Nadine is the Founder and CEO of Soul Purpose, a direct sales company that sells a full and comprehensive line of bath, body, beauty and skin care products.

She said “I launched Soul Purpose with the vision to create quality products; to empower people to put self- and health-care first; and to create entrepreneurial opportunities for our consultants.”

Prior to launching Soul Purpose, Nadine founded Warm Spirit in 1999, Warm Spirit produced a comprehensive collection of nature-based beauty and wellness products. With annual sales of over $16 million per year the company transformed the face of the direct sales and network marketing industry by providing an opportunity for wealth and financial freedom for women, especially in the African-American community.

I spoke to Nadine about her journey so far.

Can you tell me a little about yourself? What’s your background?

I am a wife, mother and a social entrepreneur. My education and professional training is in Clinical social Work and Family Therapy. I did my graduate studies at Smith College in North Hampton MA.

I was in Trinidad and grew up in Toronto Canada. I immigrated to the US for graduate school and them married and stayed here after graduation.

Take us back a little, how did you get into business?

I began my entrepreneurial career after recognizing that the basis of a lot of stress, depression, anxiety and lack of empowerment for women was directly related to their financial woes. I decided women needed alternative ways to supplement their income as well as ways to create wealth.

I decided that creating a line of pampering products that they could use and also sell and coupling that with an entrepreneurial business opportunity would be able to change lives.

Tell me how the idea for Soul Purpose came about?

After my first company called Warm Spirit came to an end; I decided to continue on with my calling to empower women and create Soul Purpose. It was the same type of bath, body and wellness products coupled with a work from home business opportunity. We also decided to make this company as “green” as possible.

The products are all natural, in many cases organic, vegan and not tested on animals. We use single walled jars and encourage our reps to recycle.

We have been able to do things on a much larger scale due to our partnership with FDI Youngevity. They provide all of operations, shipping and handling and customer service.

When did you decide to start taking it seriously?

I took it quite seriously from the beginning because of the tremendous investment of time and finances it took to get it off the ground. It felt like a second chance and opportunity and therefore my only option is to succeed. 

Tell me more about the company. What is Soul Purpose Lifestyle Company?

Soul Purpose lifestyle Company is a direct sales company that sells a full and comprehensive line of bath, body, beauty and skin care products. We sell through entrepreneurs who sell “door to door” as well as at the workplace, church and within their communities. It provides a work from home business opportunity with an opportunity to make an extraordinary income by selling products and recruiting other team members to do the same.

Talking about early days, what difficulties did you encounter in your early days of starting Soul Purpose Lifestyle Company and tell us how you got out of it?

Getting the right amount of financing to develop out the product line as well as to do some proper marketing initiatives has been and still is a challenge. Financing is very limited for women and even more difficult for minority women. We have had to be very fiscally conservative in order to stay in business.

Who is your inspiration and why?

I was initially very inspired by Madame CJ Walker who was America’s first female millionaire. She achieved this status as an African American woman back in the day when women worked as laundry women and share croppers. She earned her millions by developing a door to door network of sales women who sold hair care products.

The other woman was Mary Kay Ash who developed Mary Kay cosmetics. Mary Kay’s legacy is that she created more female millionaires than any other corporation in the United States using the same Direct Sales method. In addition, I am inspired by President Barack Obama who seems to be led by a calling, a vision of how things can be better, a strong work ethic and a determination to succeed despite the naysayers, sabotage and the challenges of the economy and forces beyond his control. He still appears confident and resilient.

How has the journey been so far?

It has been a tremendous journey. Much more difficult and challenging than I ever thought it would be. It is rewarding because of the women and communities that I have been able to help, the quality of products that I have been able to develop. I keep praying for resilience to make it through this financial downturn in the economy.

What would you say has been your most memorable moment so far?

Walking into a packed room full of Soul Purpose entrepreneurs who are applauding because I have positively impacted their lives. 

What would you say has been some of the key things that you’ve learnt on your journey so far?

Resilience is the key to sustainability.
Your true friends can be your back bone and support.
Relationships are key to success both on the personal and professional level.
Conservative financing is the best way to go.
Networking always pays off.
Do what you say you’re going to do.
Help others along the way. 

