1 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: I need you to be aware of scams. They're everywhere. 2 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: Everywhere you go, there is some sort of scam going on. 3 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: You know, I'm getting into the point that the travel 4 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: points business. Why because nobody that I know that's really 5 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: really smart, that has a lot of points, or that 6 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: actually doesn't have points. Nobody that I know that's really 7 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: smart understands points. They may have a lot of points, 8 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 1: and they don't understand exactly how to use them. They 9 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: don't understand why it's good to have a chase card 10 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: for certain things, why m X should only be used 11 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: for other things, why you should stay at certain hotels, 12 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: why they have two for one double points deals. Why 13 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: you shouldn't use the points to buy things at Sacks 14 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:51,319 Speaker 1: or at Walgreen's. When they ask you if you want 15 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: to buy your groceries there? Why? Why? Why? Why? Because 16 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: it's a scam. Because they don't want you to know. 17 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: They want you to just think you're getting the points, 18 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: and then you don't understand how to use them. And 19 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: if you do understand points, you know what I mean? 20 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: Most of your friends don't know. You're the expert, and 21 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: everyone asks you you book people's travel. You probably are 22 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: like the upscale coupon cutter that has flown free state 23 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: at hotels, free gotten, free breakfast, the whole thing. But 24 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,559 Speaker 1: that's one of the examples of something where most people 25 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: don't understand it. Anytime you go to a nail salon, 26 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: there's an up cell they want. Do you want a massage? 27 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: Do you want quick dry? Do you want a hay massage, 28 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: a foot massage? You want your lashes done? Do you 29 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: want that? You know it's a whole Do you want 30 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 1: the paraffin wax? You want the your foot to be 31 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 1: in some sort of uh, you know, exfoliating scrub. Do 32 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: you want callous that go to the car wash? Do 33 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: you want the super duper turbo wash? Do you want 34 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: to wait? Now? Am my loser? Because I only want 35 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: regular car wash? Like, what's the super duper turbo Oh? 36 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: And you get and you just say yes because you 37 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: don't know if it's like you're missing out in life 38 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: and it's a scam because people are desperate and people 39 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: have to up charge more now than ever. Well, guess 40 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: what that translates into the medical profession as well, be 41 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: where people at dermatologists office, at doctor's office, at medical spas, 42 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: at dentists in particular, because dentists have been down a 43 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: lot since the pandemic. Okay, they're going to up charge you. 44 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: You go somewhere just to get your teeth cleaned, Guarantee 45 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: they're going to tell you need something else. This happened 46 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: to me recently. I went to get my teeth cleaned, 47 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: as I do, and they always say, we need to 48 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: get X rays on you, We need to get X 49 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:33,639 Speaker 1: rays on you. And they are dentists, but they're sort 50 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: of like more of like a chop shop, like you 51 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: get your teeth clean there. I've never had a cavity, 52 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: so I've never been sort of in the world of 53 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: spending a lot of money on dentistry. So the woman 54 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: who's the dentist says to me, you need two crowns 55 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: you grind your teeth, which we know because they know 56 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: because they made my nightguard. You need two crowns or 57 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: crown on both side. And like what, I don't even 58 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: know what a crown is. It sounded like sort of 59 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: like a a filling to me. So I said, okay, 60 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: So she says we would do one now, then you'll 61 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: get a temporary. Then you'll come back in and we'll 62 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: do the other one. Okay, I sit down. What journey 63 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: I ended up going on at this point is literally 64 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: was was traumatic. Okay. She uses this drill and is 65 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: drilling down into my teeth. The anesthetic isn't working. She's 66 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: drilling down and finally she finishes. Its hours hours of work. 67 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: Finally she finishes and says to me, I can't get 68 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,399 Speaker 1: the temporary crown on. I said why. She said, it's 69 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: too hot in here. It won't mold. It wasn't hot 70 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: at all. It was like a normal dentist office. I'm like, 71 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: I don't know what you're talking about. She said, it's 72 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: too hot, it won't mold. I said, well, do you 73 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: need a crown temporary crown? Well, she said, it's aesthetic 74 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: if you want, you don't have to have it. It's 75 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: for aesthetics if you're not shooting or anything. And I said, well, 76 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: I'm not okay. I didn't know that was the first 77 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: false thing. You can't walk around without a crown. It 78 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: can change your bite, move your teeth really quickly. I 79 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: never knew they move really quickly. And also your tooth 80 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: is totally exposed. So the next week or so, when 81 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: she's supposed to be making the temporary crown and actually 82 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: the permanent crown. I call there and say, this is 83 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: my teeth are in excruciating pain, et cetera. I go 84 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: back into her. She says to me, you can have 85 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: a gold crown, which we opposed that. I'm like, ah, yes, 86 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 1: I am opposed to that. So she then lets me know, 87 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: because I think she's over her skis and shouldn't have 88 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: been done doing this in the first place, that the 89 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: teeth are too low and she can't get a crown attached. 90 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 1: She puts a temporary crown on. It falls out of 91 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: half an hour later, and it feels jagged in my mouth, 92 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:32,840 Speaker 1: and it feels wrong, and I can't It's so thick 93 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: that I can't close my teeth, like meaning I can't 94 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: chew on either side. That side I can't cho on 95 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: because I have a temporary crown. I can't chew on 96 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: the other side because this that side that she just 97 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: did the crown on is so high that the whole 98 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: bite won't close. So I can't eat anything. I'm eating 99 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: soups and juices for a whole week. So now I 100 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: go on a tour to go to five other four 101 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 1: other dentists. Every one of them says to me, you 102 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: didn't need a crown on either side. You never needed 103 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:58,799 Speaker 1: a crown to begin with. This woman did this hatchet 104 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 1: job on you. You did not need a crown. It's 105 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: because people are up selling right now in this industry 106 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: is just devastated and they need the money. And now 107 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: your teeth are so jagged and it's so low that 108 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 1: we don't think we can put a crown on on 109 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: your tooth like and the pain was excruising. They kept 110 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: putting an esthetic in and it wouldn't work. Then they said, 111 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 1: you need a root canal. I have never had a 112 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: problem with my teeth in my life. Now I'm having 113 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 1: a root canal and I still don't have a crown on. 114 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: So I go get a root canal. I don't have 115 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: a crown on. And then I go to this specialist, 116 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: Frank Carpentieri, best dentist specialist you've ever ever met in 117 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: your life. I cannot even tell you. He's in Scarsdale. 118 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 1: His office is thorough. They explain what's going on, They 119 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: explain what everything means, not like that chop shop that 120 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: that I literally just wanted to take my money and 121 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: she couldn't even do. She ruined my mouth like literally, 122 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: So this guy had to work for a couple of weeks. 123 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: And he said to me, this is not going to 124 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: be easy. This is not an easy dental surgery now, 125 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: because we don't you have a tooth left. She ground 126 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: you so far down that I have to try to 127 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: build up the bottom to to try to put something 128 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: from the top to the bottom. And he said he 129 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: may have to like dig out the existing tooth to 130 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: push it up, like from the bone. And the root 131 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: canal involved like anesthetic going under the gums because it 132 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 1: wasn't penetrating like And some people on social media, when 133 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: I told them I had a root canal, They're like, oh, 134 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: big deal, I've had many. I don't. I mean, I 135 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: don't know anyone who's gone through what I went through 136 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: having just going in for a teeth cleaning. It was 137 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 1: the sickest up cell I've ever experienced in my life. 138 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: To this moment, I have a temporary crown in and 139 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: haven't even been able to get a permanent crown put 140 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: on because it's been so complicated. So I'm going to 141 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 1: go back to Carpenteria in the next couple of weeks. 