Whole Foods but were we ready for that? So, then it happened I came across a post on social media about an event for potential vendors for Whole Foods. I figured “great, I can go and learn about requirements, etc.” so I sent the email and next thing I know I have a confirmed meeting with a sales team to review our product line. Not to panic, right? We had a few weeks to put everything together, Monica worked on the line sheets, presentation etc. and I practiced my speech. The presentation day came, and it was one of the best feelings in the world when a Whole Foods sales team tells you they love what we do and would love to bring Rustic MAKA on board. Wow, cloud nine and nervousness all at the same time!
All of this was like a domino effect of events intermingled with getting into store after store, when I was least expecting it ABC Channel 7, JoAnn Purtan was calling me. She wanted to interview us, Rustic MAKA mompreneurs for her segment about mom’s business owners. We had our first TV interview and the story received a huge amount of recognition which led us to expanding our product line and more stores.
This journey might have many twists and turns, but when we think back on all of this, we always say that taking those chances and keeping on knocking on doors is what made us get where we are today. We might have thought we are not ready for Whole Foods or even a TV interview but if you don’t take chances you don’t know where you end up.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
You will make many mistakes as an entrepreneur but what you learn and how you move on will determine your success.
It was our very first local event, it was our “launch”, our premiere, where we wanted to showcase our new brand and sell our deodorants. We found what we thought a perfect way to share what we created with other moms. This event was a mom-to-mom sale, but it turned out it was a complete flop. We didn’t sell one thing, came home disappointed and somewhat discouraged and almost gave up. After having to face that loss and re-thinking our strategy and really looking at our customer base, we realized we need to be better at the selection process so we can align ourselves with the event’s customers. Sometimes, you are so thrilled about what you have to offer you get lost and that’s ok. That passion and excitement just needs to be re-directed into better planned execution but don’t get pigeonholed into the perfectionism of it either. Design your strategy plan and execute it, while learning as you go if the mistakes happen, because they will.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
Creating a natural deodorant that truly worked was just the beginning of the possibilities where one product can change lives for so many. Rustic MAKA company fills the gap for a truly trustworthy brand that brings health-conscious consumers a product they can rely on. Hearing stories from countless customers on how much something we created has improved their everyday life, and how they are no longer self- conscious about their underarms, is one of the most rewarding and exciting aspects we didn’t expect to get from starting Rustic MAKA. Seeing customers come back month after month, genuinely inspires us to continue to develop more natural personal care solutions.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
1. Stay connected to your family and friends: get together with your parents, siblings, nieces or nephews, grandparents, and friends on a regular basis. Holidays shouldn’t be the only time we are connected to each other. Have dinner together, your favorite dessert or just meet up for coffee at least once a week. Spend time doing different activities which can lead to getting to know each other and create a more intimate relationship. You can volunteer in your community; find a place where you can pay forward to those around you who need help.
2. Get lost in nature: go for a walk. Find a local park or nature preserve and go get immersed in nature’s beauty. Being in touch with nature has been proven to increase our brain activity, helps with positive thinking, and increases vitamin D production.
3. Get to know yourself: Spend each day thinking about your daily interactions and how it affects your self-talk. Are you boosting your confidence or are you constantly feeding it negativity? By changing your mindset, you have the power to change your life. Find what brings you joy each day and what activities make you smile. By knowing yourself you can create a life that is not only gratifying to yourself but to those around you.
4. Get enough sleep: Our bodies need rest each day; it might be 7–10 hours depending on our daily activity level. We need time to reset, which also helps with detoxification and allows us to be able to conquer the next day ahead. Sleep deprivation is a leading cause of depression, weight gain, stress, and even food cravings. If you can, go to sleep an hour early or don’t set an alarm clock to see how many hours your body needs to be at its peak operational level.
5. Eat your veggies: they’re just good for you.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Learn the benefits of kindness and grace. We live in a society of instant gratification where we just want answers here and now and no one is allowed any mistakes or imperfections. Kindness and grace can teach us how we can treat each other better without being judgmental while understanding and accepting our differences. Each of us is unique and we need to celebrate those differences by embracing them and not creating situations that divide us into groups of the same likenesses. It’s good for our wellbeing to give as we are meant to be giving creatures. Yes, so many of us see giving as a form of sacrifice.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
1. You must wear many hats running your own business until you can hire out the pros. When you are a start-up, especially bootstrapping like Rustic MAKA, you prioritize how and where you spend your budget and what you can do in-house. At the very beginning, we did everything ourselves, from printing labels, bookkeeping, manufacturing, labeling, packing orders to customer service and wholesale repping. We still do a lot of it ourselves but while we grew, we had to learn to give up control and let go of the tasks that can be trusted to others.
2. Social media algorithms are always changing. What worked 5 years ago on social media or what’s trending 6 months ago can and will change next week. That’s just the nature of this beast and there’s no way around it. You can try to take courses, master classes but at the end of the day, your authenticity and your own voice is what will attract your customers to your brand. There’s no magic plan or secret formula to get “famous” online, unless you have an unlimited budget and can hire one of the Kardashian sisters. By being consistent and doing what you love will win over customers that will stay loyal to your brand.
3. Don’t grow for the sake of growing. Expanding a business should always be a well thought out plan. Adding products or services to your offerings will only bring you more work, stress and sleepless nights, and who wants that? Concentrate on your niche and what makes you stand out from the competition. Trends come and go, and you should keep up on new and exciting advancements and new technologies, but don’t get distracted by going into a rabbit hole of creating something that is not in line with your overall vision. Less is more.
4. Failing to know your customer. If you don’t know who your customer is, how can you sell it to them. Spell out in detail who that person is, know their likes, their dislikes, their shopping habits, interest, and hobbies, how they spend their time and with who. Where do they shop or how do they like to spend their money? Are they affiliated with any specific causes or social movements? It all plays an important role in how you present your brand and your future expansion and growth.
5. You will get tired…and it’s ok. Life and work balance takes practice and cannot be mastered, and it should not be attempted. Knowing when to take a break will provide a new perspective, maybe even spark new ideas and the inspiration for what to do next or how to do something better.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Sustainability means a lot more to us than making efforts in terms of packaging or ingredients. This has been on the forefront for us in the last few years as we see how it is impacting our environment around us. At the peak of ecommerce, consumerism, and immediate availability of many exotic ingredients it’s evident to us that some resources are being mishandled or overused. While we search for innovative, new materials we see a need to improve how they are sourced and who’s responsible for the production.
Also, we want to break the stigma of talking about bodily functions. We are very open and welcome talking about sweating and body odor to normalize it and not make it a taboo subject anymore. Our hope is that this will lead to creating open and honest conversations about keeping your mind and body healthy.
Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Vickie Kloeris of Institute of Food Technologists On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience
An Interview With Candice Georgiadice
Networking is key. Networking through IFT not only landed me my job with NASA, but also set me up for success throughout my entire career. The food system at NASA is only one very small portion of the well-oiled machine that successfully launches people into space. It took cooperation and coordination from a lot of different people. I learned that, to be successful, I had to establish relationships with those around me and that when you go out of your way to help someone out, they’ll likely return the favor.
As a part of my series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Vickie Kloeris.
Vickie Kloeris recently retired from NASA where she worked in space food systems for 34 years. She authored and co-authored numerous publications and received several awards, including NASA’s highest award, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 2019. During her career, she was twice awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and received the Johnson Space Center Director’s Commendation Award. In 2017, she was given an Outstanding Alumni Award by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences by her alma mater, Texas A&M University, where she holds a BS in Microbiology and an MS in Food Science.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I was a microbiology major in my senior year of college about to register for my last semester and was one hour short of the required hours of microbiology electives. My advisor in the College of Science at Texas A&M suggested that I get with one of my professors and arrange to do a “white paper” for that hour. I saw a Food Microbiology course in the College of Agriculture that was on the approved list. My advisor argued against it wondering why I would want to take a four-hour course that included a lab. I insisted because I wanted the challenge and liked the idea of something different. That course gave me a keen interest in the application of microbiology to food processing and preservation and led to graduate work in food science.
