It’s not every day you get Oprah talking about your company especially when it is been listed as one of the five things to have in 2011, that’s what happened to Rochelle Behrens’s start-up “The-shirt” and since then she hasn’t looked back.

Rochelle Brehrens is the founder of The-shirt. All I can say is that ladies you don’t have to feel so self-conscious or restricted again.

This is the Interview.

Hi Rochelle, thanks for joining us on YHP, how are you doing?

Hi, very well, thank you for having me.

Can you quickly give us some background information about yourself before we move on?

I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, double majoring in Art History and Political Science. Having developed a strong interest in politics (I interned for The White House during a semester in college) I moved to Washington, DC to begin my career.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I come from a family of entrepreneurs, individuals who work for themselves, set their own schedules, and who all started something from nothing. I don’t think I set out in life to be an entrepreneur – it’s simply what I understand.

Tell us about The Shirt and how the idea came about?

Working in politics – particularly in Washington, DC – as a young professional female, I had to make my clothing choices for work very carefully. The line between youthful and inappropriate can be blurred quite easily. Button down shirts became my work ‘uniform’ and I filled my closet with them. They’re professional, polished and go the distance from day to evening. The only problem is they never fit right, particularly across the bust. My shirt would gape open between the buttons at the chest, and the more I paid attention, the more I realized this was a rampant problem affecting a lot of other professional women I saw.

The issue is that the one piece in my wardrobe I was selecting to project professionalism, was doing just the opposite as I flashed my colleagues (inadvertently, of course.) Tired of safety pinning my shirt closed as has become my routine, I had had enough. The technology I developed to close the gape is now patented!

What makes The Shirt different any other shirt company out there?

In my experience, if I wanted a shirt to fit across the bust, I had to go up a size, meaning it was blousy and big elsewhere. If it fit along the body and shoulders, it pulled and gaped at the chest. I wanted to create a shirt that simply fit – everywhere. The Shirt comes in regular sizing. If you wear a medium then you’ll wear a medium in The Shirt.

I remember feeling self conscious in meetings that my bra was showing. Women feel like their movement is restricted – they can’t raise their arms or arch their back for fear their shirt will gape open. The Shirt helps women perform better because the focus is no longer on manipulating their clothes to fit and stay closed.

How have you funded the company so far?

The Shirt has been self funded from the start. We have been diligent about growing the business from sales.

What would you say was probably the most difficult part of starting the business?

Sourcing materials and finding the right manufacturing. Fabric makes a garment and so finding the perfect fabric – one that wears well and that washes well is not a simple task. Also, locating good manufacturing that still will enable us to meet our goal of keeping The Shirt’s price point is a constant effort.

How do you balance social & work life?

My life is The Shirt so at this point, there are few boundaries. I try to entertain a lot. My guests are accustomed to having dinner near boxes of samples, garment racks and fabric swatches.

What effect has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey show as one of ‘five things to have in 2011′ had on your business?

The mention by Oprah Winfrey put The Shirt on the map, giving us immeasurable exposure. It is now up to us to continue to turn that opportunity into an even more thriving business. Ms. Winfrey’s audience is dedicated and trusts her. It’s an incredible relationship she has built over her career. We are obviously so lucky to have been a part of her final season.

What’s the toughest feedback you’ve ever received and how did you learn from it?

I love speaking with customers. Most of the time it’s positive. I mean really positive. Customers really identify with the brand and fortunately, with me, so their letters, comments and words of encouragement really help me stay focused. Occasionally a customer is not satisfied for various reasons, and just as there is an open forum for compliments, there is equally opportunity for customers to give critical feedback. Long ago I decided to not take it personally – afteralll The Shirt has become an extension of me to a degree – and have really used those comments to better the product.

Tell us some of the key lessons you’ve learnt so far on your journey as an entrepreneur?

Self promotion – something I have a hard time doing! – is very important. Use opportunities to talk about your product. There is always someone with a good idea or a person you should meet. At the same time, make good, intuited decisions about your business. It is up to you as an entrepreneur to sort through all the options and decide what is best for your business. Trust yourself. We will all make mistakes, but some of them could have been averted had I just listened to my gut.