What achievement are you most proud of?

Recruiting over 6000 women and men in 4 years. Making the list of the 50 most Powerful People in the Network marketing industry 4 years in a row. And the beautiful line of products that I created. When I step into the shower and use the products, I always smile and feel proud about what I have created. 

What key advices would you like to give to other female entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs in general looking to follow in your footstep?

Work hard, pray hard, have fun and be resilient.

What are you most looking forward to in 2012?

I am looking forward to the economy turning around this year  as well as getting some media attention for Soul Purpose. I believe that we have a tremendous company, excellent products and an inspiring vision, what we need is for people to find out that we exist and join us as entrepreneurs or to purchase the products and host parties as customers.

You might remember her from Season 5 of Project Runway. Since then, Korto hasn’t slowed down a bit, she has gone on to design for the female president of Liberia – a place where she hasn’t t been since her family fled to Canada in 1990 to escape the civil war, to having her first solo show at New York Fashion Week in 2010.

Korto Momolu now dedicates her time to being a mother, a wife and running her own company. I had a quick chat with her to discuss some of the key things that have happened so far in her career.

Hi Korto, thanks for doing this interview with me, how are you doing?

I’m fine thanks

Can you give us some background information so the YHP readers can get to know you better? Who is Korto Momolu?

Korto is a designer of fine things, a mother, wife and all around family woman who is deeply rooted in faith

Take us back a little, how did you get into Fashion?

I began designing in my senior year of high school and had a great mentor that helped me tune into my passion

When did you decide to start taking it seriously?

Upon graduation from high school I applied to design college

Talking about early days, what difficulties did you encounter in your early days of designing and tell us how you got out of it?

I could not sew very well going into school so it was very difficult to stay on top of the class and gain praise from instructors

Who is your inspiration and why?

I am very inspired by Oprah Winfrey and her sense of morals and character. She continues to set great examples for women of color and I appreciate that

When you create something, what goes through your mind? What’s your creative process?

I begin draping every item I create it’s a calming and intense process once I decide on my theme for the collection or piece

What is most challenging about a career in fashion design?

Having thick skin and knowing it won’t happen over night

What else do you get up to in any spare time that you manage to have? Is there anything other than designing that you like to immerse yourself in?

I love to read and travel for leisure. the Simple things bring me joy these days

What’s exciting for you right now in fashion?

Lots of color and color blocking is great. I love that people continue to layer

Tell me how you got involved in Project Runway?

I was a fan of the show and decided to apply to be on it after the 4th season wrapped. I auditioned for season 5 and made it on the 5th season

What was the experience like, being in the show?

It was life changing and extremely rewarding!

What would you say has been some of the key things that you’ve learnt on your journey so far?

Everyone is not going to like you but its ok, love yourself and continue to grow daily. Life is about finding new ways to live out your dream

What would you say has been key in growing your business to the stage its at, at the moment?

Perseverance, persistence, confidence and last but never least FAITH

What would you say has been your most memorable moment so far?

Going to my home town in Liberia in May 2011 after 23 years of exile

What key advices would you like to give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Dream… Believe…have FAITH …REPEAT

What can we be expecting from you in 2012?

Sky’s the limit! www.kortomomolu.com for those who want to come along on the ride

A Bentley University graduate who joined IBM, post working as an allocation analyst (intern) at TJX Inc. Departing from IBM, she created her company Adirée.

Adirée ™ is an International full service boutique (public relations firm) based in New York, New York with a focus on fashion, art and home decor .

In less than one year, under Adiat’s leadership Adirée secured a proclamation from Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York, declaring the week of July 12-18 as the official date for Africa Fashion Week -a production founded and managed by Adirée – in the state of New York. The success of the show since its conception has increased awareness of African fashion by 8.5 million views, generated financing for designers and artisans marketing initiative, and created 100 jobs. Adirée continues to liaise between African designers and press, buyers, and investors from the United States.

Our full interview is below

Adiat, tell us about yourself?

An African woman, a believer, a passionate individual – one who goes against the grain (as if it was my middle name).