142 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: He wouldn't work on me for weeks because he said 143 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 1: it was so traumatic what happened to my mouth that 144 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: he had to give it a break. So this was 145 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: all from a scam and scam artist. And I called 146 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: the owner of the dentist office and I said, this 147 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: woman should not be practicing dentistry. This guy was obviously 148 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 1: so scared, and I don't know if this was right 149 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: or wrong. I said, I'm not gonna sue you. I'm 150 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: not a litigious person. I'm out posting us on Twitter, 151 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: which I'm tempted to do because people should know not 152 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: to go there. And I sort of want to find 153 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: out if this girl still works there because it was 154 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: a chop shop. I said, you're running a chop shop 155 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: and you're gonna have a much bigger problem if it's 156 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: someone else than made gonna lose millions of dollars because 157 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: someone's gonna suit you because this is crazy. And I said, 158 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: you will be paying every single bill from this guy Carpentieri, 159 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: so every time one shows up, you pay it, and 160 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: that's the end of it. My guest today is Rebecca Minkoff. 161 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: She has filled our closets with her bag. She es 162 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: in accessories from the wildly popular brand under her name. 163 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: She used her high school sewing machine to create her 164 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: first bag, selling them at shops and taking small orders 165 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: to get started. She knew no one in the industry, 166 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: and she had to network, sacrifice, and work hard to 167 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: build her own brand, which has been in existence twenty years. 168 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: Work The Paid Off now can be found in over 169 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: nine stores around the world and flagships stores from New 170 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: York to l A. Wait to talk about it with Rebecca. Okay, 171 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: So what um? So, Rebecca Minkoff is you and it's 172 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: your brand? What went into you deciding to make it 173 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: your name, because there's a very specific choice in doing that. 174 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: You know, you can be Martha Stewart and then end 175 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: up getting arrested and then your stock goes down or 176 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: something happens to Bethany Frankel and then it affects the 177 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 1: Skinny Girl brand. But then again, people associate me with 178 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: the Skinny Girl brand anyway. So I've recently launched Bethany 179 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: as a brand on Asia send in in accessories, and 180 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: that was a choice because that meant something different. So 181 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: I'm curious about your choice to name your brand after yourself. 182 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: What that means yeah. So I went through a couple 183 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 1: sort of machinations when I was considering this, and my 184 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 1: main thing was I remember working for a designer and 185 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: being told what to do every every day all my desk, 186 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: and I said, if I'm if I'm gonna do and 187 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,319 Speaker 1: be in this industry, it's gonna be I'm going to 188 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: be the boss of myself, and it's gonna be my 189 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: own name. And I felt that because I was the customer, 190 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: I still am the customer, but at the time, I 191 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:13,679 Speaker 1: was the girl who couldn't afford a brand name bag 192 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: spent five grand on it. I could barely afford a 193 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: bag that was twenty dollars. And so I felt like, 194 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: to me, you know, a handbag is a really personal 195 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:24,439 Speaker 1: thing to a woman. It's not just something she buys 196 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: for a season and then gets rid of, or at 197 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: least most women. And so I was like looking at 198 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: the landscape and there were a ton of brands that 199 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 1: weren't named after women. They were just blah blah blah 200 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: by X, and I just felt like, you know, what, 201 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 1: a woman's going to connect with a human before she 202 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:41,719 Speaker 1: connects with a brand, and if that human is the 203 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:45,200 Speaker 1: same customer same age, same size, same sex. Then I 204 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 1: think that connection can be fostered a lot stronger than 205 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: brand name X. But I do agree if I were 206 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: to get arrested, it would be a bad thing, right, 207 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:55,839 Speaker 1: Well maybe not for some people it's a good thing. 208 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 1: But so, how many years ago was that that you 209 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:01,439 Speaker 1: started the brand? I started a it in two thousand 210 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:05,679 Speaker 1: and one, which does not to say that not the handbags, 211 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: but the bags were two thousand five. But I had 212 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: a very small apparel company for about four years before that. Okay, 213 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: so you've had a successful brand or a brand that's 214 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: in existence at the very least for twenty years. And 215 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: most brands I think last five years less than five years, 216 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: and ten is like a milestone. So you've had a 217 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: brand for twenty years? What is the brand? What was Well, 218 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:29,960 Speaker 1: first of all, it's interesting because I relate to that 219 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 1: you're saying, So twenty years you were in a different 220 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,319 Speaker 1: part of the demo that you're talking to or not 221 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: like you. She may have gone with you, the same 222 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 1: girl may have stayed with you, and now is a 223 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: mom and a woman and a businesswoman. And I go 224 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: through that myself and a philanthropist. So how has that 225 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 1: journey gone with the customer and how important is who 226 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: you're speaking to when you're speaking to like you were 227 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:57,959 Speaker 1: speaking to yourself. Not everyone does that. Some people could 228 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: have something that's not even marketed to themselves. Yeah, for sure. 229 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: So I think the brand from an aesthetic point of 230 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 1: view is rooted in this downtown rock and roll with 231 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,960 Speaker 1: a touch of bohemia. That's how I dressed, That's where 232 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 1: I lived, even though I couldn't afford it. Um. That 233 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: was the circles I ran in was like that type 234 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: of look, and that that aesthetic continues today. I think 235 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: the woman we're talking to, there's two sets. There's the 236 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: woman who's grown up with me, so she was twenty 237 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 1: five like I was. Now she has excellent of kids 238 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: as a professional like you said, philanthropist, but she still 239 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: wants to offset her look or showcase her style through 240 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: that lens um. And then there's a new customer that's 241 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: just discovering us that's like, oh wow, I've heard this 242 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 1: name forever, but I'm not sure. And I think when 243 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:44,560 Speaker 1: you close your eyes, I can tell you you know, 244 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:46,839 Speaker 1: do you want to be the do you want to 245 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: sign up to be a member of the brand that 246 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:51,079 Speaker 1: is on the helicopter with all the bling, or do 247 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 1: you want to be the really bright and colorful kind 248 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: of preppy brand, or do you want to pretend you're 249 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: an Upper East sider. But if you're looking for a 250 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:00,080 Speaker 1: downtown aesthetic that's a little bit rock and roll and 251 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: a little bohemian, that's the space we occupy, whether it's 252 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: bags or apparel or jewelry or shoes, and so that's 253 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,960 Speaker 1: sort of our stake in the ground. And then the 254 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: the the mindset of this woman is strong, optimistic, powerful, fearless, 255 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: and if you don't feel that way, we hope you do. 256 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: Like when you put on your leather jacket, you're like, yeah, 257 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: I got this ship. I can handle it today. Well, 258 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 1: it's funny that you have a very specific target, as 259 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: do I, and so you haven't tried to get to 260 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,560 Speaker 1: bring in that colorful customer, that preppy customer. And you know, 261 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: someone at Beam, the company that I ended up selling 262 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 1: a portion of my brand to and my cocktail portion 263 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: of my brand, said to me years ago, if you 264 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: try to please everybody, you'll end up pleasing nobody. So 265 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 1: I think for many people listening, I always hear people 266 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: pitching some idea and a business and they say it's this, 267 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: it's that. I've heard some TikTokers to say, I have this, 268 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: I'm doing that, I'm doing the other thing, I'm doing that, 269 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: and I say, no, no, no, you have to know 270 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: in an elevator pitch exactly what it is and what 271 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 1: you're saying. And you have to know exactly what it is, 272 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: what you're saying, who you're speaking to, and you don't 273 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 1: want to sort of clutter your message. No, I think 274 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: today now more than ever, and I fully agree with you, 275 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 1: anyone can put up on Instagram and a website. And 276 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:15,079 Speaker 1: so if you're not crystal clear on your product, your 277 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: brand pillars, what you stand for, who you support, what 278 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: you support, why you do it, like the filter you 279 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:23,680 Speaker 1: use for all your photos, you know you have to 280 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: you know people now more than ever, and I'm sure 281 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 1: you agree are signing up to be part of your tribe. 282 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 1: They want to be like, yeah, I'm part of this tribe. 