Milestones

When you start a business, you love to think of the future. The notoriety of starting a brand, the accomplishment of creating something big from just a simple idea, and of course, the piles of money that you will backstroke through like Scrooge McDuck. Until then, the day-to-day operations are full of little milestones.

I can say that it’s wonderful for the ego to announce that you have been in WWD, People Stylewatch, ABC News, or that you had a record sales day. These milestones are public and offer bragging rights, but somehow, they are not always in line with your personal goals for the company.

My business is in a state of rapid growth. In the past few weeks, we have begun acquiring sales reps in markets all over the U.S. Things are about to get interesting.

When I moved to LA in early 2008, Second Base (or, the demi cami, at least) was an idea that had been brewing for over a year. It wasn’t until I was settled in my new city that I began to pursue the project in earnest, scouring the streets of downtown LA for fabric, trims, labels, patternmakers, sewing contractors, and a foothold on the garment industry. Now that I have been through several rounds of production, it seems so long ago.

In August of 2008, I enrolled in a class at Fashion Business, Inc. entitled, “Apparel Boot Camp: Lessons for Survival and Success in the Fashion Business.” This class was an 8-week program that covered everything from management, market analysis, branding, sales, and oh, that thing we love to ignore: finance. To this day, I organize my to-do list based on a lesson in that class.

DESIGN
PRODUCTION
OPERATIONS
SALES
MARKETING
FINANCE

I have added:

WEBSITE
PR
PERSONAL

And then I add temporary categories as needed, for things like photo shoots, retail events, trade shows, etc. Second Base lives by this to-do list.

That fall, I went to FBI’s classroom every week, passing a showroom that was closed for the night. Inside, I would see the big boys: Calvin Klein, Spanx, LeJaby, and a handful of other brands that had found a niche in the lingerie market. I walked by with my textbook saying to myself, “Someday my line will be in there!” and I believed it.

Yesterday was finally the day I approached that showroom that I had dreamed of landing for over a year and a half.

They were not expecting me, though I thought they were. No matter, I would just wait ten minutes. Ten turned into 15. Then the fire department called me. They were trying to get into my office. We got disconnected. I called back, and they didn’t pick up. Panicked, I sent my husband to make sure everything was OK. He knew this was a Big Day. I regained my composure, and presented the line once the sales team was ready for me. I could tell by their body language that they had already decided against it. They have too many lines. They were beyond gracious and polite, giving me feedback as well as advice on other showrooms to try.

I left disappointed, but surprisingly not devastated. I agree that they have too many other lines right now and wouldn’t be able to give Second Base the attention it deserves. I called my husband, who was apologetic. (Everything was fine at the office, just a routine annual check.)

He reminded me that there are milestones that matter to you more than anyone else. As an entrepreneur himself, he knows all too well. A year anniversary, an unprecedented sales figure, or even getting rejected by a particular showroom can pass by without everyone noticing. We have to remember not to dwell on what others think, but also to remember that sometimes we self-inflict “failure” on ourselves. I’m the only one in the world who knew that that showroom was a personal goal. No one cares that I lost my chance. I’m sure I will get another (better suited) showroom in the coming weeks, and all anyone else will know is that I have an LA rep and that’s great news.

It’s funny how milestones, goals, breakthroughs, (or whatever you prefer to call them) can be interpreted. For me, this was a reminder to keep working hard and setting goals for myself, but to know that when they aren’t achieved, it’s not a failure. It’s just another day in the life of an entrepreneur.

Now, back to my to-do list.

Celebrities, stylists, and tastemakers

We’ve done a pretty good job of gifting all the celebrities we think would appreciate Second Base. The challenge is that a layering cami, no matter how innovative, is not really going to get attention from anyone just by seeing it worn as part of an outfit. The whole point is that it goes unnoticed.

My next course of action is to target stylists. Not just for celebrities, but for women with traditional careers (or full-time mothers) who would benefit from more conservative styling. It seems like wardrobe stylists on movie, TV, and commercial sets would find it very useful, too. The trick is finding these people and reaching out to them efficiently.

This event by online magazine POSHGLAM.com, happening here in LA tomorrow night, is supposed to be attended by Petro Zillia’s best customers, stylists and a group of people I’ve recently learned existed: tastemakers.

Can you spot my logo?