My specific career with space food came as a result of my membership with the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). I was drawn to become a member, not only to get a better deal on a hotel at my first IFT annual meeting, but because the organization offered a breadth of research, learning resources, networking opportunities, and events that would help me become a stronger science of food professional. When I got my first food science job in Houston, TX, I began to attend meetings of the local section of IFT. At those meetings, I met food scientists who worked at NASA. I thought that working with the space food system had to be the most fascinating job a food scientist could have, so I asked them to reach out if they ever had an opening. About 18 months later, I got a call, interviewed, and became a contractor food scientist in the food lab at Johnson Space Center (JSC) leading to a 34-year career in space food.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
No day was ever the same while working in the space program, so I have lots of interesting stories, but I do vividly remember one day sitting at my desk when the phone rang. I picked it up, started talking and it took me a few minutes to realize that I was speaking directly with one of the astronauts who was on the International Space Station (ISS). Crew members had recently gotten the capability to “phone home” so he was calling to thank me for some of the special items we sent in his preference food container. It was one of those rare history-defining moments and I was so taken by surprise that I was practically speechless resulting in a pretty awkward conversation!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
One of the assignments I received during my tenure as a contractor in the food lab was to test a prototype food package that was under development. This involved flying the package on the KC-135, better known in the industry as the Vomit Comet. The plane would fly from Ellington Field near the Johnson Space Center and would go out over the Gulf of Mexico. Once over the Gulf, the plane would fly parabolas where the pilot performs a specific maneuver resulting in a brief period of microgravity. As one of the few ways to simulate weightlessness on Earth, it allows us to test the prototype package as it would be used in space. The name Vomit Comet reflected the fact that many who flew experienced severe nausea due to reactions of the inner ear. Medications were available to take preflight to reduce symptoms, but I made the mistake of listening to my coworker who said that for my first time I should experience it without medication. I hesitated, but I convinced myself I could handle it and wanted to appear tough. After about 40 parabolas, I ended up being so sick that I lost five pounds from what I weighed that morning! Although I made two subsequent flights on the KC-135, I never again made the mistake of going without medication. I was never one of the folks who felt good enough to do somersaults at the top of the parabola, but I did manage to do the testing and make it through the next two flights vomit-free.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Although I am now retired, I think NASA stands out as a company by the unifying nature of space travel — it brings people together from all around the world and gives us something to root for despite our differences. Throughout my travels with NASA, I’ve always found that my international counterparts were really no different to me and just hardworking scientists who wanted to support the cosmonauts to the best of their ability. NASA, and space, have a special ability to draw people and nations together.
I’ve also been involved with the Institute of Food Technologists for 40 years. The members who make up this organization, spanning across food science and innovation, play an important role in solving issues facing our food system, including food security. According to the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, 38.3 million people in the U.S. lived in food-insecure households in 2020, including 6.1 million children. And a Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations report confirmed that nearly 2.4 billion people — almost one in three — faced food insecurity at the moderate or severe level in 2020. At IFT, the community works collectively to solve increasingly complex problems in our food system. We provide an essential space for food scientists and innovators in pursuit of knowledge and discovery to network, collaborate, improve themselves, and advance our profession.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I am currently serving as President of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) which is a member-based organization dedicated to improving the global food system by eliminating food inequity and developing a safe, sustainable, and nutritious food supply. Within my role at IFT, I chair the Board of Directors and am laser-focused on finding better ways to serve IFT’s members as the science of food continues to evolve.
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Are you currently satisfied with the status quo regarding women in STEM? What specific changes do you think are needed to change the status quo?
I think there are still far too many young girls and women intimidated by studying STEM-related subjects or considering STEM careers. It’s been a long, long time since I was in high school, but I can attest to the fact that back in those days, counselors did not encourage women to pursue STEM careers. To get more women involved in STEM, it’s critical that the people female students look to for advice are including STEM careers as an option. I also think it’s important for women in STEM to encourage and mentor younger females in the field. The more women they see in STEM careers, the easier it will be to envision themselves in those same types of jobs.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women in STEM or Tech that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts? What would you suggest to address this?
I think that working women who have children are often assumed to have too many obligations and distractions to be able to be dedicated employees or leaders. I was once, years ago, asked in an interview about my intentions regarding marriage and children. I think that the implementation of family leave, which includes leave for fathers, has helped slightly to dispel this misconception, but there is still a lot of work to be done in this area. Additionally, there is often salary disparity between men and women in the same job. To combat this, IFT has begun conducting salary surveys for its employees to encourage transparency, credibility, and ultimately action within the industry. Continuing to present this type of data demonstrates this disparity while giving women a proof point when negotiating for higher wages. I would encourage women to take initiative and ask for better wages and benefits from their employers.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a woman in STEM or Tech. Can you explain what you mean?
I think there is still a bias that women can’t be as strong of a leader as a man can. However, as more and more women continue to assume more significant leadership roles, this will help disprove that myth and hopefully empower women to aspire to these types of positions.
What are your “5 Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Experience as a Woman in STEM or Tech” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
Networking is key. Networking through IFT not only landed me my job with NASA, but also set me up for success throughout my entire career. The food system at NASA is only one very small portion of the well-oiled machine that successfully launches people into space. It took cooperation and coordination from a lot of different people. I learned that, to be successful, I had to establish relationships with those around me and that when you go out of your way to help someone out, they’ll likely return the favor.
Take advantage of every training opportunity that comes your way. NASA is particularly big on training. At the beginning of my career, the availability of internal training was often limited to technical and safety training rather than leadership training. Over the years that changed significantly, and I took advantage of as much leadership training as time allowed and feel I benefited a great deal from that.
Volunteering can provide you with unexpected opportunities that make you a better leader. Early on in my career, I was encouraged by one of the managers at NASA to join the Johnson Space Center National Management Association and I owe her greatly for that. Once I became a member, I volunteered for various tasks in the organization which allowed me to be around and work with higher-level managers that I would never have crossed paths with at that point in my career. I learned a lot about leadership by hearing their points of view and seeing their thought processes on a variety of topics discussed within the organization.
Change can be hard. I started at NASA early in the Shuttle program — 16 of the 135 Shuttle flights had flown before I came on board. Despite this, there was already an established way in which things were done. Over the years, many changes to the food system took place and were almost always met with resistance. However, change is necessary if we want to advance and continue growing.
Diverse workforces create meaningful impacts. When you bring together diverse voices and experiences, good things can happen. Inclusive environments encourage employee empowerment, enhanced problem-solving and improved performance. On the contrary, when we limit the people included in the decision-making process to those of like-minds or like-appearance, we exclude valuable points of view and expertise that could enable better decisions. In 1994, Dr. Carolyn Huntoon became the first female center director at JSC. She not only represented a shift in diversity being a woman, but she was also a scientist instead of the usual engineer.
What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?
Encourage your team members to network within the company and externally through other organizations like professional or community organizations. It is critically important for individual team members, both for their own and for the broader group’s success, to build and nurture a professional network.
What advice would you give to other women leaders about the best way to manage a large team?
Trust your team and don’t be afraid to delegate. Throughout my career, I learned that delegating responsibility and tasks plays an important role in your team members’ growth. I used to have a tendency to want to do things myself or to micro-manage for fear of things slipping through the cracks. I quickly learned I could not do everything myself and had to rely on my team, but to grow a reliable team required delegation. The delegation process can sometimes be painful, and mistakes will be made, but it is the only way your team will learn to make better decisions.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I am grateful for my first boss at NASA: the late Dr. Charles Bourland. When I first started the role, he was a food scientist and the contractor manager of the food lab at Johnson Space Center but later became the civil servant manager of the International Space Station food system. After I had been a contractor for four years, an opportunity came up to manage the Shuttle food system. NASA management sent Dr. Bourland to persuade me to take it but wanted me to assume that role as a contractor rather than hiring me as a civil servant. I pointed out to him that if I took the job, I would have to switch to a lower salary and fewer benefits so he went back to his NASA management and convinced them to offer me the civil servant manager position instead. I owe him greatly for giving me the start to my civil service career and that was just one of the many times he helped me, serving as a mentor to me throughout the years until his retirement.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I love doing career outreach, especially with students. Outreach was a huge part of my job at NASA. There has always been tremendous interest in what the astronauts eat in space. A significant part of my job was conducting tours for visitors to the food lab and briefing them on the space food system and answering their questions. I learned that I enjoyed outreach and so became a volunteer for the Johnson Space Center Speakers Bureau. As a volunteer, I spoke on numerous occasions to students about my job and food science as a career. Although I can’t know for sure, I hope that I have inspired some students along the way. As a volunteer for IFT, I have been a contributor to and served in a leadership role in Feeding Tomorrow, the charitable foundation of IFT. This foundation works to attract students to food science as a career, supports food science students with scholarships, and works to provide food science expertise to developing countries around the world.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
A movement that would eliminate food inequity in the world. People cannot succeed when they are without food or inadequately nourished.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I would be remiss if I didn’t admit that I was sometimes guilty of not living up to this quote, but I almost always found if I treated others well, they would do the same.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
A few female scientists that I find particularly inspiring are primatologist and environmental activist Jane Goodall; marine biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson, who is credited with revolutionizing the modern environmental movement; and NASA physicist and mathematician Katherine Johnson, whose calculations of orbital mechanics were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S.-crewed spaceflights.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Saray Ben-Meir of SQream On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Don’t apologize for thinking or acting differently than men. Many times, women see/judge/operate in a different way which might give them an advantage.