283 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: And so if you don't have that laid out and clear, uh, 284 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:36,839 Speaker 1: you're gonna fail. And I would focus on that more 285 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:38,679 Speaker 1: than any business plan. I don't need to see a 286 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:40,959 Speaker 1: deck with your growth in five years. I want to 287 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: see your deck of that you know exactly who you're 288 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: targeting UM and how you're going to get to that person. Well, 289 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: is it frustrating at all? As a person who's had 290 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: a brand for over a decade and was the first 291 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 1: person ever to do a low calorie ready to drink 292 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: cocktail really made the bottled ready to drink space what 293 00:13:57,920 --> 00:13:59,559 Speaker 1: it is today, and all those cans and all the 294 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: hunter alleries. I peaked early because I was the first one, 295 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: and so it's frustrating now people just jumping in and 296 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 1: they have tons of Instagram followers, so they think they 297 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 1: could just jump into this space and people, uh, I 298 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: have such a better direct to consumer business because like 299 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: I said, they're they're these uh influencers, and we're older, 300 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: so we're not as good at social media. I don't. 301 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: I can't speak for you. It doesn't come natural to me. 302 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: Steve Madden was on here. He has a good team 303 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: that's great at it. It's just not my skill set. 304 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: It's not my team's skill set. We're always struggling. And 305 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 1: that's a little frustrating because I've been out here doing 306 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: this for a long time, and yes, I've had many successes, 307 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: but to really go back to the tables and hit 308 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: another have hit big another category is not that easy. 309 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: It's it's more crowded, and you're competing with different types 310 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: of brands for different reasons now, and I don't think 311 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: they'll be around for a decade. I don't. But even 312 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: for the flash and the pans, they're all sort of 313 00:14:57,440 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 1: taking some of your market share. So what do you 314 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 1: think about that? Because that's you know, we're older, we're 315 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: out of you know, we're getting out of the demo, 316 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: and we're trying to have brands that speak to the 317 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: moms and the daughters and and be current. And it's 318 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: not that easy. No, it's not that easy. I think 319 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: that we strategically chose to pick and choose where we 320 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: show up. You know, for a minute, I was doing 321 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: TikTok's and dancing and YouTube's and unboxing and instagram and reels, 322 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 1: and it was just like, you know, that's great. I'm 323 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: glad you can laugh at me dancing on TikTok, But 324 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: is that really converting a woman to buy a bag? No? 325 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 1: So we said, let's focus on the brand, what we 326 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: look and stand for, and if we can figure out, 327 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 1: you know, down the road, you know, YouTube that's going 328 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: to make sense or even grow at this point because 329 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: it's so saturated or TikTok, and however we want to 330 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 1: show up there. But we sort of said, let's call 331 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: back to what we do best, and then when we 332 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: feel like we can do something again good, that's where 333 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: we go. Um. I feel like there's always an audience 334 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: in those places, there's always a unique spin you can have. UM. 335 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 1: But you know, just like songwriters are always going to 336 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: chase hits, you know, for three years, I fumbled trying 337 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: to recreate the next hit. This was a couple of 338 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: years ago, but I was like, oh my god, our 339 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: best selling bag is ten years old, Like we gotta 340 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: have another. And I threw out every single I was like, 341 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: cross body chain, let's go, let's go, and nothing stuck 342 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: and that, and I tried to recreate it with getting 343 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 1: on celebrities and influencers. It didn't work, and then organically 344 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: a bag rose to the top and now we have 345 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 1: that hit again. But what is the bag now? It's 346 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: the Eaty cross body. It has our signature dog clip, 347 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: it has quilting, it has an adjustable chain. But I 348 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: feel like sometimes those things pop and you did nothing 349 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: to control it. And then sometimes with a lot of 350 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 1: money you can control it, and even then it might 351 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: not work. Well, that's a great note for people. I 352 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 1: feel the exact same way when I only had to 353 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: focus on promoting my first book, when I was nobody 354 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: and I had no kid and no you know, responsibilities. 355 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 1: All I did was promote that, and when the Skinny 356 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 1: Girl Margarita happened, I was just hustling at every which way. 357 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: But Sunday without these big, multibillion dollar partners, just me 358 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,679 Speaker 1: and a partner in my pajamas. And now I have 359 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: many different partners and so much going on, and sometimes 360 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:13,119 Speaker 1: you think yourself, stupid, we know too much, you have 361 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: too much data, too much, too many partners too, you're 362 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: too it's you're too good, and it's hard to go 363 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: back to the tables and then not hit it in 364 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 1: the exact same way. It's exactly correct, and uh, you're right. 365 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: There are times that just in a pandemic, after a 366 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 1: couple of months, you'll realize you're selling an incredible amount 367 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: of salad, dressing and popcorn and when you didn't even 368 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 1: do anything, you're not even paying any attention to it. 369 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: And then you're trying to sell something else all day 370 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:42,399 Speaker 1: long and it's not working. So things can be hit 371 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 1: or miss, things can be what you're really passionate about. Um. 372 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: But I do think it's very cluttered, the whole space 373 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,160 Speaker 1: of trying to get your voice out, and it becomes defeating. 374 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: You want to sometimes like I can't, I can't do Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, 375 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: Facebook stories. We don't even know, you know. It's like 376 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: we're not it's hard to know what to do. I 377 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: don't know. I feel like, don't you feel like we're 378 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: all winging it in that one regard everyone's trying to 379 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 1: I never I've never seen such a desperation as right 380 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: now with brands trying to figure out what the hell 381 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: to do with themselves? What do you think? I feel 382 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,439 Speaker 1: like the brands with a lot more money have bigger teams, 383 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: and so you have one person, perfect platform, and they 384 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:20,880 Speaker 1: can figure it out a lot quicker. But when you're 385 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:24,919 Speaker 1: scrappy and you feel so spread thin, you're going to 386 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: find out very quickly because it will tell you where 387 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:29,959 Speaker 1: your audience is, you know, and where you can develop it. 388 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 1: And then you know you might not have expected you 389 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:34,879 Speaker 1: you know, to have an audience on TikTok, but you 390 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 1: get one on reels, or you get one on pinterest, 391 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 1: but not on YouTube. Like, we weren't even paying attention 392 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: to our pinterests and then we got our numbers back 393 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: and we're like, oh my god, why haven't we been 394 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: paying attention? This is an incredible place for us. It 395 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: is interesting. I don't know anything about Pinterest, So the 396 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 1: minute I get off this call, I'll be figuring that out. 397 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: I mean, I've heard of it, but I don't know 398 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: how to use it. It's I'm a dinosaur in many ways. 399 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 1: So how did you start? You? I read that you 400 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 1: saved up, uh but mits for money and from when 401 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 1: you worked, and so I guess you did not grow 402 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 1: up well that's a lot of money, so it's not 403 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: not a lot of money. But so did you grow 404 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: up middle class or what was what was that start? Like? Financially, 405 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: I grew up middle class, um, but I guess the 406 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: signal difference was my parents didn't pay for anything extraneous. 