Episode 74: Designing the Future of Fashion | Mikelle Drew-Pellum | F.I.T. Professor, Designer & Entrepreneur
Mikelle Drew-Pellum is a fashion designer, educator, entrepreneur, and adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. With a career that’s taken her from freelance designer to working with brands like Hanes, Champion, and C9, she’s now shaping the next generation of designers while running her own fashion education business. Mikelle shares her journey into the fashion industry, how she found her niche in activewear, and why she believes technology and smart buying will define fashion’s future. She talks about teaching digital fashion design, the realities of working in the industry, and how creatives can leverage technology to open new opportunities.
“How do we leverage technology for creativity? That’s on us as the creatives.”
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Follow along using the Transcript
Chapters
00:00 Meet Mikelle Drew-Pellum
03:20 From University of Delaware to New York Fashion Scene
07:45 Building a Career in Activewear Design
12:15 Working with Hanes, C9, and Champion
16:37 The 2 A.M. Email That Changed Everything
20:25 From Freelance Designer to F.I.T. Professor
24:50 Launching a Fashion Education Business
29:30 Teaching Digital Design with Illustrator & Photoshop
33:40 Why Technology is Reshaping Fashion
37:15 Smart Buying and the Future of the Industry
41:05 Lessons from Michelle Obama’s Becoming
45:50 Why Conversations Create Change
50:15 Leveraging Technology for Creativity
54:20 Advice for Emerging Designers
you know how sometimes they say you're pursuing something and when you finally just let go of it it happens for you. I feel like that's how the FIT thing came, because this was like maybe a year or two after and sure enough, like a year later I get this email and I was like, is this for real?
That's Mikelle Drew-Pelham and this is The Powerful Ladies podcast.
Hey guys, I'm your host, Kara Duffy and this is The Powerful Ladies Podcast where I invite my favorite humans, the awesome, the up to something and the extraordinary to come and share their story. I hope that you'll be left, entertained, inspired, and moved to take action towards living your most powerful life.
Mikelle Drew Drew-Pelham is a fashion designer, fashion educator, and adjunct professor at FIT in New York. She's also been a panelist on our series, A Powerful Conversation About America Racism. On this episode, we nerd out on what it's like to really work in the fashion industry, where fashion is going, and how technology is changing all of our lives, including what we wear.
Plus, we talk about her journey from freelance designer to professor at one of the most prestigious fashion schools in the world, and how all along she's been building her own fashion, education business, all that, and so much more coming up. But first, if you're interested in discovering what possibilities and businesses are available for you to create and to live your most fulfilling life, please visit the powerful ladies.com/coaching and sign up for a free coaching consultation with me.
There is no reason to wait another day to not be living your best life. When you instead could be running at full speed towards your wildest dreams today.
Welcome to the Powerful Ladies Podcast.
Thank you. I'm excited to be here.
I am so excited to have you. Let's begin by telling everyone who's joining us today, who you are and what you're up to.
So I am Mikelle Drew Drew-Pelham. I am a couple of things, but they're all related to fashion. So I am a designer. I am a fashion educator and I work, I'm an adjunct professor at FIT in New York City.
And then I am also a fashion entrepreneur and I teach digital fashion design training. Mostly Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. But I'm branching off into some other things. But all digital technology for fashion.
So when people hear about FIT, it's like the school, right? It's like that or Parsons are your two choices.
If you're in the US and you wanna get into fashion what is it like being a professor at that school?
It's interesting for me because I've been in the industry so long I enjoy it because part of it is that I get a rush from the students because they're still really excited.
Not that I'm not excited about fashion, but I've been in it so long and, there's certain things that happen within the industry that you're oh God, but these students haven't experienced that yet, so they're still like, excited about draping and excited about making a batter and excited about designing and then their energy gives me energy and makes me remember, oh yeah, fashion's really fun and it's creative and it's exciting.
So that's probably the most fun thing about working there.
When before you were professor, what were you doing in the fashion world?
A designer and I actually still design, I'm an adjunct there, so it's pretty much part-time. So it's like designer by day and teacher by whatever day I have to teach.
Yeah. We've talked before about how both of us have working in fashion in common. And I always think it's so interesting how when people think about fashion, they think of Vogue, they think of, couture, they think of runways and fashion week and my experience with fashion includes none of that.
Yeah, absolutely None of it except from, paying attention and watching it and seeing what's happening.
Exactly.
Because fashion ultimately is everything we put on our bodies. And so my world's been in the sport, lifestyle, street style, space, even skate. What specific areas have you been in fashion?
Mostly activewear. I've worked on a lot of different things for, because I've been freelancing for a long time, so I was like doing a little bit of a lot of things for, while I was doing men's street wear when that was like, everything in the kitchen sink was on it. Yeah, it's a little more streamlined now, but at that time when everything was real, Tcho skied up.
Uhhuh, part of that was me. I've done day wear, which is like juniors, intimate apparel, bralet sleepwear, things like that. But I always seem to gravitate back towards active wear. Like my first. Full-time jobs before I went into freelancing was in active wear. That was in my background.
And then the last 10 years I had been working with Hans Brands which produces all of the champion active wear. So I've been working, moving around in that space and for a while they had C nine just ended last year. And so I was working on that a lot as well.
Yeah, somehow I always gravitated back towards active wear. I always think of myself as a sporty spice 'cause I just, I'm a t-shirt and jeans girl and the sneaker girl and yeah. That's my jam.
Me too. I could get lost in sneaker stores. Oh yes. And I think and footwear in particular, having started in footwear.
There are some shameful photos I have of like, how many shoes have ended up in my closet or house? 'cause they can't always fit in the closet. Uhhuh. Are you a sample size? Yes. Oh man. Which is like a dream come true in that space. And it's somewhat I liked footwear as well because you can't starve yourself to change your shoe size.
So there's all, there's so much less pressure about trying to get into sample size or even caring about it.
So it's it's a whole different world and I just like it as well because to me street style and streetwear and this whole like, blend of sport and fashion to me is so interesting.
There's so much technical elements. You get to actually be working with athletes or you're collaborating with other artists or creatives and there's a whole culture behind it. And I know that there's a whole culture behind couture fashion as well, but it's much more real from my experience.
Yeah. I remember a friend of mine who I worked, I met at my first job, one of the things he was saying, 'cause I, at the time I had been thrown into active wear 'cause it wasn't really what I had decided to do at school, which I did not go to FIT by the way. I went to University of Delaware and when I left there, I was just.
Trying to find a job, not necessarily in a specific place in a specific type of job. So I just fell into active wear. It wasn't conscious, but I remember talking to him one day and one of the things that he said was he really liked being in that because he's yeah, the red carpet stuff is really cool, but he's I really love when you're walking down the street on a Saturday afternoon and you see somebody in your stuff.
And he's that's the stuff that people are wearing every single day and they don't have to, tell a story behind it or they don't have to be photographed in it. Like they chose to wear this on the day where they just felt like being comfortable. And I was like, you make a good point.
I was like, from then on I started thinking about it a lot differently.
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I would love to get back to what you were talking about in regards to seeing what, seeing what you made being on people. Like I love that like to walk around and be like, I made that, I helped with that.
