1 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: Get ready because class is almost in session. Welcome to 2 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: the Therapy for Black Girls University podcast, tailored for the 3 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: twenty something who's packing for a new year on campus, 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: thinking through their gap year, enrolling in a community college, 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: grabbing your souls for graduation, and everything in between. I'm 6 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: your host and tbgu coordinator Jana Ellis Hi. 7 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 2: I'm sorry, Taylor. We'll return to Jana right after the break. 8 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: Black girls have always been the queens of having one 9 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: or two side hustles at once, especially in college when 10 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: you can count on your dormmate to be a lashtech braider, 11 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: even a tailor. But what happens when you decide it's 12 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: time to upgrade your side hustle into a full on business. Well, 13 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: our guest knows a lot about that. I'm joined by 14 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: the founder of the lifestyle war brand Stripped, Arianna Davis. 15 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: Ari is an attorney turned entrepreneur and double graduate of 16 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: Howard University. The black woman owned label focuses on sustainability, size, inclusivity, 17 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 1: and high quality essentials. Davis's work has been featured in Essence, 18 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: The Cut, and worn by your favorite stars including Lotto 19 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: and Flo Milly. In our Conversation Today, we discussed Ari's 20 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: journey from Howard law student to full time entrepreneur, how 21 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: to shoot your shot with big names in order to 22 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: grow your business, and strategies for balancing textbooks with checkbooks. 23 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 3: Here's our conversation. 24 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 1: Well, so nice to meet you, Ari. I'm so excited 25 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: to talk to you today. 26 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 3: So nice to meet you. 27 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: So first starters. We have a few strip batties on 28 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: our teams. But tell us about your brand and how 29 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: it's different from some other athleisure brands on the market. 30 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 3: Yeah. So Stripped was founded in twenty two. It's basically 31 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 3: like undetectable shapewear in a bodysuit or leggings or whatever 32 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 3: piece you wear if it's in our signature fabric. I 33 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 3: like to say it's undetectable shapewear because it's highly compressive 34 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 3: and just really snatches you up. I like to differentiate 35 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 3: from other athleisure brands because I feel like we're more 36 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 3: like lifestyle wear. Whereas you wouldn't want to wear a 37 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,519 Speaker 3: workout clothes to the bar. I feel like Stripped you 38 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 3: can wear to work out or you can wear to 39 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 3: the bar, because we really have like seamless designs that 40 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 3: look classic and not super Athleticly, we don't have our 41 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 3: logo anywhere. I call it lifestyle war as opposed to 42 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 3: ath leisure. So you can basically wear any aspect of 43 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 3: your lifestyle. 44 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: And I've definitely seen the girls do that, which is 45 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: fascinating and it's effective as well. 46 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 3: Thanks. 47 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 1: So what early entrepreneurial experiences laid the foundation for Stripped Well? 48 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 3: I will say I always like to say I was 49 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 3: an entrepreneur since I was a little girl. When I 50 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 3: was in and maybe second grade, I was selling candy 51 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 3: at the pool, and I always really liked making money. 52 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 3: I was always into that. I think something I always 53 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 3: talked to younger women about is that as we get 54 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 3: older as girls and then teenagers and women, sometimes our 55 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 3: self confidence came shrink. And entrepreneurship really requires a lot 56 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 3: of self confidence, and I think that I shied away 57 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 3: from it because of fear and like self consciousness that 58 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 3: happens with being a teenager and like being in college 59 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 3: and just like knowing like are people really gonna like 60 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 3: what I'm doing? Like those type of things happen a lot, 61 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 3: I think for women and girls as we get older, 62 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 3: and then you know, I grew that confidence back and 63 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 3: that helped me be more comfortable with going into entrepreneurship. 64 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 3: But really what laid the foundation for STRIP was that 65 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 3: we went into the pandemic and at the time, I 66 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 3: was in a program where I took the bar early. 