As a part of my series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Saray Ben Meir.
Saray Ben-Meir, Chief-of-Staff and Corporate Innovation at SQream
As SQream’s Chief-of-Staff, Saray works across teams to ensure alignment on broad and strategic initiatives across the company, building partnerships, leading organizational changes and leadership design, driving constant process improvement, and ensuring the organization abides by its cultural values. Saray brings over two-decades of experience in the hi-tech industry, in both corporate and startup organizations, in Israel and abroad.
Saray also serves on SQream’s Executive Innovation Team, which envisions and incubates SQream’s next-generation products, creates partnerships with strategic stakeholders, and integrates those projects into the work stream of the company.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I started my career in human resources roles. I first became responsible for developing cross-functional teams of tech and business professionals when the Canadian start-up that I joined was acquired. I was responsible for identifying experts from both companies who had complementary skills to design a new organization that would take our joint offering to the next level.
Since then, I’ve been working at technology companies exploring ways to accelerate innovation by fostering an intrapreneurial spirit.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
As Head of Corporate Innovation, I’m responsible for facilitating strategic initiatives that require multi-disciplinary talents combined with out of the box thinking. Three years ago, our CTO came up with the disruptive idea to create “SQream Nano”, a very small device that processes heavy data analytics. Since the product was for a different market than our typical customers, we created a “squad” responsible for mapping the solution to different verticals to see where there is the most significant need. I developed discovery sessions based on my personal network of experts to explore IoT and automotive use cases including smart city applications and others.
We worked as a task force from incubation until it was ready to become an official item in our product portfolio.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I was trying to head hunt a CUDA developer when I just joined SQream, as this was a very hard skill to find. Without realizing it, l approached someone who by chance worked for a partner of ours. Our CEO told me the day after, “You did a great job finding the best CUDA guy in the industry, however you caused a serious “diplomatic incident” with this partner. This taught me that the industry is an ecosystem we should treat very carefully and wisely.
My way of operating is to have a win-win approach where all parties involved come out ahead, and not to burn bridges.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Our end goal is helping companies make better decisions, by improving the efficiency of their data processing at a very large scale. We took upon ourselves a very ambitious mission with technical complexities that huge companies struggle to overcome. I’ve been with SQream for almost 8 years and our biggest differentiator is our team’s determination and belief that we can meet any challenge. So many things along the way could have stopped us, but we didn’t give up.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
We are constantly working on minimizing the time to insight for decision makers. I am especially proud of how our technology is able to accelerate cancer research by increasing the amount of data that can be analyzed while reducing the time to reach meaningful results.
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Are you currently satisfied with the status quo regarding women in STEM? What specific changes do you think are needed to change the status quo?
I am happy to say that I see a larger number of women in the tech industry. Schools are making more of an effort to expose girls to technical fields from an early age, which will pave their way to the tech industry later on.
However, despite this positive change, I believe that it will take another decade or so until we will see 50% representation of women in tech companies.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women in STEM or Tech that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts? What would you suggest to address this?
The most known and spoken about challenge is combining a meaningful career with being a parent. The tech industry is well known for its demanding working hours and some women are concerned about balancing professional and personal life.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a woman in STEM or Tech. Can you explain what you mean?
My background is not technical, but I always worked with very technical professionals, I’ve always strived to learn and dive into the details and understand deeply what we do. Along my career I had situations where technical people were reluctant at first to trust that I would understand their answers.
Very quickly, however, they discover that due to my natural curiosity, passion for learning, and my different perspective focused on people throughout the organization, I can provide valuable input that can be an asset.
From my experience, listening, analyzing, finding practical solutions that will get the job done earns me respect from those who might initially question my authority.
What are your “5 Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Experience as a Woman in STEM or Tech” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
1. Be a good listener
2. Invest in creating good relationships with your stakeholders and then you can make a greater impact.
3. Don’t apologize for thinking or acting differently than men. Many times, women see/judge/operate in a different way which might give them an advantage.
4. As a leader you cannot satisfy everyone, learn to live with criticism from those who are not in agreement with you.
5. Don’t compromise on being a meaningful parent while building your career.
What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?
You will be judged on your results, so excel in whatever you do.
Don’t expect any special favors and don’t take shortcuts.
Speak your mind! Don’t be afraid to voice your thoughts and opinions. Even if you make a mistake, learn from it and try again, don’t let anyone stop you. By having a different perspective, you can contribute to a new discovery.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Each of my managers through the years has had a significant role in making me who I am. I was lucky to have managers who opened their door for me, gave me the confidence and the freedom to take bold actions and push things forward, while exposing me to various domains from which I’ve learned a lot. I also owe some credit to those who were honest and told me along the way I can’t succeed — perhaps without intending to, they pushed me forward no less than those people who believed in me.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I have been volunteering for years in various diverse projects. I try to share my experiences, knowledge and motivation with people who have limited excess to the tech world or to the business world. Also in SQream, one of the things I’m proud of, is that we do a lot to open our gates to diverse talent — for example, we coach young students and support them through their first steps in the tech industry.
You are a person of influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would have like to spread the work culture of the tech industry to other sectors who operate in a very “old school” management style by not empowering individuals and striving for excellence and innovation. I would like to see sectors like education, healthcare, or industrial become more influenced by this culture and to give the people who work in that industry a healthier environment where they can prosper.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My personal role model is the philosopher and writer Ayn Rand because of her belief in individualism and excellence over mediocrity. My favorite quote of hers is — The question is not who is going to let me — but who is going to stop me.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
I would love to meet professor Itzhak Adizes whom I read and followed for many years and feed my brain with his many important insights. As a Jewish child during World Ward II, Adizes hid in Albania as a Muslim for protection and then in 1948, Adizes moved with his family to Israel, where he served in the Israel Defense Forces. After completing his undergraduate education, he moved to the United States where he obtained a doctorate degree in business from Columbia University. He is well known for developing the PAEI management model in early 1970s, that categorizes managers into four key roles, Producer, Administrator, Entrepreneur and Integrator.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Modern Fashion: Mark Kohlenberg of Moral Code On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Have a bias for action. Speed matters. Tenacity matters. You can win business and customers just by executing correctly when your competitors don’t. Master the simple things.
Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?
In our series called, “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”
As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Mark Kohlenberg.
Mark Kohlenberg is the founder of Moral Code and Milwaukee Boot Company, as well as the founding partner and CEO of WDM Footwear and Accessories. He is a veteran of multiple start-ups and has a long entrepreneurial history with leading consumer brands in the fashion and footwear arena.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
I grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. We were a lower middle class Jewish family in a blue collar community. My dad was a plumber and my mom was a housewife. Most of my classmates chose not to go to college, but my parents instilled the value of a great education and also giving back to others. I saw how hard my Dad had to work to earn a living — manual, dirty, physical work, oftentimes outside in the winter. This convinced me I needed to get a good education and find a future outside of my hometown.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
When I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the job market was terrible. I had a Political Science degree. The only companies recruiting were Department Stores. The May Company was recruiting at Big Ten schools and offered me a position in their Executive Training Program.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
There have been many. I think one that stands out is when I had been trying to get the attention of “The Sharper Image” catalog when I was running Elefanten. In those days it was the pinnacle of Conspicuous Consumption and really put a brand on the map. I had contacted them many times and got nowhere. Eventually, I found out the name and phone number for the CEO, Richard Thalheimer’s assistant. After several calls to her, she got to know me and started to think I was one of Richard’s friends. One night I was in New York in my hotel room for the FFANY show and my phone rang. It was Richard Thalheimer talking to me like we were old friends. A week later I flew out to San Francisco, met with his team and my shoes ended up on the cover of the Sharper Image catalog.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Integrity — I think nothing else matters if a leader lacks integrity. Even if my customer over orders, over pays, makes a mistake in my favor — I have a responsibility to be truthful with them and make them aware of any errors.