407 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,359 Speaker 1: And when I say that, it was like I couldn't 408 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: get the cheese on the cheeseburger and McDonald's because it 409 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: was too expensive. You know, the whole family had to 410 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:34,680 Speaker 1: spit split a small fry. Uh if I wanted anything, 411 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:38,200 Speaker 1: you know, one night, one present per night uponica. So 412 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 1: they were extraordinarily thrift worthy. They just didn't have a 413 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 1: lot of money, even though they had good careers and 414 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 1: everything I wanted I had to work for. So when 415 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: I did get my ten thousand dollar about mids of 416 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: money and bonds and whatever, I squirreled it away along 417 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: with my babysitting money, uh for a rainy day. And 418 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:01,879 Speaker 1: so when I did launch the collection, I stupidly blew 419 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:05,120 Speaker 1: it in one shot on a photo shoot and then 420 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: something getting all the patterns made in all the sizes 421 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: because I was like, oh my gosh, once I send 422 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,199 Speaker 1: out this look book, the world is gonna come calling 423 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:16,359 Speaker 1: and I better be ready. Little did I know that 424 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 1: she'd probably wait for some orders. Um. And so you know, 425 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: got two orders from two boutiques on consignment after after that. 426 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: So not a wise way to spend the cash. But um, 427 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: what really hit And again we talked about the unexpected 428 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 1: is I had come back from the Bahamas with this 429 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:38,159 Speaker 1: idea and love for how they cut up their shirts 430 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 1: and put feeds on them. But I didn't want something 431 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 1: that said a Ruba no offense. I wanted something that 432 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: said New York. And so I made this I Love 433 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 1: New York T shirt. I cut it up, I bedazzled 434 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,639 Speaker 1: it because that was a thing back in the day. Um, 435 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: and I wore it. My sister in law then wanted one, 436 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 1: and then an actress thought and asked for it, and 437 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: I sent it to her on September nine, two thousand 438 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: and one. Oh my god, who wasn't And she word 439 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 1: on Jay Know after eleven, Jenna Elfman, she was on 440 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 1: Darman Gregg Um and she word on TV after night 441 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:09,360 Speaker 1: eleven j start at it and she said my name 442 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 1: on national television and it was it was like, uh overwhelming. 443 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: That's all I did for nine months was make that 444 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 1: shirt and by den Canal Street, pick up the shirts, 445 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 1: go home, cut them up, ship them to this one 446 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: nascent website. An e commerce was just starting and I 447 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: didn't have the money to do that, and so I 448 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: said to the website, if you want these shirts, like, 449 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,239 Speaker 1: give me in advance so I can go buy the supplies. Um. 450 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 1: But that was the start, and it didn't make me 451 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: an overnight success. It did not make me rich. I 452 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: still couldn't pay my my my rent. But what it 453 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: did do is it allowed the door open so that 454 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 1: I could call a store and say street crent exactly. 455 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,440 Speaker 1: And I said, I don't know why i'm but i've 456 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,199 Speaker 1: heard your name. Yes, come in. Okay. Well, first of all, 457 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:54,880 Speaker 1: you said a couple of things are interesting. You blew 458 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:58,160 Speaker 1: your whole wad. I've done that too. People were starting 459 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:01,439 Speaker 1: spending as you go without a plan. I never had 460 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 1: a big business plan. But spending as you go is 461 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,159 Speaker 1: as a disaster, just like seeing something in front of 462 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: you and then putting money on it and then something 463 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 1: else will come up. It's not a plan, and that's 464 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:11,960 Speaker 1: what you do in your twenties. So don't do that 465 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 1: in your twenties. Because I made all these mistakes similar 466 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: to you. I spent I was gonna be on the Apprentice, 467 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 1: so that means spend all this money on this cookie business. 468 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: Because I had a wheat eggendary free cookie business and 469 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: it was good money after bad and I've done that 470 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 1: so many times. I had a peshmina business called Princess Peshmina. 471 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:29,880 Speaker 1: And when I went to the Magic Show in Las 472 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 1: Vegas with my ikea booth and my different colors of 473 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: candies in each of the cubbies, with the different colors 474 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 1: of pasha minas before anyone knew what a pasha mina was, 475 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 1: and I got orders. I then started spending money to 476 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: make pajamas and ponchos and all these different things, and 477 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: it was a waste of money because nobody wanted anything 478 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:47,639 Speaker 1: but the original shawls. So I was just burning money 479 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:50,199 Speaker 1: thinking that I was going to be something. So you 480 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: guys have to be careful with how you spend your 481 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: money and how you plan. You do have to spend 482 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:56,680 Speaker 1: to make, but you have to really figure that out. 483 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 1: So that was the first thing that was interesting that 484 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:02,639 Speaker 1: you said. So funny because Kate Hudson mentioned her and 485 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: Anne Hathaway on one of their movies together that they 486 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: drank skinny roll Marguerita's on jay Leno for me and 487 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,159 Speaker 1: that was a really big deal. I remember that. So 488 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 1: that's funny that you just said that. And it's just again, 489 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 1: you're getting street creds, you're building step by step, so 490 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 1: you're on jay Leno. I guess you didn't think you 491 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:21,440 Speaker 1: were gonna have a handbag line. You just wanted to 492 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:23,679 Speaker 1: be in fashion because you made the shirt, So what 493 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: did you want to do? Yeah, I just had I 494 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,200 Speaker 1: had a five piece collection. So I ended up making 495 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: that shirt for a long time again for nine months, 496 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,480 Speaker 1: and then I expanded the ready to wear line and 497 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:35,679 Speaker 1: I was able to secure a showroom to sell it. 498 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:37,520 Speaker 1: But it was never a big business. At its height, 499 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: maybe it was two d and fifty thousand dollars a year. 500 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: I was making half of everything. Another dude who smoked, 501 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 1: which was a whole other nightmare, was making the other 502 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 1: other part of it. But it all stenched um and 503 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 1: I was honestly, I was styling on the side to 504 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:54,919 Speaker 1: pay the bills I had. Like I had, I had 505 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: made a connection with the director. So I was styaling, 506 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 1: you know, the first season of Project Runway and the 507 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:05,359 Speaker 1: commercials for Top Chef and was able to secure some clients. Um. 508 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,640 Speaker 1: But I was bumping along and I was going into debt. 509 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: I had a credit card with a cash advance. I 510 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:14,679 Speaker 1: was in deep about six K and had no idea 511 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 1: how I'd pay back. Anxiety. Um. And then the bag 512 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: was again. Jenna came back to me and she said, 513 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:23,879 Speaker 1: do you design bags? I'm going to be in a movie. 514 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 1: And the bag was literally on the character for the 515 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: entire thing. You'll get a lot of exposure. And I 516 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 1: lied to her and I said, yes, I do bags. 517 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 1: So sometimes you gotta lie, figure say yes, and figured 518 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:38,199 Speaker 1: out later. Yeah. Wow, that's amazing. If you build it, 519 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:42,920 Speaker 1: they will come. So you mentioned a partner, how who 520 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 1: you those listening? Who you partner with is so important. 521 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:48,680 Speaker 1: It's the little things you don't think about. Everything seems fun, 522 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:50,880 Speaker 1: it's like a marriage. People think everything's gonna be fun, 523 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: everything's gonna be great. And I think it's Mike Tyson 524 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 1: who said everybody's got a plan until someone gets punched 525 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 1: in the face. So you had a partner. Were there 526 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 1: any residual mistakes from that? Any expensive mistakes, legal mistakes, 527 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:08,040 Speaker 1: getting out and detangling if that's a word. What about that? 528 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: So he wasn't a partner like he was a contractor 529 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,239 Speaker 1: that I hired. The biggest mistake that was made was 530 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 1: I had a five thousand dollar order to a really 531 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:19,240 Speaker 1: great store in l A called Madison, And it was 532 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:21,880 Speaker 1: a really big opportunity for me because they had the coolest, 533 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,679 Speaker 1: hottest designers and the entire collection smelled like smoke. And 534 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: the buyers called me up and said don't cash the check. 535 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,359 Speaker 1: I'm canceling it. Everything smells like smoke. And I was 536 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 1: headed out to l A and I was like, I'll 537 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 1: come see you. Let me check it out. And I 538 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,399 Speaker 1: was so demoralizing and embarrassing because I packed it. I 539 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: knew it potentially had a smell, and I was like, nack, 540 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 1: you know it'll go away by the time it gets there. 541 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:47,159 Speaker 1: But it didn't go away. It just so to to 542 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:50,919 Speaker 1: pack up my stuff, you know, out cash. Yeah, but 543 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:54,160 Speaker 1: it just goes to show you, like, especially when you're 544 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 1: starting out, you have to pay attention to quality and 545 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 1: and and presentation because it can make or breaking. Like 546 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 1: I burned that bridge after that, Well, that's the great point. 