Can you give us some background information about yourself and how fashion influenced you growing up?

I was raised in Lagos Nigeria.

Fashion inspired, motivated, and allowed me to be okay with being different. It also taught me discipline. I realized early on, because of my mother, that there was a “time and a dress” for everything.

This meant, if you wanted to be respected in some form or fashion, in a particular arena, you had to dress the part. Commanding the right attention with your garments could catapult you to the next level. My mother also taught me to identify one part of my body to be the focal point of the day. Through the selection of colors, patterns or cut of the garment I could emphasize only one part of my body alone. My mother and my father were all about demanding the right type and amount of attention.

Who were your fashion inspirations both internationally as well as African designers?

I’m inspired by all of my designers, however the Kosibahs of the world, the Max Azarias, the Kiko Romeos and all of the Funlayo Deris , and of course Yves Saint Laurents, create fashion that is fresh, fun and innovative.

After graduating you pursued a career at IBM as an operations and communications specialist for IT analyst relations. What inspired you to leave a promising career and start Adirée and how certain were you that there was a market for African culture i.e. fashion, art/home décor and beauty?

I’ve always inspired and planned to have my own company, in New York. I knew it would be related to fashion, but from the perspective of a business professional, rather than a creative.

I began my business plan freshmen year of college: constantly speaking and consulting with my professors, utilizing the schools resources and databases for data, and utilizing my peers for feedback as well.
The taste for African culture, fashion, art/home décor came from my undeniable innate feeling of wanting to give back to the continent- to give back to Africa, what it had given to me- Life.

Tell me about Adirée. I understand your company is international recognised in places like Milan, Tokyo, London, Paris, and New York and is not solely based on high end African fashion. In addition to fashion, you cater to a clientele that has a demand for art/home décor and beauty.

We (Adirée) were the first to create and coin the concept of Africa Fashion Week in fashion capitals: New York, London, Paris, Milan, Berlin, Tokyo, Los Angeles. Our goal is to re-brand Africa and position it as a continent that also produces luxury products and services, much like its European counterparts. We believe with this licensing model we can create a consistent platform which will be the African Fashion Guide for each fashion capital.

Adirée™ is an international full service boutique based in New York, NY with a focus on fashion, beauty, art and home decor. The main objective of Adirée is to bring awareness to international luxury and mass brands (our clients) that are socially conscious and culturally driven.

Adirée clients are in two folds: international clients (i.e. those from Africa) who would like to establish a presence in New York. Also, clients based in New York or neighboring states that want a global presence or focus in Africa:

Adirée has multiple departments which offer clients with the following services:

· Social Media: Adirée™ connects clients directly to their target audience by using social media tools in consistent and appropriate ways.

· Public Relations and Special Events: Adirée™ offers a wide range of services from strategic planning, to editorial placement and media relations. We customize comprehensive programs that align with your branding efforts and overall company goals.

· Showroom: Adirée™ carefully selects luxury brands with a global appeal and fashion forward edge. Adirée™ Showroom is a one stop shop that allows clients to promote their products, raise their brand awareness, establish long lasting relationship with customers and increase profits in one of the world’s fashion capital. Editors, stylists, and high profile individuals will have the opportunity to pull your items for photoshoots and events.

· Consulting: Adirée™ provides advice and expertise in helping organizations improve their performance looking at existing business problems and developing plans for improvement.

· Studio: Adirée™ provides clients with a variety of graphic and website design services to enable them to reach and connect with their target audience.

· Talent Management: Adirée™ manages fashion models (male and female) by ensuring proper booking in their interested areas

New York, New York, is one of the epicenters for business, specifically fashion, art, and entertainment, making it attractive to many entrepreneurs.

There are multiple public relation firms within New York. But none that truly address the concerns of international (luxury and mass market) brands from emerging markets- specifically from Africa.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared a proclamation announcing that Adirée undertake the enormous task of securing the production of the first and only Africa Fashion Week. How proud were you as a new, emerging company to be given a prestigious honor from Mayor Bloomberg? And how has this changed your company and what does it mean for African designers, artists, sculptors, and other artistic, creative Africans?