Like I know what that is. I named that one. Yeah. It's my favorite and I think when you make something and. Somebody chooses what you've made to be part of their self-expression and their pride and their confidence. Nothing is cooler than that.
Oh yeah. Yeah, for sure. There are pl
plenty of things that I have made that people like just bought 'cause they needed something.
But then when you see people like rocking it and feeling good, you're like, yes.
Yeah, for sure. That's exactly why
we made it. I'm so glad that you're getting it.
Yeah. And especially the C nine product we had towards the end I was working on outerwear. And I was working on, we were also doing golf.
Like we did a lot of seasonal products. So we did like golf in the spring and then outerwear in the fall, which the outerwear was actually much more my favorite. But, the target people had started it was like their private label brand and then the C nine stuff next to it. And it was so cool that we were always, when you see somebody on the street and you're just like, there was a cheaper version sitting right next to that, you took the C nine one.
There's a little bit of satisfaction in that. There's a lot of satisfaction in that, I'm not gonna lie
completely. Like I love it. I'm like, pat on the back, pat on the back. Go team.
Exactly. Exactly.
Something else I think that is so fascinating is when, we talk about working in fashion, most people say fashion is all designers.
And I'm like, no, there's so many amazing jobs in
Oh yeah. In
fashion that design is one of them. It's a super important role and. If you love fashion and you're like, I'm not really a designer, and that's not my jam. There's so many other roles to be in like none of it can exist without pattern people or tech engineers.
There's sourcing, if you love organizing, there's a role. If like wanna do more strategy or marketing, like every piece of a business is in fashion and there's so many steps and people and tasks to make it all come to life.
Yeah. And it's interesting because they don't really talk about that in school.
So when you get outta school, you think, okay, I can be a designer. Or I could be a designer, yeah. Yes. And I remember in the last couple of years talking to my students about why don't if you really like this, then why don't you try this? I remember last, I don't know if it was last fall, the wall before that, but we have a, there's a class that I teach where it's mostly about sketching.
And teaching illustrator. And I remember one of the students saying that he didn't really like pattern making. He didn't really like all the other stuff about designing except drawing. And I said to him why don't you think about going into trend, or or something like that. There are illustrators who illustrate on the runway.
But if you are trying to get like a job that is stable, I'm like, why don't you think, why don't you think about trend? And he was like, I didn't even know that was a job. I'm like, yeah. None of us didn't know he started working.
Yeah. Or like even the fact that you can be. Only materials or only a specific material or colorist, just color uhhuh.
The number of hours I've spent arguing over like what shade of pink was appropriate is probably embarrassing. Like definitely not saving the world by choosing the right pink.
Oh yeah. Yeah. I've had those conversations before and it's like the banter back and forth about maybe it should be a little bit bluer.
Maybe it should, and I'm not saying that this isn't an important conversation because it hearkens back to that scene in the double worst Prada where she's just it's just all blue. I mean it Oh, yeah. And it is important like little things, little nuances like that. But for me it became really crazy because it was Target, it was C nine.
And I'm like, come on y'all. It's like a 9 99 bra. Let's just pick a color for Pete's sake, but things like that are important. And I have a friend who comes, she's come to speak at my class twice. She was a former designer, and her job now is in color.
And her job is to forecast the color, keep an eye on trends, keep an eye on what colors are trending things like that, and help to put the pallets together here each season. And e each time she comes to the class, each semester, everybody is amazed. And she even says, I never knew that there was a job like this, but I love it.
No. And we've taken the tests. We I forget which job it was, we all to take the test to see if we're. People who can see more colors than others. Yes. It's like a, like what bees have. And I was like, so I was so excited that I scored that I did because it made me mad. I'd be like, no, those I'd be going back to the factor like, these don't color match.
Yes they do. I'm like, no they don't.
Like
they're off just to the point where it's annoying where they like,
That looks like you guys messed up.
Yeah.
And it is, I do think that color is so important. I really believe in how color, it influence us emotionally. It influences us in so many ways.
It speaks so many words because based on what we've applied to it culturally, which I think is also fascinating. Like what, how red can mean something different in different cultures. So I do think color is important. And I think when we get to some of the conversations, you and I have both been in.
When it is which shade of turquoise is the right turquoise? It's guys, let's just make a call. We know it's turquoise. We're not arguing. Should it be green or orange? It's like there's 55 chips in front of us pick one. We're all gonna be happy with any of these chips.
Wait when you look back on 8-year-old self was she dreaming of being a designer and teacher at FIT and creating all the things that you've created,
interestingly enough, one of the things that was consistent was that I always wanted to do some sort of fashion thing.
I also had mixed in there. I wanted to be a journalist 'cause I like to write, I wanted to be a teacher. My parents were teachers and I was always like, I would have my dolls lined up in front of me and I'd, my mom always said she would come in and I'd be like teaching a class. So it's interesting that now it's come full circle.
Did I ever think I was gonna be taking at FIT. No, I wanted to, and they kept rejected me for years. So when they finally did call me, or I got an email at two in the morning, some weirdo, it was just out of the blue and I was kinda like, what? Huh? And by then I had you know how sometimes they say you're pursuing something and pursuing something, and when you finally just let go of it it happens for you. I feel like that's how the FIT thing came, because this was like maybe a year or two after I had been constantly like trying to get in and responding to every job posting that they had. And finally I was like, you know what? This is never gonna happen. Just forget it. I'll just, whatever.
And sure enough, like a year later. I get this email from somebody that I know very well now, and I was like, is this for? And then I was like, is this for real? I don't think, because I hadn't even by then I had stopped, applying. And so I'm like, how did they even have my information? I'm like, I guess from the 20 resumes I sent from before, like they didn't, but throw them in the garbage.
But yeah, it was interesting because it's always somehow revolved around fashion. But it is like going back and forth about is she gonna be a writer? Is she gonna be a teacher? Is she gonna be this, is she gonna be that? So it's coming full circle now, and I'm excited that I have created this space for myself because I don't think, even when I started teaching people about Adobe for fashion designers, it wasn't a thing. Yeah. And now it's become more popular. There are more people in the space. Yeah I would like to say that I'm the one who created it. I'm not gonna go on record. I don't know that officially, but I'm just saying that when it started, I was one of the only ones doing, it
may have been the first.
May have. If I could go back and do anything in my educational career, like career, it would've been taking more graphic design and more CAD work. Like I'm it's one thing that I hate the fact that I don't have the fluidity with it. Ah. Like I can change colors, I can do a lot of it in Illustrator, 'cause I've had to as part of my job.
But to create something from nothing in Illustrator, for me is like painful. Usually I'm like stealing parts of other things and like copy pasting things together to get where I want. Ah. So I wish I had more of that, and I know that just because it would be so much easier to communicate the ideas I have.
Luckily I keep finding people who are amazing people that I can partner with that basically can read my mind and like I'm, they can translate what's in my brain to paper or screen
uhhuh.
But like for people who are listening, like at least take some level of a graphic design class. Like it will Oh yeah.
Open up so many opportunities for you and just make your life easier. If you're able to make your own logo or fix your own website, or even just pick the right colors. Like I have a client right now that I'm helping with their website, fixing their website.
And I ask them like, what are their colors?
And they're like, what do you mean? Yeah. I'm like I like they didn't even know that colors meant something in marketing that they could, like pe when people see graphic design and just design in general, it talks before you do.