547 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: I years ago was asked for my wheat eggon dairy 548 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,199 Speaker 1: free cookies. I had an opportunity to go on QVC 549 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: end or Target End, Target and Whole Foods, and I 550 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 1: didn't do any of them because I knew the cookies 551 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: didn't have the size wasn't consistent, the packaging was going 552 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 1: to be open. I was scrambling, and I knew that 553 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:24,640 Speaker 1: once I screwed up with those major retailers, they could 554 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:26,480 Speaker 1: remember that to this day. Oh that girl who sent 555 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 1: us those crumbly, gross, mouldy cookies. So I didn't do it. 556 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,439 Speaker 1: And that's one of the things don't with life. Don't 557 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 1: do it if you can't do it well. And I've 558 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 1: cost myself thousands, tens of thousands of dollars at the 559 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,120 Speaker 1: last minute not going on air to sell something because 560 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: I don't feel good about it. So don't serve it 561 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:45,400 Speaker 1: if it doesn't taste good, and don't sell it if 562 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: you know it's you don't have it. Um, how did 563 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 1: you establish your price point? And what do you think 564 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: about ten thousand dollar bags, Chanel's seven thousand dollar bag, 565 00:26:56,040 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: Gucci's little makeup pouch that's nine of dollars, Like, what 566 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:02,119 Speaker 1: do you think of all this? And how do you 567 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 1: think of your own price point? Because on the Apprentice 568 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 1: on hs N on QBC, the psychology of the price 569 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 1: point is very important. How you price your items is important. Yeah, 570 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: so my bags originally and that this was considered affordable 571 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: again in two thousand five, the original price tag was 572 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: four five and five five. There was nothing in that 573 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: space at all. There was a couple of brands. It 574 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,359 Speaker 1: was the five thousand dollars Channel and the twenty h 575 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: and n uh. So right away a woman could get 576 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: a high quality handbag made by a designer label, and 577 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: this price was suddenly extraordinary. And then the recession hit 578 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 1: and all luxury crunched down, so people were offering bags 579 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:44,440 Speaker 1: under a thousand, and we were told either you lower 580 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 1: your prices or you won't exist, and this was by 581 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: Sacks Bloomy Dale's Neman Marcus Nordstrom. So we did. We 582 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: lowered our prices by about thirty and while it took 583 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,160 Speaker 1: a couple of months to hit all of a sudden, 584 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 1: we ro over the next three years by five hundred 585 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:04,639 Speaker 1: forty eight percent. So we said, okay, this is the 586 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 1: price point that works for our customer. She has ad 587 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:12,679 Speaker 1: to like three nine dollars. Um. We know her income 588 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 1: now obviously what she does. She's very well educated. Um. 589 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 1: And some women want to buy four bags a year 590 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 1: versus one bag that they're going to have for the 591 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 1: next twenty thirty years. And I think it's great if 592 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:28,679 Speaker 1: you can afford to Chanelle, but most people can't. I 593 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: certainly couldn't, and today if I wasn't a designer, I 594 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:36,119 Speaker 1: wouldn't UM. And I think that you can still have 595 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:38,560 Speaker 1: something that lasts that stands the test of time. But 596 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 1: it's not about the gold plaque on the front. It's 597 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: about you know, not to sound egotistical, but what I 598 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:46,520 Speaker 1: love about our brand is it's about the whole woman. 599 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: It's not about the plaque. You know, my women get 600 00:28:49,080 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 1: noticed for their styles, not not a name. You did 601 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 1: not go to college, which is interesting. You really had 602 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 1: such a drive and a passion that you just wanted 603 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: to get on the road. You know. I was watching 604 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 1: my friends go to college and I just couldn't think 605 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 1: with that. UM. I had spent four years in high 606 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,960 Speaker 1: school where we had these major, these electives, UM, and 607 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:24,360 Speaker 1: basically spent four hours a day in the costume design room. UM. 608 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: My aunt, who was very traditional, was like, you have 609 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 1: to go to college or you're going to be a 610 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:32,400 Speaker 1: failure in life. And she was in New York City 611 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 1: and kind of the one family member I had, and 612 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: I was like, maybe I should. So I enrolled at 613 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,760 Speaker 1: f I t at night, I worked during the day, 614 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: and I just remember being in the class for the 615 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:45,080 Speaker 1: first semester going I learned this already. I learned this already. 616 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 1: I can't draw as good as her, but I can talk. 617 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:50,600 Speaker 1: I'm not as talented at draping as this person, but 618 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: I can tell another pattern maker what I want to do, 619 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: and I just got frustrated. Um, and I said, this 620 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:58,959 Speaker 1: isn't for me. I'm gonna try my hand and I'm 621 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: gonna keep working for this designer. And I didn't mean 622 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 1: to start my own company when I started it, but 623 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 1: due to a series of you know, Jennu wearing a 624 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 1: shirt and the company saying we know you love what 625 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: you're doing, go do it. You're fired, that was kind 626 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 1: of my my opportunity to try it. And you talk. 627 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 1: I don't know why this is in a lot of 628 00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 1: what's written about you, so I'm interested to hear your answer. 629 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: You talk a lot about self care, like I think 630 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 1: it bothers you that people are proclaiming self care to 631 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: sort of save themselves, and that business can say, what, 632 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: what's the message about your relationship to self care? Because 633 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 1: I came up in some of the some of the 634 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 1: press about you. Yeah, so I talked about this in 635 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 1: my book. Um, I said, there's no scented candle in 636 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 1: the world that will take away your stress or Monday, 637 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,719 Speaker 1: you know, Sunday scary. And what I mean by that 638 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 1: is I think that people are using self care, which 639 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 1: I'm all about a massage and getting a facial, but 640 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:01,560 Speaker 1: it's not going to cure my burnout. It's not going 641 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 1: to cure why I dread going to work, and so 642 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 1: I talked about it in that chapter. You know, when 643 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:09,959 Speaker 1: I started out, I didn't make any money. I couldn't 644 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: afford to do anything. I worked like a dog. I 645 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 1: worked nights and weekends. I never took vacations, and I 646 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 1: was elated and pumped and so excited. And when I 647 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: experienced burnout for the first time, I was like, Okay, 648 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 1: what's causing this? Because I loved what I did for 649 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: so long and really it was a toxic person at 650 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 1: my office, coloring things and changing the culture. But for 651 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 1: other people, it can be the workplace, it could be 652 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: again another person, or they've lost their passion for what 653 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: they do. And so my goal is you're going to 654 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 1: cure that feeling a lot quicker if you identify the 655 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: source and you attack that. And if you've lost your 656 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 1: passion or you feel like you're going nowhere, like make 657 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,240 Speaker 1: a plan. And it's not going to be instant gratifications. 658 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 1: We don't get to click our way into our dream job. 659 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: You're gonna have to build it, and it's gonna take sacrifice, 660 00:31:57,440 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: it's gonna be hard. You might do a job you 661 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 1: hate for a while, but if you know you're reaching 662 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 1: your goal and your dreams, that should fuel you. And 663 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: if it doesn't anymore, it's like reassess that, yes, light 664 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 1: the candle, Yes you'll get the patials, but that will 665 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 1: not That's not the answer, is what I try to say. 666 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 1: I agree, but I think when you're younger, there's a 667 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 1: purity in not having anything and having everything, nothing to 668 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,280 Speaker 1: lose in a way, and everything to gain. And as 669 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 1: you get older and you have responsibilities and you have 670 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:30,440 Speaker 1: kids and you know you can't really travel around the 671 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 1: world as you want to, just your freedom sort of 672 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,560 Speaker 1: diminishes and your plate gets more full. I think that 673 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:39,680 Speaker 1: that can lead to really questioning what you want. And 674 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:42,720 Speaker 1: for example, when I remember the purity of going on 675 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,959 Speaker 1: The Housewives of all things, I remember me wearing just 676 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:47,720 Speaker 1: a sweater I had in my closet and not doing 677 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,200 Speaker 1: any makeup because it was a reality show and that 678 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:53,680 Speaker 1: was what my reality was, and it's I've seen it 679 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 1: devolve into some circus. So I didn't want to do it. Anymore. 