Afterall, I know my business best. There isn’t a job you can’t do. Everyday, there is something absolutely new that I need to be an expert on. To be honest, a lot of being an entrepreneur is making things up as you go and sometimes those serendipitous outcomes are really good. Think big. This was instilled in me from my parents. Entrepreneurs get told ‘no’ a lot, but if you believe in your business, are committed to it, and have an idea of where you want to take it, you’ll bulldoze over those ‘no’s’ and just seek out the ‘yes’s’

Where do you see yourself and your business in 5 years?

At The Shirt, we’re committed to innovating and creating products that inspire confidence in women of all ages. We will soon be expanding our categories of shirts, adding new styles, colors, patterns and fabrics. Our goal is to be the “go-to” shirt company for all needs – work, play, weekend, fashion, while still ensuring our fit is fabulous. We also plan to expand our retail reach and add new doors so women all over the world will have access to The Shirt!

What advices can you give to entrepreneurs out there looking to get involved in this industry?

Make sure you have a clear vision for what you want to accomplish. The fashion industry is not easy to break into. Buyers, editors and consumers are very sophisticated, so offering something different, with a clearly articulated vision will help you get noticed and stay around.

Thanks for your time Rochelle.

Trish Richards and Brad Cheng are the co-founders of Wear Chemistry, a company they set up in July 2010.

Wear Chemistry is a new, sustainable fashion label that is turning the eco/ethical fashion scene on its head by bringing together something that looks good, feels good, fits incredibly well and is sustainable.

Before they started the company, Trish was a marketing executive for nine years, specialising in international marketing while Brad worked as an investment banker for nearly 10 years.

The clothing is made from 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton, all ethically produced. All packaging is recyclable or biodegradable.

Wear Chemistry have continued to grow in popularity, impressing onlookers and managing to strike deals with online stockists ASOS, NotOnTheHighStreet.com and Etsy.

Victoria is a young british designer with a beautiful vintage style of ready to wear clothing, as well as being a highly celebrated fashion show producer.

She’s constantly producing fashion events and clothing and showcasing her garments all around the country.

This collection is a hommage to the 60s and 70s – her passion for classic rock music fuelling the colourful design. She uses vintage materials – and all her garments are handmade with car.

She organises 2 of the biggest fashion shows in the North – The Spring Fashion Show in Manchester and The End of Summer Fashion Show in Leeds, bringing an affordable outlet for talented designers to showcase, as well as holding a fashion market where guests can buy lovely treats.

Hi Victoria, how are you doing today? Thanks for doing this interview with me

It’s fine thanks, thank you for having me.

Can you give me some background information about yourself?

I am a 22 year old creative from Nr Manchester. I use the term creative, because I seem to have so many roles, I can’t narrow it down! I have my own clothing line, producing vintage style clothing from recycled materials, and I organise two fashion shows in the north, as well as lending a hand to many others.

So how did you first get into fashion?

When I was young, I never liked what was in the shops, so I simply taught myself how to sew, so I could create something I really wanted to wear. My love of the 60s and the music really fuels the designs. I guess, I’ve never been really ‘in’ to fashion, I keep an eye the trends, but I don’t follow them much, I’ve had the same style since I was 15, and I like it.

Why did you start The End of Summer Fashion Show? How did it all begin?

It took me by surprise really. I have always been creative, making my own clothes since I was young, and studying art, textiles, graphics etc. But I just did it for myself. When I was travelling in 2009 I met a model, and we realised we lived about 5 mins away from each other in Leeds. She was really interested in what I was making, and suggested we should do a show. Since then it’s just grown, I now have another show The Spring Fashion Show in Manchester as well.

Three attributes a fashion show producer should have?

A good memory, the ability to work well with all kinds of people, and organisation skills. I find all three of these vital!!

What do you think makes your fashion shows different?

