Female Founders: Livette Dikalenko of Exquisite Art On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Learn how to delegate and guide — As someone who spearheads a business, we often tend to take on a lot of the workload ourselves. This is a big no-no as eventually it will result in burn-out, and loss of motivation. It’s important to learn how to trust your team, so that you can effectively delegate roles and responsibilities. Similar to the leap of faith we took when starting out our business, we need to take that small leap of faith in the people we work with as well.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Livette Dikalenko.
A self-made businesswoman with a passion for bringing art of international status to Singapore, Livette Dikalenko is the Founder of Exquisite Art — an online art gallery that aims to give artists, especially those from Central Asia, a platform to sell their one-of-a-kind work on an international level. It was shortly after this move that Livette’s boundless entrepreneurial spirit guided her to conceptualise Exquisite Art — an online art gallery that aims to give artists, especially those from Central Asia, a platform to sell their one-of-a-kind work on an international level.
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?
It all began when I was living in my hometown of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan possesses a diverse cultural tapestry, so I was able to interact with people from many different nationalities, learning and celebrating the traditions of others from an early age.
These experiences drove me to pursue a degree in International Economic Relations from the University of International Business, Almaty, Kazakhstan; having always been fascinated by different cultures and geopolitics, I felt compelled to centre my studies on this interest.
I went on to pursue roles in logistics and sales, before deciding that I needed something more; I wanted to weave my passions into my career. I love art. I love culture. I love the possibility of connecting people from different cultures and the possibility to discover something new.
With this, I took a huge leap of faith in 2016; emboldened by my love for Singapore’s cultural values and burgeoning art scene, I decided to uproot my life and settle here. Then, I founded Exquisite Art, an online art gallery, to showcase the beauty and rich culture of art from all over the world.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
It might sound strange, but the pandemic was actually a very interesting time for Exquisite Art. People found themselves relying on the internet (more so than ever before!) for connection and discovery. As such, we saw an influx of new customers visiting the Exquisite Art website, as well as more artists reaching out to us to learn more about the platform and how they could work with us to showcase their works to a broader international audience.
I spent many hours speaking to all sorts of fascinating people from around the world, and many of the artists who are currently showcased on the Exquisite Art online gallery were discovered during this period.
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 thought that being my own boss would give me freedom to choose who I worked with and decide my own working hours.
However, like many entrepreneurs, I found myself constantly prioritising work over play. I certainly was not working fewer hours than I had been during my early career, as I was so focused on ensuring Exquisite Art was a success. However, I realized that I needed to strike a balance to ensure my own wellbeing.
Lesson learnt: Finding out how to achieve work-life balance is tricky, but it’s also essential to ensuring continued success.
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?
Leaving my hometown and moving to a foreign country posed several challenges initially and was (naturally!) quite nerve-racking. However, I was delighted to find that Singapore’s art community is kind and generous, and many of the people I have met at various art fairs and exhibitions have become lifelong friends.
I also must share my appreciation for the wonderful artists I have the pleasure of representing. Without them, Exquisite Art simply would not exist, and I am grateful every day for the inspiration I find through my conversations with these talents.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
It’s truly inspiring to see so many more female-founded companies, but, as you mention, there is a lot of work still to be done.
It is my belief that there is a general lack of confidence when it comes to taking the leap and starting a business. However, as the number of female founders continues to grow, the confidence gap is closing as women feel inspired by the success of others.
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?
I feel we should continue to loudly celebrate the success of all women. As mentioned, there is inspiration to be found from successful female founders, so sharing experiences is key.
Early childhood support is a passion of mine (more on this later), and I also think there’s a lot we can do to empower children from an early age to follow their hopes and dreams.
This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
Female founders are currently in the minority, which is why we need to encourage more women to start their own businesses. I’m a firm believer in the power of diversity. With contributions from people from different genders, races, and nationalities, society will become a much more powerful and harmonious place.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
Many people have the perception that working for yourself means a free and easy schedule. However, it’s actually the opposite, as I find myself in constant ‘work mode’ even when I take much-needed vacations. Being a founder means being on call 24–7 whenever your company needs you
The second myth is that entrepreneurs always fund their businesses with money from investors. This isn’t true. Most entrepreneurs, like myself, spend their own hard-earned savings to start their business, taking a great risk. This is one of the many reasons we are so dedicated to making sure the company is a success.
Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?
Not everyone can be a founder. Being a founder is not just a job, it comprises several roles and responsibilities; I would say it’s akin to being a parent.
Founders must be able to manage both themselves and their team. They must be motivational, ensuring the continued passion, positivity, and wellbeing of their team members. Another important trait is the ability to sometimes accept that someone else might do something differently to you. Learning to recognize the strengths of your team is key to success.
Finally, Founders require unrelenting drive to continue waking up each morning with the determination to make a difference.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
1. Learn how to delegate and guide
As someone who spearheads a business, we often tend to take on a lot of the workload ourselves. This is a big no-no as eventually it will result in burn-out, and loss of motivation. It’s important to learn how to trust your team, so that you can effectively delegate roles and responsibilities. Similar to the leap of faith we took when starting out our business, we need to take that small leap of faith in the people we work with as well.
2. Sometimes you will have to make the decision to put yourself before your business.
After founding your business, it’s normal to find that you’re always putting your business first above yourself. However, it’s important to make time for yourself sometimes, too.
3. Don’t be afraid to say NO.
It can be easy to feel as though you have to say yes to everything, however, much like making time for yourself, it’s important to learn when to say no — be it to people, opportunities, or invitations.
4. Don’t expect your friends to be your clients and to always support you.
Mixing personal contacts and business can be tricky. Starting your customer base from your circle of friends should never be your strategy. I like to draw a clear line.
5. Seek to understand before being understood
Different people have differing standards in business. What looks borderline okay to you could be perfect to someone else, and when trying to convince someone else to do things your way, you might meet a lot of resistance. Understanding customers instead of making them understand you is so much more efficient.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I strongly believe in giving back to the community and am privileged to be in a position to be able to do so.
I donate a percentage of sales from Exquisite Art to the Singapore Children’s Society, which focuses on protecting and nurturing children of all races and religions. Especially with Singapore being such a multicultural society, I feel that Singapore Children’s Society’s work is integral in ensuring continued happiness and harmony.
Established in 1952, Singapore Children’s Society continued to evolve its services to ensure it is supporting society in a relevant way and meeting the ever-changing needs of children.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I would create a place where youngsters can feel loved, be hopeful, learn, impress others with their talents, enjoy hobbies, and play sports. Society is changing at a rapid pace, and I’m hopeful, yet slightly worried, for the future of our children. Children are our future.
We are very blessed that some very prominent 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.
I would like to have breakfast or lunch with Larry Gagosian, who is, in my opinion, the top Art Dealer in the World and owns the Gagosian Gallery chain of art galleries. He has an awesome reputation for staging museum-quality exhibitions of contemporary art, and I would love to have the opportunity to speak to him about his experience and inspiration.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Women In Wellness: Val Emanuel of Rif Care On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Balance is not realistic. I am either very good at getting my email to zero or at the beach with my daughter with zero technology and that’s ok, as long as it’s what makes you happy.
As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Val Emanuel.
California native Val Emanuel is a model, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and founder of Rif Care, a newly launched BIPOC female-owned and operated period care brand of hemp fiber, all-natural, biodegradable menstrual care products. The fully biodegradable pads are the first of their kind in the U.S. market and are providing a safe alternative to personal care.
Emanuel began her career in 2017 by founding Role Models Management, an ethical talent agency and production agency with climate activist Anne Therese Gennari. Her mission was always about using her businesses and platform to bring awareness to environmental and social activism, so in 2019, she realized she wanted to start a consumer brand without creating more environmental harm. In 2021, Emanuel founded Rif Care, a first of its kind menstrual care brand made with hemp fiber and 100% plant-based materials making period products that are better for one’s body and the planet. She got the idea for making hemp products while living in Portugal and visiting fiber factories, realizing that bast fibers were some of the most underutilized textiles with far greater positive impact on the environment than cotton. Right after giving birth to her daughter, she began selling hemp oil at local farmer’s markets and quickly began selling out every week. Due to her product’s success and popularity, a few months later Emanuel expanded her brand by introducing hemp fiber menstrual pads.
Growing up, Emanuel was very conscious about waste due to being raised in a low-income household with a lack of resources. Rif Care was an opportunity for her to make a necessary product regenerative, not just sustainable with affordable price points. Using regenerative agriculture, Rif Care’s menstrual care and wellness products contain only plant-based ingredients, offering women the much-desired choice of safety and sustainability.
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?
I was born in Los Angeles California, first generation American with two immigrant parents. Hard work and making nothing was something that was always a reality in my family so I always felt the need to be an entrepreneur very early on in my life. I was the kid selling chips and candy out of my locker. My first business was at an influencer agency called Role Models, which is still open, but now booking through Natural Models agency.
My newest venture, Rif menstrual Care, came about because I’ve always been an environmentalist. I have always been close to the ocean and when I learned about plastic and how bad it was for the future of this planet I knew there had to be a way to fix it. Through reading ingredients, I realized that the products I was using and buying were slowly killing me. I switched out most of my toxic products and vowed to start my own brand on something that women bought a lot of and needed. I started learning about regenerative agriculture and plant-based alternatives a few years ago as it is something I am very passionate about and that was how Rif Care was born.
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?
Nothing is impossible to build. I thought that maxi pads out of hemp fiber would be impossible to create because 10 factories told me the processing technology wasn’t there. I then realized you could search websites in other languages and in other countries to find suppliers. I taught myself a bit of Mandarin and realized what I was looking for already existed in some form. Pretty much everything exists, even if it’s not exactly what you need. You can think and act 10 years ahead and start your project today as iIt’s out there.
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?
When I first started both of my businesses, I did not know how to be prepared financially. Our financial story is not perfect. We are fundraising right now, but there’s so many other solutions to getting capital than raising money from a VC or being born with money. Rolling capital, inventory-based financing and grants are great ways to get started.
I went to multiple female founder conventions for years and heard people talk about raising money in the Girlboss era and it seemed like it was the only way. Although it’s definitely going to be a part of our story, it’s just a very small part of the picture. There are ways you can start with what you have right now and you do not have to grow at the speed of light to build a successful brand.
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?
Reproductive health and nontoxic products are growing exponentially. With every new natural product company that launches, like my company Rif care, we are trying to invite consumers to divest from companies who are still making cheap synthetic products that are harmful to our environment and our bodies. Hopefully by more consumers investing in healthy products we can make them more accessible and affordable to everyone. Making things better for others is the goal.
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.
Consider getting 10,000 steps a day. Your brain will start to rewire from being outside and getting out of your everyday work chair.
Take a good look at everything in your pantry and if there’s any ingredient you don’t understand, look it up. You don’t have to throw anything away, but you will be empowered by learning what you did not know yesterday.
Have a look through your beauty drawer and your personal care drawer. I’m talking lube, condoms, birth control, make up, period products! Look through it all and do the same thing you did with your pantry. You don’t have to change anything right away but start slowly and become more aware.
Be intentional and rational with purchases rather than impulsive. Fad buys are bad for your wallet and the planet.
Traveling is good for the soul.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Mindfulness and meditation to children would be the movement I would start. I am on the board of a nonprofit called Worthy Beyond Purpose which brings mindfulness and meditation to children and the community of inner-city Los Angeles. Every single school should have a program like this to help children manage their anxiety and emotions at an early age.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Other people’s opinions of your project do not define your project.
Balance is not realistic. I am either very good at getting my email to zero or at the beach with my daughter with zero technology and that’s ok, as long as it’s what makes you happy.
Email etiquette saves lives.
Some people you believe are your closest friend will sometimes not support your decisions and it will hurt.
Hire entrepreneurial people at the beginning of your journey.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
I feel like environmental changes touch on all topics. Humans have systematically become extremely disconnected from nature so it’s difficult for us to eat right, take care of ourselves mentally and emotionally or even make purchasing decisions that are the best for ourselves and our planet. If we start to focus on making the world a cleaner and greener place, I believe the domino effect will occur and lead to mental, social and physical wellness.