680 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:00,800 Speaker 1: I guess that's the wars you have to I had 681 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 1: to get off the ride. But the the ground is 682 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 1: always moving with women, I think, with what we're doing 683 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 1: and what's going on around us. So while the success 684 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:15,160 Speaker 1: I created on that platform is incredible, I didn't want 685 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: to stay or continue because it had changed and I 686 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 1: had changed. So you think that could also lead to 687 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: burner Like I get more burnt out now than I 688 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:26,640 Speaker 1: ever did, because there's so much and the pandemic and 689 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: getting COVID and quality of life makes you want to 690 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 1: kind of just turning fifty makes you want to appreciate 691 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:37,160 Speaker 1: and enjoy and not care about the dollars of the 692 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: hustle or the same things that you strived for. I agree, 693 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:44,239 Speaker 1: But I think that then then it becomes boundaries, you know, 694 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:48,160 Speaker 1: like obviously were the term balances aimed at us all 695 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:50,920 Speaker 1: the time. It's a word that was made up to feel, 696 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:52,960 Speaker 1: you know, make us feel like failures like we should 697 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:54,880 Speaker 1: have it, and men have never had balanced, so it 698 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 1: shouldn't even be aimed at anybody, frankly, But as we 699 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:01,480 Speaker 1: get older, in order not to experience what you're talking about, 700 00:34:01,520 --> 00:34:03,640 Speaker 1: I think we have to, you know, start saying no 701 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 1: and putting boundaries. And with each kid, I put in 702 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:10,560 Speaker 1: more boundaries. And it means you don't get to micromanage 703 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:13,320 Speaker 1: everybody anymore. It means some stuff that's going to fail 704 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:16,240 Speaker 1: a little bit sometimes, or it wouldn't be done exactly 705 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:18,319 Speaker 1: how you would have done it. But if you want 706 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:20,239 Speaker 1: to be able to turn your computer off at six 707 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: at night, or or or not check email on the weekends, 708 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 1: you have to begin to sort of slowly again, not overnight, 709 00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: you know. I think you have to begin to take 710 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:35,840 Speaker 1: those stances. And where where you find your boundaries? I agree, 711 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,120 Speaker 1: And I think that that's something that is different. When 712 00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:40,959 Speaker 1: you're in your twenties and your thirties, you don't really 713 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 1: need any boundaries, you don't really need any sleep. It's 714 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 1: just different. Your body changes, the whole landscape changes. So 715 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 1: that's one of the big things. And I agree with you. 716 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:51,880 Speaker 1: For me, it's just be kind, but have your boundaries. 717 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:53,920 Speaker 1: Like saying no is as important as saying yes. It 718 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 1: just doesn't all fit the way it used to, I think. 719 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,160 Speaker 1: So there's been a lot written about your some written 720 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:03,000 Speaker 1: about you and scientology, and as I was reading about it, 721 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 1: I was thinking about the girl Julia Heart that I 722 00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:11,440 Speaker 1: had on and she, you know, her relationship to Orthodox religion, 723 00:35:11,719 --> 00:35:14,440 Speaker 1: and then when she got off my podcast, after she 724 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:16,680 Speaker 1: had told me all about her relationship with that religion 725 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:19,400 Speaker 1: and her leaving it, then all these people saying that 726 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:22,600 Speaker 1: they didn't agree with her perspective of this part of religion. 727 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:25,160 Speaker 1: So it's really for us to decide. And we've heard 728 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:27,399 Speaker 1: things about the Catholic Church, and we've heard things about 729 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: so many different places. And Leah Remony is very vocal 730 00:35:31,239 --> 00:35:34,359 Speaker 1: about scientology, and we usually digest the messages that we're 731 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:38,239 Speaker 1: just reading or seeing on television. So I don't bring 732 00:35:38,239 --> 00:35:40,319 Speaker 1: this up as like a gotcha. I bring it up 733 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:44,400 Speaker 1: because I actually want to know why what your relationship 734 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:47,080 Speaker 1: to scientology is and then also what your person and 735 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: I know Jenna Elfman was a scientologist, so is that 736 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:53,239 Speaker 1: the connection or not just coincidental? It's coincidental that her 737 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:56,440 Speaker 1: husband and my brother were really good friends. Got it Okay? 738 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:59,720 Speaker 1: So my question is a if you are comfortable telling 739 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 1: me your connection is, and then be if you disagree 740 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:05,359 Speaker 1: with it, why would your what would your perspective beyond 741 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:08,120 Speaker 1: the misinformation and what all the different messages is or 742 00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:10,600 Speaker 1: is it like the Catholic Church. Some people think of 743 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:12,760 Speaker 1: the Catholic Church as a place where you can't trust priests, 744 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:18,160 Speaker 1: and some people it's their entire salvation and everything in between. 745 00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 1: People get what they need to get out of a religion. 746 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 1: So I'm just really curious to hear your opinion on 747 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:25,360 Speaker 1: this topic. Yeah, for sure, I'm happy to talk about it. 748 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:27,480 Speaker 1: So I think, first let me clear up. People here 749 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:33,080 Speaker 1: the word religion, they instantly think God, right, worship, Um, 750 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:36,800 Speaker 1: you know, certain rituals. As as someone who grew up Jewish, 751 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:39,759 Speaker 1: that was all I knew. Um. When I had the 752 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:45,240 Speaker 1: opportun opportunity to study scientology, basically, I was like, wait, 753 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:47,560 Speaker 1: what is this? And there is a definition of religion. 754 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,480 Speaker 1: Anything spiritual and nature could be considered religious. So when 755 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:53,040 Speaker 1: you're going there, you're not praying to a god, you're 756 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:56,160 Speaker 1: not worshiping anything. There isn't a ritual. It's actually pretty 757 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 1: cut and dry. It's here's a course to help you 758 00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:01,799 Speaker 1: with communications. There's of course to help you, you know, 759 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 1: with relationships with others. And the thing about it is 760 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:06,520 Speaker 1: it doesn't work if you don't apply it. There's no 761 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:09,239 Speaker 1: finger crossing or humming or willing it to be so 762 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:13,520 Speaker 1: it's here, has has been found, what's what works and 763 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:15,919 Speaker 1: if you apply it and it's true for you, which 764 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:18,440 Speaker 1: is another one of the tenants, then do it. If 765 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:20,239 Speaker 1: it's not true for you or you don't agree with it, 766 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,000 Speaker 1: then don't. Whereas I feel like most other religions are 767 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:26,759 Speaker 1: and again having grown up and I consider myself both 768 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:29,600 Speaker 1: Jewish and one as well, is if you don't believe it, 769 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:31,279 Speaker 1: then you're not a believer and you don't get to 770 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:33,399 Speaker 1: belong here. It's like, if it works for you, great, 771 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:35,279 Speaker 1: If it doesn't, don't. So for me, it's been a 772 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:38,239 Speaker 1: place where you know, it's how I handle stress. It's 773 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 1: it's where I go for my sort of cup being 774 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:47,520 Speaker 1: refilled because life is a lot, especially right now, uh, 775 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:50,080 Speaker 1: and most people need an outlet. And whether they choose 776 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:52,879 Speaker 1: to go for an exercise or meditate or whatever you do, 777 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:57,280 Speaker 1: this is where I go personally to get that you know, support, 778 00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:00,359 Speaker 1: So you are having an entirely different experience. And then 779 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:04,920 Speaker 1: that Paul Haggis or Leah Reminy documentary and do you 780 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:07,160 Speaker 1: believe that their experience is real? For them, this is 781 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,680 Speaker 1: something that happened to them, like in one church, or 782 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:12,720 Speaker 1: they have an act to grind. I'm just I'm literally 783 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:15,400 Speaker 1: curious because the it's got there's a stigma to it. 784 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,320 Speaker 1: I bet people either bully you or I have somebody 785 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 1: that I've had on my podcast that I've done appearances 786 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:23,839 Speaker 1: at their expo and people have, you know, said wow, 787 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,680 Speaker 1: he's a scientologist. Like it's definitely got a stigma. There 788 00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:28,520 Speaker 1: was a woman who wanted to be on the Housewives 789 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:30,200 Speaker 1: and she told me she's a scientologist, and I thought, 790 00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:32,359 Speaker 1: oh God, they're gonna like go after her. So I'm 791 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 1: just actually curious where the disparity and all this information is. 792 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:37,920 Speaker 1: It's so couldn't be so different. It could not be 793 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:40,560 Speaker 1: more different, It could not be more different. And I 794 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:43,640 Speaker 1: can't comment on their experience, but I think that you 795 00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:46,320 Speaker 1: have to look at the sheer fact that both both 796 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: people have had a microphone in their face, and so 797 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:52,080 Speaker 1: then that becomes the shared experience for way. You know, 798 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:54,279 Speaker 1: it can seem a lot bigger than it is when 799 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:57,239 Speaker 1: there are millions or tens of millions of people that 800 00:38:57,600 --> 00:39:03,680 Speaker 1: are plumbers, housewives, whatever, entrepreneurs that go about it and 801 00:39:03,719 --> 00:39:06,560 Speaker 1: find joy and success in their daily lives because of it, 802 00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 1: you know, And I think, um, that not everything is 803 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:13,960 Speaker 1: perfect anywhere, and did something maybe go wrong? Sure, I'm 804 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:17,520 Speaker 1: not gonna invalidate their experience, but I know for me 805 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:20,920 Speaker 1: that when I've applied the principles that I've learned, I've 806 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,759 Speaker 1: found success interesting. I think it's great that you're not 807 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:26,200 Speaker 1: you know that you're talking about it, because I when 808 00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:28,000 Speaker 1: I saw it on your paper, I was thinking, Oh, 809 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:29,719 Speaker 1: if I bring that up, is she gonna not you know? 810 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:32,239 Speaker 1: Because I don't. I'm literally not pretend I don't know. 811 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:35,239 Speaker 1: And that's why I want to explore. Well, I appreciate 812 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:38,080 Speaker 1: you talking about that. That's try being both right now 813 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:41,359 Speaker 1: Bethany Jewish and that and it's a double whammy for it, 814 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:43,440 Speaker 1: but you know what, I've grown up with it. I'm 815 00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:46,920 Speaker 1: used to it, and it's not my job to convert 816 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:51,000 Speaker 1: anyone to proselytize UM. And so for me it works. 