For one thing, it’s a lot cheaper to showcase than many shows! So this gives emerging designers, who have just graduated, or people who don’t have a huge marketing panel behind them the ability to get involved. I think this is really special, we get some great testimonials about people involved.

I also love the variety of clothing that we have, there is never a set theme, so the style of clothing really ranges, there’s something for everyone.

On the day of the show your survival kit will definitely include?

A pen and paper, some pins just in case and a big smile. I plan most things in advance, so actually the day of the show can be quite relaxing.

The most memorable moment so far?

There have been some great ones, what I really enjoy is just after the show is finished, seeing everyone faces, backstage and in the crowd, it gives me and everyone involved a real sense of achievement.

Tell us a difficult situation you have faced and how you got out of it

One year, the show venue had some internal miscommunication, so 2 weeks before the show we had to find a new venue! Luckily, my staff and I all pulled together got a new venue close by, and actually it went very well, we still had a big audience and no one would have even noticed!

How do you fund these events?

Upfront, I use my own money…a bit risky I know but you only get out as much as you put in and I’ve put in loads…money, time, effort so my aim is for my shows to be the best they can be and more.

Tell us about your upcoming show on Sept 9th, what should we be expecting? Any suprises?

Ohhh the designers this year come from all walks of life!

Some have been professionally trained like Naomi Ding, or Helen Barran, who has just graduated in Fashion
Studies from the University of Lincoln and is based in Leeds. Her collection is very much based on the Victorian elegance so keep an eye out for her interpretation.

Other designers are much more established within the Leeds fashion crowd such as Pop Boutique which opened it’s 1st store in Leeds back in 1994.

We also have two very exciting ethical brands Jamilia Designs which specialises in mens and womens mohair knitwear and Crystal Padmore who designs using bamboo.

So you see we really do have an eclectic range of designers showcasing this year which is why it’s really interesting to see how the they have developed themselves and put their collections together.

All of the designers are one to watch and we believe in the next few years you’ll see them either on our high streets or in major retail stores!

What would you suggest to those that want to be involved into the business?

Be persevering, sometimes you make wrong choice, but stick at it. Try to network, sometimes knowing the right person can go a long way. I also think it’s good to do your research, find out your niche or your target audience and really learn about it, it will give you an advantage, and maybe help to discover new avenues.

Thanks for your time Victoria.

Ritika Walia started Pret-amoda.com in 2010 after discovering that they was untapped potential in fashion and design in India compared to the growing appreciation it was getting outside of India. She said “she wanted to create a unique platform to bring the best of fashion talent and the growing hunger for Indian fashion products”.

Pret-amoda.com sources exclusive selections of fashion products from established as well as independent fashion designers from India. An easily accessible online portal for shopping exclusively curated premium Indian fashion products.

The website also features individually handpicked pieces of the latest and hottest fashion from India’s coveted fashion designers.

Ritika Walia who holds a BSc Economics degree from University College London and a MA in Fashion Merchandising & Management from Polimoa International Institute of Fashion Design & Marketing in Florence, Italy started her retail career at British fashion house, Burberry where she assisted the head buyer for Ladieswear and Childrenswear at Burberry’s corporate offices in London.

A year later, she joined the Menswear luxury and heritage brand, Alfred Dunhill at their London head office where she worked as Merchandising Manager for Leather products for 3 years.

In 2009, Ritika decided to extend her experience and knowhow in the Indian retail sector having interacted closely with several international luxury fashion houses and seen their success online, Ritika wanted to apply the online retail concept to Indian designer brands.

Following her move back to India, she headed the domestic Retail and Merchandising functions for Indian fashion designer, Manish Arora and researched the Indian Fashion market for 6 months.

Ritika, an avid online shopper herself discovered that many designers still needed to be educated and better informed of the benefits of exploring the online space for retail. The customers, especially from India needed their hand held through the online shopping process. Her findings motivated her to create an online shopping portal that is simple and easily accessible for potential shoppers while being an exclusive retail channel for designers.