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.
Modern Fashion: Manfred and Peter Erlacher of Chervò On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today
An Interview With Candice Georgiadice
Make your brand recognizable (Peter). It is the search for beauty, harmony and refinement that guides us in carrying out our activity, thinking and looking at what surrounds us and inspires us: Italy and the Mediterranean, with its colors, its climate, its nature, its history, its flavors and its joy of living. I have so many sources of inspiration that I do not need to look at what other brands or competitors do or, even worse, what retailers demand, for creating our collections. Obviously, there are certain general fashion trends and I keep our collections updated to those trends. Sometimes I have questions with my brother who is driven by a more commercial and marketing business concept, who asks me to design something specific. I listen, but I always refuse to copy anybody. I am inspired by what surrounds me, ensuring the strong personality that is attributed to our creations.
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 Manfred and Peter Erlacher of Chervò.
In 1982, brothers Manfred and Peter Erlacher established the Chervò sportswear brand. Initially established as a skiing brand, in the early nineties it revolutionized the way of dressing on the golf course- no longer traditional attire of yesteryear. A more casual fashion, combining all-Italian style with highly technical fabrics. Since then, Chervò has remained true to its original, unconventional character, becoming the symbol of chic-tech fashion.
Today, Chervò is present in more than 30 countries around the world. As one of Europe’s leading sportswear brands, as well as one of the most prestigious European sportswear brands in the USA, Japan, China and Korea.
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”?
Manfred and Peter: We were born in a small village in the heart of the scenic Italian Alps in a middle-class family that allowed us to share without particular restrictions the life of all other boys our age. Mountain sport activities were the core of our interest and particularly downhill skiing. Peter had a special talent and joined the Italian ski team first as a competitor and subsequently as a trainer.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
Peter: In those years sport alone was not sufficient for making a living. Because of my passion for sports, I started selling, with a certain success, initially as a sales agent, and later as an importer of some mountain sport related products and convinced Manfred to leave his quarrying business to incorporate a joint company, the direct predecessor of the present Chervò.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Manfred: Peter had very innovative ideas concerning products that needed good marketing materials. As the business mind behind the newly formed company, I was aware that we could not afford professional people for the photography of our products, therefore, I decided that Peter would be the model, while I would be the photographer. The commercial result was positive, so for the following shooting the team was increased to three members, one of our handsome cousins as the model, Peter switching to photography while my role was just driving the car. In any case we learned a big lesson for future years, an innovative product may speak for itself, but without appropriate marketing it does not go very far.
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?
Peter: Our vision that we like to call Chic/Tech, is very simple and based on three pivots: a) Functional/performance products b), Italian Style c) Mediterranean soul. When I was designing my first ski range in the first half of the 80’s, I observed that, while until then every skier was imitating the products worn by professional skiers, i.e. technical products that were quite boring from a fashion perspective, a new generation of brands, mainly from Switzerland and Germany offered, with considerable success, louder and more fashionable clothing, colorful, with bold prints, color-blocks and wider fits, more suitable to the new skiers that considered skiing as a recreational sport activity, rather than a performance sport. Those new designs, however, were not always meeting the requirements of mountain weather or ease of movement in an activity that had its own necessities. As a former competition skier, I understood the technical implications while appreciating the newer more informal attitude toward the sport and I thought that those two aspects should have not necessarily been in conflict. This was the very beginning of the Chic/Tech story marking my constant quest for the most innovative functional materials and constructions, inspired by the Italian refined style, rooted into a brand reflecting the solar attitude and joy of living of the Mediterranean countries. We reached our 40thanniversary, society has changed, technology advanced, but constant loyalty to the three-character traits allowed a constant rejuvenation of the brand and of its image.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Manfred: When we started the golf wear line in the early 90’s, products available were not very technical and mostly inspired by Scottish or British looks. Introducing our Chic/Tech vision of highly technical functional materials that we had pioneered in ski wear with an Italian style, marked quite a revolution with a product that stood out from anything else on the market. Today most of the brands pretend to use technical materials and have fashionable looks, but we are still at the forefront of this concept, without imitating anybody.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
Manfred: Growth is vital for any company, if you do not grow, decline and eventually failure is inevitable, but also unplanned fast growth can lead to problems. I still remember when, literally in tears, I had to rip up a large order from a Japanese client because we did not have the infrastructure or the finances for producing it. Many brands experiencing instant success for a number of favorable circumstances may suffer a sudden decline if unable to fully understand and reproduce the reasons for their success. I believe therefore in a steady growth around a sound vision and consistency of values.
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?
Peter: Winning companies in fashion, disregarding the kind of product or style, are those oriented to the high quality of their products by establishing reliable relations with their suppliers, motivating and engaging their employees, and listening to their customers for long-term loyalty. From the technological side I consider 3D design a real breakthrough for the industry, drastically shortening product development lead-times and greatly facilitating communications within the supply chain.
Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?
Manfred: While we cannot change the world, besides having adopted a formal ethical code, we strive to entertain fair relations with all our stakeholders and bring happiness to our consumer by creating beautiful, well-made and lasting products.
Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?
Manfred: We are committed to follow socially responsible sourcing practices, expected of a leading prestigious brand. We count on our business partners to do the same including respect of labor and employment rights of all employees, minimization of the impact on the environment, provision of a safe and healthy workplace, and promotion of the health and well-being of all employees.
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?
Peter: Unfortunately, the fashion industry as a whole has quite a heavy environmental footprint. Important but only limited measures can be taken by individual companies. We are striving to do our part by self-producing part of our energy requirement with renewable sources, testing and using bio-based materials, prioritizing environmentally sensible suppliers, and limiting the use of plastic but we are well aware that no easy fix is in sight. Therefore, the lifetime of products is essential. Since we have always been producing products with the highest quality standards of the golf wear industry and we have a reputation for very long-lasting products, we could not be more in agreement with the opinion that product duration is the single most effective measure in the short term for making fashion more environmentally friendly. A longer duration means an immediate corresponding cutting of pollution, carbon emission, and use of resources. Even if highly durable items may be costly, even without considering the higher satisfaction that they provide, the cost per use will result in a much more economical item than that of a non-lasting product.
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.
Manfred and Peter:
Have a vision that can stand the test of time (Peter)
When I decided to design my first ski outfit, I wanted to fill a gap in the market designing a deep snow one-piece suit. People daring out of the beaten slopes, besides possessing excellent skills, represented a new breed of skiers expressing a new ski lifestyle with a younger and louder dress code, compared to the people that they had left on the groomed pistes. For gaining their attention my clothes had to be at the same time both technically advanced and more fashion daring. The “Chic Tech” vision was born, and this same vision was applied a few years later, with considerable success, to golf wear. The constant quest for the most performing shapes and innovative technical fabrics combined with stylish colors and prints lead the company to become one of the most admired golf clothing brands in more than 40 countries worldwide. Since innovation is a never-ending process and fashion evolves constantly the Chic Tech vision is a guarantee of constant rejuvenation for standing the test of the time and for making products that are not only performing on the golf course but are perfect for any occasion not requiring formal clothing.
2. Make your brand recognizable (Peter). It is the search for beauty, harmony and refinement that guides us in carrying out our activity, thinking and looking at what surrounds us and inspires us: Italy and the Mediterranean, with its colors, its climate, its nature, its history, its flavors and its joy of living. I have so many sources of inspiration that I do not need to look at what other brands or competitors do or, even worse, what retailers demand, for creating our collections. Obviously, there are certain general fashion trends and I keep our collections updated to those trends. Sometimes I have questions with my brother who is driven by a more commercial and marketing business concept, who asks me to design something specific. I listen, but I always refuse to copy anybody. I am inspired by what surrounds me, ensuring the strong personality that is attributed to our creations.
3. Know your strengths and weaknesses for deciding how to compete (Manfred)
We do not own any manufacturing facility and, as a relatively small company, we have no competitive edge in big volume manufacturing. Our strengths are in product development, we have excellent relations with fabric manufacturers with which we jointly develop innovative materials, we can rely on a strong distribution network, managed either directly or in cooperation with international distributors and have built a system of suppliers with which we have created strong ties. These features make us chase innovation and quality rather than look for volume.
4. Create and retain a motivated and loyal management team and staff (Manfred)
We are definitely a company with a strong character. This means that you either love it or it may not be easy to connect and interact with the team. Our overall employment turnover is very low, and we have many instances of people having shared their whole or a substantial part of their professional career with Chervò. During the celebration of our 40th anniversary, a considerable number of people were given special recognitions for having spent more than 20 years with us. The secret of this is recruiting people that we feel share our passion and are willing to do things well because they love what they do. We value skills and past experience, but we put a particular emphasis on the understanding of our values and on the motivation to be part of the team. The atmosphere at the headquarters is very positive and collaborative. We are not obsessed with productivity, but we perform well because we like our work.
5. Do not be afraid of prices, but set them reasonably, according to your strengths and positioning (Manfred)
We are not designing our products on Mars. Peter and I are passionate golfers and we understand what golfers may find desirable. We try to anticipate what they may need and like and we strive to be efficient in manufacturing and delivering those products. We are very proud to mention a very high degree of loyalty both among consumers and the trade. In a number of European countries our product vision is shared by the vast majority of golfers leading Chervò to be the leading brand in terms of volumes. Where the market is more sensitive to prices and we are not leaders or have just small market shares we enjoy in any case a very high reputation and loyalty, just for the qualities, values and durability of our products, not certainly prices. Prices are a fair consequence of how we do things.
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
Manfred: Fashion is not a self-contained business, but probably one of the most evident mirrors of the evolution of the society. Therefore, it is not possible to anticipate changes in fashion without a view or hope on the future. Many powerful, opposing forces are presently shaping the world such as globalism/ sovereignism, multilateralism/clash of powers, and the necessity of limiting the use of resources/development of new technologies. It is not yet clear which forces shall eventually prevail but people in the whole world are usually taking their personal stance on such issues. Fashion cannot solve those dilemmas but shall rather respond to change in terms of sourcing and logistics policies, priorities in international growth, global strategy versus localization policies, environment-friendly product development. Every strong brand should have a view on the future for strengthening its position with the customers sharing the same values and hopes.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
A third piece of advice is to start a business with someone who knows what you don’t. My co-founder Christina knows the beauty industry and finance in and out and I know media, online communities, and publicity. Our talents and skills complement each other really well.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ann Dunning.
Ann is #firstgen Chilean-American, born in Chile and raised in LA. She went on to attend UCLA and USC, and ended up in Silicon Valley helping hundreds of startups with growth. She is a Public Relations pro, and was among the first Latinas in online publicity and marketing at the start of the digital era. In her 20’s, one of her first freelance clients was a little brand called Waze (pre Google). She is now the co-founder and CMO of Vamigas, a Latina green beauty line based on botanicals from Latin America.
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?
I was going through IVF when I met Christina, a fellow Latina and also first time mom. We would get together down the street from our apartments in San Francisco at a little social club and would have these fun afternoons with tecito (tea or coffee).
We were both starting to really get into clean beauty because of our pregnancy journeys and so we started talking about clean beauty and green beauty. Through our research we found that many studies have found that Latinas — who buy and use more beauty products –have more hormone-disrupting chemicals in their bodies. What’s worse is that many of these researchers were suggesting that it was our high use of personal care products that might be the culprit behind this phenomenon.
Latinos make up 18% of all beauty spending, but Latinas have remained largely marginalized in clean beauty. There’s no major clean beauty brand at mass actually targeting Latinas. We thought this was a ridiculous stat and so we got to work creating a minimalist, green beauty brand that we would also love ourselves — and that also focused on connecting Latinas with green beauty.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
No one in clean beauty is targeting Latinas right now but the market is huge — in fact a Women’s Wear Daily report just last year found that Latinas outspent general market in beauty by 30% — even during the pandemic. Big beauty brands who have historically done some marketing to Latinas don’t really know how to market to the complexity and heterogeneity of our community: Latinos are from multiple countries, have differing levels of assimilation and are of multiple generations, and of course varying skin tones and hair texture. But in clean beauty itself there is literally not one major beauty brand at mass that is saying anything to us. It’s basically been up to us new indie beauty brands to bring clean beauty to our communities.