Tenacity — Tenacity is something I live and breathe. In all of my jobs I have always had to prove myself. Nothing was ever easy and I was never handed anything. Tenacity is a trait that is an equalizer. If you continue to push and persevere even when you have self-doubt or don’t think you can continue, you always have an opportunity to compete and win.
Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable — My old friend from Green Bay, Harvey Kanter wrote a book with this title. It took me a long time to do this but it has served me well. Be comfortable asking the hard questions. Be comfortable speaking up when others won’t. Be comfortable asking for the sale.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
My current company is a bit unusual in the footwear/accessory world in that we are vertically integrated and produce all of our own products in our own factories on site. 95% of the footwear and accessories produced in the world are done by third party manufacturers. This is a big advantage as we can be faster and more efficient than a contract manufacturer and control our own quality. This has been a big advantage in our Private Label business.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
I try to live by Never Give Up. I have pioneered a lot of brands trying to enter the US market. There is no lack of anything in our market so you have to have a great brand with quality and workmanship. Every day there are doors slammed in my face but if you have confidence in your product/service-tomorrow is a new day with a new door.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?
Brands that stand for something and take a position on issues. Being able to select a brand that have values that align with your own.
Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?
We have taken steps in the Sustainability area that are meaningful. We pay our workers fair wages and provide a safe and comfortable environment for them to work.
Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?
We operate our own tannery, our own outsole factory, our own footwear and accessory factories so many oft he materials that most brands have to source from third parties, we are able to manage internally. When we work with outside suppliers we build long term relationships with ethical suppliers that produce safe materials.
Fast fashion has an advantage, that it is affordable for most people, but it also has the drawback that it does not last very long and is therefore not very sustainable. What are your thoughts about this? How does your company address this question?
We don’t produce fast fashion and never will. This type of fashion is the equivalent of plastic grocery bags. They end up in landfills and never go away. We produce long lasting products that can be used for years (and oftentimes even reconditioned for many additional years). We believe in buying less quantity and higher quality to avoid filling landfills with cheap footwear or accessories.
Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.
Have a great product. Without a quality, compelling product-nothing else matters.
Tell your story. You have to work to separate your brand from the pack and differentiate your story.
Actively manage your supply chain. Know your factories. Build relationships with them. Make them want to do business with you. When times get tough, relationships can save you.
Hire for passion. Skills and knowledge can be taught. Passion from your team is something they have or they don’t.
Have a bias for action. Speed matters. Tenacity matters. You can win business and customers just by executing correctly when your competitors don’t. Master the simple things.
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
Diversity/Inclusion. Go out of your way to mentor others. Help people find jobs. Make introductions and open doors for people. Pay it forward.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Kindness. Tolerance. Acceptance. I am very concerned about the polarization of people, opinion and viewpoints in our country. Notably LGBTQ rights, Women’s‘ right to choose and Voting Rights. Diversity, inclusion, equality and tolerance should be pillars of business leadership and are under threat in our country.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
They can follow me on my LinkedIn!
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Women In Wellness: Rebecca Parekh and Sarrah Hallock On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Move a little every day. If you can’t squeeze in a workout in, take a walking meeting, stretch off the side of the couch while you are watching TV, take a walk after dinner. Just move.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rebecca Parekh and Sarrah Hallock.
Rebecca Parekh is the Co-Founder and CEO of THE WELL, a New York City based wellness provider pioneering a new way to care for your health. Before transitioning to the health and wellness sector, Parekh spent 10 years at Deutsche Bank Securities, focused primarily on structured credit, covering hedge funds and private equity firms as Head of the US Private Institutional Client Group and Head of Cross Product Sales. She is on the Board of Directors of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation and was previously the COO for Deepak Chopra Radical Well-Being.
Sarrah Hallock is the Co-Founder and COO of THE WELL. Prior to founding THE WELL, she was the Brand Director for vitaminwater, where she oversaw triple digit growth from the brand’s inception through to the sale to The Coca Cola Company. Hallock was also former VP of Marketing and investor for bai, an enhanced water beverage that was sold to Dr Pepper Snapple Group, and WTRMLN WTR before earning health coaching certifications from Duke Integrative Medicine and the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
Rebecca Parekh: I’ve always been interested in wellness. In fact, I took my first yoga class in utero — my mom was the teacher! But before dedicating myself to the health and wellness industry professionally, I spent a decade in finance working at Deutsche Bank Securities where I was Head of Cross Product Sales and Head of the US Private Institutional Client Group.
I later became COO of Deepak Chopra Radical Well-Being, which was a big step toward my ultimate professional goal — CoFounding THE WELL, where I serve as CoFounder and CEO. I envisioned a better way for people to care for themselves — with an integrated, personalized approach. Nobody was tackling the flaws in our fragmented healthcare system quite this way, so I decided to take it on.
I’m also deeply interested in the intersection of food and health, which is what inspired me to become an advisor to the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Entrepreneurship Program. In addition, I serve on the Board of Directors for Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation along with several non-profit organizations, including Breakout Foundation and LIFE Camp.
Sarrah Hallock: My own personal health struggles with Hashimoto’s Disease are what started me on my wellness journey about 15 years ago. I experienced first-hand how finding the root-cause of symptoms and treating them holistically is critical to healing. That foundational truth is at the core of what we do at THE WELL, where I am CoFounder and COO.
Prior to starting THE WELL, I spent the bulk of my career in branding and marketing. I’ve served as Brand Director for Vitaminwater, overseeing triple-digit growth and the multibillion-dollar sale to The Coca Cola Company. I’ve held VP of Marketing positions for both bai, an enhanced water beverage, and WTRMLN WTR. I’ve also advised and invested in many other consumer brands. Eventually I left my career in marketing to earn health coaching certifications from Duke Integrative Medicine and the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
Rebecca Parekh: In 2011 I took a trip to Tanzania with Jane Goodall and her organization JGI. I studied Biological Anthropology and was deeply inspired by Jane and her life’s work. As one of the world’s most dedicated conservationists, it was fascinating to see how she approached protecting chimpanzees and their natural worlds. She identified the drivers behind deforestation and poaching — two of the largest threats to chimpanzees — and started problem solving creatively and holistically. For example, JGI set up family planning clinics to help Tanzanians manage how many mouths they were desperate to feed since chimps were sometimes being killed for bushmeat.
Chimps are also valuable on the exotic animal trade market, so JGI developed coffee farms to provide good-paying jobs and eliminate the need to resort to this terrible trade. They planted quick growing forests where trees could be used for building homes and firewood, thereby preserving the slow growth canopy and its nutrient dense leaves which chimps relied on for both nourishment and habitat. Jane looked at systemic issues, addressed them head on and worked to provide alternatives. Seeing that really shaped my approach to problem solving and inspired me to look at the root cause of systemic issues to find sustainable solutions.”
Sarrah Hallock: It’s going to sound strange, but getting sick is the best thing that ever happened to me. It forced me to get serious — and curious — about my own health, and that in turn changed the trajectory of my career. It motivated me to become a certified health coach and planted the seed for creating an integrated wellness experience.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Rebecca Parekh: I wish I had followed the adage: ‘Start before you’re ready.’ I wouldn’t say it was a mistake, per se, but I do sometimes regret not starting THE WELL in 2010, when I first had the idea. That said, I try to grow from so-called missed opportunities. Hindsight is always 20/20, and I trust that things are unfolding as they are meant to. Still, next time, I’d start sooner!