67 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 3: So I took the bar in February of my last 68 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 3: year of law school and then basically the pandemic kid 69 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 3: in March. Basically there was nothing anyone can do because 70 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 3: of the pandemic. My starf time for my big law 71 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 3: job kept getting pushed back, so I had this window 72 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 3: of six months, and I was also getting paid from 73 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 3: my big law job, which helped me. So I had 74 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 3: like this tight window where I was able to seize opportunity. 75 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: Using your time wisely it's giving. 76 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 3: Yes. 77 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 1: So when was the tipping point to launch the brand? 78 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: I know you talked about that six month period, but 79 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: how did you know that was the right time. 80 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 3: Basically I wanted to be like a big bang and 81 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 3: like I felt like dropping on Black Friday was cool. 82 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 3: But I knew that I had done my like disposable 83 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 3: camera campaign, which is like my marketing idea. I sent 84 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,840 Speaker 3: out disposable cameras different girls with the bodysuits. I had 85 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 3: all the pieces made, I had learned the ropes in 86 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 3: that six month time frame, and I was just like, 87 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 3: I'm gonna do it because like I had no choice 88 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 3: at that point, I had already spent the money. But 89 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 3: also I feel like you got to do it before 90 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 3: you talk yourself out of it. 91 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: Mm hm for sure. So we talked a little bit 92 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,280 Speaker 1: about law. But we know that you studied law and 93 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: you now run a clothing brand. So how how your 94 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: experiences as an attorney helped you launch and manage your 95 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: business and what steps did you take to fill any 96 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: of those gaps and your expertise. 97 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 3: So for me being a lawyer, I wasn't a lawyer 98 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 3: for long. First off, right, I was only a lawyer 99 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 3: for three years. I always think about if people from 100 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 3: my old job were to listen to these things, I'd 101 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 3: be like, what this girl talking about? She just started. 102 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 3: But anyways, I was a lawyer for long. But one 103 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,159 Speaker 3: thing it helped with a lot, which I say to 104 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 3: a lot of people, this is something I'm a big 105 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 3: proponent of, is like, I think it's easier to grow 106 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 3: a business and have a business if you have income 107 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 3: coming from somewhere else beside your business. So that helped me. 108 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 3: I had my law income, so I was able to 109 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 3: just invest back into the business and grow a team, 110 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 3: and that we're having to pay myself. So first and 111 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 3: foremost that. Secondly, I think just like being a lawyer, 112 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 3: it actually gives you a lot of credibility to the 113 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 3: outside world. I have lots of feelings towards that based 114 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 3: on my experiences with other lawyers, but this neither here 115 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 3: nor there. So I think credibility can help you, you know, 116 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 3: just like people already, I think sometimes I have a disadvantage. 117 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 3: People don't really take clothing that serious. So I think 118 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 3: when I say like, oh, I'm an attorney and with 119 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 3: the law school, people are like, oh interesting, like they 120 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 3: give me a little credibility. And I think also just 121 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 3: being a lawyer, there's a good sense of seriousness of purpose. 122 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:22,359 Speaker 3: Seriousness of purpose is a big deal. That's mean. My 123 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 3: dad was a lawyer. He always used to say that 124 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 3: to me growing up, and I feel like that translates 125 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 3: to anybody that does their job well. So as a 126 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 3: clothing brand owner, I take it really serious, and I 127 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 3: take my responsibility to people who work for me really seriously. 128 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 3: And I feel like having some experience in the corporate 129 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 3: world and learning how to work below people and on 130 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 3: a team, and all those things definitely helped me now 131 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 3: run a business with like people below me and things 132 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 3: like that. 133 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: Was there any morning you had to do of your 134 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: old career or grappling with going to college for one 135 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: career and then transitioning into another. 