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is heavily involved in the development of New York City (increasing tourism, jobs, and opportunities for the youth). I believe that Africa Fashion Week (New York) has many similarities to his overall ideology. Also, consider that he is a heavy supporter of New York Fashion Week. I believe this fashion week only contributes to the vision.

Your motto is “Where Fashion Began”… What does that mean to you?

“Luxury Brands Focused Globally” is the motto for Adirée.

The tag line, “Where Fashion Began” is the evocation of something new, large, and innately luxurious, however contained- as we all know it- in one of the world’s fashion capitols- New York. But there is a spin: the origins of where things began―art, culture, fashion― is essentially Africa. I think the tag line really embodies a merger between the two. A love child that is undeniably perfect in all of its being.

How has fashion, art/home décor, and the global culture been influenced by Africa?

Africa fashion has rich, vibrant, and effervescent colors. The colors and textures are unique to the tradition and culture of Africa that even some of the most esteemed fashion designers Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs, and Diane Von Furstenberg are inspired by it.

African Art & Home Décor is just as vibrant, geometrically innovative, and influential in the interior design industry. Model Iman created a home line mainly using prints, and aesthetics that were African Inspired.

Also, in a 15th-century, second-floor walk-up apartment in Florence, Italy― a couple: Adam Gaon, a New York-born architect and Loredana Tarini, born in Zambia, to Italian parents created a home where “New York meets Africa.” Does that concept sound familiar?

What are some of your personal goals and passions?

Personal goal- to stay graceful and humble regardless of circumstances. Passion- First; to deeply interact with everyone I meet and second; to trigger a stampede of women entrepreneurs from the continent.

Great leadership is fundamental in any execution of work. How do you describe your leadership style?

Avant Garde.

What is on the horizon for Adiat and Adirée? What can we expect to see from you and your African influence in relations to fashion, art/home décor and beauty?

Expect to see Adirée begin to establish a presence in Africa. Also, expect to see new clients in the areas of beauty and home décor from countries like Kenya, Botswana, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa.
Personally, I have a few more brands that I would love to develop and contribute to the world. And I truly aspire to do so.

Nevertheless a majority of my focus will be speaking engagements and getting to the root of some fundamental issues, concerning barriers that designers from emerging markets face. I want our company to focus on creating tactical solutions for these designers, beginning with assisting them in acquire funding and support from organizations. However you’ll simply have to keep up (www.twitter.com/adiatdisu) to find out more.

Lastly what makes you an empowered woman and how do you ensure that your beacon of light shines bright enough for other women to emulate?

What makes me empowered is my faith. Faith has the audacity to go beyond peoples’ thoughts, opinions, vision, and expectations- an audacity that I’ve come to respect, love and simply allow to “do its thing.”
In addition to this, I’ve realized that taking and applying all of your experiences is great. But more importantly is the act of not allowing your lack of experience to stop you from achieving your purpose.

I don’t believe I have to ensure that my light is bright. I believe a light simply does what it does naturally (illuminates). It isn’t concerned with itself, so much as its surrounds. It’s not concerned with its capabilities; its main concern is to providing a resource, to its surrounding area.

Your platform adds its own light, to other individual’s platforms. I don’t believe you are so much concerned with how bright your light shines. You are simply doing what you are capable and passionate about (executing your capabilities). You are providing a resource to me (telling my story), and the illumination contributes to all of our lights.

Interview with CNN International : Africa Fashion Week (AFWNY) Director speaks to the media : http://bit.ly/rMenRE

It was back in the Summer of 2010 when I had just finished the first year of my BA Hons degree in Media and Communications at Birmingham City University, that I had the idea for my business. As a vegetarian I and had become increasingly concerned by some of the ingredients in many well know High Street beauty products and cosmetics. Animal fats, crushed beetles and pig placenta are common ingredients as well as harsh alcohols. These ingredients are used predominantly because they’re cheap and they’re used as fillers but are clearly not ethical or good for the skin.