817 00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:54,040 Speaker 1: And and if someone's, you know, curious, the best thing 818 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:55,960 Speaker 1: you can do is just buy a book and read it. 819 00:39:56,080 --> 00:40:01,560 Speaker 1: You know, got it? Okay? Awesome? UM. You talked about 820 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:04,640 Speaker 1: earlier in your career someone saying, if you're talking to 821 00:40:04,719 --> 00:40:07,759 Speaker 1: your customer, you're dirtying yourself. What does that mean? You're 822 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:09,839 Speaker 1: supposed to be a nameless, faceless brand. Is that what 823 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:13,560 Speaker 1: that's about. So two thousand five, social media did not exist, 824 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:17,920 Speaker 1: um and so we were talking to women on something 825 00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:21,040 Speaker 1: called the Purse Forum. It still exists today. I got 826 00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:23,040 Speaker 1: a Google alert and I made a user name immediately 827 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:25,560 Speaker 1: because I was like, there are like twenty five thousand 828 00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:28,000 Speaker 1: and thirty thousand women talking about me. Maybe I should 829 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:31,360 Speaker 1: answer their questions. And when some of our department stores 830 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:33,760 Speaker 1: got wind that I was talking directly to the customer, 831 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:35,920 Speaker 1: they were like, you can't do that. We don't know 832 00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:37,960 Speaker 1: if we can carry you if you talk to your customer. 833 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:41,080 Speaker 1: And my my brother who's my partner in the business, 834 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:44,080 Speaker 1: just was like, we think we should talk to her. 835 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:47,520 Speaker 1: She's asking us questions. We're exciting her by giving her 836 00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:51,520 Speaker 1: previews or customizing bag orders, and we it was almost 837 00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 1: like we had interventions. We were sat down by our 838 00:40:54,520 --> 00:40:56,800 Speaker 1: buyers who could affect our business at the time, because 839 00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:58,920 Speaker 1: that was the only way to do business. And they 840 00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:00,960 Speaker 1: said that. They said, you're in yourself. You need to 841 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:02,840 Speaker 1: be in your ivory tower, you need you know, you 842 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:05,879 Speaker 1: look at luxury. Yeah, they're untouchable, right, They're not meeting 843 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:08,200 Speaker 1: their customers, they're not talking to them. You don't see 844 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:12,000 Speaker 1: uh well Karl Logerfeld out there right shaking hands with 845 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:14,879 Speaker 1: the people. Um. And so that's the way they thought 846 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:19,359 Speaker 1: it was. And as we expanded, even using influencers. I'll 847 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:21,920 Speaker 1: never forget, we had a front row and the editors 848 00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:23,400 Speaker 1: were like, we don't want to sit near them, We 849 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:25,600 Speaker 1: don't want to be next to them. How dare you 850 00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 1: have these D and C list celebrities. It was like, 851 00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 1: you couldn't you couldn't make it up, and we just 852 00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:32,560 Speaker 1: doubled down. We said, but this is the future and 853 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:44,880 Speaker 1: we're going to embrace it. How much of your business 854 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:46,479 Speaker 1: do you own? And my brother and I we owned 855 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:50,279 Speaker 1: fifty about just who else owns? Who? Who owns the rest? 856 00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:54,640 Speaker 1: We have a private a single person investor. Okay, so 857 00:41:54,760 --> 00:41:56,239 Speaker 1: it's said, and I don't know if this is old 858 00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:57,960 Speaker 1: or new that you have a hundred million dollar business 859 00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:01,120 Speaker 1: or you did and you took a hit in the pandemic. Um, 860 00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:03,480 Speaker 1: so I have a similar sized business. And do you 861 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:05,520 Speaker 1: still feel like you're a small business owner in a way? 862 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:07,480 Speaker 1: Because I do. I don't feel like this is a 863 00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:10,000 Speaker 1: big business at that number, which is crazy, but not 864 00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: into the billions. You feel like you're at the next level. 865 00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:16,040 Speaker 1: What do you do? You agree or disagree? Right, So, 866 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:20,520 Speaker 1: seventy of our business went away, um during COVID. We're 867 00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:22,839 Speaker 1: in the process of building it back. So I'm sure 868 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:24,799 Speaker 1: everyone on this podcast can do the math of what 869 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:27,320 Speaker 1: we have left. So we're definitely considered a small business. 870 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:30,839 Speaker 1: And I think when people hear these numbers, um, they 871 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:33,920 Speaker 1: immediately assume that like, oh, Bethany must be pocketing a 872 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:36,919 Speaker 1: hundred million dollars a year or Rebecca's pocketing thirty million 873 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:42,080 Speaker 1: dollars a year at best, right with with nothing going wrong, 874 00:42:42,440 --> 00:42:45,960 Speaker 1: you get away with an eight to ten percent margin, right, 875 00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:48,600 Speaker 1: And then that money doesn't even go in your pocket. 876 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:51,040 Speaker 1: You know, you have distributions, you have taxes, you have 877 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:53,200 Speaker 1: all kinds of things. So at the end of the day, 878 00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:57,480 Speaker 1: and I'm not complaining, Um, you're not. You're not taking 879 00:42:57,480 --> 00:42:59,920 Speaker 1: home thirty million because that's what your business does. You know, 880 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:03,640 Speaker 1: no way, um. And so we definitely feel like a 881 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:07,160 Speaker 1: small business, especially right now, especially rebuilding from COVID. The 882 00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:09,600 Speaker 1: good news is is our business is on fire. We 883 00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:12,600 Speaker 1: are primed for growth. If we can figure out the 884 00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:15,680 Speaker 1: container situation in Los Angeles, then we'd be able to 885 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:19,759 Speaker 1: grow that much faster. Um, But yeah, it has been 886 00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:24,880 Speaker 1: extraordinarily humbling when when you're um, sitting in your bathroom, uh, 887 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:29,080 Speaker 1: with your zoom being being put on your toilet as 888 00:43:29,120 --> 00:43:31,720 Speaker 1: a desk because your kids are trying to like break 889 00:43:31,840 --> 00:43:34,720 Speaker 1: in and you're just trying to keep your business together 890 00:43:34,760 --> 00:43:36,680 Speaker 1: and your gray hairs are coming out and you're like, 891 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:38,640 Speaker 1: are we going to go out of business? Like, it's 892 00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:41,520 Speaker 1: a very humbling experience trying to figure it out. It's 893 00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:43,799 Speaker 1: a humbling experience. And yes, for people listening when they 894 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:46,840 Speaker 1: say somebody sold a company for a billion dollars, it 895 00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:48,840 Speaker 1: doesn't necessarily mean that could be a back end. That 896 00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:50,719 Speaker 1: could be it takes seven years to earn that out. 897 00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:53,080 Speaker 1: That could be it's valued at because in the next 898 00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:55,560 Speaker 1: five years the projection say it's going to be worth that. 899 00:43:56,120 --> 00:43:59,479 Speaker 1: So that's I do rants on scams. That's a scam too. 900 00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:01,400 Speaker 1: When you re that someone told their company for X, 901 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:02,920 Speaker 1: it does not mean that they put that money in 902 00:44:02,920 --> 00:44:05,759 Speaker 1: their pocket by any strategy imagination. Doesn't mean they're a 903 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:08,520 Speaker 1: billionaire or whether on the cover of a magazine saying 904 00:44:08,520 --> 00:44:11,400 Speaker 1: they're worth their business is worth a billion. I agree, 905 00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:14,000 Speaker 1: you know it was ironic. There were some founders that 906 00:44:14,040 --> 00:44:16,560 Speaker 1: owned less than one percent of their company, but they 907 00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:19,239 Speaker 1: were valued at a billion dollars. That's not you know, 908 00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 1: like it means nothing. I know, it's a whole. That's 909 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:25,880 Speaker 1: a whole scam. That's a scam. Um. So it's a 910 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:27,640 Speaker 1: full I call talk about scams all the time, and 911 00:44:27,640 --> 00:44:31,719 Speaker 1: that's a scam. Um. What was your biggest mistake? Two 912 00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:33,920 Speaker 1: more questions after that, What was your biggest mistake? What 913 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:37,640 Speaker 1: did you really screw up? Um? I think early on 914 00:44:37,840 --> 00:44:40,759 Speaker 1: quality control. You know, I shared the story in my 915 00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:43,200 Speaker 1: book about how we just didn't have the money, and 916 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:45,799 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, they're They're an overseas factory. They 917 00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:48,640 Speaker 1: make for Kate's Bade and Tory Burge and Michael Core's. 918 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:51,759 Speaker 1: Nothing's gonna go wrong with my bags. And they ended 919 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:54,360 Speaker 1: up putting Kate's made hardware and Rebecca and Golf hardware 920 00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:56,320 Speaker 1: on my bags. And the customer got to discover it 921 00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:58,839 Speaker 1: and gain me a nickname that's not nearly as cool 922 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:02,319 Speaker 1: as benefit. It was a spank off um that that 923 00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:05,480 Speaker 1: was humbling to have that go viral online, Oh my god. 924 00:45:05,719 --> 00:45:08,319 Speaker 1: And and then we thought we fixed it, and then 925 00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:11,319 Speaker 1: we shipped more um, but we've had a couple of 926 00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:13,960 Speaker 1: big sort of in the early days when you're figuring 927 00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:16,280 Speaker 1: out your supply chain, we've had a couple of quality 928 00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:20,160 Speaker 1: things that were not good. And then the other biggest 929 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:22,960 Speaker 1: mistake I made was I thought for the longest time 930 00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:27,600 Speaker 1: that uh, I should focus on design and my brother 931 00:45:27,640 --> 00:45:31,600 Speaker 1: should focus on business. And I think that I did 932 00:45:31,640 --> 00:45:33,600 Speaker 1: that for too long, And in order to guide and 933 00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:36,800 Speaker 1: steer my business properly, I needed to learn a new language. 934 00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:39,600 Speaker 1: I need to understand and be fluid in business because 935 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:43,200 Speaker 1: it really changes what you offer, how you offer, how 936 00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:45,359 Speaker 1: you think about things. And we had a we had 937 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:47,919 Speaker 1: a potential deal back in two thousand nine that would 938 00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:52,399 Speaker 1: have been incredibly amazing for us, and I was like, well, 939 00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:54,960 Speaker 1: I'm just a designer. I'll leave it up to the 940 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:57,920 Speaker 1: men to figure out. And had I known what I 941 00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:00,480 Speaker 1: know now, I would have been a round have been 942 00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:04,400 Speaker 1: raging psycho. They get that deal done, you're closing your eyes, 943 00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:06,719 Speaker 1: covering your eyes. I was like, they know better? What 944 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:10,160 Speaker 1: do I know? Right? Yeah, yeah, that's true, But know 945 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:13,640 Speaker 1: what you don't know, but maybe learn what you don't know. 946 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:15,160 Speaker 1: We always, you know, we always say no what you 947 00:46:15,160 --> 00:46:17,359 Speaker 1: don't know learn what you don't know. Um, what about 948 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:20,880 Speaker 1: the founder the female founder collective? So I launched that 949 00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:24,439 Speaker 1: out of a shared desire in the beginning knowing that, 950 00:46:25,320 --> 00:46:27,880 Speaker 1: you know, we're all talking about the wage gap, we're 951 00:46:27,920 --> 00:46:30,840 Speaker 1: all talking about pay and equality, the glass ceiling, women 952 00:46:30,920 --> 00:46:33,200 Speaker 1: not raising money. And I knew that if we could 953 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:38,239 Speaker 1: support and empower women who are founders, what they'll do 954 00:46:38,280 --> 00:46:42,880 Speaker 1: with that success is far more impactful than anything I 955 00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:46,279 Speaker 1: could think of to immediately change things. UM. I also 956 00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:49,160 Speaker 1: thought that founders need people to cry on or get 957 00:46:49,200 --> 00:46:51,880 Speaker 1: tips from. They need a community. They can't rely to 958 00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:55,440 Speaker 1: on their staff to momit the latest dose of bad news. 959 00:46:55,800 --> 00:46:58,000 Speaker 1: And these women are the same size and stage could 960 00:46:58,000 --> 00:47:01,359 Speaker 1: really be supportive. So launched that over three years ago. 961 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:04,400 Speaker 1: We have about thirteen thousand members and it's growing. We 962 00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:07,200 Speaker 1: offer workshops, all the non sexy stuff. We're never going 963 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:09,120 Speaker 1: to teach you how to take a selfie. We're going 964 00:47:09,160 --> 00:47:10,879 Speaker 1: to teach you the nitty gritty of what it takes 965 00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:13,160 Speaker 1: that when you started your business with a passion I guided, 966 00:47:13,560 --> 00:47:16,359 Speaker 1: but had no idea how to run a business. Those 967 00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:18,960 Speaker 1: are the thing the gaps we feel in that's amazing. Ye. 968 00:47:19,239 --> 00:47:22,760 Speaker 1: So it's open if you own of your company, please apply. 