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?
When Christina had this idea for the business, I think the funniest mistake I made was not understanding how big of an idea this was and what a huge opportunity this would turn out to be. I had quit my PR business when I had my baby, and I initially thought this would be a really fun side business — something that we would build and run in the background while taking care of our babies.
But it caught on so quickly and the market, retail partners and customers, have welcomed us so quickly, that I had a massive wakeup call. We started getting those first few purchase orders just a few months after our launch. I quickly realized how fast this business was growing and how this growth wasn’t average by any means, and that this would be the center of my life for a while. The memories of this being a “hobby” are funny to me now, thinking back.
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?
My mentors have been CPG and PR superstars, mostly women. They are founders who have been there and who have already gone through the entrepreneurial journey, launched at major retailers, and dealt with the growing pains that happen. I have learned a lot from those great leaders.
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?
Disrupting an industry for the good of an industry means you’re pushing it forward, and not piercing it for the sake of piercing. Pushing it forward means holding it to a higher standard, changing something that is not really working anymore, holding the industry accountable so that it can be a better version of itself. Pushing it to face the future even and to make sure it includes as many people as possible.
To disrupt an industry in a negative way I think means attempting to change aspects of an industry for your own good, or for the good of just a few people and your own pockets. This means not thinking about anyone else other than yourself. I’m sure you can name several founders who are like this.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
I once heard “do what you love and forget the rest.” That was when I was in my PhD program in another state and was pretty unhappy. As an immigrant, when you’re in college you think that you have to follow a very specific path, and you always have to have a Plan B. I ended up leaving the program and came back home, with no plan. I pivoted and figured the rest out later. I couldn’t be happier where it took me because that career and life growth was tremendous after that.
The second piece of advice was to not sell, and instead become a storyteller. In business, stories get your foot in the door — with media, with retail and even with investors. Everyone wants to see a really great story idea. Our business is really thriving I think partly thanks to our storytelling.
A third piece of advice is to start a business with someone who knows what you don’t. My co-founder Christina knows the beauty industry and finance in and out and I know media, online communities, and publicity. Our talents and skills complement each other really well.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Along with my co-founder Christina and another friend of ours, a veteran woman in tech, Lisha Bell, we had already started an angel syndicate where we invested in women and particularly BIPOC-led businesses that solved parenting problems. I think I would at some point I would love to do more of that and help fund more founders of color since they face a very uphill climb when finding investors for their ideas. It’s exhilarating helping founders find their story but also the funding that they need to get to the other side.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
Not being taken seriously. Particularly if they’re moms. People might see you as someone who doesn’t know what you’re doing or who is inexperienced even though you may have decades of professional experience.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
Yes, truthfully, when I moved to Silicon Valley/SF, it was Tim Ferriss’ podcast ‘The Tim Ferriss Show’ that inspired me. He interviews some of the best minds throughout multiple ecosystems. The ideas he presents just helps you look at business and life problems differently. I started looking at the world, my business and my career in a completely new way and it was life changing. He taught me to trust my instinct, get accustomed to thinking deeply about problems, and also to not “go with the flow” like most people tend to do.
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. 🙂
Lean into your ancestral power and knowledge to guide your life. I think sometimes people forget that there are generations before us of people who made it possible for us to be here today and to be successful as we are. Who allowed today to happen. Remember them, study them, use their wealth of knowledge, and also honor them in anything that you do, because they would probably be incredibly proud of you.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Stop assuming everyone else is the expert, and just because something has been done one way for a long time, it doesn’t mean it’s the best way. Question everything and everyone. Trust your gut and have research and data-driven reasoning behind every decision you make.
Female Founders: Lucy Bedewi of My Write Hand Woman On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Give the people who support you a lot of love. That high school friend who shares all your launch announcements. Your first few clients or customers. That business owner who sent you an email, answering your questions. These people probably believed in you when you didn’t believe in you. Never lose sight of them.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing on Lucy Bedewi.
Lucy Bedewi is the copywriter behind the brand My Write Hand Woman. She specializes in writing personality-packed copy that converts for women-run businesses. She started her business straight out of college at age 21 and made six figures in her first full year in business. She’s the writer behind international corporations, fast-growth start-ups, world-famous bakeries, seven-figure coaches, and many creative entrepreneurs. She uses both the client’s brand voice and zesty humor so they can stand out online, create a fun brand presence and scale much faster.
You can connect with Lucy on her Instagram at @mywriterhandwoman, or her website www.mywritehandwoman.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?
“You have too strong of a personality for the role.” That was the one-liner that started it all. So, when the world went into lockdown in 2020, I decided I was going to combine my marketing degree and love of writing to start my own copywriting business. I stopped interviewing for full-time jobs, told all my friends, absorbed all of the “you’re crazy” comments from people around me, and scaled the company to match my corporate salaries in 90 days. Because there is a belief inside of me that I will never shake. A woman will be successful because of her personality, not despite it. And that’s the energy I bring to every project, so I can help other powerful female entrepreneurs with web copy that lets them stand out, sell more, and create the impact they want to see in the world.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
The story that always blows my mind is how I doubled my client base by starting to market with Reels. Even though I’m a Gen Z, the idea of dancing and pointing to market myself felt so…weird! But when IG reels started gaining traction, I wrote a sales page for the world’s first IG reels course. And let’s just say as I was proofreading the page, I was hooked. I converted myself, took the course, and got crazyyyyy results. And now, that’s one of the reasons why Reels are my #1 marketing strategy. I’m also in the advanced version of that reels course right now. Best impulse buy ever!
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?
Oh man, I’ve made a lot of un-funny mistakes that made me be like, “why the heck did I do that”, but one of the lighter ones was an ad gone wrong. I was writing an ad for a client, and we went back and forth a couple of times revising the language for a scented product with the word “kickass” on it. Needless to say, a few comments had a field day on it, saying, “I don’t really want to know what they smell like.” All we could do is laugh right along with the comments! The lesson with that is the tiniest word decision makes a big difference. This was an innocent example, but I’m always helping my clients use more inclusive language, and try to double-check their humor to ensure viral ads won’t tip into the “offensive” category and hurt their company.
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’m going to give the cheesy answer and say my parents. I think a lot of parents wouldn’t be supportive of their kids saying no to perfectly stable job offers and going at it alone right after college. My parents never doubted me. They told me I could stay at home until the business grew, listened to all of my new business frustrations, cheered me on when I signed a new client, and continued to believe in me even when I thought it was towel-throwing time. I don’t think I would have been able to get through the 14-hour workdays in lockdown without them always being by my side, rooting for me to follow my passion.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
I think it comes down to confidence and societal barriers. On the confidence side, we are not raised as women to be assertive, take risks, ask for what we deserve, and waltz into things when we only have 50% of the knowledge. And those four bullet points may as well be the pillars of entrepreneurship. Before we can be successful, we have to break through these limits in our minds, which is a whole journey in itself. But on top of that, we’re expected to have familial aspirations while fighting to close the pay gap and get funding for big ideas. I think all of that combined is holding women back from really going for it. And it’s not the fault of the individual woman when you look at everything that’s happening around her.
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?
On the macro level, we need to support women. Paid paternity leave that matches maternity leave to encourage both parents to share family responsibilities. More women hires at VC firms, specifically women of color, so founders seeking funding have peers that can give them the tools they need to grow. Ensuring women have healthcare and rights to their bodies, so they can make decisions outside of their career that will help them move forward. And on the micro level, we have to celebrate women making big moves. Calling a woman a b*tch for speaking her mind is incredibly harmful, because it’s subconsciously telling other female founders to “sit down and be nicer”. We need to encourage the women around us to take risks, stand out, and believe in their abilities. And it could start with supporting your friend’s side hustle by liking her Instagram. It doesn’t take a lot of effort.
This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
It has been proven that women are outperforming their male counterparts when investing, yet they’re starting to invest years later than them. The idea that women don’t take risks is outdated. Companies have greater stability when they hire women leaders. The data makes an obvious case for women becoming founders. But beyond the data, women are half the population. We have ideas, intelligence, creativity, dreams, and out-of-the-box solutions. If we can give more women a platform and a push to act on those, the entire world will be better off in a multitude of industries.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
That being a founder is glamorous. I don’t wake up every morning, put on a pencil skirt, head to a WeWork, drink my snooty sparkling water, and walk around NYC with unparalleled confidence. I wake up, make to-do lists, peep my Google calendar, set up at my kitchen table, text my teammates, heat leftovers for lunch, and sometimes work late into the night or the middle of the night if I forget to do something. You’re always “on”, and the company’s success depends on you. So, the glitz and glamour definitely go into the “sometimes” category because there is a lot of behind-the-scenes messy work. At the same time, I want to bust the myth that all founders work 24 hours. If you work smart, outsource to the right people, and structure your business with systems that automate your processes — you can absolutely unplug. I take vacations, don’t work when I’m sick, go out on the weekends, and get 8 hours of sleep every night. Being a founder is definitely not a burnout path, but you have to be willing to give up control to grow.
Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?
This is a tough one. I think anyone with passion and drive can start a company and grow it. This is assuming they have resources as well, such as funds, time, basic needs met, etc. — because yes, you can be scrappy, but it’s really hard to start a company if you’re unable to give it your attention. I think the founder who will succeed is the founder with grit. The person who’s so resilient that a no won’t set them back. I also think a strong founder must be decisive, creative, smart, and innovative. A person who gets stressed easily, likes to relax after work, doesn’t like making high-stakes decisions, and is uncomfortable with risk should probably work for someone. They’ll be much happier.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
You will be tested. I always thought I was even-tempered and good at coping with stress, but wow, my business keeps throwing curveballs at me. You just have to breathe, feel, and let the hard days pass. They don’t last forever.
You won’t know everything. In fact, you won’t know most things. I started my business with a marketing degree. Everything I learned about marketing came from actually doing the marketing for clients. I didn’t know a thing about writing sales copy until I started getting in there, and helping clients write pages that got results. You just have to try your best in the beginning.
You have to be decent at everything — contradicting my last point. As a founder, you kind of need to be good at everything at the beginning. Learn how to present yourself well because you’re the salesperson. Learn social media because that is the future of advertising. Stay organized and strategically minded, because really, it’s all you before you grow into a company that can outsource.
Give the people who support you a lot of love. That high school friend who shares all your launch announcements. Your first few clients or customers. That business owner who sent you an email, answering your questions. These people probably believed in you when you didn’t believe in you. Never lose sight of them.
Scaling makes things harder, not easier. I thought it was so glamorous to hire a team of seven, outsource the smaller tasks, and refer to my company as a “we” not “I”. I was wrong. Managing a team, especially if you’re not a “good manager” (no shame in that), is tough. Stay streamlined and ensure that you get strong people for a specific role when you hire. This way, you can scale without making your life too complicated.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
My impact comes from the women who trust me to write for them and scale their company with copy that propels them into speedy growth. Nothing lights me up more than helping a single mom be able to quit her job and spend more time with her baby because she made $20K in one week by launching a group program. I love watching my clients lean into their personalities, go from scared to exhilarated, and scale the dream that used to be such a stretch for them to imagine accomplishing it.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I would want to start the “Write with Personality” movement. Out with the “to whom it may concern” or “let’s circle back” rhetoric. Direct, clear, casual communication is what gets results. It lets people connect with you in a real, magnetic, and compelling way. We see this in sales copy, but I want to see this more whether we’re writing a book, a heartfelt letter, or a corporate email. Personality adds color to the entire Internet world.
We are very blessed that some very prominent 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.