Pret-amoda.com was launched in June 2010 and has since gone from strength to strength and it’s on it’s way to becoming India’s premier fashion portal.

Founded in 2005 by David Schottenstien, aged just 21, Astor & Black has become synonymous with style and quality when it comes to bespoke suits for men. They have also started selling custom clothing for women.

The company has seen it’s clothing worn by a number of elite athletes, celebrities and business professionals. A number of famous people can be seen wearing A&B tailored clothing on their blog. Their site also has a number of testimonials from Forbes wealthiest individuals including Larry Ellison founder of Oracle and a number of sport stars.

David made sure that customer service was one of the most important aspects of the company, offering unparalleled levels of service by coming to your home or office to fit your suit. You can custom design your clothes from the buttons to the stitching, from the cloth to the lining.

Davids idea behind A&B is to democratize the world of bespoke suits by making it more widely available and also more affordable. Well more affordable in comparison to a similar service. They have a much smaller margin in order to charge customer less with the focus of attracting a larger audience and making up for the smaller margin by attracting large volumes of customers.

The organisation works with a number of filed sales agents who fulfill orders received at the companies shops.

David himself is a big fan of the three piece suit. “Watch the movies The Aviator, Seabiscuit, or Public Enemies and tell me those people don’t look incredible,” he adds. Back in 2009 Mr Schottenstein was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award for South Central Ohio & Kentucky.

David previously started a cigar business which did well for a couple of years before his father found out, forcing him to shut it down. But that didn’t stop him, he then started trading stocks online, again on the sly and again his father found out. But it was to be 3rd time lucky as when he found his love for fashion, while at a Jewish boarding school in Venice, he created A&B a company that his dad could be proud of.

He puts his success down to the hard work and determination of his team and unmatched levels of customer service. This as well as the fact the company offers great stylish and affordable suits. Having a great product makes it easier to sell.

And sell they have, A&B’s revenues in it’s first year reached $1million while 2009 revenues reached $11.3million and 2010 saw the business gross over $20 million.

The young entrepreneur is still a few years shy of 30 and is the owner of a very successful company that has potential to be huge.

Schottenstein believes the biggest obstacle faced by young entrepreneurs is themselves. “People have great ideas all the time but find all the reasons not to do it,” says Schottenstein. “You have to be fearless and do not internalize rejection.”

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Sarah Watkinson-Yull founder of, umm… Yull is a 21 year old unipreneur. Her company Yull sells ladies’ shoes that she designed herself, online and through stockists.

The brand as described on the Yull website:

Sarah says that Yull is ‘style over fashion’, a break from the current trend-following flow of impracticable and ephemeral shoe brands.

Yull is a mix of vibrant colours and playful patterns on classic designs accompanied by very wearable and timeless shoes that are hard to find in the existing market.

The brand is very patriotic and represents ‘Britishness’ incorporating the range with the English season’s needs for fashion footwear in sporting and cultural events.

She studied at the Fashion Retail Academy for a year and also did a course at the London College of Fashion which was, ‘starting a fashion business’. She is currently studying Business Management at Westminster University.

Sarah also studied business and economics at school after persuading the school education board and it only made sense that her two passions, business & fashion, should come together to provide her with a self made career. She also had the experience of seeing her family’s business, trading aroma chemicals, first hand where she could learn about importing and exporting and also dealing with customers and suppliers.

One important factor when starting her business was finding a good supplier, which she did through Alibaba. She had too balance getting good quality and manageable minimum order quantities while also having to suss out if she could trust them.

Having always been an entrepreneur at heart, this step was inevitable and earlier this year she founded Yull, which she fully funded herself. Having had the initial idea a couple years back, she had time to work and save £10,000 stored safely in an ISA where the tax man can’t get too.  Over the two years she also got a lot of advice and ideas from friends, family and the Prince’s trust.

The biggest challenges that Sarah has faced so far has been getting her shoes into retailers shops and also amassing free PR as she has a limited advertising budget. She recently showcased her collection at Oxford fashion week.