136 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 3: I think that for me it was a little unique 137 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 3: because by the time I got to law school, like 138 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:07,280 Speaker 3: before I was gonna go, I had actually told my mom, 139 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,559 Speaker 3: like I don't want to go anymore, and she was like, girl, 140 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 3: you're on a full rider going. So I was like, okay, fine. 141 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 3: I ended up doing well, but just because I wouldn't 142 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 3: let myself do bad. But I really wasn't that invested 143 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 3: in being a lawyer. It was something that like I 144 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 3: want to be my whole life, right, you don't know 145 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 3: what it's like to be a lawyer until you're a lawyer. 146 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 3: That's something I'll tell young people, Like, it's not like 147 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 3: other jobs were Like with a doctor, you kind of 148 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 3: know like what you don't know how to do it, 149 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 3: but you know what doctors do, right. You don't really 150 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 3: know what lawyers do until you become a lawyer. And 151 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 3: it's personally, in my opinion, not that interesting because its 152 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 3: kind of work I was doing. I wasn't doing life 153 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 3: saving work, right, I wasn't representing people on death penalty. 154 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 3: I was doing stuff that meaningful, so it wasn't that 155 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 3: hard to mourn. I think one thing that I did 156 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 3: experience was like this little bit of fear. I had 157 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 3: one stability, right, just like I had a check coming 158 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 3: in and then it was like, okay, yeah, you're on 159 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 3: your own, and you're on your own for a long time, 160 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 3: not even thirty yet, so it's like I have decades 161 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 3: ahead of me where I have to make something shake 162 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 3: as opposed to having a written path for myself. So 163 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 3: there's that sphere. And I think also just the fear 164 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 3: of people taking me seriously and respecting me, because like 165 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 3: there's so much respect associated with being an attorney as 166 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 3: opposed to like a clothing brand owner. People pretty much 167 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 3: think that this is like a hobby. People don't really 168 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 3: take it as seriously. So that was the thing I 169 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 3: felt like, I still am fighting for a sense of respect, 170 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 3: but like that's like ego based, I guess maybe a 171 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 3: little bit. So it wasn't the biggest deal, but all 172 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 3: in all, I feel like I didn't warn it as 173 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 3: much as I was as fearful of the entrepreneurial life. 174 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, I like the unknown of it all because it's 175 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: on you at that point, Like it's all on you. 176 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 1: That's pretty heavy for sure. I'm also curious why was 177 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 1: clothing in the apparel industry something that you were attracted to, Like, 178 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: how does that align with your purpose? 179 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 3: Well, for me, I've always really been into clothing. I'm 180 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 3: from DC. I feel like DC is what that really 181 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 3: hits outside of its weight class. I don't think we 182 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 3: get a lot of respect for being really like a 183 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,560 Speaker 3: hub for fashion and having really fashionable people, But I 184 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 3: really do think we are super fashional. I think it's 185 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 3: ingrained in me just from my upbringing and so, like, 186 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,559 Speaker 3: clothing was just something that I was into, and specifically 187 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 3: when it came to body suits, which is the niche 188 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 3: that I started with, it was like no good ones 189 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 3: on the market, and so it really just started from 190 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 3: a want to have something that wasn't available. And it 191 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 3: was easy because like I basically make things that I like, 192 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 3: so it's easy to continue. But yeah, it kind of 193 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 3: just happened to work out like that. 194 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: So now let's talk money. What are some of the 195 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: different financing options you explore for Stripped and what has 196 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: that taught you about money management. I know you talked 197 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: about using some of your income that you received from 198 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: your job to help support it, but what other financial 199 00:09:57,640 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 1: options you go through. 200 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 3: It's actually I appreciate this question. Nobody has ever asked that, 201 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 3: and I think it's like really important to talk about. 202 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 3: So there's a different methods. I'm not an MBA grad. 203 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 3: I did economics, but I happened to just always have 204 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 3: been good with my money, so I didn't want to 205 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:15,680 Speaker 3: low up my business with a whole bunch of loans 206 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 3: and investments and things like that. I really just wanted 207 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,439 Speaker 3: to grow in a stable way by reinvesting the money. 