It would have to be Sara Blakely. I’m so inspired by her drive when she was starting Spanx. Not only is she creative and brilliant, but she also supports her team. I think a breakfast could be really fun, but I might spend the first two minutes totally fangirling before I can actually talk about business stuff.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Modern Fashion: Charmaine Mischel of CM Design Agency On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today
An Interview With Candice Georgiadice
Our mindset determines our decisions in life and the outcomes that follow. Immerse yourself in the industry, hone your craft, and fall in love with every step of the process. We must surround ourselves with those who have gone where we want to go because there’s always another level. And it doesn’t matter who you are or where you started.
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 Charmaine Mischel of CM Design Agency.
Fashion Designer & Consultant, Charmaine Mischel is paving the way for startup fashion entrepreneurs to make their mark. At CM Design Agency in NY, it is her mission to lift the veil on the traditionally secretive Fashion Industry so that BIPOC Designers and more can launch premium capsule collections without making costly and unnecessary mistakes. She brings decades of domestic and international brand expertise to the table, guiding startups step by step along their #DesignerJourney, with core industry insights, guarded trade secrets, and best industry practices.
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”?
Every one of us has a story…when I think back to how it all began for me, I’m reminded of my Trinidadian Mom, who was my first creative inspiration. She kept a noisy, but fast sewing machine with a brown wood-grain table top in her bedroom. Each Spring she’d come home with a brand-new brightly colored fabric so she could whip up proper, matching Easter dresses for my sister and me.
I never saw her measure one thing — she’d cut, sew, tweak, and Walla! What struck me even then was how she could make something so beautiful out of something so simple. I have just a few pictures of myself as a child, and there’s one of my sister and me that I treasure. I’m in a little red A-line dress with elbow-length sleeves, a white Peter Pan collar, and matching cuffs. I think that’s when I fell in love with red — though you wouldn’t know it. Black on black on black is my typical go-to.
Fast forward to my early teenage years — I had one full bedroom wall covered in fashion photoshoot tear-sheets from every magazine I could get my hands on. And I had a particular affinity for all things PARIS. I couldn’t get enough — drinking in images of the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysées, the beautiful architecture, and window boxes overflowing with red geraniums. It was love. Truth be told, I didn’t plan then to pursue a career in the Fashion Industry — funny how life works!
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
I came to realize early on that I was naturally creative. I attended Art & Design High School in NYC. And following in my mom’s footsteps, just for fun, I’d buy funky “Jody Watley- Esque” fabrics to make my statement pieces. Even still, I thought I’d pursue architecture or become a fine artist. I enjoyed drafting class and drawing with charcoal & pastels, and painting with watercolor & designer gouache …until I met a college rep on career day from a historical Fashion school.
She came from a small school on 21st St & Park Avenue S. in NYC called The Traphagen School of Fashion. I was drawn in by the creativity and scope of their alumni — Designers like Mary McFadden, Geoffrey Beene, James Galanos, Arthur McGee, and Anne Klein. I was so enamored that I took the leap and chose to attend. Then my #DesignerJourney officially began.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
The most full-circle realization I’ve had is that thoughts are things, and we truly can create the life we desire. I ultimately became a Fashion Designer in the NY Fashion Industry, requiring me to travel to PARIS & London twice a year. Paris was a deep, unspoken yearning from my youth come true. What I didn’t know when I was decorating my wall was that I’d begun to plant the seeds that would fuel my future. And my mother’s passion imprinted a level of creativity and attention to detail on me that is palpable to this day.
It’s not so much that I ran towards Fashion, as — it continually revealed itself to me. Over time, it unfolded its depths and possibilities before my eyes. I don’t mean for this to sound “woo-woo” at ALL, ha-ha. But what I know is that what I focused on grew and became reality for me.
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 three that come to mind are LASER FOCUS, CURIOSITY, and RESILIENCE.
Laser Focus — -
Once I decided to study Fashion Design, laser focus was what I needed to block out the noise and immerse myself in what was to come. I chose not to follow some of my H.S. friends who went on to study at FIT because I sensed the seriousness of the next several years of my life & career. Distractions were not an option. And, that decision absolutely paid off for me. Nearly every one of those friends are no longer in the Fashion Industry, and I’m still here.
Curiosity — -
Though I was inherently creative, I hungered for more insight & expertise. I knew a lot — relatively, but I sure didn’t know it all. My creativity did not exist in a silo. Having an expansive mindset, and gleaning knowledge at every turn has served me well in every area of my life. I joke sometimes that I’m always asking 100 questions =). I remain open to possibility, believing that there’s often more to discover. I’m a lifelong learner at heart, still craving awe and wonder every day. Allowing myself to explore that uncertain, curiosity-driven side of myself is the reason I continue to grow year after year.
Resilience — -
Challenges will come. Not one of us is immune. At a high point in my Design career, while at a Fortune 500 apparel company in NYC, my 4-month-old son needed surgery — and it did not go well. Corporate then made me choose between my dream job and my family. Long story short, my family came first as they always will. Afterward, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever Design again — but the Fashion Industry kept calling my name, drawing me back in! I realized then I wasn’t ready to give up on it. So, when my son began to improve, I picked myself up and got back into the game. I corralled all the contacts and resources I’d worked so hard to put in place over the years, and I launched my own Evening Wear company.
Now, I get to pay it forward. At CM Design Agency I help startup Designers to learn the inner workings of the Fashion Industry so they can launch their collections. If I had given up, I’d never have experienced the sheer joy and fulfillment that has come from claiming my right to design a life I can love and be proud of in every respect.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
CM Design Agency was born out of a desire to open the doors to talented, up-and-coming BIPOC Fashion Designers. My goal is to lift the veil on this inherently secretive industry so that those who didn’t come to it via the traditional route — i.e., Fashion school, internship, Designer position, etc. — can still leverage their creativity and learn to launch their premium collections with clarity & confidence. It’s trendy right now in parts of the industry to appear to be diverse and inclusive because of this socially conscious moment in time. But when you look below the surface, in the industry, few Creative Directors and/or Designers who look like I do and come from where I come from are being included.
So, BIPOC Designers have begun to take action themselves, seeking out mentorship and support so they can launch their brands. But there are cliques and alliances in certain circles that still feel comfortable sharing only surface information. Self-taught, startup Designers need real insider information if they are to succeed, which is what they find at CMDA. Now is their time to show up, get what they came for, and SHINE.
Several years ago, a Womenswear Designer contacted me to help give her clarity about the end-to-end brand launch process. She was passionate & talented but exhausted from being in the DIY mode for too long. She just didn’t know what she didn’t know, and she needed to be able to see around the corner to bring some predictability to the process. Unfortunately, she’d already put several styles into production. $20k+ later, she received her first shipment of goods from China and saw that some of the fabrics were not what she’d expected, plus the construction and finishing were subpar. She considered trashing the entire collection — it was a nightmare.
Building a brand and launching a collection will always require an investment, but it shouldn’t have to be that painful. If she’d had a consultancy like ours alongside her from the beginning, she could have known which questions to ask, plus what assurances and limitations to put into place — so she wouldn’t have been taken advantage of. Thankfully, a domestic factory was able to correct and salvage some of her goods. Too many self-taught BIPOC designers aren’t given access to the information they need to move forward strategically, so they DIY and “wing” it as best they can.
At CMDA we say “The Secrecy Stops Here” because the creative end of the Fashion Industry cannot continue to be exclusive. Designers come to CMDA for high-level mentorship and guidance along their journey, and they connect with those who truly care about the success of their brand launch.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
Absolutely. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” -by Maya Angelou.
This is a quote I’ve held close for many, many years — but what we’ve all experienced in the last couple of years with the pandemic, loss, and uncertainty, has made that quote even more relevant. Even now, I’m thinking of the conversation I had with a friend this afternoon after her mom passed. Tomorrow is not promised. I’m determined more than ever to DESIGN a life I love and to help startup Designers do the same.
There is a big picture to the life of a Fashion entrepreneur. Fashion Design and brand management is, of course, one delectable part of it. But there’s also our SELF CARE, our FAMILY, our FAITH, some FUN and so much more to consider. These things are just as important. Living a well-rounded life that makes you feel fulfilled and whole at a soul level is everything.
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?
In much of the industry, there is a push towards greater awareness and accountability around conscious consumption. That’s something that veterans like myself and many newcomers to the industry as well, would like to see continue.
Consciousness, sustainability, equality, freedom, and inclusion are not just words anymore. Many consumers are putting their money where their mouth is. They are choosing to spend with smaller DTC brands that are meaningful and mission-based, as well as mid-size brands that are transparent about their supply chains.
To add to that, NY State has proposed The New York Fashion Act bill, and if it becomes law, it’ll require large brands doing over $100k in revenue to publish all negative environmental impacts and labor conditions, regardless of where their goods are manufactured. This is a great leap toward systemic change, and long overdue.
Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?
Throughout my career in corporate, I was the only Black Fashion Designer at every department meeting I went to, at every company event, at every social gathering after hours, during every business trip to Europe — everywhere I went, it seemed. Though it wasn’t openly talked about back then, it’s a glaring and disturbing reality that I and others who experienced the same are exposing and contending with in this new socially conscious era.
One of the principles I stand on is “Fashion is for EVERYONE.” CM Design Agency is a place where BIPOC Designers and more are supported as they find their voice, embrace their unique point of view, and position themselves to make their mark on the industry — and the world. My primary goal is to help Designers hone their expertise and grow their brands strategically so they can bring all their best to this world we all live in.
Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?
We now have an abundance of ethical vendor options. Making sure that the fabric suppliers are fair trade certified, and connected with reputable trade shows, including Premier Vision NY & Paris, DG Expo and Texworld is key. We absolutely avoid partnering with un-vetted, random sources online.
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?
There is a glut of fashion consumption happening across the globe. And there is a conundrum happening primarily with Gen Z’ers, many of whom do have a limited budget. Gen Z, on one hand, is very vocal about eco-consciousness and buying ethically. Approximately 65% claim they do want sustainable fashion. But, on the other hand, they’re the main consumers of a “certain” retailer which has been reported to drop approximately 6000 new cheap styles per day, though this retailer appears to have no concern about eco-consciousness.
The numbers don’t even add up. If a dress retails for $10, who is making a living from making these clothes? How much did that seamstress get paid to construct it? It’s absurd. We need more transparency. And we need a cohesive mindset shift across generations for tangible change to happen in the industry.
Gen Z has more power in their hands than any other demographic to demand this change and help end the gross overproduction of subpar products. If they stop buying, mass manufacturers will have no choice but to shift their wasteful practices. That will leave room for smaller, more ethical, on-trend brands with a higher price point to offer a quality product that won’t need to be thrown away after one or two wears. It’s a win-win because consumers will pay more, but they can be proud to spend their money where it matters, and the product will last. Plus, those who will have to live in this world we leave behind will be better for it.
The Designers I work with at CMDA have zero interest in producing fast fashion. They are building purposeful brands, step by step, with the needs of customers front in mind. Instead of giving in to the typical notion that Designers need to launch 13-piece collections, they’re launching premium capsule collections. They focus on the styles their target customers will consume, instead of what they alone want to design.
The sample development and pre-production processes are evolving as well. We take advantage of 2D as well as 3D rendering to make sure the styles are viable and well merchandised before ordering proto samples. And I continually update and add to our fabric & factory resource lists to make sure they include reputable and compliant sources.
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.
The 5 keys to leading a successful Fashion brand are knowing your BRAND PERSONA, CORE CUSTOMER, CREATIVE POINT OF VIEW, MARKETING STRATEGY & MINDSET.
Brand Persona — -
Your Brand Persona is what it sounds like. It is a living, breathing entity — a crystal clear representation of who you are as a brand, what you stand for, what you stand against, and how you will present yourself to the world. It’s truly a journey of self-discovery because the story begins with you. Committing the time necessary to maneuver through this introspective step in the launch process will ensure that the essence of who you are as a Designer will shine through. It’s foundational. If you execute this step well, everything you build aligns with your core mission so you can make an impact that will resonate.