Her business is currently based out of her home in Oxfordshire and she has too manage her business and university work at the same time as she has no other employees at the moment.

Sarah carries much the same sentiments as many young entrepreneurs as she say, “If you really want to do something, then you should go for it.”

She is only at the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey but she is already looking to the future hoping to open her own shop and can’t wait till the day she is randomly walking down the street and sees someone wearing Yull shoes. Good luck to her!

Lyande kaikai is the 25 years old co-founder and creative director of jewel clothing, a company she started in 2007 with her co-founder and close friend Julia Omoarukhe.

Jewel clothing produce handmade, one-off garments collections for women.

Lyande kaikai who currently works part-time job as an NHS Administrator from her university days and Working as an property manager said that the experience has given her valuable skills she currently uses in her business.

From the embarrassment of seeing a girl wear the same outfit as her in a party with her passion for fashion, and a demanding mother who pushed her to start her own business, jewel clothing was born.

With no experience, she bought some simple patterns and decided to get in touch with her aunt to help her make a unique dress of her own. After long hours, days of constant practice, she started to make simple materials like cotton summer shifts.

After showcasing some of her designs, friends started getting in touch for birthday orders. She decided to take it up a notch and sell their samples in Spitalfields market.

Till today they still go to Spitalfields Market in London on the last Friday of every month to sell samples.

Today she juggles her jobs as a part-time NHS administrator and her property manager job to finding time to pursue her dream as a fashion designer and entrepreneur.

In a few years, she is hoping to see jewel clothing become available worldwide, maybe branch into designing wedding dresses and have its own boutique but for now she is happy keeping her customers looking and feeling like a jewel.

When Susan Gregg was 17 she was heading off to Carnegie Mellon University, but she found her closet packed full of vintage clothes and shoes that she had collected.

So she decided to get rid of them, and what better way than to open an online boutique. That year, Susan began ModCloth.com right from her dorm room. She would often drive from uni to her southern Florida hometown to pick up more stock.

Soon the site was overwhelming, 60,000 visitors per month wanted more. That’s when Susan realised the potential of the business. She started looking for designers and suppliers, eventually finding a trade show in Las Vegas via Google search. Susan went to the show with the intention to find herself a designer, which she did.

Susan still needed to raise the capital to pay for her rising costs, so on the advice of her boyfriend she took out $50,000 in credit card debt with the rest coming in the form of loans from her boyfriend’s family.

It was a big step to take, but ultimately these are the risked you have to take if you want to make it big.

Since her original idea in 2002, she has come a long way, but it wasn’t until 2006 when she hired designers to create an original collection for the site, that things have really taken off.

As it stands today the site is getting over 2million visitors per month and ModCloth is looking to surpass the $50million mark in sales this year. Susan has also managed to raise $20million in new funding so that she can open up offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles as employees near 150.

Susan’s personality shines through when you look at the business, ModCloth is a social commerce and she makes sure that customers feel involved whether they are buying or not. There is even an opportunity for the customers to choose which styles go into production.

This is the kind of thinking that will help Susan continue to grow ModCloth well into the future.

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I would like to thank Matt Wignall for making this interview possible.

Background

A Suit That Fits was founded in 2006 by school friends, David Hathiramani and Warren Bennett. Warren spent time working in Nepal and whilst volunteering at a school in Kathmandu met a family of tailors who made him a woollen tailored suit.

On his return, Warren met with old school friend David Hathiramani, who felt there was a gap in the market for quality, yet affordable, tailored suits and wanted to use their technical backgrounds to simplify the ordering process; it was then that A Suit That Fits started as the world’s first on-line hand tailored suit making company.

Using unique web technology, the service gives customers the flexibility to design and completely customise their individually hand-tailored suit at an affordable ‘off-the-peg’ price, starting at £200. Since then A Suit That Fits has opened three permanent branches throughout London and one in Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester, in addition to 19 ‘TailorStop’ (pop-up) branches nationwide.

Hi Warren, nice to have you on YHP, How are you doing?