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
Sarrah Hallock: One of the most frustrating parts of traditional healthcare is how often those institutions and their practitioners dismiss patients’ concerns or suffering because they don’t see a textbook etiology of a problem. This happens to women most often. What we’re doing at THE WELL is modeling a better system and creating awareness and community for people who might otherwise be ignored. We practice functional medicine, which again, looks at the root cause of a problem and treats the whole person, taking into consideration things such as diet, stress level, gut health and more.Research has proven the effectiveness of this approach, but mainstream institutions have been tragically slow to adopt it.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
Sarrah Hallock:
1). Drink water as soon as soon as you wake up to flush out toxins and rehydrate your cells. (Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water on a daily basis.)
2). Get exposure to natural light (or use a light-therapy box) soon after rising to trigger your brain to release chemicals that regulate sleep cycles.
3). Prioritize getting enough sleep at the expense of almost everything else — Netflix, social media, work, socializing, sex. Well, maybe not sex.
4). Move a little every day. If you can’t squeeze in a workout in, take a walking meeting, stretch off the side of the couch while you are watching TV, take a walk after dinner. Just move.
5.) Nourish your gut. The health of your microbiome impacts so many aspects of health — immunity, mood, skin health, weight management and more. Eat probiotic foods that nourish your gut and steer clear of ones that harm it, like sugar.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Sarrah Hallock:
1). Everyone has an opinion about what you should do — and that can take you down a lot of different paths. Find your trusted advisors and tune out the noise.
2). Your business plan is a roadmap, but many of your early assumptions may not hold true and that’s alright. Pivoting is part of the process.
3). Focus is everything. There is no shortage of good ideas, but you have to stay maniacally focused on your mission in order to bring it to life.
4). Ask for what you want. In general, people don’t hand out opportunities — you need to go after them with some gusto.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Rebecca Parekh: I can’t pick one because many of them are inter-connected. For example, I am mostly a plant-based eater. We know that factory farming is damaging to the environment because of the amount of methane gas it generates, which is contributing to the climate crisis. A warmer world, in turn, spurs droughts, pests and makes it difficult to grow certain crops. We can’t sustain life the way we’re going, so we need to re-evaluate the entire system. That’s my general thesis in life — we have to care about the whole, not just certain parts.
Sarrah Hallock: One of the most pressing, universal issues is the mental health crisis. The pandemic has taken a toll on just about everyone, everywhere — our team is no exception. So on a company level, we were very thoughtful and intentional with our re-opening process to ensure that everyone felt safe and supported. We produce editorial and social content that focuses on mental health issues and how to ameliorate them in a 360-degree way. Mental health challenges are at an epidemic level and we need to treat them with every tool we have access to, without an ounce of judgment.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Rebecca Parekh: I think we should be covering the wider array of wellness (nutrition, emotional trauma, soil health, etc) from grade school curriculums to medical school training. We need to start the education process much younger and include science-backed techniques, such as mindfulness and meditation. In his book Mindful Nation, former presidential candidate Tim Ryan talks about how we ask kids to pay attention but don’t teach them how. Managing stress and emotions, learning how to nourish our bodies and care for our community, these are life skills that we should be talking about in all forums at all ages. When you look at what’s happening in our country — a skyrocketing mental health crises and widespread chronic illness — we can’t afford for wellness to be fringe. The need is too urgent and dire.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Modern Fashion: John Gray Of 1000 Kingdoms On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today
An Interview With Candice Georgiadice
Another extremely important element for leaders of fashion brands is the need to be persistent. Not every product is going to sell well, and not every quarter or year will be better than the previous one. Do not get discouraged. Take an unemotional approach to problem solving and work diligently to find areas of improvement. If something fails, it may only need a few tweaks before it can turn around and become successful, and persistence is the key to this turnaround. No fashion brand ever became successful without an extremely high level of persistence from its leaders.
Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?
In our series called, “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”
As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing John Gray.
John Gray is the Managing Director of 1000 Kingdoms, a Men’s sleep and loungewear fashion brand whose products are made from 100% silk fabric. John has business experience over a range of industries and has been involved in the textile and fashion industry for nearly a decade.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
I was born in Vancouver Canada, and then spent most of my childhood growing up in the Canadian Prairie cities of Winnipeg and Calgary. My Father was moving to different regions of Canada for work and so the family moved city to city as well, usually in 4 year intervals. By the time high school came around we had moved back to Vancouver, which is where I finished high school, graduated university, and remained until 2013.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
My path to this point has been a bit peculiar, as most of us could probably say. My business journey really started when I purchased a small logistics company a few years after I had graduated university.
Operating a logistics business is interesting because you have access to a broad range of companies warehouses doing business across a diverse set of industries. When you’re in a company’s warehouse to get to learn about their production lines, their storage facilities, which products they sell, how much they sell, who they are selling to, and where they are buying from. I learned a lot about business during these years, not only because I was operating my own business, but also because I was observant and curious about the businesses I was serving.
In the course of operating this company I happened to work with many Chinese business owners, which is no surprise since 21% of Vancouver’s population is ethnically Chinese. So one day I decided to start taking Chinese lessons on the weekends because I thought it would be a good way to communicate with some of my customers.
As all this is taking place, the Chinese economy had been growing at a frantic pace of around 10% GDP per year. Being an ambitious 25 year old who was starting to speak pretty good Chinese, I decided to sell my flourishing logistics business so I could roll the dice in China where everybody seemed to be profiting.
Fast forward to 2013 and I am now living in Shanghai, getting started in the export industry. I created a trading company and started exporting a range of products back to many of the customers that I had originally met through the logistics business. My business continued to grow and as my time in China went on I had begun to take a keen interest in fashion, and had amassed an immense collection of tailor made clothing; particularly suits, jackets, and shirts. I had also come to work with many men’s fashion retailers and was sourcing products or managing projects in China for them.
It was during this period that I first met the love of my life. Silk. The colors were so vibrant, the sheen was so bright, the fabric was so smooth, and the feel was so luxurious. The more I learned about silk the more I fell in love with it. It was a natural, hypoallergenic, and ancient fabric that has a long history dating back to the year 3000 BC.
I started wearing silk all the time, with every outfit. And just like that, through my love for silk and my obsession with men’s fashion, paired with all the knowledge and wisdom I had picked up from my apparel clients in the trading business, 1000 Kingdoms was born. I hired a designer, started touring silk production facilities, found the right manufacturing plant, and got to work.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
The most interesting aspect of my career that took place since I started 1000 Kingdoms is, by far, learning about SEO. When I say learning about SEO, I mean really learning about SEO, because most of the “SEO professionals” out there unfortunately have no idea what they are talking about. SEO is an extremely vast, dynamic, and complex space that requires a lot of attention, especially in the internet era and particularly since the pandemic began.
I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on SEO and working with experts in the field, to not only develop the business but to also expand my personal knowledge as well.
3 years ago I did not expect to have large portions of my day taken up by work and meetings relating to SEO. The time spent focusing on SEO is well spent and it’s been an incredibly interesting and rewarding learning journey.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
The first and most important character trait that I think anyone can have is the willingness to be yourself. The ability to truly be yourself manifests itself in a number of different ways, and one of the most important things I think it leads to is passion. If you are true to yourself you will end up doing something that you are extremely passionate about and devoted to. Without an extreme level of passion for the fashion industry, or whatever business you wish to enter, it will be difficult to overcome the intense competition and obstacles that will inevitably come your way. Being yourself also makes you more likable, and likeability is a big contributor to success in business. When I am trying to sell our merchandise to an owner of a retail store, the more they like me, the more willing they are to work with me. Be yourself and good things will happen.
The second character trait that has helped in my success is having the ability to be a team player.
I’ve always understood the value of teamwork and how it applies to business. Your business is only as strong as the relationships you have with your employees, vendors, manufacturers, and retailers. Being a team player has been of tremendous value to me, and has helped me overcome many difficult obstacles. When everyone involved in a project shares the same common goal, zeal, and lack of ego, it makes things a whole lot smoother. With the current global supply chain issues it forces our company to work as a team with individuals from our silk vendors, production center, shipping partners, and retailers, to make sure we are adequately meeting the challenges currently facing us.
The last character trait is something that most people consider to be a negative, but I actually consider to be a positive, and that character trait is impatience. Being impatient doesn’t mean getting angry. Being impatient means you have high standards for the speed and efficiency of how things are executed. Patient people never never get anything done because they are content to wait around and accept missed deadlines.