And having to explain that process, like her mind melted wait, what?
I had no idea this even existed in the universe. I'm like,
yeah. Yeah. And I think that especially with color, it's something that you it's very emotional and you just respond to it. So I think that people are already responding to it, but they don't really realize that they're doing it. Yes.
Yeah. Just like that, the blue conversation devil worst product, nobody knows how much they're being influenced
By all these choices that other people make. And we just don't even think about it. Like, why is that your new favorite shirt? Why do you like this trend?
Exactly. It's very fascinating. Yeah.
We, I have, we have similar eight year olds because I was definitely doing school a lot and ripping things outta magazines and drawing and had all the things. I'm like, I kinda had the same list of what I wanted to do. Uhhuh, like international journalist, sounded awesome.
Fashion designer centered, awesome teacher was like, I just liked that part, like what the teacher does in particular designing the classroom, which probably shouldn't be an indicator. When you left, did you, at Delaware, did you study. Art or design? Fashion design in particular? What was the major there?
I did, I studied apparel design and there at the time I think their program was small. And it was interesting because most people, especially because I'm from New York, they assumed that I went to FIT, but I wanted to just get out of New York 'cause I wanted to be away for CO for College plus.
Going to school in New York is a little bit different because it's like you're in the middle of the city. You don't necessarily have the same. Campus dormitory. Experience. So I wanted all of that. And my parents were from Delaware, or my father's from Delaware, my mother's from Pennsylvania, but they're pretty close, but they met at Delaware State University.
And university of Delaware popped up as a place that had a fashion design program. And then my other thought was, as I was saying before, I was confused about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. So I knew that I didn't want to have to change schools. So University of Delaware was the best option because if I did a year of fashion design and I'm like, eh, I don't really wanna do this, I wanna go back to English or journalism or whatever.
I could just move to a different major instead of having to go to a different school. So that, there was a lot of thought that went into this. But yeah, they have an app. They still have a really great apparel design program. And what was really interesting is they were very technologically advanced.
So even when I came outta school, my first job, this is gonna probably blow a lot of people's mind, this is like in 97 when the internet was still new. So when I got outta school, my first job, we were still faxing things overseas, like stacks of paper faxing stuff. And my supervisor one day said, Ooh, we're gonna get email.
And I was like, yeah, I've been using email. I was like, I used email in school. That's great. I won't have to fax this crap anymore. That's great. Yeah. Yeah. So it was that long ago. But but it, I felt like I had a little bit of an advantage. Interestingly, we talked a lot about Photoshop and not as much about Illustrator. And when I got school, I realized that Illustrator was a little more important to what I was doing every day than Photoshop was. But my supervisor was very impressed that I even had that background because a lot of the students that were coming out of FIT and they were coming out of Parsons hadn't even touched the computer.
Yeah. I I'm technically a fashion school dropout. I went after grad school, I went back to go, and then I got a job and I'm like, I'm not going to any more school. But even there, they didn't have any CAD programming. Like you had to go to one of the other schools to get those credits if you wanted to.
Yeah. And everything was by hand patterns by hand, like illustrations by hand, like the whole thing. And I was like, if you wanna by hand, I'm your girl if you wanna buy a computer, not your girl. University of Delaware was actually one of the last three schools I was choosing between
really?
Yeah. It was Delaware, Michigan, or the school. I ended up going to Clark University. I just knew I wanted to play field hockey and then I had 500 majors I was interested in. So say similar to you. I was like, where can I go where I have options? But the campus there is beautiful, like it's, it's a off, it's a full, authentic kind of college experience with beautiful quads and the, brick dormitories. It's very classic booking. Oh yeah. Yeah.
And I think they've added onto it. I haven't been there in. Years. My parents still live in Delaware, so every once in a while there'll be like a church meeting or some kind of function at University of Delaware.
Yeah. And my mom will drive through and she's Mikelle, you have to go back and see the campus. They added on a new building and they did this and blah, blah blah. So it was great when I was leaving, they were building stuff then. And when I left I was thinking, wow, this is a pretty nice campus.
And now Yeah, it's it. I'm sure. It's just amazing.
In addition to all of your entrepreneurial endeavors and teaching and designing you're also part of an entrepreneurial partnership. In your relationship, right? Like you are with someone who's also entrepreneurial?
Yes. Yes. He is a filmmaker.
He actually has a series out on and then one episode of one newer series called NATO Egypt. And then he also has another comedy series called No Sleep Till 40. And they're both on YouTube and he's about to do like their series finale over Zoom, which should be very interesting for no sleep till 40.
So yeah, he's doing that. And then we are collaborating on something based on the event that I did last year. And it's really just how to take your designs and bring them to fruition. It's called from Pencil to production, so he's gonna do the production part of it, and we're planning that together.
But it's gonna be all la project Runway type of thing. And we'll, we're figuring out how to do that on Zoom as well, so that amazing. That's to be interesting. Yeah. And we're gonna do it as a contest, so it'll be fun. And I think it'll be also a way for us to connect with newer designers as well.
And help them to build better businesses. 'cause I think that was one of the things we talked about as well, was that creative people are really great. The creative end is not the problem, it's the business part. And so people talk about how creative businesses and fashion businesses fail within their first year or two.
And some of it is money but a lot of it. Tangled up within that is mismanaging your business. 'cause you don't really know, they know how to design a line, but they don't really understand how to run a business.
Yeah. It's as we talked, it's one of the reasons why I focus on creative entrepreneurs, right?
Like I've 20 years experience of doing the business side and working with the designers to make it happen. And there's so many solutions, right? Knowing the practical stuff, finding the people who are great partners because they do what you don't wanna do and vice versa. Exactly.
Exactly.
There is, and I think something that impacts all entrepreneurs is knowing how to set up the order of operations so that you have cash flow.
Yeah. But also so that you have just enough of what you need to get to the prototype stage. 'cause every business tangible or intangible does have a testing prototype stage. And. Like, how do you figure out like what to do, where to wait? All those things. Like most people who are making tangible things, they don't actually make them or buy production until they've, they have cash in hand.
Like a true futures program.
And most, I don't know many people outside of sportswear that even know what a futures program is. Even other business owners. And for those listening who want the quick synopsis Nike did this in the eighties when they ran outta money and didn't know how to keep up with Reebok who was taking over.
So instead of fronting the money, they went out and convinced everyone to give them a deposit or buy it in full upfront and then they would deliver within six months. That was their futures based model you're buying for the future. Yeah. And it revolutionized how people bought footwear and apparel because.
Why would you ever spend your own money if you don't need to? Like it flipped everything and nobody tells you that you can play games like that with cash flow. Like even in business school, like that's barely talked about. Barely. It's go get someone else to give you money. And I'm like, what? I mean it is a way to do it, but they usually talk about it from having investors or an angel investor, venture capital.
Yeah. And it's no, like when it's a futures program, it's just people paying you, it's pre-selling, which is what people call it today.
And I think that now it's such a great time, particularly for fashion entrepreneurs because yes, there's so much, I'm technology person, so there's so much newer technology now that will allow you to do that kind of thing.