It’s great to be here – we love the website and think it’s really inspiring for the next generation of young entrepreneurs.

Here’s a nice ice ice-breaker -who are your style icons?

I have had time to develop my own style: classic tailoring combined with an eccentric twist! I suppose my own individual style comes from timeless fashion icons such as Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant or even James Bond, combined with an element of fun from Ziggy Stardust!

When would you say, you first experienced your entrepreneurial talent?

I think I have always had a sense of entrepreneurial talent; both David and I grew up with entrepreneurial fathers, who had a big influence in our lives. Before A Suit That Fits began, I had lots of great ideas for businesses, some could work very well, some were outrageous! I actually started by importing silk carpets and pashminas from India, before David and I turned our attention to our idea for A Suit That Fits.

Only four years later, we have 25 branches nationwide and we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved.

So how did A Suit That Fits first begin, where did your idea come from?

Having spent gap years teaching in various schools around the world, I was introduced by a school master to one of the local tailoring family in Nepal, who made me some fantastic suits. I was so impressed by the quality and workmanship that before I returned to the UK, I bought a number of suits for myself, friends and family.

When I came back to Britain I met up with my old school friend David, who shared my passion for fine tailoring. David had big ideas and suggested that we went on-line; offering a small selection of fabrics, styles, linings and all the different attributes.

We took the idea to Hampstead market in North London, and displayed one of my suits on a dummy; after just 20 minutes we had sold two suits. It was a clear sign that we had a viable business plan; we then worked quickly to create a website for our customers, and we set up shop in a small studio in Liverpool Street.

Since 2006 when we registered our first customer, we’ve been thrilled and very proud to be part of a fantastic and growing team of wonderful people both here in the UK and in Nepal.

How did you fund your business in the beginning?

In terms of cash flow, the online model provided the ideal start-up template. We never had to hold any stock, we simply sent requests out to our tailors in Nepal once the suits were ordered, and paid for, online.

To fund the essentials such as our premises in Liverpool Street, we used our credit cards, whilst David continued to work two jobs to support the business.

How are customers becoming more individual through their choice of suit?

Trends tend to come and go, however it will always be fashionable to offer the customer more choice. There are three main types of suits: British, Italian and American; British suits tend to have tapered panels, little shoulder padding and two vents, Italian suits are often fitted with structured lapels and shoulder padding, whilst American suits are more relaxed.

We’ve noticed that our customers are now mixing all three types of suit along with a subtle splash of colour with a special lining to create their own style and individual identity. We now offer a choice of over 200 fabrics to choose from, so alongside our range of style options, customers can choose from selection of 40 billion different combinations of suit.

What shall we be expecting from A Suit That Fits in the future?

We have lots of fantastic ideas that we are exploring; we continue to source fabrics from all over the world and push suiting style and innovation. We also plan to focus on launching further permanent branches in key cities throughout the UK.

What advice do you have for those who want to pursue a career in fashion?

The first step is to complete your education; and following university try to get as much work experience as you can; some members of our team have completed several internships and work experience programs. You’ll make it if you have talent, combined with the determination and ambition.

What advice do you have for the fans of YHP?

It’s a scary prospect starting your own business and not knowing what’s around the corner, however it’s a lot of fun and can pay off in so many ways if you’re prepared to put everything into it. Focus on how you solve a problem for your customer in an easy, cost-effective way and build a great team to deliver that product.

I wish anyone considering taking on the challenge of starting their own company or developing a unique business plan the very best of luck and I hope one day I’ll have the pleasure of reading about your success.

Thanks for your time warren, hope to catch up with you soon.

Dont forget to check out their website

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I would like to thank Josephine Bankole for making this interview possible.

Who thought t-shirts could motivate people into losing weight or spending time in the gym.

YHP had the privilege of doing a quick interview with olu Johnson, founder of the get hench or die trying brand, a company that started from the gym.

Hope you enjoy the interview

Hello Olu! Thank You for giving YHP your time. How are you today?