Impatient people are constantly looking for ways to make systems and processes more dynamic, efficient, and effective. The fashion industry requires you to set strict deadlines for things like design, production, and marketing, because one delay in any of those areas can end up having a negative and severe domino effect. Being too patient can quickly lead to lingering delays and missed deadlines, which is why I like to remain impatient as it relates to business.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
1000 Kingdoms stands out because of its affordability. Silk has only been accessible to a small demographic because the high prices placed most buyers out of the market. We want all men to be able to experience the luxuries and comforts of silk, which is why we offer our silk pajamas for the most affordable prices possible.
When you love something as much as I love silk, it is really gratifying to see other individuals get introduced to and subsequently fall in love with it as well. I think because of our affordable prices we have been able to reach a wider audience that would not typically be in the market for a pair of 100% silk pajamas.
In this market buyers are careful with how they spend their money and also have the ability to quickly compare prices across the web. With these buyers being so price conscious it is important to sell your products at a reasonable and affordable price, especially if you are a newcomer.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
I recently read a story that Jay Shetty shared in his book “Think Like a Monk” that describes a Taoist farmer and how he reacts to different situations in life. The moral of the story is that the farmer reacts indifferently to any good or bad situations that occur in his life. He doesn’t get too high during the good times, and he doesn’t get too low during the bad times. The farmer embraces uncertainty, lets go of the past, focuses on the present, and cultivates inner peace.
We’ve all seen the twists and turns that life can throw our way, especially over the last 2.5 years. For me, because of this story about the Taoist Farmer I was able to understand that we never truly know what’s around the next corner, so don’t judge the moment, because some of the worst situations in life are directly followed by some of the best situations in life, and vice versa.
I read Shetty’s book while we were deep in the middle of the pandemic, around September 2020. During this time business owners in a variety of industries saw their revenue dry up and maintaining their businesses seemed like a hopeless wish. Then as the pandemic continued to progress, a lot of those same hopeless business owners began to see new lucrative opportunities emerge and some began to thrive to an even greater degree than before.
This taught me to not get too high or too low in the moment. Focus on what you can do today in order to maximize the strength of your business, don’t worry about the unknown challenges of tomorrow, and don’t hang your head about the losses of the past.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?
One of the developments in the fashion industry that I’m excited about is the consumer’s willingness to take risks and try new things. You are starting to see a lot of innovation and variety amongst new products in the fashion industry, and they have been very well received by consumers. I think I first started to notice this within the footwear industry. Some of the new shoes are totally unlike anything the market has ever seen before, and a lot of those unique designs have become the standard and are being widely imitated by competing brands.
This willingness to try new things is showing itself in the clothing market as well, as we are seeing the reemergence of garments containing more eccentric designs, patterns, and colors. At 1000 Kingdoms we like this trend because silk is meant to be an over-the-top, eccentric type of fabric. Silk absorbs color better than almost any other fabric, and its dazzling sheen brings these sparkling colors to life. Silk clothing is known for its flashy printed patterns and designs, which makes it an ideal product to be selling during this colorful period in fashion.
Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?
1000 Kingdoms uses natural environmentally friendly 100% silk fibers to produce our pajama sets, which means we are minimizing our environmental impact. One of the biggest problems in the fashion industry is the negative effect it has had on our rivers and oceans. We want to produce our clothing sustainably and with the smallest environmental impact as possible.
We also believe in the importance of a good night’s sleep. Getting good quality sleep is important not only for your health, but also for your career and personal life. We all know the effect a few nights of bad sleep can have on our lives. It makes us cranky, tired, unproductive, and more likely to get sick. Things can start to feel like they are falling apart once you are slightly sleep deprived.
We truly believe that our silk pajamas will help customers to get a deeper and more restful sleep, which leads to better health, a better life, and more goodness in the world!
Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?
Coming from a product manufacturing and trading background, I was very particular about the types of vendors that we identified and chose to work with. I visit factories personally, and choose my production partners carefully based on a range of different criteria.
One of the most important things I look for when I visit a factory, and something that tells me a lot about how the factory is being run, is the level of happiness and morale amongst the production workers.
Working in a production center is a tough job, and some bosses can under-staff and over-work their factory employees. When I see that a factory’s production staff has a high level of morale, it immediately indicates two important things to me.
One is that the bosses are good, fair, and equitable people that could potentially be good business partners to work with.
The second is that the factory will be consistent in the quality of work they perform.. Production employees with a low sense of morale tend to quit more often, which leads to higher staff turnover and a lower quality product. Overworked production staff also tend to rush through tasks in order to keep up with the heavy workload, which again leads to a lower quality output. Treating your production staff well is the right thing to do, and is also good for business.
We also had ethics in mind when we chose to make our flagship products out of silk. Once you become aware about how harmful fast fashion clothing is, it is hard to want to buy clothes made from synthetic fibers ever again. I became acutely aware of these issues because of my first hand experience witnessing the lack of environmental ethics involved in the production of these products.
The reason we make our clothing out of silk is because it is an ethical, natural, and environmentally friendly fabric that we can feel good, both physically and mentally, about wearing.
Fast fashion has an advantage, that it is affordable for most people, but it also has the drawback that it does not last very long and is therefore not very sustainable. What are your thoughts about this? How does your company address this question?
More and more buyers are becoming aware that fast fashion is a problematic industry, which is why we have seen the explosion of clothing companies that use natural and recycled fibers to create their garments. Fast fashion creates a lot of pollution both during production as well as after, because oftentimes these cheap, low quality fast fashion garments end up being on a garbage heap in a landfill only 2 or 3 months after purchase.
1000 Kingdoms was created directly because of this issue. A growing demographic of buyers are demanding high quality clothing products that are also ethically sourced and sustainable. Buyer’s don’t want to buy something that is going to end up in the garbage shortly after purchase, nor do they want to buy clothing that is heavily damaging to the environment.
Our men’s silk collection is both high quality as well as sustainable, so our customers will be able to enjoy it with a clear conscience for years to come.
Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.
One of the most important things for fashion brands these days is having a leader that understands SEO. Every fashion brand wants to be successful online, and without an intermediate understanding of SEO amongst the brand’s leaders, it will be very difficult to stand out from the competition. Everyone thinks selling online will be easy, until they realize they have just opened up a shop in the darkest corner of the world’s biggest and most competitive shopping mall. A lack of knowledge relating to SEO will lead to wasted time and money, as well as deep frustration and maybe even failure. The holy grail of online marketing is being able to get customers to your website organically for free. Using SEO correctly will help you to get more customers, increase margins, and to have a more predictable sales cycle.
At 1000 Kingdoms we have successfully used SEO strategy in order to lower our paid marketing costs and get more customers from free organic search. People are already searching for your products, you just have to get your brand in front of their eyes. SEO is the best way to do this over the long run.
The next important thing you’ll need to lead a successful fashion brand is the ability to analyze data. It is crucial to effectively analyze the data you receive online through your website, SEO, and paid marketing in order to make smarter business decisions. Running split ads, testing out different email campaigns, and studying seasonal trends are just a few of the areas that you are able to extract data from in order to make smarter business decisions and increase your sales. If you do not understand how powerful data and analytics can be, then you should read Big Data by Bernard Marr to learn about the magic powers you can gain by becoming competent in data analysis.
We recently used testing and data analysis to figure out that our sales increased on our mobile website when we displayed our products in rows of 2, as opposed to rows of 1 or 3. By simply making this quick adjustment to our mobile site, we allowed ourselves to instantly increase sales and revenue. Magic!
Being a good planner is the next important thing for leaders of fashion brands. The importance of being able to create detailed and realistic plans for weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly objectives cannot be overstated. Being able to plan well will help your brand to move more efficiently, make less mistakes, create more momentum, and ultimately become more successful.
Another extremely important element for leaders of fashion brands is the need to be persistent. Not every product is going to sell well, and not every quarter or year will be better than the previous one. Do not get discouraged. Take an unemotional approach to problem solving and work diligently to find areas of improvement. If something fails, it may only need a few tweaks before it can turn around and become successful, and persistence is the key to this turnaround. No fashion brand ever became successful without an extremely high level of persistence from its leaders.