And most people now are doing more on demand. Selling or they're doing as you, pretty much as on, on demand, as you, you buy it and then they make it. Yeah, and there is actually someone that I'm trying to partner with and we'll see what happens, but they're called resonance.
Basically what they're doing is they are allowing you to set up your fashion line, and I have to get more information about how they're actually doing this, but they're basically doing on-demand printing and you use natural fibers. They, once somebody actually orders something, then they print it.
Make it, ship it, and get it out to the customer. But not only that, but it also increases the sustainability of your company. And you are only printing and making what you need so you don't have to have products sitting in the warehouse, take up space. And later on when somebody decides they don't want it, selling it off, so you're still, you're getting some money, but you're still losing money.
And I also think that the 3D, which is what I'm, that's the next thing that I'm trying to move towards, is also gonna help with this as well, because there's a certain amount, we used to sell the C nine product line off of cats. Yep. And there's something to be said for that, because one, I remember when I first came outta school, people said that they would never buy anything off paper.
They had to see a. Yeah. And then all of a sudden at as early as, I'm gonna say five years ago, people got to the point, even in sportswear even. In that where people were okay with buying off of a paper sketch
as soon as they knew they could get it faster.
They're like, I don't care.
I want it now.
Show paper, it could save money and could save some money. Yes. Not having to create all these extra samples, right? So now with 3D, they take it a little one step further because now you line sheets that you're showing to people are these three dimensional things.
Or you can do it all digitally. You can have these virtual showrooms. And it's almost as if you're not actually touching it. But you could sun to body fabric, yes. But you are watching it. One, there's the ooh, ah factor, right? Because you're looking at it. 3D is still a new thing. So people are looking there oh my God, that's so cool.
But then the other part of it is you really do get to see what the garment looks like and how it fits on an avatar that, is supposedly your fit model. And then you can also see, okay, what things are people responding to, what they're not responding to, so you're not making something that's gonna eventually end up on the sale rack,
like that. It's the biggest, the two biggest waste factors are extra inventory. Like in the wrong sizes or colors. And then just making stuff that people don't want in general. And to tie this into something that's happening in real time now, like. When everyone's talking about how they can make a vaccine for COVID within like in the fastest timelines ever.
Many of the companies making the vaccine have said, we're upfronting the cost, we're just gonna start production now. In good faith that this vaccine's gonna work and get approved. They're spending millions of their own money to stockpile stuff that we don't actually know if it's gonna work or we're gonna need.
But they're taking that risk 'cause it can save time. And where, to your point, the fashion industry is going the completely opposite way, where we're like, we're not making anything until we know you actually want it.
Which I think is actually. Because they can respond a lot faster than they used to.
I think it's a smart move. And given some of the problems that people overseas now have, you've got all of these companies and factories and warehouses that have gone bankrupt. Yes. Or they have, families who own these things that can't feed their families. They have all this inventory that people don't want because they're like, I can't sell it.
Nobody's buying, nobody's coming into the store. So if it was more of an on demand thing, then they would not be sitting with all this inventory. And the stores would also not be feeling like, I'm on the, I'm on the the hook. On the hook. Thank you. I'm on the hook for all of this inventory and this money.
I've gotta pay this person all this money for all of this stuff that I can't do anything with.
Yeah, no, there, there's so many opportunities in it, and I really think that, we're obviously talking a lot on the media about the industries that are impacted that people need on a regular basis, but there's so many impacts to the fashion industry.
Yeah. Between,
You can't travel to go meet with accounts. You can't, there's runway shows aren't happening, to your point factories are being shut down. We can't all the import export rules are changing every day. Yeah. Based on, oh gosh. What's happening? Who it is. Like it, there's never been more turmoil from, in my experience with the industry than there is today.
I have a client who I've been helping who's starting a new apparel business and. We had the factory picked out, we had the fabric, everything was good to go. It was going through testing. It's a very technical product. So we had fabric going through testing here in the US and then COVID hit the factory went dark.
'cause obviously they were all stuck at home. And he, as a new business was like the least of their concerns.
And when they did come back, they said, we have to streamline. We can't work with you anymore. Wow. And so he then had to scramble find another factory. They even had an issue. He went from China to Vietnam.
There's a problem there too, like it's now this huge headache. Like it's adding a year of launch time to the whole process.
Yeah.
And this is not just happening to new startup companies that have less leverage. The companies who have gone vertical, like Nike or Aidas, they're definitely gonna be in better shape than others that aren't vertical, where they don't own their own factories and things like that.
It's still like flipping everything on its head. Everything. It's definitely so I just see an opportunity for any entrepreneur that can be creative and nimble and flexible. Everything has to go that way. Yes, there's, and so things might cost more because of that. And I think to your point, like creating on demand, printing on demand 3D opportunities, a lot of that is, we're gonna see, I think even more of it than we, it was, it's gonna be accelerated at like a whole nother level.
Oh yeah. For sure. For sure. But it's at, on the one hand it's scary. Because almost everything I think that we have known about how the fashion industry operates is pretty much gonna be out the door. Yes. But it leaves room for new ways of doing things. New thinkers, innovation, it leaves room for all that to just come in and say, Hey, we have to do this differently. Yeah. Whereas I think people have been saying we have to do things differently for a while, but because we didn't really have to change there's no reason for anybody to do anything differently, yeah. Now you have to, you either going to do differently or you are not gonna make it. So it's okay, now's our opportunity to really get in there and say, okay, let's do something different. Let's do something revolutionary, something that actually works, something that's good for the planet.
Yeah. And that's something that actually makes sense for the people who are working on it, as well as the the customer. Buying things, buying coat. I remember reading something where this person, someone was like buying coats in August. It does not make sense. Yeah. And I was like, oh yeah, I'm so it doesn't, glad you
bring this up.
I'm so glad you brought this up because like it irritates me to no end that the shopping cycle because of essentially greed as the primary factor.
Kept
pulling back and back. Like exactly to what you're saying. Why were we shipping clothes you need in winter in July? Why?
We don't need to give people 10 weeks to buy winter clothes. People are gonna buy it when they need it and then that's it. And then people are getting savvy where they're like I'll just buy my coats in January. When they all go on sale. When they all go on sale. Yep. So we have this crazy cycle happening of.
Making too much all the time. Too early. Too much, too big. My, my predictions from a trend perspective with what you're gonna see is that people are gonna start offering, it's gonna go back to classics in less colors and less materials. We're gonna really gonna streamline what a lot of is available.
You're gonna, you're gonna have less options. Like you're gonna have your leggings and five colors not 20. Yeah. And I, I think there's gonna be a consolidation in reoccurring basics. And then I think on the other side, to your point, you're gonna see a lot of independent brands and then you're gonna see a lot of just extreme design.
Like you're gonna have the polar opposites I think showing up because there's always the rebellion. And I think that a lot of the existing established brands are going to have to narrow their focus. Are you familiar with the Paretos, like the 80 20 Pareto's curve?
I feel like I've heard of it.
I have
heard it. I'm sure you have. Yeah. So essentially like when you're merchandising or selling anything, like 20% of what you make is what actually brings you 80% of your income. And this applies to Oh yes. Everything to do list how we spend our money, all that stuff. So when you're merchandising a line and analyzing SKUs, you look at like, where's your curve?