Over the summer I started to research halal products as I found their stringent criteria matched my own beliefs. I then found that actually there was a demand for these products not only from the Muslim community but also from vegetarians and vegans. In Islam, ‘halal’ means permissible or what is allowed in the Muslim faith. Where beauty products are concerned animal ingredients, animal testing and haram alcohol is forbidden. Halal certification is a strict process whereby the products are tested and certified halal meaning they comply with Islamic law. I was convinced that there would be a demand for these type of products.

Initially I was going to run the business online and thought that maybe I would be able to combine business and studies. One day whilst shopping, I came across a very small but perfectly usable unit in The Pavilions Shopping Centre in Birmingham. The unit had been empty for many years basically because it was too small for most businesses. I managed to get the unit at a very good price and with the help of friends and family painted it and did it up myself to keep costs as low. I soon realised that I had created something very special and was determined to dedicate all my time and energy into the business in order to give it a chance to grow.

There’s no way I could have combined both the business and studies so I made a choice and put my degree on hold. I believe I made the right decision and I found that I had learnt many useful things on my degree course that were very much transferable to the world of business, so my studies were certainly not a waste of time. At first there were so many new things that I had to get to grips with. Everything seemed so confusing; corporate tax, vat, rent and business rates, importation duties, my head used to spin with it all. As time went on though, I did plenty of research and sought advice from people like business link and my local chamber of commerce and things became a lot clearer. Everything in business is a learning curve and every day presents new challenges and obstacles to overcome. Pure Halal Beauty is a unique concept and the first store of its kind that sells solely halal certified beauty products.

When our store first opened in December 2010, we received a lot press features and articles from around the world from national press, international press, local press, bloggers and we were even on television.

As the months went by I realised that some products although they are halal are not particularly natural with regards to their ingredients. I knew we could improve on the products that were available which is when I decided I wanted to create my own natural, halal collection that was completely ethical and eco-friendly.

In the Autumn of 2011, just before we reached our 1st birthday, we launched The PHB Collection- the worlds’ largest range of natural, halal and vegan beauty products. The collection includes, skincare, body care, hair care, cosmetics and men’s and baby products also. Most of the collection is made by hand in the UK, and our packaging is 100% recyclable.

I am incredibly proud of the PHB collection and we have had some amazing reviews and feedback about the quality and efficacy of the products. We did a lot of research before finding a manufacturer that we were happy with and who could offer us what we needed with regards to the ingredients and ethical stance of the products. I didn’t want to use any chemicals, parabens or petro chemicals which are common ingredients in many beauty products, mainly because they’re cheap. We researched and selected ingredients that are gentle, natural and effective. For example rosewood, gardenia and rosehip have some fabulous anti-aging properties, so we use these in our Elixir of Youth range. Whilst ingredients like grape-seed, rose and aloe-vera are used in our Pure & Natural range for Very Sensitive skin because they’re incredibly kind to skin. Also it is important to me that none of our products or ingredients are ever tested on animals or contain any animal ingredients. The halal certification and vegan society registration serve to add extra assurances to my customers.

Since the release of the PHB collection we’ve been inundated with interest from around the world and had a number of exciting opportunities. We’ve had a lot of enquiries about potential distribution and franchise opportunities in the UK and Internationally – so this is something exciting that we are exploring. We hope to expand our number of store in the future also, as we are constantly getting calls from customers who can’t wait for us to open up shops in London, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford etc. So overall 2012 looks like being a very busy and exciting year for Pure Halal Beauty!

For more information visit: http://www.purehalalbeautyproducts.co.uk/
Follow them on twitter

Don’t you just hate when you got that new shoes/trainers on and then it happens, you step on a piece of gum and you’re suddenly left with the task of scraping it off the bottom of your shoes. Let’s not forget about having it stuck on your jacket, jeans’ bottom etc..

Meet Anna Bullus, a product designer trying to turn all of our gum problems into a thing of the past.
She has created “The Gumdrop Bin” – These visible placed bins horn the job of attracting locals and convincing them to place them gums in it rather than dropping it on the floor, bus, train etc..

It doesn’t just end there, when these gums are collected and the bin is full, it is then recycled into BRGP which in turns creates more bins.

Check out my interview with her.