A Designer who did this beautifully while the entire Fashion world was watching is Hanifa. In the Spring of 2020, Hanifa was the very first Designer in the industry to present a digital collection. The launch was timely and intoxicating! It took all our breaths away. Her willingness to push the boundaries is reminiscent of the reason she built her brand in the first place. On her website in 2020, it read “FOR THE LIMITLESS WOMEN: Inspired by a woman’s journey to a life without limits, Hanifa was created. Utilizing captivating designs, bold colors, and unique textures, our feminine designs illuminate natural curves. We hold true to providing luxurious pieces for all women, at every turn of her lifestyle.” And that she does.
Core Customer — -
Customers don’t always buy clothes because they need them. They buy because the purchase satisfies a need at a deeper level. They buy because they feel aligned with what your brand represents. And they’ll align with your brand when they feel you see who they are at their core. They’re also becoming more and more loyal to brands that try to make a difference.
A brand that understands this well is Universal Standard. For a long time, the average size of a Woman in the US was thought to be size 14. The little-known reality is that the average is size 16–18 ( — and after all the comfort food we all ate during the height of COVID it may well be higher than that :). Universal Standard has created a new size chart that remakes their customers feel understood: S = 14–16, M = 18–20 and L = 22–24. Its sizing is redefined, and their customers thank them for it.
Creative Point of View — -
It’s important to know what value you bring to the table as a creative. What exactly is it that sets your brand apart and makes it better than what’s already available on the market? If you’re just one more bland streetwear or contemporary womenswear brand, you may not be able to attract the raving fans required for your business to thrive.
Rich Fresh is a Designer who wasn’t willing to settle for the status quo. When he relaunched his streetwear label in 2018, he had a clear vision for his brand. He said, “I want to do luxury, and I want to do it unapologetically,” then went on to become the first Black-owned luxury label. His Dad is his inspiration for his unique aesthetic, which includes earthy mid-tones, signature stripes, and engineered panels. There’s nothing basic about the Rich Fresh streetwear collection. This allows him to shine bright in the sea of a seemingly oversaturated sect of the market.
Marketing Strategy — -
Fashion is a business no matter how you slice it. That said, a Luxury level Designer who is doing primarily bespoke pieces will have a different marketing strategy than a Premium level Designer who intends to tap into a wide body of consumers. Having an omnichannel strategy is key to gaining optimal visibility for all brands in this digital era. But because of the ever-changing algorithms and updates to online operating systems, paid media has begun to fall short of expectations.
Because of this, start-ups, as well as larger brands like Gymshark are finding that owned media and earned media better attract and hold the attention of their die-hard customer base. However, even after his recent raving success in 2022, loyal and new customers could still find Gymshark founder, Ben Francis running his pop-up shop in the streets of London alongside other growing brands — proving that organic marketing is here to stay.
Mindset — -
Our mindset determines our decisions in life and the outcomes that follow. Immerse yourself in the industry, hone your craft, and fall in love with every step of the process. We must surround ourselves with those who have gone where we want to go because there’s always another level. And it doesn’t matter who you are or where you started.
Consider the rise of the Ralph Lauren label. Bronx NY, 1939 — Ralph Lifshitz, was the youngest son of Jewish immigrant parents. He grew up dirt poor and he and his brother were discriminated against so relentlessly that they changed their last name. But that’s not what we think about when we think of the RALPH LAUREN brand at all. He began with a tie collection and a dream — and ended up building an empire. You may not intend to build a company as big, but whether you get even close to where you want to go depends on how bad you want it.
Hanifa, Rich Fresh, Ben Francis, and many other successful Designers have started from the very bottom also. Their laser focus and commitment to their brand vision have taken them further than their talent ever could have alone. Stay focused and keep your mindset intact, because whether you think you can launch a successful label, or deep down you think you can’t — you are right.
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
Continuing to push for the passing of The New York Fashion Act would be a great first step toward protecting garment factory workers and monitoring the environmental impacts of our industry. There are other key initiatives in place as well — the Fabric Act and the NY bill introduced to stop the use of PFAS in apparel fabrics, which are just as important.
Consumers drive consumption. And fast fashion manufacturers will produce what is profitable for them. So, if consumers continue to gorge on clothing that contains 18x the safe level of lead, they will continue to pump out new cheap styles by the thousands.
When customers finally get fed up and commit to purchasing largely from brands that are transparent about their ethical practices, things will begin to shift in the right direction. Gianni and Reformation are two of many brands that are putting QR technology to use refreshingly. Their customers can scan the QR codes on the labels of their clothing to get details about each garment’s supply chain from beginning to end.
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. 🙂
Again, being conscious of where we spend our dollars is paramount. Purchasing from smaller “slow-fashion” labels, including BIPOC brands which are growing in a more organic, ethical way will make it possible for startups to claim a market share that could sustain them for the long term. Our entire Fashion Industry will be better for it.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
First, we can use mindfulness to notice that most of our fears are about the future. Take a moment right now to think of something that worries you. Is it the past, the present, or the future? Usually, it’s the future. Even if I’m worried about something that happened this morning, I’m probably concerned with what the consequences will be later.
Ron Siegel is an Assistant Professor of Psychology, part time, at Harvard Medical School. He is the author of numerous books, including The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems, and most recently, The Extraordinary Gift of Being Ordinary: Finding Happiness Right Where You Are. In his work, Dr. Siegel shows that while mindfulness may sound exotic, you can cultivate it — and reap its proven benefits — without special training or lots of spare time.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
I came of age in New York during the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the counterculture was in full swing. Lots of people were interested in changing the world — and ourselves — for the better. I began meditating as a teenager. When I became a psychologist, I and a number of colleagues in the Harvard Medical School community started to wonder about what psychotherapy and neuroscience could learn from meditation — and vice versa. We began writing about this and training other mental health professionals. It’s been a real privilege to connect for decades with therapists and researchers all over the world exploring the power of mindfulness.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
That’s challenging; there have been so many! Early on, a man came to see me for therapy who had just sold his oil trading business for $30 million. He kept using the phrase, “30 million dollars cash,” which made me picture a wheelbarrow full of bills. But he was depressed. Now that he was no longer making deals, he felt at loose ends, without meaning or purpose. Being philosophically inclined, I was excited to work with him. I imagined that he was at a vital turning point, and I could help him find a new sense of meaning in life, beyond material wealth. But the first few sessions didn’t go well. I just wasn’t connecting with him. At about the fourth meeting, however, he came in looking much happier. When I asked what had happened, he said, “I’ve come up with a plan for parlaying my $30 million into a $50 million business. When I pull this off, I know I’ll finally feel like a success!”
He was completely serious, and that was the last I saw of him. But it turns out this patient had given me a real gift. As a young psychologist, I had plenty of concerns about my own professional, social, and romantic success. That day, I realized that no matter what I accomplished, the tendency to compare myself to others would probably continue — I’d just pick new peers to compete with. Decades later, this culminated in developing a program to help all of us be less concerned with social comparison and trying to prove ourselves. That’s the subject of my most recent book, The Extraordinary Gift of Being Ordinary: Finding Happiness Right Where You Are.
What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?
My advice is to look for ways to help everyone on the team shift from showing off their individual talents to rowing together toward shared goals. This starts at the top! Leaders need to be honest about their shortcomings and insecurities, welcome input, and encourage team members to also speak the truth about their strengths and weaknesses. In virtually any organization, concerns about how we look and what others think about us can get in the way of the team being productive and supportive.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I’d love to. It’s a bit obscure, but there was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher named Chögyam Trungpa who wrote a book in the early 1970s called Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism. The book focused on how we can manage to turn absolutely anything we do into striving to prove ourselves, to raise our self-esteem. And among meditators, you can see how this quickly becomes ridiculous: Who is the more accomplished meditator? Who is less concerned with ego? The book helped me to see early on that our human propensity to compare ourselves to others knows no bounds — we can even turn “getting beyond ego” into an area for ego competition.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. From your experience or research, how would you define and describe the state of being mindful?
To define it as concisely as I can: Mindfulness describes a particular attitude toward each moment. It’s about being aware of what we are experiencing, with loving acceptance. That means paying attention to moment-to-moment sensations like seeing, hearing, tasting, and touching, as well as mental responses (liking some experiences, not liking others). And it involves being open to — and curious about — everything that happens.
This might be intuitive to you, but it will be instructive to spell this out. Can you share with our readers a few of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of becoming mindful?
Our lives actually consist of a series of moments. Most people don’t get to the end of their lives and think, “I wish I had spent more time in the office,” or even, “I wish I had climbed Mount Everest.” But they do often think, “I wish I had been more present for the simple moments of my life — not so caught in worrying about the future or regretting the past.”
Research shows that what we do each moment is less important for our well-being than whether we’re able to be present. It turns out that people are actually happier doing the dishes — and paying attention to the process — than they are eating a gourmet meal while thinking about something else. Just learning to pay attention to what is happening here and now, and to accept whatever it is, makes our lives richer and more fulfilling.
Mindfulness also helps us to deal with our emotions more skillfully. Most psychological distress is actually caused by resisting unpleasant feelings. Whether we drink too much to try to get rid of feelings of stress, or avoid going to parties or speaking publicly so as not to feel anxious or awkward, it’s the attempts to avoid difficult feelings that get us into trouble. We’re afraid that if something bad happens we’ll get stuck in sadness, anxiety, shame, anger, or another painful feeling. Mindfulness practices help us to allow all of these emotions to arise and pass. This ability to feel feelings fully, but not get caught in them, helps us to be more courageous and flexible in our lives.
Mindfulness practices also can make us healthier physically. Many medical problems are either caused or exacerbated by stress. As we become more comfortable with our emotions we spend less time reacting like an animal under threat and become more relaxed. This helps us to sleep more deeply and makes it less likely that we’ll get stuck in patterns of stomach upset, chronic musculoskeletal pain, skin rashes, and all sorts of other stress-related disorders. It also helps our immune system to function better and reduces cardiovascular risk.
Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. The past 5 years have been filled with upheaval and political uncertainty. Many people have become anxious from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to develop mindfulness during such uncertain times? Can you please share a story or example for each.
Great question! The past several years truly have shown us that our thoughts about what the future will be are unreliable. The pandemic, political tensions all over the world, and the changing media landscape have proven to us that we can’t predict — let alone control — the future. Being more mindful can help us navigate this uncertainty in many ways.
First, we can use mindfulness to notice that most of our fears are about the future. Take a moment right now to think of something that worries you. Is it the past, the present, or the future? Usually, it’s the future. Even if I’m worried about something that happened this morning, I’m probably concerned with what the consequences will be later.
Simply by bringing our attention back to moment-to-moment sensations, we can learn to take refuge in the present. This might involve bringing our attention to the sensations of our breath, the sounds around us, or the sensations of walking — our feet touching the ground, lifting, touching the ground again. We can even bring our attention to our natural surroundings — the clouds and trees, the sensations of the breeze. The more we practice paying attention to sensations here and now, the more we realize that at this moment we’re safe.
Second, and closely related, is noticing that our thoughts are just thoughts — not realities. This is called metacognitive awareness in modern psychology. Try this little experiment: Bring to mind something that’s a little bit upsetting — not the worst thing ever. Then ask yourself: here and now, if it were not for the thought of this difficulty, would you be having a problem? Usually, the answer is no. So, as we practice bringing our attention out of the “thought stream” to the sensations of the present moment, we gradually gain perspective on thoughts, and realize that they’re just thoughts. This helps us to be less reactive and upset every time a difficult thought arises.
A third way we can use mindfulness practices in changing times is to simply notice that things have always been changing. Try this exercise: What was your worry three worries ago? Most of us can’t even remember — but a little while ago it was a big deal. Just noticing that sensations, thoughts, and emotions are constantly changing can help us not to be as disturbed by the contents of our hearts and minds in each moment. When we become frightened, sad, or angry, many of us fear that this feeling will last forever — and we can get desperate about trying to get it to go away. The reality is that the contents of consciousness are always changing.