Where's your paretos curve hit? And usually you can cut off 80% of your line 'cause you don't need it. Yeah. And so what I see happening is people dialing in that curve more where they're like, all right, I'm gonna make this stuff we need and then we can play with 20% of what we wanna do. I think you're gonna see more of that 80% standard basics and then 20% fun for the people who are bigger.
Yeah.
And I think all the new people are gonna fall into independence will fall into those spaces too. Are you a basic independent or are you an extreme? It happens now a little bit, but I think it's really gonna be, that's what the pressure's gonna be. There's not gonna be any wiggle room for
Yeah.
For spending or risk because everyone is eating it in some capacity right now.
Yeah. Yeah. I do think though, that the smaller businesses, because they are a little bit more nimble and a little bit more flexible, they have the opportunity to be a little more flexible can maybe experiment with more creative things.
And I think that's what's gonna happen. You're gonna go to your bigger stores for your basic stuff and then go to your smaller designers. If you're looking for something interesting and different Yes. You wanna stand out from everybody else, and it might be a little bit more expensive, that's gonna be your statement piece.
Yes. With the rest of your basics.
Yes. Yeah. And honestly, that type of. F fashion and style and buying process. It makes me excited. It's honestly the way that the European trends have been for a long time of like how people actually buy. And I think that there's so much more power in that between the overlapping of minimalism that's been happening anyway. And then COVID and then the economy. It's yeah, you're not seeing people with the share closet from Clueless is not gonna be normal.
Exactly. Exactly. Especially when you're home all the time and you're on Zoom meetings, we're gonna have like really cool tops and a bunch of leggings
or denim shorts as I'm wearing today.
Business on top, casual on the bottom. Exactly. Or
jeans. Or jeans. Yep. Yes, yep.
Yeah, it's the mullet zoom is creating the mullet of fashion. When we look at, when you think about powerful ladies what do those two words powerful and ladies mean separately and what do they mean combined to you?
Powerful, I think to me represents not just physical strength, but also mostly mo emotional strength. To move yourself and propel yourself forward, to move your business forward, to just move everything about your life, move your life forward. And then of course, ladies would be ladies, women female power.
And then powerful ladies I feel is women who are,
I wanna say strong, but I wanna use a different word, I guess strong. Women who are, who have the strength to. Propel their life forward and also help their community, whether that is other women, men, family, whoever, but whoever is part of that community can help to move lives, improve lives, and help all of us move forward together.
Yeah, it's, that's beautiful. We had the pleasure of having you on our first a powerful conversation about America, racism episode one. And I'm honored that you're gonna be on episode two. As a powerful lady, how have you been managing all that's going on in the world? And again, I'm talking about all the layers of everything.
What has come up for you? How have you been navigating it and, what would you tell people who are navigating it right alongside with you?
I think that one of the things I've been trying to focus on is how can I make a difference in my life in the lives of others every day. Yeah. And even if you're just focusing on one person, whether it is that you talking to your children or you're talking to your friend, or you're putting, A lot of people don't like to post on Instagram, that's fine.
I think that having the conversations and being aware of what's going on, just person to person is actually the most important. Because, people feel like how are you gonna make a difference when there's so many people? There's so much. Yeah. One person at a time is enough.
Yeah. Yeah. So if you can speak to, if, if you can't do it every day, do it once a week. Like just commit. To, doing something once a week to. Become a better, try to become a better human. Try to help somebody else become a better human. Maybe it's just you explaining why what they said is really nasty, or wearing a mask, like all those things matter. And all of those things add up to us moving forward together.
Yeah. We were talking about the mask, wearing masks or not, and like how people feel about it. And I'm like I know that people fought wearing seat belts when they were first required, and now you wouldn't think twice about.
It's culturally, it's weird if someone doesn't wear a seatbelt. And that's even kids are like, wear your seatbelt. Because they tell you. And I'm like, it's, is it any different than that? Is it different than I love the meme where they're showing people wearing underwear.
And like you put your underwear on, so just put your mask on. It would be weird if you didn't. Yeah. And I understand that, I want people to feel, I don't want people to feel like their freedoms are being taken away, but I think that's, how do we shift the perspective of it's actually an opportunity.
Like when I got sick and I had to get tested and I thankfully was negative, I stayed at home, not because I felt so horrible that I couldn't leave, but I was like, I can't risk giving this to somebody else. I don't want to be the reason that someone else gets horribly sick.
Yeah. Or God forbid, like dies. So I'm going to take responsibility to be like, okay, I can stay home and quarantine. And when I am feeling better and it does still come back negative, I can still wear a mask because wearing a mask is ultimately for. Somebody else. It's not for me.
And it's it's a, if you love people, wear a mask,
I think that is the biggest thing is trying to shape the narrative about wearing a mask and have it be that you are trying to help not only protect yourself like you you're protecting your fellow man and that person who is out there wearing a mask is helping you and you're helping them, yeah. And if we can all get behind that whether, even if it's about, okay, you wouldn't want me breathing on your mom, or think about it as I am part of your family, or I may come in contact with your family and the last thing you want is for me to unknowingly.
'cause we all know that. People could have any kind, people could have COVID and not have symptoms and not everybody's tested, so it is to all of our advantages, and if you don't wanna think about me, unfortunately or the person on the street and you're just like, whatever, think about that person on the street coming in contact with your sister, your mother your brother, whoever, you know. And if you can think about, if you can think about that may help shift the narrative. Oh yeah. I should probably put that mask on because I want that same consideration for that some to, for somebody else to have that same consideration for my me and for my family.
When you look at how things are transforming, do you feel that things are moving forward at all? Do you feel hopeful or do you feel like. We've gone backwards. Like how do you feel humanity? How would you score humanity right now?
Oh I think humanity is moving forward. I think that sometimes we get caught up in the negativity that people are posting.
And I always go back to a few weeks ago, actually, I guess it's about a month ago, at least a month ago now, I watched Michelle Obama's becoming. And one of the things I remember her saying, and this may have been in the book too, because I finally finished her book, which was great. Yes, it's really good.
It was awesome. But one of the things that she was saying was to keep in mind that there are more people. In the world, in the country that really are interested in finding the things that are the same about us. Yes. And understanding. Then wanting to shun you and focus on the differences.
Yes. And so when I see things that are upsetting I try to remember that because I also try to remember that news is a business just like any other TV shows and film you are not thinking of it that way, but the news is there. They need to have an audience. So one of the quickest ways to get an audience is to put something on the news that is shocking.
Yeah. Sensationalize it. Exactly. Exactly. The good stuff and the fun stuff. Like things that come on tanks, good news and Upworthy. Yeah. And some of those other, feel good places. That's not making the evening news, no. So if you are watching that and you're only watching that and that, or that's all you're looking for, you're gonna feel like humanity sucks.
Everybody sucks. Nobody cares about anybody else and blah, blah, blah. But I know better because I'm looking for things that are more hopeful. I'm looking at, I'm trying to build with other people that are hopeful, that are saying, I wanna understand, I want to try and do something different.
I wanna try and write some of these things that are happening, i'm not interested in what's going on right now. I don't think that is good. So how can I work with you to make it better, yeah. So I think that if you are just looking on the surface, you would feel like humanity is at from, on a scale of zero to 10, 10 being the best, humanity is probably closer to zero.