Can you quickly give us some background information about yourself so we can get to know you better?

Things I love:
-Clever simple design
-Olives
-Winter

Things I am not so found of:
-Laziness
-Baby Sweetcorn

Where do you get the inspiration to come up with these designs?

Everyday Life and Everyday People

Could you please describe your general work flow: how you start from idea, to sketch and rendering and what techniques, tools and software you are using?

When I have a concept I tend to sketch and develop the idea through making models. I don’t enjoy sitting and designing at a computer as I feel it takes away from the romance of creating. I also like making mistakes through experimenting and models as sometimes these mistakes make your work better. I feel that those stages may be missed if I design on a computer

What do you most enjoy about being a product designer?

I love the fact that I am able to bring my thoughts to life.

What skills or training does someone need to be a product designer?

An imagination and a strong desire to see a project through to the end.

How long did it take you to design the gumdrop bin?

I started in 2007 and am still perfecting it!

How was it made, can you tell us the process?

I would love to but unfortunately this is a trade secret and it must remain this way!

Did you have any setbacks and how did you handle it?

I have setbacks every single day. No matter how big or small you just have to focus on the positive points, pick yourself up and carry on.

What is your most rewarding design work, the one that you are really proud of and why?

I think it would have to be GUMDROP. As it has now become a full time job as we now sell GUMDROPS to the public and private sector. http://www.gumdropltd.com. It has been the most difficult project and still is. Yet it has and will be the most rewarding.

When did you decide that you were going to start your business?

I started GUMDROP Ltd in 2009. Before then I was working for various furniture design companies as a junior designer.

Did you come from an entrepreneurial background? what was the inspiration behind starting your own
business?

Yes, both my Mother and Father have their own business’s and are successful in their own right. I suppose that from an early age I always imagined I would do the same. However I am surprised how early it happened.

Tell me about your university experience, would you say it was vital in getting you the needed experience,especially the practical side of things?

I think that it completely depends who you are. University is a great place to experiment in a particular field. In my case, Three Dimensional Design. It is also a place to really find out where your skills lie.

I am seeing pictures of the bins already being placed on the streets of the U.k and the U.S? Do you have any plans to expand or you’re just focusing on the two countries for the time being?

Gum Litter is a global problem. I can only hope that GUMDROP becomes the global solution. I plan to expand slowly.

How did you go about getting the product on streets, do you need a permit or something like that?

I approached local councils and big companies in the private sector. Mainly people and companies that have to foot the bill for cleaning gum litter.

What the funds to develop it, how did you get?

I managed to get various grants through local entities. I also work as a freelance web, interior and product designer to bring the funds in to develop and move GUMDROP forward.

I mean I’m sure they are a lot of people that would love to do what you’re doing, make fantastic products, but obviously they are things such as fundings, right resource centres and things like that, what can you say to such person out there?

There are so many different funds out there that are looking to spend the money in a particular way. A few good ones are:

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust
Shell Live Wire
The Prices Trust
There are also a lot of Research and Development funds out there.

What do you do to unwind, this is some real hard-work, and you must really need your me-time?

I run and cycle to clear my mind
I read to fill my mind
I see my friends and family to laugh

What new projects are you working on now and can you tell us a bit more about it?

I really am focusing on getting GUMDROP out there at the moment. However there are 2 other projects in the pipeline. You will have to wait and see!

What has been your most memorable moment so far?

Seeing the first GUMDROP go up.

Are they any advices or tips that you would like to give to young entrepreneurs, especially female product designers out there?

When you think everything is getting a bit hard. It will get harder! Don’t give up. I realise that this is easier said than done. Always bounce ideas off friends and family, as it can be a lonely ride when you are setting up.

So what’s next for you now?

http://twitter.com/#!/GUMDROPLTD
Watch this space!

Thanks for your time Anna

Thank you.

Costume Craze is an online costume retailer based in Utah. It was started by brother and sister, Kate (CEO) & Matt (CTO) Maloney back in 2001 when Kate was just 20 years old.