208 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 3: So when I started the business, I had credit card 209 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 3: access because my mom had taught me about credit since 210 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:29,319 Speaker 3: I was young, So I started having credit cards at eighteen. 211 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 3: So by the time that I launched my business at 212 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 3: twenty four, I had actually had a lot of credit 213 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 3: card capacity tens and tens of thousands of dollars, so 214 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:43,679 Speaker 3: that helped. I also got a loan from an ex boyfriend. 215 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 3: That's always a good route if you have ex boyfriends, 216 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 3: I will give you loans, but I paid him back. 217 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 3: It wasn't a gift, unfortunately, So I looked to people 218 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 3: around me. My mom ended up giving me a loan 219 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 3: at one point. I was really interested in more so 220 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 3: having people around me invest and operating with them as 221 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 3: bank because they didn't cut me any slack on the 222 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 3: interest rates, by the way, but it was like I 223 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 3: would rather give money to my mom, people I know 224 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 3: than the bank. As I grew because I had good credit, 225 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 3: which is something that's important to Even if you don't 226 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 3: have business credit, your personal credit will apply. I was 227 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 3: able to get access to lines of credit, which are 228 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 3: my favorite modes of income because they replenish as you 229 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 3: pay them down as opposed to a term loan. So 230 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 3: I was able to get lines of credit, and then 231 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 3: that's basically what I've been continuing to do. Like it's 232 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 3: just about being smart with having a certain amount of 233 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 3: the reserve and knowing how much you're putting back in. 234 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:37,319 Speaker 3: We're scaling, so it's like we have to spend a 235 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,959 Speaker 3: lot to meet the demand. But I use them as 236 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 3: like safety nets. If I really need to draw down, 237 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:44,679 Speaker 3: I do, but like I like to just have there 238 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 3: just in case because I have people who work for me, 239 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 3: so it's like if we ever went bankrupt. But I 240 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 3: also had a CFO from the beginning. I think that's 241 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,679 Speaker 3: really important. I have a virtual CFO type thing, like 242 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 3: they work for other companies too, but they always manage 243 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:58,280 Speaker 3: my books. Those people are accountants and stuff, so that's 244 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 3: a good person to talk about money with. So those 245 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 3: are my methods. And I think when we get to 246 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 3: a certain place, because I didn't take any like investment 247 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 3: money as far as people owning your percentage, that's really 248 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 3: like that important to me because I really want to 249 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 3: get to a certain pace before I sell any point 250 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 3: of my company. But I do know like ultimately to scale, 251 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 3: like to a certain level, I will be interested in investment. 252 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:23,680 Speaker 1: I appreciate you breaking it down because I feel like 253 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:26,559 Speaker 1: we see people with their clothing brands or their own 254 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 1: personal brands, and it's like, how did you get the 255 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: bag to do that in the first. 256 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 3: Place, right, And it's. 257 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: Like a lack of transparency overall, and it seems easy 258 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: for some but you breaking that down like provides access 259 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: for people to know what. 260 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 3: To do, yeah, for sure. 261 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: And speaking of relationships, who else was in your corner 262 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 1: while building stripped, and how outside of finances did you 263 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:51,720 Speaker 1: ask for that help? 264 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 3: In my corner the most were my four best friends Mercedes, Samai, 265 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:01,199 Speaker 3: es Chanelle, and Cassidy, who were also their first body suits. 266 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 3: I always like to tell this story because I like 267 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 3: surprise them. I was like, go look at the website 268 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:07,200 Speaker 3: and they were all named after them. I loved that. 269 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:10,679 Speaker 3: But they really were my biggest support system. They were 270 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 3: the people that I was telling the most and like 271 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 3: they tried them on first. So also at the time, 272 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 3: I always tell this story because I had a guy 273 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 3: I was dating at the time who really did not 274 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 3: appreciate the brand and he told me it was champ, 275 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 3: which just means like not cool. And I had my friends. 