But if you dig deeper and realize that there are more people who want to be better, who are looking for a better America, who are looking for a better world, then it is much closer to 10 than
Yeah.
Than you originally. Thought, if you're just looking at the evening news, do we have work to do?
We have a lot of work to do. But the great thing is that this is the first time that, and I was having this conversation with my husband. I think this is the first time that we've felt like there are more people willing, who are really, to, to use the phrase that has been overly used, but woke.
But in the sense of, okay, I'm seeing it. I see it now. Yeah. I understand what you're, I, I understand what you've been saying. You're not crazy. I hear you. And that's really nice. And that wasn't always happening, so it feels different.
Yeah, I agree. It's. Part of the reason why I love traveling is that you realize how alike humans are everywhere.
And we actually share so many things in common. And we, at the end of the day, like we list our priorities, most humans list the same priorities. It's feeling like you have purpose, it's family, it's friends, it's connections, it's good food. It's like all these things. It's all the things that we, care about at the most days.
Yeah. And it's, I seriously think that the US in particular needs to start doing some internal pr about what does it mean to really be American. Yeah. Based on what Americans actually feel like most Americans want to be able to, it just it says the pursuit of happiness and we want.
To be able to, be safe and feel protected and get an education and go after our dreams and take care of our families. There's so many things that we really care about that I think even in the in pol in politics, gets swept under the rug for things that don't actually impact people on a daily basis.
And I'm like, why? Not that those topics aren't important, right? But have we taken care just like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, have we taken care of the basics for people? And when you see the numbers of which communities are impacted, even just by COVID more, like no one's surprised because there's been, flags waving hey we have health issues in general, like access to whole foods and access to hospitals and access to access
period
in general.
And how, it's so it's no surprise that people with less access are being impacted by things more.
Yeah.
And it's just I am glad to be going through this period. I've seen more people realizing that they can't be on cruise control and that they have to be active.
And there's so much opportunity just for civics lessons and like how this, you can change the system when you know how it works. When you don't know how it works, it's really hard to change it. There's a great video. I'll have to find it and post it again that I.
Jennifer Lawrence had made with a political science professor and educator. And it was all about how local elections are so much more important Yeah. Than federal elections. Which sounds crazy because we don't, in how media talks about it, it's in reverse. But like you said, like how do you start with whoever's next to you?
How do you start in your house, in your neighborhood, in your community, in your city? And there's even studies that show like, why did different laws get passed? Like once so many states say Yes it automatically passes at the federal level. Yeah. And so it, it's a lot easier also to participate locally than as you said in this huge big thing.
We have to fix it all. This is so overwhelming. I'm just gonna start drinking. That's not where we want people going. So I am, I'm really curious to see how it shifts, right? Like how, like what are people going to do? And that's why I'm excited to continue these special conversations we're having through powerful ladies, and even to be having one in October, very close to the election.
We're intentionally, I put it there on purpose because I want people to remember just, but cares about that, what they care about.
Yeah.
Please take action. I saw a statistic that there are more women and minorities unregistered to vote than all of who voted in the last election.
Wow.
That's, and I'm like okay. Unfortunate
but not surprising.
It's it's, so people said they wanna have purpose and take action, and that's you can do that online.
Yeah. Yeah. But I, it. It's hard because I also identify with a younger generation that's this system isn't working, we just need to blow it up.
I get it. Yeah. But at the same time, so at, but at the same time that you're protesting, you also need to work within the structure that is there so that while you are trying to make these changes to the structure that we know is not working we need to figure out, okay, you need to have somebody there who put somebody in place who can help you figure out what this new structure is going to be.
Because just having no structure at all can cause as much damage and chaos as having a structure that's not working. Yes. There's, there needs to be something there. And while I am totally on board with what's there now that is not working. I also understand that we need to be able to work with instructor that we have.
Yeah. And then slowly have those people figure out how to chip away, where all of us are working together and chipping away and saying, okay, we're getting rid of this. We're getting rid of this, and we're putting this in place, yeah.
No, I totally agree. It's even if we look at healthcare, right?
If there's so much controversy about it, but when you ask people, should we take care of people? They say, most of the time they say yes.
And who they, and I think a mistake that may have been made in the initial, we went from zero to hero, right? With healthcare. And I think that's what's causing people the rub and Yeah.
In hindsight, I, my recommendation would've been what does it look like to give children and elderly free this healthcare and let grown up slowly come into it because Yeah, I agree. Nobody says we shouldn't take care of kids and nobody says we shouldn't take care of old people. Okay, let's start with what we agree on.
Let's prove that it works and then let's get into the gray zone. Or the, it looks divisive zone. And I also think there's a whole angle that no one's talking about specifically about the healthcare piece of how not having access to healthcare, affordable healthcare is a huge limitation to entrepreneurship.
And yeah, to me that would be, that sounds like it could be an argument on the conservative side of what type of healthcare system we need so that people can be. Capitalists and be in business and, support the small business angle. How does that happen? Because right now all the burden's on, it's on the small business, so there's I just don't understand why we have to make it so complicated when it's, it occurs to me that the complication is in media and in a very small group of people.
Yeah. It's not in the majority. And that's the part where I'm like looking around and being like, when I stop watching the news and I'm in my neighborhood, we aren't having all this drama. So if the neighborhood's okay, and we have people in the neighborhood who have Trump flags and Biden flags and Green Party, like every I'm impressed that everyone's like waving high even though their bumper stickers are completely different.
So if we can do it in this block, I have confidence we can do it at a bigger scale. It's also why I wasn't surprised. That Des Moines, Iowa
implemented changes so quickly. 'cause they're a small city. Yeah. They had less people to have a conversation together. Coming full circle to starting small whether it is educating people or changing the system or any of that. Have the grand idea. Yeah. But check off the small boxes first. 'cause that's where you're gonna get momentum. It's the same for business. Your, if your goal is we're gonna make a million dollars year one, that's gonna be real painful.
Yeah. So when you look at your, yourself as a multi preneur and you know where you're going, if you could give yourself, 20-year-old self some tips, what would you tell her specifically about the business journey?
I would tell her to save a lot more money. And to travel more now, because despite not even taking into consideration COD just now when I'm really grinding on my business travel is out of the window, but also to think more about what the end game is gonna be and what the big picture is going to be. Because I think that for a lot of us, we move into these things and we're like, okay, I wanna run a business and that's great.
And you understand that you don't wanna work for someone else. You wanna work for yourself. You're passionate about what this is. All of that is wonderful. Yeah. But. I don't think enough of us start with the end in mind. I know I didn't. I just was like, I'm done getting outta here.
I can do something else. Yeah. But now thinking about it, okay, what is your end game that you want for your business? Do you want to sell it? Do you want to continue to run it in the next few years? Do you want to bequeath it, to your kids? Do you want to sell it to a partner? Sell, do you wanna take it public?
Yeah. And you, when you think about those types of things, you run your business differently. And so I was just doing stuff, like I was just doing it. Now I am thinking about it much more. And thinking about, okay, what's the end game? How, what kind of structures can I put into place?
What am I telling people about it? But at that time, I was really, I was just doing it and 20, yeah. You just having a good time, so I think that we, in between the parties and whatever else I was doing at that time I would pay a little bit more attention to that, to exactly where I'm trying to go and what I'm trying to do when I'm 30, when I'm 40, when I'm f have more a plan. Have more of a plan.