I’m fine thanks for asking, and thank you for having me on here.

Can you give us some brief background information about yourself?

I am 26 years old, Nigerian born and British bred(I am bi-lingual). I am a graduate of Law. I am currently a trainee lawyer and junior manager for a company in the Rail sector!

Please, start off with giving us just a little info on who you are and what you do…Where did the concept for “Get Hench” come from?

The concept for the Get Hench brand came from a training session in the gym . After a period of about 6-8 months that my friend Shayne and I had trained intensely to be unquestionably the henchest guys in our local gym, we started training some of the younger boys in the gym who asked for help. During one of the sessions, one of the youths, Tavell, said ‘I didn’t come here to die, I’m not on this get hench or die trying sh**’. Everybody laughed but me, it occured to me that that was his perception of our attitude towards training and I thought we could sell that image.

How long did it take the “Get Hench” to get up and running, how many of you running it are there and where is it currently in operation?

I’m not one for procrastinating so when I had the idea, within a week I had samples selling like hot cakes and then my problem was I needed more t-shirts to meet my demands. A month later, I had funding and we were off the ground. There are three people in charge of the brand. Somehow I ended up being the posterboy/spokesperson of the executive group.

How did you fund your business in the beginning?

Initially, I funded the business by myself. I paid for all the samples to be done recouping my costs as I went along. When I needed funding to do things on a larger scale, I went to people I knew had the type of money I was looking for.. I was quite fortunate that I only had to speak to one person. The pitch wasn’t perfect but the evidence of the potential and the enthusiasm I had were obvious and I think that helped a great deal.

When would you say, you first experienced your entrepreneurial talent?

I first experienced my entrepreneurial talent when I sold homeworks at school. It only happened a few times but I was excited that I was trading……or maybe it was that I was getting money that I could spend on sweets etc. Either way, I always seized any opportunity I had since then to make a sale.

What types of setbacks have you encountered? How would you say you deal with them?

The biggest setback I’ve encountered is other people. That includes people I’m working with(my camp) or people working with me(outsiders). No one else will be as reliable or as enthusiastic as I will about my products therefore I have learnt to anticipate non-performance of duties by others and have a backup plan.

Sometimes, it is life itself that gets in the way. Everyone does what they’re supposed to and then it snows or rains or floods or there is an outbreak of swine flu or events get cancelled or something drastic interrupts ones plans. When that happens, all you can do is mitigate your losses if you have any and have the strength of character to continue with your plan.

You recently climbed a mountain, what the motive behind it was?

I recently climbed the highest mountain in England (Scafell Pike) for Breast Cancer Research UK. The motivation for me to do it was two-fold. One, I wanted to do something for a charity and Cancer Research was the obvious choice for me because I lost my biological mother to cancer. Two, I wanted to do something unusual for me and that I would find difficult and extremely challenging. The mountain climb was it.

I had no training for it and made no preparations just because I didn’t have the time(work & everyday commitiments). It was an immense achievement for me. Conquering the mountain reboosted my belief in my ability to conquer other ‘mounatins’, some of which the Get Hench brand presents.

If you could change one thing about your business what would you change?

If I could make any changes, I cant definitely say it would be to the business itself. Perhaps maybe to contacts I’ve had/used and prices I’ve paid. (Always check to see if someone is willing to beat your current price in order to gain your custom)

Finally, what “wisdom words” do you have for young entrepreneurs of today?

‘Words of Wisdom’ – Always do what you’ve said you will do, even if it is to your inconvenience. The reason for this is that your integrity matters in business and people will judge you on it(it is a very small world and people talk). Also, don’t be afraid to ask for things(reductions in price, funding, deals, extras……whatever).

The worst a person could say is no and that does not leave you in a worse position than you were in prior to. Finally, don’t discriminate on who you sell your product to(you don’t have to like them). Every person you snub is potential profit you push away………..in addition, make every single customer feel like they are the reason you’re doing what you’re doing. You will always get repeat business.

Thanks for your time olu

No problem.

Get in touch with him on facebook