A fourth way we can use mindfulness is to connect more honestly with others. Social media posts might make it look like everyone else is having nonstop fun, doing exotic things with beautiful people. But the reality is quite different; life is challenging for everyone. The more we practice mindfulness, the more we see that pleasant and unpleasant experiences are always coming and going. We can risk being honest with friends and family about this. Social support is very important to all of us. As the Turkish saying goes, “No journey is too long with good company.”
Fifth, mindfulness can help us to cultivate gratitude. When we’re frightened about an unstable world, we can lose track of what we have. The more we practice mindfulness, the more we appreciate the taste of a piece of fruit, the joy of a child’s smile, the blue of the sky, or the sound of rain. Abundant research confirms that gratitude is an important building block of well-being. It moves us away from focusing on what we want and don’t have, and connects us to the world outside ourselves.
From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to effectively offer support to those around us who are feeling anxious? Can you explain?
The steps that I just outlined for ourselves to take to navigate changing times can help others too. When others are anxious, we can help them to 1) take refuge in the present moment, 2) see that it’s their thoughts of the future that are frightening them, 3) appreciate that the world has always been changing, 4) share our own honest experience with them, and, finally, 5) help them to identify the things that they’re grateful for.
What are the best resources you would suggest for someone to learn how to be more mindful and serene in their everyday life?
There are so many great resources out there! The ones I have found to be most helpful (as well as my own books) are listed at my website, DrRonSiegel.com. There are also lots of free meditations on the website to try. For general instructions for establishing a regular mindfulness practice, I invite you to check out my earlier book, The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Life.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
If I had to choose one, I’d choose “make a connection, not an impression.” This is the theme of my most recent work, which is dedicated to helping us all step off the self-esteem roller coaster to become less preoccupied with whether we’re living up to expectations or doing as well as other people.
After years of involvement in both meditative traditions and psychological practice, you might expect someone to have a secure, stable, positive sense of self. But a few years ago, I noticed that there I was in my 60s, and my feelings about myself were still going up and down — sometimes several times in a day. The same was happening for my patients. Researching this further, I discovered that humans are actually hard-wired to worry about how we compare to others — and it plagues us all to a greater or lesser degree.
This turns out to be a tremendous waste of time and energy, which ultimately makes us miserable. I became interested in how we might find other, more reliable pathways to well-being. The most effective alternatives start with seeing how we each get trapped in addictive cycles of trying to bolster our self-esteem. Then we can learn instead to connect honestly with other people, engage more mindfully in the ordinary moments of our life, and cultivate gratitude for the little things. You can learn how in my recent book, The Extraordinary Gift of Being Ordinary: Finding Happiness Right Where You Are.
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. 🙂
Thank you! My movement would focus on helping us all to more honestly share our vulnerabilities with one another. I see this as an antidote to the idea that we all need to be winners, or “the most special.” It would lead us to need fewer material things, be more generous with one another, tell the truth more, and have a lot more fun enjoying each other’s company.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
As I mentioned earlier, for lots of free resources for learning mindfulness and exploring the other themes we’ve discussed, visit DrRonSiegel.com.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
The Future of Beauty: Steven Greitzer of Sculpted Studios On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Beauty Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Be comfortable with yourself. Know who you are and what your identity is. The more comfortable you are with yourself, the more beautiful you will feel.
As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years, I had the pleasure of interviewing Steven Greitzer of Sculpted Studios.
Scalp Micropigmentation Artist, Trainer and Innovator — Steven’s collective knowledge from nearly 10 years in the field allows a unique perspective in knowing how procedures age over time. He uses various techniques and treatment plans to create the most realistic results. He has worked with the industry’s top brands developing and testing products to push the industry forward. His teaching style and exercises have become a standard for new artists all over the globe — helping them soak up knowledge and understand varying techniques.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I was running a medical aesthetic center when I first learned about Scalp Pigmentation. I took a training class that was an absolute mess, but it opened up my eyes to what the possibilities of this application could be.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I had a client who had gone through 7 surgeries and almost $250,00 in treatments to get his hair back, they never worked. He wore a Yankees hat for over 20 years and had tons of them. He never went anywhere he couldn’t wear a hat — it was heartbreaking. When we finished the procedures his wife came with all of his hats and we went downstairs, put them in the dumpster and lit them on fire. It was incredible to see the total shift and transformation for him, I’ll never forget it!
Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?
Absolutely, and it sounds cliche but it was the day I decided that I love doing this. It made me happy, I was great at it and I was able to help people. Before this I basically just chased money , I did ok but felt soulless. That old phrase comes to mind “Love what you do, never work a day…” I can’t believe I am actually saying that out loud but it is absolutely true. The day I followed the passion over everything else was my tipping point.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
The most influential person in my life met me when I was in a phase in my life where I felt lost . They taught me to be me, not everyone else’s version of me. This person helped me realize my own power, got me focused and showed me I can accomplish anything.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. The beauty industry today has access to technology that was inconceivable only a short time ago. Can you tell us about the “cutting edge” technologies that you are working with or introducing? How do you think that will help people?
I have always been an innovator in this space. I was the first to design a machine specifically designed for scalp pigmentation. This enabled artists to enhance their work using proper tools, as well as prolong their career by utilizing proper ergonomics.
I have also created needle shapes that have allowed our industry to achieve incredibly realistic results that were unattainable before. My new pigment set is a complete revolution. I have solved some of the major issues in the color of healed results and retention.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
No, but what it has done is pushed competition in the space, led to revolutionary innovations and got artists in the industry thinking about how we can further improve.
Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?
Things that excite me most about the Permanent Makeup/Scalp Micropigmentation industry are the life changing results of my clients, the start of a new future for my students and creating better products and results
In the beauty-tech industry it would have to be the tools that are created which open the gateway to new attainable results, as well as the newest products and treatments available.
Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?
Poor results are my biggest fear. Someone who has had bad aesthetic results and/or bad experiences can really have an exponentially bad effect. We need stronger regulation for people to get into this space. Lack thereof leads to poor training, which is a problem as we need to have standardizations and protocols in place to make sure new artists are well trained. The watering down of prices and the discount mindset is another concern. This is a luxury service which demands years of training and serious expertise for proper results. This is your head and face, and treatments are permanent. It has to be perfect and a well trained artist can definitely make that happen.
You are an expert about beauty. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)
1.Be comfortable with yourself. Know who you are and what your identity is. The more comfortable you are with yourself, the more beautiful you will feel.
2. Make your own style. Wear what makes you happy! This will boost your confidence.
3. Take care of yourself! Grooming, showers, nails! Spend time on yourself!
4. Smile a lot — good energy is always beautiful.
5. Being kind to people is the most beautiful thing you can do!
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 would inspire a new community for our industry. This would be a space where we would share knowledge about our experiences in the industry to help each other grow. A community where opinions can be given, one can be heard and credibility is ensured by fact checking. I would inspire an industry of ethical growth and achieving the best possible results by helping one another.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Love what you do and never work a day in your life.
When I was a kid I laughed at that, and said, “ha, yeah sure, as long as I’m rich I’ll be happy!” I couldn’t have been more wrong about that, I absolutely love what I do and I am so grateful for it.
How can our readers follow you online?
On Instagram @steveyg_smp
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Female Founders: Andrea Urioste & Charlotte White of WonderIn Group On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Believe In Yourself — First and foremost, believe In yourself because then it doesn’t matter what tf anyone else says or does. You should always be your biggest cheerleader. I probably spent the first few years of our company’s life looking for validation in the eyes of our peers. Dreaming that I would ‘finally’ be taken seriously, for them to say “well done, great job” all the time. But the truth is, that didn’t mean a thing in the end. I wasted so much energy worrying if I was legitimate that I never stopped to ask myself if I felt I was legitimate! When I started believing in myself the game changed. Clients felt that confidence I had in myself. They wanted to work with me because of it. And they’ll want to work with you too.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Andrea Urioste and Charlotte White of WonderIn Group.
Wonder Integrated Group, creates meaningful marketing campaigns for brands looking to have a positive impact while outsmarting not outspending the competition. Offering one integrated solution, our team handles all aspects of planning, creative design, media execution, social media management, video/content production, and website design & development. This approach, combined with our emphasis on performance tracking and measurement, holds us accountable for every dollar we spend & puts the focus back on the ROI for your business.
Andrea Urioste, founding Partner and President of WonderINgroup, is a dynamic, award-winning, and passionate international marketing professional with over 20 years of agency and brand experience. She has spent the majority of her career working at start-ups, helping in the development of integrated marketing strategies for some of the world’s largest brands. A native of Uruguay, South America, Andrea holds a Masters Degree in Global Studies and an Executive MBA in International Business. When she’s not busy raising her 2 boys and managing the Agency, Andrea spends time co-launching a publishing company and co-creating a new start-up software platform.
Charlotte White is a serial entrepreneur, mother, and passionate yogi. Her career trajectory exploded when Charlotte left the big box agencies, BBDO and Grey, and took the leap into business ownership, co-founding the award-winning mission-led marketing media agency Wonder Integrated Group. Discontent with a male-dominated advertising industry and lack of mission-based values, Charlotte was intent on using business as a force for good in this world. Her boutique agency has spent the better part of the last 10 years creating positive social impact by running client campaigns for Planned Parenthood, The Aspen Institute, the Healthy Teen Network and so much more.
Along the way, Charlotte also joined the e-commerce game, with 3 successful Amazon stores in operation, while building and launching a new tech platform that will revolutionize the consumer sports sector. The most fun entrepreneurial endeavor for Charlotte however was born out of a naughty beer-induced stupor, the creation of a naked coloring book business based on classic literature themes! To balance all that out, Charlotte also took her passion to the next level by becoming a yoga instructor after being awarded the privilege by the Yoga Alliance.
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?
Andrea: Having spent the early part of my career in start-ups, I had the chance to work with a number of different agencies and clients over the years. Inspired by serial entrepreneurs, I eventually broke out of my agency career to create a new kind of agency that I felt was truly missing in the industry; an integrated marketing agency that would deliver meaningful & successful campaigns for our clients.
Charlotte: Well, I was supposed to be a lawyer, but I’m glad that didn’t pan out, LOL. I studied European Law at London City University but truth be told I was bored sh*tless and after graduating I looked for any paying job that wasn’t law-related. The first door I fell through was AMV BBDO London, and there, as the assistant to the Head Creative honcho, my addiction to creativity and advertising began. He was the genius behind the famous horses Guinness Beer Ads and the UK Economist Print Ads and he soon took me under his wing. I got my teeth into creative writing, and film production, and even moved to BBDO New York to focus more on the business side. Then once I hit the Big Apple, I didn’t want to leave. A stint at Grey NY followed, and then I was poached to run an agency for a French holding company. At that point, I realized that anything I can do for someone else, I can do for myself and *BOOM* fate put me in front of Andrea and we created WonderINGroup. I haven’t looked back a single day since. I get to do a little of everything I love every single day.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
Andrea: One of the most exciting and humbling moments in this journey was early on at the start of our agency. I had stayed in touch with a former boss who was the Founder & CEO of a start-up I had worked at years ago. He had an urgent need for an agency with experience in integrated marketing to support his client, the Juventus Futbol Club from Italy, on their first USA Tour. While stationed in Madrid, he needed this agency to help him plan, manage and execute fan activations in both Miami and New York — and do so in less than 4 months. I can say without a doubt that our ability to be nimble, scrappy, and experienced in event planning — and yes — our love for Futbol as well — made us the perfect partner for this endeavor. In the end, it was a huge success, and our agency of fewer than 2 years at the time, was honored to be the recipient of the Davey Award for Best Live Experiences!