969 00:47:23,480 --> 00:47:27,120 Speaker 1: We have UM We also do matching of women by 970 00:47:27,200 --> 00:47:29,960 Speaker 1: same size and stage because we feel like that really 971 00:47:30,040 --> 00:47:33,960 Speaker 1: helps UH people just get the tools and tips and 972 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:36,040 Speaker 1: tricks they need to take their their business at the 973 00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:39,560 Speaker 1: next level. That's amazing. I'm i'm um. I think it's 974 00:47:39,560 --> 00:47:42,640 Speaker 1: interesting that you chose a reasonable price point, which means 975 00:47:42,719 --> 00:47:45,080 Speaker 1: that you won't be knocked off as much as these 976 00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:49,239 Speaker 1: crazy five six, four thousand, seven thousand dollar bags, which 977 00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:51,400 Speaker 1: is why you're probably knocked off less was which I 978 00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:54,320 Speaker 1: think is something interesting if anyone's going into apparel um 979 00:47:54,360 --> 00:48:02,080 Speaker 1: and I think it's scary and admirable and courageous to 980 00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:05,280 Speaker 1: double down. I relate to that, like you had success. 981 00:48:05,280 --> 00:48:08,680 Speaker 1: You probably made some money, and you've probably put most 982 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:10,640 Speaker 1: of it back into the business, which is scary, like 983 00:48:10,680 --> 00:48:12,520 Speaker 1: you don't know whether to get off the ride, because 984 00:48:12,680 --> 00:48:15,359 Speaker 1: particularly in the fashion business, you're on a treadmill. You've 985 00:48:15,360 --> 00:48:17,680 Speaker 1: got to pay the money to get things made advance, 986 00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:21,680 Speaker 1: get the orders. Then they owe you net thirty net ninety. 987 00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:23,920 Speaker 1: You don't get your money for a long time, and 988 00:48:24,000 --> 00:48:25,680 Speaker 1: you kind of have to go in circles. You get 989 00:48:25,719 --> 00:48:28,520 Speaker 1: the money, but you're ready on the hamster wheel for 990 00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:32,279 Speaker 1: the next thing. So you know, the music stops, you 991 00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:35,239 Speaker 1: could be left without a chair. So I I and 992 00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:37,360 Speaker 1: I get it. I'm in so many different categories. And 993 00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:40,520 Speaker 1: I chose to not just sit on an island after 994 00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:43,000 Speaker 1: I sold Skinny Girl, not Skinny Girl, I sold the 995 00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:45,879 Speaker 1: Skinny Roll cocktail portion. But I chose to go back 996 00:48:45,920 --> 00:48:48,960 Speaker 1: in and double down. And it's just interesting. Sometimes you 997 00:48:48,960 --> 00:48:53,120 Speaker 1: don't know whether to swim back to Cuba or keep 998 00:48:53,120 --> 00:48:55,720 Speaker 1: going to Florida. So I know, relate to the size 999 00:48:55,719 --> 00:48:58,399 Speaker 1: of your business or and and the sort of way 1000 00:48:58,480 --> 00:49:02,279 Speaker 1: you've gone about it. I mean, by no means do 1001 00:49:02,320 --> 00:49:05,239 Speaker 1: I ever want to dissuade anyone from being an entrepreneur. 1002 00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:10,200 Speaker 1: But your business is your investment, and sometimes you have 1003 00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:13,680 Speaker 1: to put back everything. And so you know, I think 1004 00:49:13,719 --> 00:49:16,239 Speaker 1: my perspective as I get older is changing. And on 1005 00:49:16,280 --> 00:49:19,120 Speaker 1: my podcast, Norma Comali said this, but she said, it's 1006 00:49:19,120 --> 00:49:22,319 Speaker 1: about living a satisfied life, not a successful one. So 1007 00:49:22,440 --> 00:49:26,680 Speaker 1: build your life to be satisfied. Don't say, oh, one 1008 00:49:26,760 --> 00:49:28,239 Speaker 1: day I'm going to have a pot of gold at 1009 00:49:28,280 --> 00:49:30,360 Speaker 1: the end of the rainbow. It might not happen, but 1010 00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:32,759 Speaker 1: how do you make sure that every day becomes more 1011 00:49:32,800 --> 00:49:36,800 Speaker 1: and more satisfied. And it's not only about money. Obviously, 1012 00:49:36,840 --> 00:49:38,880 Speaker 1: money goes a long way. It makes a lot of 1013 00:49:38,920 --> 00:49:42,080 Speaker 1: things easier, but it shouldn't be your end all. No 1014 00:49:42,200 --> 00:49:45,400 Speaker 1: one on here who's been really successful it feels that 1015 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:47,719 Speaker 1: it's for the money, and they genuinely do not. So 1016 00:49:47,760 --> 00:49:50,200 Speaker 1: that's always been that's been a real recurring theme. And 1017 00:49:50,239 --> 00:49:53,440 Speaker 1: what about your relationship to relationships? What what? How did 1018 00:49:53,520 --> 00:49:56,239 Speaker 1: you define a successful relationship and what are some of 1019 00:49:56,239 --> 00:49:59,080 Speaker 1: the tools for that within this landscape. So I think 1020 00:49:59,120 --> 00:50:02,560 Speaker 1: that relationship, whether it's personal and professional, if you are 1021 00:50:02,640 --> 00:50:06,680 Speaker 1: having a partner, um, I can't stress enough that you 1022 00:50:06,800 --> 00:50:08,799 Speaker 1: go about saying what do you need to want? And 1023 00:50:08,840 --> 00:50:11,239 Speaker 1: then they asked you the same question, and then you 1024 00:50:11,320 --> 00:50:15,400 Speaker 1: revisit those things like I'll never forget um I again, 1025 00:50:15,480 --> 00:50:18,600 Speaker 1: work like a dog, worked eightly hours, had a baby, 1026 00:50:18,719 --> 00:50:21,920 Speaker 1: said I'm leven at six to go feed my child 1027 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:24,520 Speaker 1: and be with them. And you know, uh, not to 1028 00:50:24,640 --> 00:50:26,879 Speaker 1: categorize all men, but my brother likes to work late, 1029 00:50:26,920 --> 00:50:29,560 Speaker 1: and he hasn't a huge, beautiful family, but that wasn't 1030 00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:31,600 Speaker 1: he didn't feel the poll to be home for dinner, 1031 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:35,719 Speaker 1: and there was you know, like an upset like where 1032 00:50:35,719 --> 00:50:37,600 Speaker 1: are you? Why are you here? And I was like, uh, 1033 00:50:37,600 --> 00:50:40,040 Speaker 1: I have a baby, And so we had to get 1034 00:50:40,040 --> 00:50:42,279 Speaker 1: back on the same page again. We chose to hire 1035 00:50:42,280 --> 00:50:43,719 Speaker 1: and I tell a lot of people this, if you 1036 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:46,440 Speaker 1: do have a co founder, like we hired a business mediator, 1037 00:50:47,239 --> 00:50:49,480 Speaker 1: and when things get bad, we know there's some person 1038 00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:51,839 Speaker 1: who knows our business well enough to sort of help 1039 00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:54,239 Speaker 1: us get back on the same page and help us 1040 00:50:54,320 --> 00:50:57,839 Speaker 1: regroup and figure out, you know again, what our new 1041 00:50:57,920 --> 00:51:00,000 Speaker 1: needs and wants are. And so that's been a say 1042 00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:02,239 Speaker 1: ever because there were time periods where we didn't speak 1043 00:51:02,239 --> 00:51:03,880 Speaker 1: to each other for nine months and be in the 1044 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:06,080 Speaker 1: same room. No one knew we were fighting. We could 1045 00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:09,919 Speaker 1: keep it cool here, but you can't. You can't run 1046 00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:11,880 Speaker 1: a business if you're not on the same team. And 1047 00:51:11,960 --> 00:51:15,799 Speaker 1: so it's really key to be honest, open and when 1048 00:51:15,800 --> 00:51:18,360 Speaker 1: things change, you know, have checking points with people. What 1049 00:51:18,400 --> 00:51:21,839 Speaker 1: about personal relationships, I would say it goes in saying 1050 00:51:22,040 --> 00:51:25,919 Speaker 1: you know, um, I think when people and women who 1051 00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:28,480 Speaker 1: are in relationships talk about the lack of balance or 1052 00:51:28,520 --> 00:51:31,160 Speaker 1: the unfairness, I'm like, you chose this person, you better 1053 00:51:31,200 --> 00:51:33,000 Speaker 1: be honest with them. No one's gonna come safe. You 1054 00:51:33,000 --> 00:51:35,719 Speaker 1: will be like you look like you're on balance, like, no, 1055 00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:37,640 Speaker 1: you have to sit down with that person, especially if 1056 00:51:37,640 --> 00:51:39,800 Speaker 1: you guys decided to have a kid together and say 1057 00:51:40,360 --> 00:51:41,920 Speaker 1: this is what I need and want? What do you 1058 00:51:41,960 --> 00:51:43,839 Speaker 1: need and want? Can we do this for each other? 1059 00:51:44,160 --> 00:51:45,920 Speaker 1: Hopefully you do that and you get a line before 1060 00:51:45,960 --> 00:51:48,960 Speaker 1: you have a baby. Um, if you have the baby 1061 00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:51,279 Speaker 1: that you know and and E Rods he has a 1062 00:51:51,280 --> 00:51:53,920 Speaker 1: great book called fair Play. She even has flash cards. 1063 00:51:53,960 --> 00:51:56,280 Speaker 1: If you don't feel like you can communicate this, it'll 1064 00:51:56,320 --> 00:51:59,560 Speaker 1: show very quickly who's doing more interesting and then you 1065 00:51:59,600 --> 00:52:02,280 Speaker 1: can you can begin a dialogue about it and be like, Okay, 1066 00:52:02,320 --> 00:52:04,960 Speaker 1: this isn't right, this isn't fair, and how do we 1067 00:52:05,040 --> 00:52:08,080 Speaker 1: become more equal to each other wants and needs? Is great? 1068 00:52:08,120 --> 00:52:10,080 Speaker 1: My Paul, my fiance will say, this is a need, 1069 00:52:10,160 --> 00:52:12,719 Speaker 1: not a want, you know, and that really means of 1070 00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:15,680 Speaker 1: someone that you trust is saying they're raising their hand 1071 00:52:15,719 --> 00:52:19,160 Speaker 1: and saying like this, I'm raising the flag. This is important. 1072 00:52:19,280 --> 00:52:22,160 Speaker 1: I think it's great. Wow, what a great conversation. You're 1073 00:52:22,200 --> 00:52:27,080 Speaker 1: so interesting and honest. Most importantly, so thank you so 1074 00:52:27,160 --> 00:52:29,720 Speaker 1: much for doing this today. It was so fun, so nice. 1075 00:52:29,840 --> 00:52:31,680 Speaker 1: Thanks for having me and I'd love to have you 1076 00:52:31,719 --> 00:52:36,799 Speaker 1: on mine, of course, thank you so much. So that's 1077 00:52:36,800 --> 00:52:40,200 Speaker 1: Rebecca Minkoff, who is a well known designer who has 1078 00:52:40,200 --> 00:52:43,680 Speaker 1: had a successful brand for decades. She is just incredibly 1079 00:52:43,760 --> 00:52:48,560 Speaker 1: honest about the struggle, which is real. As a successful entrepreneur, 1080 00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:53,359 Speaker 1: it's never ending, you're never there. There's always just when 1081 00:52:53,360 --> 00:52:55,680 Speaker 1: you think you've got it, you screw something up. Just 1082 00:52:55,800 --> 00:52:58,359 Speaker 1: when you know you think you've screwed something up, something 1083 00:52:58,360 --> 00:53:00,480 Speaker 1: good happens. So it's a roller coaster, right, and she's 1084 00:53:00,480 --> 00:53:03,680 Speaker 1: definitely been part of that trajectory. So I thought she 1085 00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:07,360 Speaker 1: was great and just honest. I mean she talked about scientology. 1086 00:53:07,400 --> 00:53:09,200 Speaker 1: I wasn't sure she'd even answered that question with the 1087 00:53:09,239 --> 00:53:11,840 Speaker 1: stigma attached to it, so I thought that was really 1088 00:53:11,960 --> 00:53:16,440 Speaker 1: unique and yeah, really different. I remember these bags from 1089 00:53:16,440 --> 00:53:19,520 Speaker 1: when I was in my twenties. So I hope you 1090 00:53:19,600 --> 00:53:22,879 Speaker 1: enjoyed that. Thank you, and remember to rate, review and subscribe. 1091 00:53:23,040 --> 00:53:25,279 Speaker 1: And I appreciate you always tuning in, So thank you 1092 00:53:25,320 --> 00:53:28,560 Speaker 1: so much. Our numbers are huge. We're doing so well. 1093 00:53:28,680 --> 00:53:30,440 Speaker 1: Uh and I know you love hearing the rants at 1094 00:53:30,440 --> 00:53:34,359 Speaker 1: the beginning noted, So I'm doing more and you'll be 1095 00:53:34,400 --> 00:53:36,600 Speaker 1: hearing more of those soon. And we're gonna be doing 1096 00:53:36,600 --> 00:53:38,480 Speaker 1: things a little differently on certain days, just to see 1097 00:53:38,520 --> 00:53:40,440 Speaker 1: what else you really like, because we're reading all of 1098 00:53:40,440 --> 00:53:42,359 Speaker 1: your reviews, so I appreciate you