Initially Kate and Matt decided to start a software company which would help companies increase their SEO rankings. As a programmer Matt created the software but needed to test it before they could sell it and so set up a test site selling monks robes. Yes that’s right monk’s robes!

Surprisingly, sales from this ‘test’ site were great and they saw a real market for costumes. They slowly added to their range and Costume Craze was born. Their initial software company idea was left behind as they ran in a new direction. They brought their mother into the business and this family affair took Costume Craze from a test to the Inc.500|5000 list.

2010 saw them hit revenues of $13.2million and also saw Kate win Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award. Kate graduated from college in 2002 and was involved in running the orders in the early days when the company was initially seeing orders of 1 a week until Halloween when they saw 22 orders placed. Now a bumper day such as Halloween will see 5,000+ orders for there 60,00sq ft warehouse and 30 employees to handle. Well they have 30 full time employees but in October of each year they hire an extra 170 or so workers to cope with the high volume of orders.

In the second year they were still working from home, even with 8 employees, in fact when Halloween came round again they got over 700 orders compared to 22 the year before and when the FedEx guy turned up he was on the drive for over an hour scanning packages! This is when they decided it was time to move out and they moved into an 11,000sq ft warehouse, 3 times bigger than their house. One year later it was time to move again as the business saw massive growth. Another year later and they were on the move again!

Often you won’t realize what you can achieve until you’re thrown it at the deep end and that’s certainly what happened with Kate, freshly out of college without any real world business experience she had to learn a lot as she went along. “I didn’t realize how capable I was. When you have to get thousands of orders out, you learn to do things like drive a forklift. And that you can go a long time without sleep!”

As the Halloween period rolls round again the Maloney team expect yet another year of bumper sales with Harry potter and Captain America costumes expecting to be popular this year, as well as the usual favourites of Star Wars and Ghostbusters costumes.

In the industry they are in they have to keep up to date with what is happening in the movies and popular culture, so the summer blockbusters can provide a few decent business trips! It’s an industry that is always changing and Kate and the team make sure that they are always up to date on popular trends to insure they aren’t losing out on potential business and this attitude is what is helping Costume Craze successful and it is certainly on it’s way to being number one in the industry.

So did Costume Craze ever look for funding? No. Kate preferred the penny pinching nature of her journey as she had to make sure sure that every dollar spent was efficiently used. “I have a theory that companies that get venture Capital never do as well as they could have,” says Kate, why? “when you don’t have to penny pinch and save and work really hard on your efficiencies you get a little bit lazy & you always assume there is going to be money there to do things,” she explains.

I think what she is saying is that you are used to having a bit of money to play with and so tend not to be squeezing every penny as much as you would be when you have a little or no budget & therefore you are willing to spend a bit more when you really needn’t, maybe if you had no budget you would work to finding a cheaper solution.

Here’s an example from Kate herself:

Happy Halloween

–

Follow @rishi_chowdhury

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.

I recently caught up with Diana Proca to talk about her startup, Workinstartup. Check out what we talked about.

Diana Proca is the Founder of Workinstartups.com. WorkInStartups is the perfect place to find the job opportunities from UK startups and beyond, the website is currently in its BETA stage.

Here’s the full interview.

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

Hey Joseph, I’m very well thanks!

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

Sure! I am originally from Romania where I have previously worked in the corporate world (P&G and banking) and realised that it just wasn’t for me. I wanted to have more impact in the business that I was working on and in the corporate world that meant at least another 10 years of work.

Therefore I decided to find a job that I’ll enjoy and I came to London where I did a MA in Events Management and started working with Launch48. Needless to say that after seeing so many startups being created during the Launch48 events I caught the entrepreneurial virus and decided to give it a try, and that’s where I am now.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Ever since I was little I knew I wanted to build something that will bring value to other people and that will improve the way they work or live. After the Romanian Revolution (when we got rid of communism), both my parents took the entrepreneurial path deciding that they want to build their own businesses and I hope I’ll someday be as good as them.

Lets talk about WorkInStartups and how did the idea come about?

Interacting with a bunch of newly created startups while working at Launch48 I’ve noticed the stringent need that the startup scene has for valuable people. Initially the idea was to raise awareness about the benefits of working in a startup as learned from my own experience.

