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.

Eureka! Part II: An Idea Is Born

Continued from Part I: Eureka!

So by now I knew what I needed: a cropped cami to wear under my low cut dresses that were oh-so-popular, yet oh-so-ill-fitting for a busty gal. The long ones had just annoyed me and rode up all day.

I walked to my nearest Gap and picked up their “Essential Basic Bra” which is a yoga type sports bra. The size chart will tell you that’s the XL is for D-DD, but I’m here to tell you, I don’t know who this is for. Not only is it not nearly enough support for a girl of that size, but it’s way too low cut to cover any cleavage. In fact, it was so compressing that it gave me more cleavage. It was also thick, so now we were losing on all fronts. I decided to try a regular sports bra, and in terms of coverage it worked. But again, even with a bra underneath for separation, I was compressed, and the only thing sporting was a mono-boob, which gave me the most unflattering contour imaginable. Boobs are like martinis: One is not enough, and three are far too many. I’d like two boobs, please!

After a while I wondered if I was asking for too much. I googled and found nothing but some matronly bras with a built-in lace panel. I decided that I was going to seriously consider this venture, and I would need to know for sure what I was up against.

MAGIC is a trade show in Las Vegas that happens twice a year. Lots of manufacturers exhibit there to sell their products to stores worldwide. I drove there from LA, checked into the Hard Rock Hotel, and paid $100 to walk the show. I discovered that I wasn’t the only one in search of a cleavage-coverage solution.

I found:

Chic Peeks : Their slogan is, “Burn Your Dickies!” Do you remember those turtleneck bibs Cousin Eddie wore in Christmas Vacation? They’re common for hunters, to provide warmth like a scarf, because it’s just the upper part of a turtleneck. That’s a dicky. In this case, it’s a square of fabric that tapes to the inside of your top. I was happy to see that other people were solving the same problem I wanted to solve, but in a different way. It seemed like a great by-the-cash-register impulse buy.

Camiflauge : This is a unique idea. I don’t really know what to compare it to. Camiflauge hooks onto your bra in three places to cover your cleavage. Again, it fell in between the categories of accessory and garment just like Chic Peeks. Also, it retails for $20-25, so I was confident that if people were buying this, they would buy a half cami for a bit more.

The Boob Tube : The Boob Tube is a tube top. At MAGIC in August 2008, it was a one-size product that was definitely too small for me to try on. I liked that they took something that already existed (a tube top) and put it into cute packaging. What I personally don’t like is the uni-boob an elastic tube top gives me, and also often cut into my underarms. Still, I heard it was doing pretty well, so I was pumped about that, and excited that they were taking off.

After seeing the main players in the game, I knew that what would make Second Base (yet to be named at that time) stand out, was that it would be a clothing collection.

My original Second Base sketch

I’m so glad that these companies exist, because their existence proved a need for my products. I hesitate to call them competitors. It’s like calling a regular camisole company a competitor. You could find tons of outfits/body types that would be ideal for each of these different products. For example, some people like a cami with shapewear, some like a cami without it. Some women (like me) prefer a long cami for wearing under sheer blouses. But for wearing under dresses, I wanted something for just that purpose: A fitted, cropped cami that would cover my cleavage and bra.

It was my first idea in years that was really ripe for the picking. When friends tell me their big ideas, I ask them, is it doable? I had only an inkling of how much I would end up learning and struggling with and yes, spending, to make it a reality, but I knew that the time was right to go for it.