276 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 3: This is when I was in the development process, right, 277 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 3: so this is like right when you're really deciding, like 278 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 3: are you going to do it? And I had a 279 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 3: man who I liked a lot in my ear telling 280 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 3: me was lame, while I also had like my best 281 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 3: friends being like this is going to be so big, 282 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 3: like don't listen to him. But I always say like, 283 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 3: had I not had my best friends in my ear, 284 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 3: I may not have listened to him, and so I 285 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 3: find that that level of support was more valuable than 286 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 3: any financial support, Like I would have made it shake, 287 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 3: I could have did pre orders. Right, you can do 288 00:13:56,200 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 3: things without capital, but without believing it yourself, Like you 289 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 3: really can't do stuff. And that's so important. Entrepreneurship is 290 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 3: really believing yourself. So the people who feed into that 291 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 3: are so important. That's why I always say my friends 292 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 3: are like the most important to the fact that the 293 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 3: brand came to fruition. 294 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: Especially like you developed your business in your early twenties, 295 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: like a lot is changing, a lot is going on, 296 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: like you're needing a lending hand to support you, and 297 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: people in your ear to not do that is I 298 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 1: don't know, it's just very easy to knock you off. 299 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 3: And people like to project your fears. I'm just blessed 300 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 3: with really good friends that don't do that, and I 301 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 3: really don't have to ask for much with them. They 302 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 3: just have always been like super supportive. But these are 303 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 3: my best friends in college. So I have a really 304 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 3: good support system. And so how do you affirm yourself 305 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 3: as a business owner? I actually think that's so important. 306 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 3: I kind of like was just thinking about this the 307 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 3: other day. I feel like, what people don't really understand 308 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 3: about ambition because I hear that so much. You're sayingbitious, 309 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 3: You're saying bitious, how do you do it? And it's like, 310 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 3: really about the difference between being a dreamer, in my opinion, 311 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 3: and being ambitious is believing in yourself. Like everyone can dream, 312 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 3: but ambition kicks in when you actually believe you can 313 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 3: do it right. So, like for me, I've always believed 314 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 3: in the power of words. My aunt at eight years 315 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:14,920 Speaker 3: old had me watching The Secret, So if you know, 316 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 3: you know that it's all about manifestation. Okay, So I 317 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 3: was watching The Secret. I really from a young age 318 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 3: a naive brain bought so deeply into The Secret. Like 319 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 3: I ran to my sister like, do you know if 320 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 3: we say what we want, we'll get it? And I 321 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 3: truly believe that, which I still do, like I still 322 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 3: believe in manifestation. And so for me, like I have 323 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 3: to constantly tell myself like I don't even really try 324 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 3: to allow negative thoughts about what I can't do or 325 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 3: even sometimes where I feel like, oh, that's going to 326 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 3: be extra work to do this to get it perfect, 327 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 3: I'm just like, no, we're going to do it. And 328 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 3: I have a team of people who really believe in 329 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 3: it too, because everything we've wanted to do that we're 330 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 3: in control of, we've been able to do. It's just 331 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 3: as simple as like honestly having to convince yourself that 332 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 3: you think this way, Like you really do have to 333 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 3: believe in yourself. Whatever that's going to take for you 334 00:15:58,360 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 3: to get that kind of confidence. If it's your friend, 335 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 3: if it's therapy, if it's saying it over and over. 336 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 3: I've gotten to that point where I really do believe 337 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 3: in myself. So I don't even speak about things in 338 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 3: wants or hypotheticals. We speak about what we're gonna do, 339 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 3: and then we do it. And my team has I 340 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 3: feel like seen us really be successful. So that's made 341 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 3: them die into it, and so yeah, I feel like 342 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 3: that's our affirmation process for sure. 343 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: I fully agree with that. My newest saying is I'm 344 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: not going to tell myself no before the world does. 345 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: Like right, A mentor told me that it was like 346 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 1: a light bulb popped off, and sometimes like you need 347 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: those one sentences to really like say over and over 348 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: and over again to believe in yourself. 