Charlotte: Year one into our business I had that “pinch me, how on earth did I get here moment” that I feel is the most interesting because it represented the very moment I knew our little baby start-up business was here for the long haul! In our very early days, we had been lucky enough to work on a social impact campaign with the digital division of Planned Parenthood here in NY, culminating in an amazing media campaign we created for Spot On: A Period Tracking App. Apparently, they loved work (and us!) and unbeknownst to us they had recommended our agency be included in the pitch to win the next National Campaign for PPFA! Shocked…we pushed our doubts aside and worked our butts off on an amazing pitch, and off we trotted to Washington DC to sing for our supper. We found ourselves sitting next to 10 other agencies on the pitch, really big dogs, and I honestly couldn’t believe we made it here. I mean we had only just started our business a year ago. Turns out we didn’t win the pitch, but it didn’t matter, we had made it to the table and that was more than we could have asked. We found out later that 90% of that room wanted us to win, but we came in a close second JUST because we were a little smaller in size and resources. The point is — it just goes to show that you shouldn’t doubt what’s possible for your business or question how quickly you can make it there. Where there is a will there’s a way! Believe in yourself because you have just as much to offer as the person next to you.
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?
Andrea: It’s really difficult to really pinpoint one person. Over my academic and professional career, I feel I have amassed an incredible network of trailblazers and business leaders from around the globe. Everyone who I’ve come in contact with throughout, past and present, has had a positive impact along my journey. There is a famous quote by Tim Sanders that I have always lived by, and it has opened up doors for me and our business beyond my expectations…“Your network is your net worth.”
Charlotte: Honestly, my Dad. He’s an entrepreneur too. He started his business in his 40s when he had a mortgage, a stay-at-home wife, four kids in tow, and a pipe dream. A big freaking risk! Despite the odds, he built a successful construction and electrical retail company that he recently sold. While he’s not in my industry or directly related to my company’s growth, he has been an invaluable friend and mentor to me on this journey. When I have issues, or I’m struggling with a business decision, he offers to listen. He tells me tales of his own experiences on similar topics, he doesn’t judge, he encourages me to think practically and to stay calm. He talks to me about trusting the process and following my happiness and NOT the money. Honestly, without him, I wouldn’t be able to keep my head on straight!
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
Andrea: I believe that part of the reason is societal expectations of a woman’s role in the home. While I’m certainly seeing a shift today compared to years past, the fear and worry of not being able to balance your career and family and those expectations that are placed on the women at home are still very much influencing their decision. I feel that you also still encounter biases toward women leaders in business and that alone makes it daunting for women to take on the role of a business owner….for fear of not being accepted, not taken seriously & fear of failing (when we all know that failure is the first step toward success).
Charlotte: Look, do I think there is still a little too much male dominance in a lot of industries…yea, I do. I mean I’ve been spoken down to in the boardroom and underestimated for my output probably just because I am a woman…and to many women that can definitely be a turn-off to starting their own biz.
That said, I don’t think that the history of male dominance has to be the main factor as much anymore. There are great strides being made toward pay equality and putting women in more positions of power in the boardroom. That I find pretty inspiring. Unfortunately, right now I actually think the single biggest thing holding women back is, well…ourselves. It’s that women are less likely to take risks than men, and that’s a FACT. And then even if they do take the leap it’s also a fact that women face more backlash and negative consequences if they fail. Until we (as women) realize that taking a risk isn’t as scary as it seems and cut the noise of failure out of our ears, we will always be less and less inclined to start our own businesses than men.
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?
Andrea: Have more women represented in these roles and celebrated for their successes publicly & more often.
Charlotte:
Personally, we should practice risk-taking in our lives…daily. I don’t care if it’s trying that new food you thought you’d hate or jumping out of a plane for fun, practice it until it becomes normal.
As a society, we should shut our judgemental mouths and stop highlighting failure. Failure is not a negative thing. We need more “women lifting up other women” discourse out there. We need to champion each other more.
The government should make it way easier to certify women-owned businesses and provide more support and help to navigate the available resources for us. They are out there, it’s just a minefield of red tape. For context, our business took 2 years to become women-owned certified and 3 more years to make the GSA (General Services Administration) as a recognized small women-owned business vendor that can do business with the government. That’s just insane!
This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
Andrea: Women just make for better leaders — we have the innate ability to value life and work balance more so than men…Women also tend to be better listeners, and while often seen by men as a weakness in the business, our emotional intelligence makes us more inclusive, empathetic, and better team players overall. All important attributes for being great leaders and building successful companies.
Charlotte: Women are badasses. Period. We already wear so many hats as wives, mothers, friends, cooks, worker bees…you name it we do it. Given you need to wear a million and one hats to own and operate a business, this just means we have a head start!
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
Andrea: That you need a lot of starting capital to get going! Remember — your network is your stronger ally and supporter — and that doesn’t take money to tap into it to get started.
Charlotte: Ditto Andrea… plus don’t think just because someone else already does what you do that you can’t do it better or differently. There is enough room for everyone in this world to offer something that is unique.
Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?
Andrea: I think if you have the following qualities, then you’re likely to be a successful founder — If you’re able to handle crisis situations well, have strong communication skills, know when/how to delegate, have patience and encourage sharing of ideas and free-thinking! In my opinion, having worked in start-ups surrounded by all different types of entrepreneurs & then launching my own business, these qualities have been the most important for maintaining healthy relationships with my team and our clients.
Charlotte: Tenacity. Pure and simple. The most successful entrepreneurs I have met and have read about are uber determined. They persist until they win. Some people have that ability to get back up even when they are knocked down and that’s key.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
Charlotte:
1.Quick To Fire
Move away from what’s not working or anything that is not sitting right with you. Don’t let it linger. That sh*t festers until it poisons the whole well. That goes for employees that aren’t cutting the mustard with clients who you might not jive well with. The pain and agony are only prolonged after you “umm and ahh” your way through giving them a second, a third, a fourth chance. Convincing yourself you can help them or that you can’t live without the money. All the while they are probably feeling sh*tty knowing something’s up and getting more and more resentful or calling you out in anger. It has happened to us a couple of times over the years, and both times we hung on too long and when the end of the relationship inevitably came, it left a yucky taste in our mouths. We are now all about maintaining the healthiest relationships (even when we aren’t a good fit for one another!) Now happiness is the end goal. So we have to think about it like ripping off a band-aid. It might sting a bit at first, but you’ve got to get it off quick so it can heal.
2. Go Balls Out
Legit. There is no half-assing anything when you own your own biz because there is nowhere to hide. When you decide to do something, make sure you execute that thing with all the love, passion, and gusto that your little body can muster. There is just no point otherwise. You’ll only look back and regret that you didn’t give it your all. Plus, in my experience as an entrepreneur, clients can smell that level of passion and dedication. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been told, “I’m awarding you the contract because I can really feel that you care and you’re going to give it your all” . We’ve won many contracts just by showing how ‘balls out’ we really are. Remember you ultimately answer to yourself, only YOU can let YOU down. That’s probably the worst feeling for me when I know I haven’t given something
3. Stay Level Headed
When you are invested in your employees you have to remember they are humans first, business people second. Emotions can get involved and feelings hurt. Especially when you want to flip out, cry and scream if something goes wrong! But as much as you want to…you can’t kick and scream. Aside from the fact that’s abuse in the workplace (which still happens in a lot of companies believe it or not!) we know deep down that’s just not a cool way to treat people. For example, we had an employee that was always out sick, like every single week. We knew she was human, and her health was important to us, but her absences were disrupting the workflow and making other people work harder to cover her workload. We were internally conflicted and pretty p*ssed but in the end, we knew that we could practice compassion while holding them accountable for their reality in a calm, firm but fair way. We gave them options, we re-negotiated a new contract that allowed them more flexibility (which benefitted them too), and then took the money we saved and hired someone else to fill the gaps. While we wanted to just be annoyed and fire her, we actually stayed level-headed and changed the parameters to suit all. I know this one seems like a no-brainer but it is SUPER hard to remember when you have money on the line (sometimes millions!?) that’s entrusted in another person’s hands. Not to mention your reputation and life’s work.
4. Get a Hobby
Undoubtedly the single absolute thing that’s keeping me sane on this roller coaster that is entrepreneurship is my side passion — yoga and mediation. When you own your own biz you are on the job 24/7. No vacations, no downtime, no “off” switch. When a client calls with a problem or an employee calls in sick, you are the one stepping up. And if you are a mother (like me) forget about it, add young kids into the mix and you live in the perpetual whirlwind of needs and wants. That’s why I make time for ME. Just one hour a day. Just ME. I literally get up one hour earlier before my family is even awake and no one will miss me to focus on my passion. It gives me space to breathe. To not think about everything that everyone is going to need from me that coming day. I’m totally present and investing in myself. It’s for my mind, body, and soul. It refreshes me and allows me to face the day ready to rock and roll for the people I love and the business I love. It’s a must so you don’t burn out.
5. Believe In Yourself
First and foremost, believe In yourself because then it doesn’t matter what tf anyone else says or does. You should always be your biggest cheerleader. I probably spent the first few years of our company’s life looking for validation in the eyes of our peers. Dreaming that I would ‘finally’ be taken seriously, for them to say “well done, great job” all the time. But the truth is, that didn’t mean a thing in the end. I wasted so much energy worrying if I was legitimate that I never stopped to ask myself if I felt I was legitimate! When I started believing in myself the game changed. Clients felt that confidence I had in myself. They wanted to work with me because of it. And they’ll want to work with you too.
Andrea:
I would agree with many of Char’s points as well. If I could add a few more, I’d say…
1. It’s okay not to get it right the first time and fail again before you get it right — it’s through these failures that you will gain far more experience & resilience you need to succeed in business. Even after an MBA and numerous classes in marketing, you don’t get “schooled” until you really own your own business. An example of this early on in our agency was realizing we weren’t accurately forecasting and under-estimating time and effort spent on client projects, which at times left us barely breaking even on a few accounts. Over time, surrounding ourselves with other entrepreneurs and frankly gaining real experience with scoping out projects — we finally were finding winning solutions and realizing steady profits on our client projects.
2. Building relationships is key, not just building profitable businesses — Getting to know your clients and partners on a personal level (whether it’s a birthday or the graduation of their child) goes a long way and makes your relationship that much more meaningful beyond doing good work. Our industry is extremely competitive, and you’re not only competing with other small agencies like yourself but the big established ad agencies that have been around for years. Early on, though, we decided that Charlotte and I would be involved from an executive level in every piece of business that came through the door in order to build meaningful relationships with our clients beyond the scope of the work. These personal relationships with our clients have helped us win over big ad agencies and eventually create a referral funnel of work from one client to the next.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
Andrea: Our agency is always looking for opportunities to support brands and organizations that are using business as a force for good. We aim to identify and work on initiatives that create more positive impact and social good in the world, like our work with RiseBoro Community Partnership, the Healthy Teen Network & the Weaving Community campaign in partnership with the Listen First Coalition, and the Aspen Institute to name a few.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Andrea: I think a movement around giving back would have a positive impact both personally and professionally — whether it is giving back in kind, in monetary donations, in time…It’s important to be grateful for your successes in life — whatever they may be, and take the opportunity to pay it forward. I would not have had as much success in life and in my career if it hadn’t been for the mentors, educators, and supporters I’ve come across in my journey . Our Agency always looks for opportunities to give back when possible, from presentations in schools on career day to partnerships with the likes of Microsoft, for example, where we are given the chance to share our experiences/lessons learned with our future leaders.
Charlotte:
A movement to inspire a social revolution in the digital space. It’s a hard one to grasp because while I love all the benefits, resources and connection the digital age has provided us, I also HATE the flip of that where negativity, hate and cyberbullying is omnipresent. This is near and dear to my heart as my kids are right at the age where social media is ‘life and death’ or rather a minefield of ‘social sucide’ and I just hate it. How do we only promote the use of these platforms for greater good? Can we control it? IDK honestly?!? But what I do know is that teen suiside rates have nearly tripled since social media’s inception, my son himself has suffered cyber bullying and I’m at a loss. Someone somewhere has to course correct this… I hope!