I was also looking for a job in a startup in UK and realised that there is no centralised place for all the startup jobs. All the websites or job boards were dedicated to programmers only or they were promoting only internships. However, every startup that I knew was hiring mostly for paid positions and not only programmers but also sales people, marketers, project managers etc.

At that point I decided to create the job board that will centralise all the startup positions so people looking for an opportunity within a startup will know where to look for. We’ve also started our blog that aims to get an insight into the startup life and to showcase the startups that are currently hiring.

Ok, can you get more granular on the problem WorkInStartups solves for individuals?

Our main goal is to help people find jobs that they love and give people an alternative to working for big corporations.

WorkInStartups is a place where you can find the job opportunities from UK startups and beyond. People don’t have to search for jobs on every startup webpage as they can find on www.workinstartups.com the openings.

Many people are not aware of the benefits that working in a startup could bring so we try to highlight them get as much advice and feedback from startups and startup employees as we can.

Furthermore, on our blog we interview the startups that are currently hiring so people will get an insight of their culture, team and benefits they offer.

How do you intend to charge for your service?

At the moment we are in Beta and the service is free of charge. We intend to keep it this way throughout Beta but we are going to launch soon (end October) new features of the service that will be paid for. Unfortunately I can’t say more about it for the time being but we will let you know details soon.

How is your startup being funded so far?

At the moment we are bootstrapping but we are also in discussions with potential investors.

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

The most difficult part was definitely deciding that I wanted to take the idea one step further and transform it into something tangible and as well getting mentally prepared for it.

I’ve previously had business ideas but I had never tried to pursue them, as the effort you have to put into it is significant. And as they say, entrepreneurship is not a sprint but a marathon so you have to be prepared for the long run.

You’re the Event Manager at Launch48? Tell us some of your experience working with the Launch48 team?

Actually I’m not working with Launch48 anymore, our roads have separated in May when I decided to focus exclusively on WorkInStartups.

However, working with them was an awesome experience as I met a lot of amazing people, seen many businesses being created and listened to a lot of mentors giving advice. That’s why I truly believe that everyone should experience working in a startup at least once in their lifetime.

Tell us some of the key lessons you’ve learnt so far through the beta-process?

We are now almost 5 months old and our product has changed a lot since we’ve first launched it. Here are some lessons that we’ve learned so far:

It is best to have the MVP launched asap and build on it as it accelerates the learning process;
It’s not about the number of applications for each job but what matters is the quality of the people;
Communicating with the customers is key as feedback is precious;
Always think of the next moves/features as they will drive fast progress;

When should we be expecting the full launch?

As previously mentioned we will be launching new features in October but the full launch of the product will be ready early next year.

What can we expect from WorkInStartups in the future?

We are currently busy with building an improved product that we plan on launching early next year. I can’t tell you more details at the moment but we hope to solve the recruiting problem that startups have.

Do you have any advice to young entrepreneurs looking to launch their startup?

Be prepared for the long run as it’s not the speed that makes the difference but the perseverance.

Thanks for your time Diana.

Thank you and best of luck with YHP!!

Emily has teamed up with the Founder of lastminute.com, Brent Hoberman and William Akerman, Managing Director of CragRats to launch MyKindaCrowd

MyKindaCrowd is UK’s first student crowd sourcing website which gives students the opportunity to win career-boosting prizes like internships, work-experience placements and must-have merchandise such as iPods and digital cameras with the aim of also enhancing their employability skills and CV.

The website aims to help students create links with businesses, solve real-world problems and at the same time showcase their talents.

Emily went to say “When I was at school I solved real-world problems during my technology classes and by combining that with industry networking I have been able to achieve my goals and be internationally recognised for it. I want to encourage other young people to promote themselves and their talents as well as enhance their employability skills and I believe that MyKindaCrowd will provide those opportunities to the masses”.

MyKindaCrowd could also be used by teachers to enable students to be more enterprising as well as developing their skills and promoting their talents. It gives young people a real insight into what goes on in companies as well as letting them put what they have learnt in the classroom into action to solve real-life challenges.

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.