349 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 2: For sure, Hi, I'm sorry, Taylor. We'll return to Jana 350 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 2: right after the break. 351 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: Was there an experience in college or just before stripped 352 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: that affirm and I can do it? Was there a 353 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: moment for you? 354 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,200 Speaker 3: You know, that's actually a really cool question. And this 355 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 3: seems a little attenuated, but it actually is connected in 356 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 3: my brain. So when I was in college, I threw 357 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 3: a pop up shop, originally for Springfest, which is like 358 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 3: the homecoming of the Springtime. My friend at the time 359 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,040 Speaker 3: was the director of it, and it was called the 360 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 3: Trunk Show. I didn't even know what the heck a 361 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 3: trunk show was. I thought it was so dated, so 362 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 3: I rebranded it as the pop up Shop. I like 363 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 3: had the DJ, I had all the cool brands, and 364 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 3: like it was a big success. It was so cool. 365 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 3: It was bad weather and it was still lit. I 366 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 3: was a senior at that point. I was always so 367 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,680 Speaker 3: scared of doing things, and so I did the pop 368 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 3: up shop, and I was like, Okay, look I did 369 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 3: something and it was successful. I was scared of doing 370 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:49,199 Speaker 3: things where I felt like people had to like me 371 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 3: to do it, even though I'm not saying people didn't 372 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 3: like me, but like, you know, that's like that fear. 373 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 3: A few years later, I threw a hattie ween party, 374 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 3: which predates Meg the Stallion calling it Hotty weeen just 375 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,439 Speaker 3: for the record, But anyways, so I threw a party 376 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:05,920 Speaker 3: called Hatti Weeen and that was a success, and I'm like, Okay, 377 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 3: I can leverage my likeness, like maybe people actually will 378 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 3: come out and support because that's a part of it. 379 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 3: Like it starts off with people having to buy into you, 380 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 3: and there's still people buying into me and still people 381 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 3: supporting because the support me, But eventually it's way bigger 382 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 3: than that. People are buying ten twelve bodies. Whit's not 383 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 3: because they like me so much, but it starts with that. 384 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:24,879 Speaker 3: That's a part of it, especially for a brand like this. 385 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 3: So doing those events really helped me be like, okay, 386 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 3: like I can do this, like people might buy into 387 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 3: something that I do. 388 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:36,480 Speaker 1: The names are amazing, you were cooking. I'm not surprised 389 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: people can't like the names. Alone I would be there, 390 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: So that's amazing. 391 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 3: Thank you. 392 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:46,199 Speaker 1: Speaking of leveraging your likeness on social media, you're always 393 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 1: showing us strip samples and sometimes products that aren't just right. 394 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,119 Speaker 1: Why is that transparency important to you? 395 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 3: Part of it is because I love the feedback. The 396 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 3: feedback is so critical. It actually help help us pick 397 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 3: colors and help us pick styles. We really are listening 398 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 3: to the audience because I mean, nobody wants to sit 399 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 3: on product that's not selling, right, And also like I 400 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 3: want the customers to get what the customers want, and 401 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 3: I want my brand to reflect real people's desires, Like 402 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:14,880 Speaker 3: I think that a lot of fashion brands. I'll look 403 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 3: at stuff and I'm like, who's designing this? Because who's 404 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 3: wearing this? You know, like it's getting concerning, like are 405 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 3: these for women with real bodies? So that's why when 406 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 3: you're open with the audience, I get so much perspective 407 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:29,800 Speaker 3: because things that are concern points