Unfortunately, many of life’s most valuable lessons are learned through failure, and my lack of persistence is what led me to fail in the creation of my first business. Immediately after university I started an online business selling a wide range of men’s toiletries that included shaving supplies, cologne,deodorant, hair care products, and more. I was young and business was difficult, and after a few challenging situations I decided to close up shop and take a loss. I knew I had made some beginner’s mistakes during the course of the business and that was valuable but also painful. What was even more painful was having to watch as other companies (Dollar Shave Club for example) became successful in the exact same space that I was trying to compete in. I knew that with a higher level of grit and persistence I could have made it work, and I didn’t want that to be the reason I had failed at something ever again.
The final important thing that you need to lead a fashion brand in 2022 is to make sure your product fills a genuine need or solves a specific problem. There are so many brands out there now and many of the successful ones have a unique value proposition that focuses on solving a specific problem. Find your niche and hit it hard.
We’ve seen this in the past with the rise of plus size clothing and clothing for big and tall men. In more recent examples I’ve seen brands become successful by making formal clothing and suits for athletically built men who may have trouble finding suitable clothing because of their muscular body type. These brands use fibers like spandex or nylon in their garments to give these athletic men more flexibility and range of motion while wearing a suit. A good example of this is the makers of the X suit; Google them if you have a chance. When you solve a specific problem for a niche group of people it will help your brand to stand out in an incredibly crowded fashion retailing space.
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
I think the use of harmful chemicals to produce fast fashion clothing is the biggest issue currently facing the fashion industry. Most people aren’t aware how harmful the chemicals being used to produce their polyester, polyurethane, rayon, spandex, and nylon clothing are. Even the people who are aware of the problem have most likely only heard or read about the issue.
I’ve been in the manufacturing plants that are producing these types of synthetic fabrics and I have seen the damage it does not only to the environment, but also to the health of the workers. Take polyester for example; polyester is an extremely popular fabric that is used to make t-shirts, sweaters, suits, sweatpants, athletic wear, bed sheets, and more. Polyester is made from ethylene terephthalate, a chemical that is mainly used to make plastic water bottles and packaging. Your t-shirt is made from the same chemicals as your plastic water bottle or plastic container. These compounds break down into tiny non-biodegradable microplastics which are extremely harmful to marine life and the oceans.
In addition to the chemicals, the textile dyes used to add color to fast fashion garments are the world’s second leading polluter of water. The chemicals used to dye fast fashion garments often leak into waterways and contaminate nearby farmland.
On top of all that, fast fashion is named that way for a reason. The garments produced for the fast fashion category are often low quality or just cheap “throwaways,” like a 10$ black t-shirt from H&M that you may only wear 3 or 4 times before discarding. These garments eventually find their way into the landfill and begin to pile up extremely quickly with no ability to biodegrade.
The solution to this problem is to produce more clothing made from sustainable fibers such as silk, sheeps wool, hemp, linen, organic cotton, bamboo, or cashmere. These fabrics are better for the environment, better for our personal health, and are generally more luxurious and desirable than fabrics made from synthetic man made fibers.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would start a movement to promote the importance of laughter. In my opinion, the amount of times we laugh in a day is directly related to our level of happiness, as well as our overall well being and mental health.
Laughing feels good, and actually triggers the release of endorphins in our body. I would want people to be conscious about how many times they laugh and smile per day. When you meet with a humorous friend or watch a funny movie and begin to laugh, all of the other problems or worries you may have had seem to drift away. We have all seen a nasty mood or situation get turned around when a little bit of humor gets added to the mix. Laughter is the great diffuser, common ground, and olive branch.
Everyone wants to smile and everyone wants to laugh, so find good friends, books, movies, shows, or comedians that make you laugh, and make sure you are smiling and laughing enough throughout the course of your day. The more time we spend laughing, the less time we spend arguing with each other or stressing over small things. Laugh lots in order to live a happy life.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Female Disruptors: Megan Fitzpatrick of The Fitz Solution On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Life has given me many lemons that I have turned into many different flavors of lemonade. As I have navigated the world of entrepreneurship, some lemons have come in the form of judgment for my decisions. I was raised Catholic, and while I am no longer practicing, I still live by the Mother Theresa quote, “It was never between you and them anyway.” I believe there is a higher purpose and staying true to your own core values is the key. While this quote has carried me though most of my adult life, there is one more that I have lived by since I was a teenager. “The Rose that Grew from the concrete” by Tupac Shakur was what I imagined when things got challenging as a young teen. When I was 16, I tragically lost my mom and I stepped up to raise my younger brother and sister. I would imagine myself as the Rose when things got really tough. Today my brother and sister are successful engineers and the three of us have an unbreakable bond.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Megan Fitzpatrick.
The founder of The Fitz Solution and creator of The Ultimate Selfie. Megan Fitzpatrick is the “What’s Next? Educational Guru” empowering tweens, teens and young adults to lead passion driven lives without filters. The Ultimate Selfie is a combination of Megan’s experience in and out of the classroom. #UNFILTERED www.thefitzsolution.com
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Growing up in South Florida was an experience where I learned about loyalty and pride for your neighborhood. I am a graduate of Miami Southridge and then attended Saint Mary’s college which was not only 1000 miles away in physical distance but also worlds away in culture. Being able to see education from all different avenues is one of my special powers. I also consider this to be a differentiator in my views of education.
Returning to Miami after graduation I was filled with hope and excitement. Entering my first classroom, I still remember the overwhelming feeling of happiness I experienced from a teacher who showed empathy and compassion for me when my mom tragically passed away when I was just 16 years old. My 10th grade math teacher humanized teaching and showed me the real role that a teacher plays in the lives of their students. This was my commitment: if I could impact one life the same way she impacted mine, I was doing my part. Thank you Ms. Carmenate!
Education and I are partners in crime. Working for many years in the public school system had its challenges and deciding to walk out of the classroom to found my business was also one of the hardest decisions I have ever made; I felt as if I had abandoned my students. Fast forward 13 years, and today I have founded The Fitz Solution and created The Ultimate Selfie. As my business grew, so did my desire to make students better future leaders and more confident citizens. I founded The Fitz Solution with the mission of ‘Empower Tomorrow’s Leaders Today.’
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Initially, when I founded my company, I began offering private tutoring, college preparation, and test preparation services. While providing these services, I began to build relationships with my clients by creating a holistic approach to private education services. After completing my first business plan at Florida International University (FIU), I made a connection between its components and my desire to make better students. You see, developing a SWOT analysis, an exit strategy, and projection goals can all be applied to creating a successful plan for teens. The Ultimate Selfie is the legacy of The Fitz Solution. Combining my years in the classroom, personalized educational consulting, and business planning make this curriculum unique — developing students on academic, social and professional levels.
As the creator of The Ultimate Selfie, I call this ‘facilitating Non-Googleable knowledge’ for my students. When Ms. Carmente humanized teachers for me, I realized how impactful education truly is and how it transcends the classroom. The Fitz Solution is a business committed to making generations better one filter-free selfie at a time. The Ultimate Selfie is curated using the Instructional Design ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate) keeping the content learner focused and always relevant to a teen’s needs outside of the classroom. This includes creating a non-judgmental place for teens to explore who they are and define their core values. The Ultimate Selfie allows participants to explore their strengths and aligns them to their passions to confidently answer the question: “What’s Next” after high school? We explore all post-secondary options: college, trade school, gap year, internships, or starting a business. Our current system asks teens, “What college do you want to go to?”. The Ultimate Selfie empowers teens to confidently answer the question “Who are you?” first to be able to define themselves and then take full responsibility for their plan. As a society we are asking teenagers to make adult choices on next steps in their lives while at the same time asking them to raise their hands to use the restroom. The Ultimate Selfie is designed to empower the participants to make these decisions based on who they are versus what they are told they should do. #UNFILTERED
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Mistakes are the fun part; a mentor told me this a long time ago. I did not fully understand how facing “failure” in the face like this could be the fun part. Entrepreneurship is a journey filled with these fail forward moments, each one getting us one step closer to the answers to the problem we are trying to solve. Now mistakes come in all different shapes and sizes. When I first started teaching I was filled with so much hope to change the way students learn and think about math. I know, I know… a way bigger mission than I even understood. Fast forward a few years and I left the classroom to pursue my dream of building The Fitz Solution. Starting out as a new business owner, a fun part of the business is naming your company. One of my first ventures was an on-demand tutoring app that would use geolocation and iOS to connect learners to tutors. As my business partner and I discussed names, we ended up using Whiz on our first iteration. After a few months of development we added the tagline, Become a Whiz in one Flick. #WhizFlick. In a meeting to review our business plans one of the potential investors asked “Where we’re going to Whiz” and the whole room laughed a little because he accidentally said, “So where are we going to take a wiz?” We had never made the connection of Whiz also having the same sound as taking a wiz. Let’s just say, our hashtag of Whizflick was also quickly changed. While the naming of the program was fun, the lesson here is to test amongst others to ensure we do not have a double entendre that aligns to bodily functions.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
Gratitude is a key component for me as a person and a core value of my company. My story has unfolded in a way that has chapters of tragedy and triumph. I lost my mother at 16. She was my best friend and my number one reason for making the decisions I have made in my life. Her way of connecting with people, even strangers, is how I run my current client relationships. Clients are family.