Yeah. Along your way, who are some of the powerful ladies or humans in general that have supported you and opened doors that really changed the game for you?
The first person would definitely be my mom. And I think both of my parents, I think my mom was more in my corner a little bit more, only because my father is very traditional in the sense of. He was very big on saying if I had boys, there was three, there were three girls.
So he is I would feel differently about this if you were a boy. And it's not to say that he didn't love us the same that, you know, but he was, he worried a lot more because we were girls. Yeah. Whereas my mom was always like, that'll be fine. Yeah. They know how to take care of themselves, and so when I first told my parents that I'm quitting my job and I want to just freelance, and I'm putting this business together, my mom was like, okay, all if you need anything, let us know. And my dad was like, what are you gonna do for money? What are you gonna do for, and I'm like, calm down.
I've thought about this. So my mom definitely, and even now when I tell her, here's what happened and, this is crazy and blah, blah, blah. Her first, for both of them, their first thing is are you okay? I'm fine. And my mom is like, all right. That's got, that's great.
But my dad is the one who starts with all the questions about worrying about things, yeah. My mom is and then my mom, eventually just is don't worry about it. She can handle it. So she's always been my A one as far as like having faith in everything that I did.
Yeah. And then my sister's always been the same way, and she. Has also been the person, like when I talk about, this, such and such didn't pay me or something went bad. And she's you need to tell them that blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, that this happened and blah. She's like the person who's also in your corner and is go up there, defend yourself.
Yeah. So she definitely is always in my corner. And then I had a woman that I worked with for a long time and I actually talked to her I dunno, last week, I think. And she left Hayes, I think like last year. But we had been working together for a very long time. I met her when I first.
Started freelancing and somehow we just worked. We really just worked really well together. And that was at least 10 or 15 years. She would go someplace and they would be like, we need a freelancer for blah blah. She's I know. Just the person, so she was always the person who helped me find the next gig and the next gig and the next gig.
And then when I was telling her about all the other things that I was doing, she was like, yeah, that sounds amazing. You can do that. She was like, oh yeah, for sure. So she's always awesome. And probably the last person
before you Oh, before you go on with that person. How how did you guys connect and how did you create that relationship where you have this person that's a yes to you and like you're the first person she's calling when she has a job?
'cause I have people who are that for me. And then I know that I am that for some other people and. I think people who are like yearning for a mentor or this person who has their back, it's like, how did you create that? So I'd love to know how you guys created that.
I think that we just had a similar type of work ethic.
She was a very hard worker. She was always one of those people that was there late. And no matter what she gave me to do, I was always like, yeah, I can do that. Even if I was walking away and thinking, how the hell am I gonna do this? Yeah. But I always was like, yes, we can do this. She was always very happy to, and then we also, like when she said something, I would give her my honest opinion. She was always very happy to hear it. And, not that I was trying to be condescending or anything, but if I didn't like it, I was like I don't know about that. Yeah. Yeah. And she never took any of that personally. She always felt okay, she's giving her honest opinion. That's great. That's what I need. And so our personality, Russell, the same sign we found out later on, but we just, we worked really well together. Like we just had very good. We just had a very, a really great working relationship and it's hard to find other people that you work really well with.
So whenever she and could do certain things I think I was also one of the few freelance designers that was happy to just be doing CAD work, put on my headphones and do CAD work. But if she needed a design another design eye, she knew that she could come to me. And then just various things, like I was always up for the challenge. When she brought things she was like, do you think you could do this? And I'm like, yeah, I can do that. So I think both of us. And then she, one of the things, I was interviewing her last week and she was talking about how she really loves to learn.
And I love to learn. So I think we bonded that way as well. It was like that same mindset. Yeah. And, so whenever she needed someone who, could come and help her on whatever, she was like, I would like you to come because I know we can work well together. I've worked with you before.
And eventually it became the kind of thing where I'm like, I know what she wants. This thing. When we had a group of people, I'm like, I already know. She does not want that. Trust me, I've worked with her for at least five years. She's not gonna go for this. Yeah. So it was helpful to have that rapport and the longer our relationship went on.
The better it became, yeah.
Yeah. And so I think to recap, so if people want like a checklist for what that would be, and it's very similar to my experience too of you find someone that you like mutual respect about your work ethic. Yes. Mutual respect about also probably like why you're doing it and like your, the growth that you're looking for in yourselves, in your career and what's next.
The fact are, like you, if you know that they work hard, if you know that you respect them as a human and then if you can have a really fun time working together, which is not just oh, we can go to work and we can go to happy hour. It's no. It's like you have fun solving the problem together.
You have, you're both bringing equal. Contribution to it. Yes. It's so different. I love working with people where I'm like, when we're working together, it's not two brains. It's four, like all of a sudden, like the ideas go back and forth and you feel there's like a playfulness in doing the work and creating where you get so excited, you're like high fiving, you're like gliding through the rest of the day. 'cause we're like, that's how work should feel. Exactly.
Exactly. So yeah.
I'm it makes me happy that when other people talk about their people that way 'cause those are my, not just my favorite people at work, but my favorite people in life.
Oh yeah. I also, my, my last but not least person is my husband. And he is like president of my fan club. Yeah. And I really think it's not just because he's my husband, like we real, he like, he really is proud of the things that I do. He really likes what I do.
And now that we've been able to connect we really do have a good time together. And I was always like you don't, you people get really funny about connecting business and their relationships. Because if somebody doesn't like something or things don't go well I have not had that experience.
We have a good time together. He's very funny. That's part of it. And then he tries to make everything really fun. So we just have a really good time together. And I also that he is coming from a different industry. Yep. So it's almost like someone from, sometimes you want somebody who's outside of what you're doing to listen because they can have a fresh perspective about what you're doing.
And the thing that, you know, like when you're sitting with it too long, sometimes you just can't see something that's right in front of your face. And for sure. Yeah. And so he, we've had many conversations where he, I'm babbling on and on about what's wrong, and he's like, why don't you just do blah, blah, blah.
And I'm like. Oh, yeah. We have a lot of those conversations. Yes. But but yeah, it's really great and I don't think that I've ever had such a strong, outside of my family. I don't think I've ever had such a strong support system and someone who is not only supportive, but very excited, about what you're doing.
Oh my gosh, you get to, do whatever today. In those days when I'm like getting up early, I'm getting online, I'm like, oh God, I'm like, I really do love teaching. Just not the morning. And he's all, come on, let's high five. So it's great. It's really great.
I love that. I'm totally obsessed with Power Couples. Being someone who's ripped things outta magazine since I ever had a magazine I always would take stories of like couples working together, especially creative couples. So I think there's, so there's something so beautiful about finding that business creative flow and the brainstorm and one of my L Love languages is creating together.
It absolutely is. I know that I fall in love with people when we make things together and when we, like, when you're building something together. That's to me is love is like you're building what's next or something new. And so whenever I see couples that do that I think it's I just get so excited.
I have new superheroes. Yeah. And even on a non like non love relationship or romantic relationship, do I have a couple clients who. Didn't wanna hire their, best friend or their cousin or somebody to be on their team because oh, it's family. What if it gets weird? And I'm like, okay.