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: MilliporeSigma’s Meeta Gulyani on the Five Leadership Lessons She Learned from Her Experience
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Leverage your strengths rather than trying to cover all the bases. We are always trying to make up for gaps instead of saying, “Where can I put my skills to meaningful use?” For me, it’s been really important to move from that mentality where I need to know it all and tick every box to a place of understanding what I am really, really, really good at.
As a part of our series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech,” we had the pleasure of interviewing Meeta Gulyani.
Meeta Gulyani is Head of Strategy, Business Development and Sustainability for the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada. Here, she is leading the development of the business’s organic and inorganic strategy, as well as sustainability, to ensure the business remains poised for the next growth horizon along with incorporating sustainability within the organizations business and social goals. Meeta’s unique perspectives on career success in a global, industry leading organization have also been informed by her prior roles at Sanofi-Aventis, Roche Pharmaceuticals and at the Board of Directors of Seer, Inc. Both in and outside of work, Meeta is driven by finding the intersection of sustainable innovation and positive social impact, while promoting and amplifying the influence of women in the workplace.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
It was a series of twists and turns. I started in economics, dreaming of being at the World Bank. I then did something entirely different by taking on the business side of fashion. There was this moment when I was inspecting garments in Thailand and said to myself, “I want to go beyond the world of checking stitches per inch and colors.”
I realized that I didn’t want to be a deep specialist in one area. What drives me is being able to take a broader management view on things — bringing together functions and disciplines, and continuously learning in the process. This remains my passion.
So, my career path has been the result of broadening my thinking. I joined management consulting, which gave me generalist experience and a strong backbone in strategy. From there I joined the Healthcare and then the Life Science industry inspired by the cutting-edge science, technologies and therapies being developed for areas such as oncology and multiple sclerosis, that create such a deep impact on human life and health.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
You tend to get steeped in your chosen industry and can get very comfortable with what you bring to the table. Honestly, I had worked 15 years in pharma, and when an opportunity presented to work in an entirely new industry (Life Science), I was like, “Oh, what do I know about this life science space?” I did not fully appreciate the effect I could have because I underestimated how many of my skills were transferable.
I also called myself a “recovering pharma snob”. I had thought that was where all the fantastic innovation was happening to help patients. I always viewed life science as “simply” a tools and equipment supplier enabling this — but not as an innovator itself. Now, I understand the degree and depth of what we (the life science industry) do in many domains to impact life and health.
As an example, I was leading strategy development when Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany completed its acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich in 2015, and we were looking for the mega trends and key areas where our participation could drive meaningful solutions. We discovered both legacy companies had hidden gems in the areas of gene editing and cell and gene therapy. Realizing the difference these novel modalities could make in patients’ health, we brought all the capabilities together under one roof, strengthened them further and have since launched key innovative products to bring these therapies to market.
All to say that, when I ventured out beyond my known domain, I discovered so much more — not only about myself but also about a whole new industry and ways to help others with my work.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. 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?
Well, even though pharma is one of the biggest customers for life science, you tend not to get limited exposure to it to that unless you’re on the pharmaceutical manufacturing or research side — so I didn’t know much about the life science sector when I made that shift.
So, I met with our then-CEO, and he talked about our leadership in water solutions. I looked at him in amazement and naively asked, “Are we in the water business?”
I was thinking of the water we drink. He laughed.
He was referring to the ultra-pure water that is requisite for so many laboratory experiments worldwide. To this day, we remain a leader in robust systems that ensure our customers have consistent lab water quality.
And there are two lessons here. First, stating the obvious, that I should have done my homework. While my CEO gave me a pass as a “newbie,” other senior leaders may have reacted differently.
Second, at that “aha” moment, I realized that our life science business was much more than just a “supplier.” A huge amount of Research & Development effort goes into ensuring our customers have the right water quality for their experiments — and that’s empowering the success of scientists worldwide. Our company touches, quite literally, every part of the process that turns a molecule into medicine, with the potential to help millions of people.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
What brought life science and our company truly in the limelight — more so than ever before — was the COVID-19 pandemic and our role in enabling those vaccines and diagnostics. Without us, these solutions would not exist. It’s as simple as that. We have been at the forefront of addressing the most significant global public health crisis faced by humanity in modern times.
But that’s only part of the story. Existing for more than 350 years, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is the oldest continuing operating company of its kind in the world. Its founders and owners — the Merck family — stipulate that we think in terms of generations so we can leave the world a better place than we found it. This is why sustainability is not just a topic of interest for us but also a critical part of my role, going hand-in-hand with our business strategy.
We help our company and customers make informed decisions to reduce their environmental impact, increase chemical efficiency and promote sustainability. For example, today, we offer customers 2000-plus Greener Alternative products, which fuel more sustainable work while ensuring results are not compromised.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Yes! Two things come to mind immediately.
I took on leading our life science sustainability efforts in Q4 of last year — and still have lots to learn. I’m working on finding ways to deepen our positive effects on the environment and society, while also determining how we can rally the entire organization around these initiatives. For example, we are a leading player in chemistry, so the role our teams can play is very significant when it comes to embedding Green Chemistry more deeply into our organization and multiplying that impact with our customers. We’ve also started to think about Green Chemistry education and from a social standpoint, extending our ability to “do good” even further.
Second is that I recently concluded our APAC strategy development. That’s personal for me because I’m from India. One of the most pivotal moments in my career occurred when I was a General Manager for Roche’s pharma business in South Asia. I witnessed firsthand the difference my team and I could make to improve and expand healthcare access in developing countries, like my own. Now, I find myself thinking again about how we can enable access to science in developing markets — and in a variety of ways! Like our Curiosity Cube®, a mobile science lab geared towards younger children, especially in underserved communities. I am excited to bring this program to India next year, to spark scientific curiosity and encourage students to pursue careers in STEM.
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?
As I speak with you today, I’m glad a lot has changed and improved since I started my career in healthcare over two decades ago. We’re seeing more women in STEM and more barriers being broken. But much still needs to be done — especially as you go to more senior leadership. The ranks of women leaders get thinner at executives committee or board levels. That’s a well-known fact, but I’ve experienced it personally. We’re seeing more female leaders at the top tiers, but is it 50/50? Not yet — by a wide margin.
It will take more holistic change to level the playing field. These changes grow because the right conversations and actions are happening in some companies, associations, states and countries. But it’s still not systematic and deep enough. There must be a programmatic push for increased action at numerous levels, including top-down leadership support, corporate requirements, policies, and so on.
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?
In my view and personal experience, women are judged and labeled far more readily than men. You’re either too aggressive or you’re too shy. Or it’s questioned whether you’re bold enough to take action. Or you’re not tough enough or ambitious enough.
There will always be some kind of stereotyping that you have to break down. How do we break the judgments so you can just be who you are?
One way is to be unapologetic about your leadership style. It’s uniquely yours. As an example, I have observed that many of the male leaders over my career typically like to tear things apart and determine who they want to hire, fire or keep in the first 90 days or less of taking on a role. This is viewed as “decisive action.” Earlier in my career, I used to feel the pressure to act similarly but I soon realized that I don’t like that. I don’t believe that I can make a judgment on people in that short time. I actually want to get to know a person, understand their strengths and give them a true chance to thrive in an enabling environment. This has worked well for me and the strength of the teams I have helped build over time speaks to that.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a woman in STEM or Tech. Can you explain what you mean?
That not enough women raise their hand or want to come to the executive level — I would call that a myth. Women absolutely want it. So, we have to boil that gap down to the “why.”
At every company, we have to peel back the onion to say, “What is really needed to get more women to the top?”
For me, one of the answers is “support systems” which can span from flexible working arrangements, mentorship programs or setting up infrastructure like childcare.
What are your “Five Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Experience as a Woman in STEM or Tech” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
Leverage your strengths rather than trying to cover all the bases. We are always trying to make up for gaps instead of saying, “Where can I put my skills to meaningful use?” For me, it’s been really important to move from that mentality where I need to know it all and tick every box to a place of understanding what I am really, really, really good at.
Understand how women leaders are uniquely positioned to bring out the best in their teams. With the empathy and support we’re able to provide, we can truly relate to all sides of a person and the journey they’re going through.
Don’t shy away from new opportunities. Raise your hand and take on a challenge, even if it’s something you don’t have experience in. When I took on my responsibilities related to sustainability, I approached the opportunity knowing I have never done it before, but why not tackle the challenge if I could make a difference?
Know when to say no. Sometimes women are too hesitant to say no, but I’ve said a lot of no’s in my life and been unapologetic about it. It shows you know your value. Earlier in my career, I turned down a role in a dream company and area because it wasn’t the right fit for my career progression. And that left the door open — I was approached by the same company for more senior role a few months later, one that was a much better fit and aligned with my career goals.
Don’t underestimate the impact you can have as a guide and role model. I once hesitated before sharing my perspective during a women’s conference panel discussion. But, after I did go on to share it, it was unbelievable how many young women reached out to me in response. Honestly, I had not fully appreciated how my little bit of input could resonate with those earlier in their career and it has inspired me to share more over the years.
What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?
Build a strong leadership team. Then empower and delegate. And that means building diverse teams with different backgrounds, experiences and strengths that augment yours. I am a big believer in hiring who are different from me, smarter than me and better than me! Then the most difficult thing is to let go! But let go. Let them run with it and you will see what these strong, diverse, empowered teams can do.
What advice would you give to other women leaders about the best way to manage a large team?
Bring your own unique style to the table. Bring your patience, your understanding, your empathy, and your ability to connect on an emotional and intellectual level to your team members, to bring the best out of them and build a strong, cohesive team.
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 was in a period of career transition and coming off a very challenging situation. I was pretty bruised, and my confidence had taken a knock. But one of the leaders took a chance on me and gave me a large role that I had never, ever done before.
I was like, “Why would you do that?” This person saw something in me.
By giving me an opportunity when the chips were down, by believing in me and reinforcing me over time, this person managed to get the absolute best out of me over the years.
It speaks to the power of inspiring trust and confidence in a person, so they want to put their best self forward and are willing to go the extra mile. That’s what I’m going to do for other people, right? Because I’ve experienced it myself.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I’m lucky to be in an industry where our work makes a big difference every day. The choices we make, make a big difference. I’m always thinking about how we’re impacting life and patients in the end — like with some of the newer therapeutic modalities such as mRNA or cell and gene therapies. Pursuing these areas as a business is not just a strategic or financial choice — it’s a bold bet that could change the shape and nature of healthcare. I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’re making and the milestones we’ve achieved.
On the leadership front, I’m a big believer in opening the door and creating chances for others, giving time for mentorship, like I have received, and building support systems for women. I’ve benefited from that, and I will always work to pass it on.
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. 🙂
Education is power. It’s the biggest equalizer. I came from a typical middle-class upbringing in India and my parents sacrificed a lot to give me the best education. That was my springboard, and I want to give people everywhere that springboard. Imagine if companies used their unique expertise and resources in support of local education — we could empower access to diverse learning opportunities in a more equitable way. And that can truly change the shape of the world.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“It’s about making a difference in people’s lives. Remembered or not, living out in a small town or on the world stage, the journey of relevance matters” _ Marian Deegan
This quote ties so nicely to our prior exchange on trying to bring goodness to the world. I always aspire to use whatever platform I have, to make a difference, whether small or big, be it in your job or the lives of your colleagues, family, friends and/or beyond, where possible.
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 🙂
It would be Michelle Obama, for so many reasons. On a personal front, my husband and I are blessed to have a daughter and we are constantly finding ways for both of us to pursue our career aspirations and balancing our family life. I would like to ask Michelle about balancing her career and aspirations with her husband. She took a step back in her career, despite her incredible talent, as her husband’s political career progressed. How did they navigate that? She used her platform to do so much good and create meaningful impact. How did she pick where to focus her energies? And she did it all with so much grace and authenticity, all while managing the ups and downs that come with being a public figure. How did she do that?
While the domains we operate in are entirely different, I feel there are many parallels. We could learn from and support one another as woman leaders — and that’s always a central motivation for me.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