In her loss, she gifted me with her best friend, Barbara Blanck who I fondly call Aunt BJ (Barbara Jane). My mom and her were soul sisters that met in college. Throughout my childhood, she was the fun aunt who would get us ice cream before dinner and at the same time, lend an understanding ear. As I have grown into adulthood, she has become a confidant for me. She has guided me with love and acceptance through my failures and my victories. My sister and brother, Sarah and Thomas, have been two of my biggest inspirations. My sister’s ability to see through negative situations and objectively react is an inspiration. My brother has been able to see me for all the gifts I bring to the world and reminds me of this regularly. His calm and caring nature is exactly what I need during tough times of running a business. To each of you, Thank YOU!
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Disruptive in the world of entrepreneurship is common to me. As entrepreneurs, we often are creating new ways of working, of thinking — perhaps something that hasn’t been done before or thought of. In the other half of my world– education — disruptor is more of a foreign concept to some — a new found pathway. However, the pandemic sped up the need for more disruptors in education. This time showed the world how much change is needed in education. As I have built my company, when I am in a room filled with other entrepreneurs and say “College is not for everyone,” they agree and understand the importance of educating on different paths. However, it is not always met with so much understanding in the education spaces. I am building a company that is committed to disrupting education as we know it today; this type of disruption being positive as it encourages new ways of thinking and innovation. The way I define disruption is about creating innovation for many industries — including education. While innovation can create many solutions to industry challenges, in my experience in education, some of the solutions previously created have lost touch with the end user, the student.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Let’s start this one as cliche as possible, “Keep Going.” Life as a disruptor and an entrepreneur can test one’s ability to keep going. Things come up everyday and being able to go back to my why has been my number one way to keep moving forward. When I first started The Fitz Solution, I created an MVP for an on-demand tutoring app with a fellow business school student. At our first pitch, I was asked “What makes your business different?” my response, “Me.” Today I realize my naivety in my answer. At the same time, I know my why is what kept me going. I knew then and I now know, creating a business with the mission to “Empower Tomorrow’s Leaders Today” is how I was able to take all those NOs and create The Ultimate Selfie.
Fast forward years into building The Fitz Solution, I joined a business mastermind under the leadership of Michelle Villalobos. Part of this journey was understanding the advice of “Put Your Oxygen Mask On First.” If you have ever been on an airplane, you have heard a version of this advice. On an airplane the value of this is overlooked. As a business owner, pouring from an empty cup is a disservice to you and your clients. In working with teenagers, having an overflowing cup is the only way I can provide the support needed to make The Ultimate Selfie effective. In my time with Michelle, putting myself first allowed me to heal and learn from my past. Each of these lessons are part of the driving force behind the magic of The Ultimate Selfie.
“I am going to take some PTO on Friday.” As the boss, this is not something I tell myself often. Yes, in the above advice I do put my oxygen mask on first, however, in keeping with the first piece of advice, I also “Keep Going.” Building something that changes lives allows me to follow one of the best pieces of advice, which is not to listen to advice but rather seek wisdom. All of the above can be considered wisdom because it’s proven by experience. You see, anyone can give advice, however it takes a true leader to give wisdom. As I continue to seek wisdom on this journey I keep in mind a great quote: “Listen to understand versus Listen to Respond.”
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
As an educational advocate, I am committed to providing our younger generations with vetted resources on how to best move forward after high school; part of providing these resources is to stay up to date on the most current iterations in technologies and opportunities available for the next generations. These changes include training opportunities and the newest Web3 ecosystems. This whole new world includes a new way of learning, communicating, and interacting with each other. Recently, I have joined an international initiative called Web3Equity to learn more about how NFTs, Cryptocurrency and the Metaverse are changing the world. Web3Equity was created to provide resources to create gender and minority equity in WEB3 while also gaining equity. These all present different avenues for teens and adults alike to pursue when answering “What’s Next?” Becoming a member of Web3Equity is my first introduction to this whole world and I am working on creating partnerships in this space to be able to mentor teens interested in Web3. This iteration of my company is new to all companies and we are still exploring how to create beneficial and effective uses of these technologies. We look forward to seeing how — with a little guidance — the next generations can grow and contribute to this ecosystem.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
Not sure if I can say this here or not, but hey why not? Don’t be a bitch, be a boss. In the past, there have been many occasions where I was the only female in the meeting or room. This is becoming less and less the case for me because I seek to be in rooms filled with powerful, inspiring, successful women in business. As I have curated my list of networking opportunities to include more women-aligned initiatives, in the past this was not always the case. Being a boss for a woman can be perceived as being a bitch for a woman. As a woman in business, I have also been treated slightly differently than my male counterparts. I recall one meeting in particular where one of the men at the table used a profane word and turned to me to apologize, “Oh my apologies, I forgot there was a woman at the table.” At the time I thought nothing of it however, I now know today that the conversation was filtered just because I was at the table. Similarly, another driving force for expanding my network to be more equitable was the ever annoying “Oh, you are smart too” comments after I have explained my business and mission. As a ‘woman disruptor’ I am committed to creating and advocating for rooms where #SMARTBOSSES are celebrated and empowered.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
My signature program starts with the Strengthsfinder, an assessment which identifies the students top five strengths. When I first took this assessment, my top strength was positivity. My entire life I have always had an innate ability to see a positive side of any situation. This assessment solidified this for me as a strength and the book Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath from Gallup allowed me to see that not everyone sees the world in this way. My world took on new meaning and I was able to empathize deeper with those that did not see the world in this way. Positive thinking came full circle for me when I was introduced to the book, Flourish by Martin Seligman. This book talks about the science of positive psychology ending with a researched back definition of a flourishing individual which is someone who has positive emotions, is engaged, and their life has meaning and purpose. They also need to exhibit three of the following traits: self-esteem, optimism, resilience, vitality, self-determination and positive relationships. The book also provides tools to increase one’s positivity in life and the practical nature of folding in positive psychology into our day to day lives.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Create a life that is filled with purpose and significance. My life’s purpose is to inspire our younger generations to confidently define who they are so they can take next steps with great self-awareness and self-worth.
Could you imagine a world where 15, 16, and 17 years olds:
Knew who they were?
Knew that life would throw things at them that would require them to pivot?
And that they had the skills to be able to know that it will work out?
This is the goal of The Ultimate Selfie.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Life has given me many lemons that I have turned into many different flavors of lemonade. As I have navigated the world of entrepreneurship, some lemons have come in the form of judgment for my decisions. I was raised Catholic, and while I am no longer practicing, I still live by the Mother Theresa quote, “It was never between you and them anyway.” I believe there is a higher purpose and staying true to your own core values is the key. While this quote has carried me though most of my adult life, there is one more that I have lived by since I was a teenager. “The Rose that Grew from the concrete” by Tupac Shakur was what I imagined when things got challenging as a young teen. When I was 16, I tragically lost my mom and I stepped up to raise my younger brother and sister. I would imagine myself as the Rose when things got really tough. Today my brother and sister are successful engineers and the three of us have an unbreakable bond.
How can our readers follow you online?
We would love to connect to everyone on our social media channel @thefitzsolution