Or what if you can have the most incredible business ever because your best friend is in the business, or your cousin is in the business, right? That you already do all these other things together, right? So why not create it from put the things in place where it's safe and you're all protected and you know the rules, but why would you say no to a level 10 option versus picking someone you know is second best,
What's right? I think that sometimes people also think. You're just pulling your family in or you're just pulling your friend in and I'm like, no, I'm pulling somebody in who knows how to do this particular thing and they know how to do it well. They just happen to be a really good friend of mine,
yes. It's not nepotism where you're just giving someone a job because they're connected to you. Exactly. No, like I happen to know some badass people. You're welcome. Exactly.
Exactly.
So for all the people listening who are now daydreaming of their idyllic life of working at FIT and freelance designing and doing all these other amazing projects and educating people and having a, power couple relationship what advice would you give them?
One, just go for it. Don't let anything that's happening right now keep you from continuing to have that dream and continuing to just go for it. Because despite what you might be seeing there are people who are starting businesses, who are making money, who are connecting with people, who are eventually, become, gonna become their partners.
So yeah, just go for it. Just do it like Nike says yes, the Nike's looking. Just do it. Yeah. And just start starting. I've always said that starting is probably the hardest thing because people are thinking about what if? What if it goes, what if it doesn't go well?
What if it does? What is your life gonna be like? Then let's focus on how great things are going to become. Focus on that and stay, stay focused on that and just start.
Yeah. And I think changing that mindset perspective from what if is even better than I imagined.
It like, there's freedom in that and there's so much power in that. Like when you see how amazing it could be, and that's why you're waking up early and that's why you're doing these things and that's why you're solving a problem at 2:00 AM that you didn't know was gonna come up. Like it changes the drive and the hustle.
It also changes how you share. Yeah. And when you're excited about oh, I'm doing this 'cause I'm gonna go here. Other people get excited too. It's way easier to get support if you are excited about your why. Yeah. Then if you're like, Ugh, I hope this works. I don't know what's going on, will you help me?
And I'm like, no, why would I help you? That sounds horrible.
Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. I tell my students all the time, even when they make their presentations, I'm like, okay, so we're all buyers and you are selling us, and you have to act like your line is the shit. Like for I don't always like how Kanye acts, but, be Kanye for your presentation and come in here Yes.
And sell all of us. Why, on why. We should buy this. And if you are not excited about it, why the hell are we gonna get excited about it? Yeah. No amount of anything is going to help if you are not coming up there, you're saying, guess what y'all, I just came up with the best thing,
yeah. No, it it's a absolute game changer. And. If that means you have to be a little bit of fake it till you make it and even believing that it's possible, go for it.
Yeah. For,
go for it for sure. If you, sometimes we have to sell ourselves first before we can sell anybody else.
Yeah. But yeah, it's like there's so many great ideas out there. There's so many amazing designs and I don't know. I wanna see more. I want more people who wanna create things creating, because that's the fun part of life for sure.
It is. It definitely is. And I wanna be able to buy more creative things.
'cause I feel like for a while it's there was a whole lot of really creative people. And then all of a sudden to your point about bigger companies going back to basics. They're already there. Now, when I go out shopping, I'm I don't want any of this crap.
So what I find people on Instagram and I'm just like, huh, that's so cool. Yeah. So this is the time, this is the time to do it. Just go for it.
I've been waiting for, like the coolest thing I've seen come out in probably 10 years
was
when Gucci released their whole line with the animals on it, like the tigers.
And they just started putting crazy I'm like, I don't know where all this came from, but this is really exciting. And I'm like, I want, how do I buy the whole collection? Because I want, now I want tigers on all of my things. Speaking of like tigers today. But no, there's like such a, there's a huge missing in fashion that is more fun.
Like
where's that blend of I can keep this forever and it's quirky and it still works with things and I miss that. There's, I being someone who used to be a clothes horse, I now have like a wardrobe of 30 items because there's nothing I'm seeing that I'm like, I have to buy.
Or if I do, it's $5,000 and I'm like,
Maybe I have to wait on that one. But, so I would encourage Yeah, as you're saying, get out there and make it because people like you and I are like, please, like, where is it?
Yeah. Yeah. Some kind of taps, so I can look cool on my Zoom meetings.
So as we're wrapping up today is there any other advice or favorite quote or, pro tips that you have that you would love to share with everyone listening?
I would say to just make sure that you are always staying up to date with. What's next? Keep looking forward. Of course you wanna look back and reflect on, okay, that didn't work. I shouldn't do that again. But as far as trying to move yourself and your business forward.
Always be looking at what's next. It's part of the reason that I'm going into 3D and the technology, like leverage the technology as much as you can, especially now, because that is really where the next saw something recently where there was a gentleman talking about the fourth industrial revolution.
Ooh. And I agree with him. Yeah. There's gonna be, there's the next arena where all the jobs are going to be, where all of the new development's gonna be. It's in technology. So how do we leverage that technology with the creativity? Because you need the creativity in order for it to be fun and interesting and exciting for all of us to even want to use the technology.
Yeah. So that's where we all come in, is the creatives. So keep your eye on that and just keep moving forward and just. Start whatever you wanna do. Start and keep dreaming.
Yes. And then our last question for today, we ask everyone on the get on the show where you put yourselves on the Powerful Lady scale zero being average everyday human, 10 being the most powerful lady you've ever imagined.
How do you feel today and how would you score yourself on average?
Today, I it would probably be the same as on average. I would put myself at like a okay. On average I am probably maybe a six or five and a half to six. Today I feel like five, five and a half only 'cause I'm a little tired today.
But I'm striving for the 10 and then some.
It has been such a pleasure to have you on the Power Plays podcast. I think we could probably talk for hours, so don't be surprised if you get another invite for the podcast. But thank you so much for being a yes to me and the powerful ladies, and I can't wait to see you again on our future episodes and our next conversations.
Thank you so much for having me. I had such a great time.
My pleasure.
Mikelle is awesome. She's an example of how if you keep following and needing your way through your industry of choice, you will find your special niche. You'll see the gap and be able to say, I can do that. Or ask why isn't someone else doing that? And that's when you know you found your thing. To connect, support and follow Mikelle, you can follow her on Instagram, 3 8 3 design.
Visit her website, 3 8 3 design studio nyc.com. Thank you so much for listening. I hope you've enjoyed this episode of The Powerful Ladies Podcast. There are so many ways you can get involved and get supported with fellow powerful ladies. First, subscribe to this podcast anywhere you listen to podcast.
Give us a five star rating and leave a review on Apple Podcast. Follow us on Instagram at Powerful Ladies, join the Powerful Ladies Thrive Collective. This is the place where powerful ladies connect, level up, and learn how to thrive in business and life. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube page, and of course, visit our website, the powerful ladies.com.
I'd like to thank our producer, composer, and audio engineer Jordan Duffy. Without her, this wouldn't be possible. You can follow her on Instagram at Jordan K. Duffy. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Until then. I hope you're taking on being powerful in your life. Go be awesome and up to something you love.
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Created and hosted by Kara Duffy
Audio Engineering & Editing by Jordan Duffy
Production by Amanda Kass
Graphic design by Anna Olinova
Music by Joakim Karud