for me, Like I'm 408 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 3: a mom. I breastfed, so I know I need things 409 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:35,439 Speaker 3: with support. But then there's super tall girls and then 410 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:38,879 Speaker 3: there's wide hit everyone's so different that like those perspectives 411 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 3: are really important because I don't know everything that's a 412 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 3: concerning point for people. So I really like that. And 413 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,239 Speaker 3: I also just feel like Stripped is way more than 414 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 3: just like a clothing brand. I feel like it really 415 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 3: is a community. I really feel that way, and that's 416 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 3: why I like to keep people involved in the process, 417 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 3: because I just feel like, why not the community is 418 00:19:57,840 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 3: what's keeping us going, and I feel like the community 419 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 3: is what's to keep us sustainable. Plenty of brands are 420 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 3: cool and then not, but the community is what's going 421 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 3: to change that for us. So I'm like, I always 422 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 3: want to have an open dialogue. 423 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 1: I love that, And I think like, when you're younger, 424 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 1: criticism and feedback can be really heavy. And I think again, like, 425 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: even as a twenty something, it can be very intense. 426 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 1: How have you transformed it into something that helps you 427 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: rather than hurt you? Both as a business owner and personally. 428 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,439 Speaker 3: Feedback is still hard for me today because it's this 429 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,920 Speaker 3: sense of like, gosh, shut up, because like you've done 430 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 3: so much work on it, you really believe in it. Whatever. 431 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:43,400 Speaker 3: But it's like I have to remind myself, like we 432 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 3: can't be stubborn because these are the people who are purchasing. 433 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 3: Even down to like color, there's color, So I'm like, 434 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:50,680 Speaker 3: I will never do that color. I hate that color. 435 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 3: I don't like this style, and I have to remember 436 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 3: you're not the only person buying it, right, And then 437 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 3: I feel like, on a personal note, confrontation with friends 438 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 3: is very hard. It doesn't happen often. I will be honest, 439 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 3: I don't have to deal with it too often with 440 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 3: my friends, but I do think that, like as we're 441 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 3: getting older, I mean the alternative is that you don't 442 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,919 Speaker 3: receive criticism, and then people harbor sentiments and then you 443 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 3: just ultimately fall off from each other. And it's to 444 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 3: the point where like we don't have much room for 445 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 3: that anymore, because like these are like ten plus years 446 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,479 Speaker 3: of friendship. These are like you're not going to recreate 447 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 3: these people, You're not gonna find them again. So it's 448 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 3: like you have no choice but to just talk about 449 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 3: it and hopefully work through it. And so like it 450 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 3: gives me anxiety even doing it or like receiving it 451 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 3: criticism on a personal level, but like it's so necessary. 452 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:38,439 Speaker 3: It's something I'm still working on. 453 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: No, for sure, I felt that to my core, I 454 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: can confront any stranger, like when we have that emotional 455 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: intimacy or like you know who I am, you know 456 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 1: my character, I know you're a character. It's like you 457 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,679 Speaker 1: see me and now you're critiquing it. It hurts, But 458 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 1: to redirect it is the next step, Like how are 459 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: you redirecting that into doing more? Maybe not taking their 460 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 1: feedback and not making it personal. So yeah, how would 461 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:08,679 Speaker 1: you define your business's brand identity and how have you 462 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: continued to refine it? So, I know you talked about 463 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: it being a lifestyle brand and a community, but how 464 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: have you continued to refine those identities. 465 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,639 Speaker 3: I would define us as the bad bitch in a 466 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 3: totally endearing way, okay and respectful way. That's what I 467 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 3: want women to feel like when they wear my stuff. 468 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 3: It's about really feeling like that girl. You know. The 469 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:35,440 Speaker 3: branding around the brand helps with that. And then too, 470 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:38,399 Speaker 3: I think the pieces themselves help with that because the 471 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:42,480 Speaker 3: pieces are high quality and they really do hold you 472 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 3: in and make you feel supported. And so much clothing 473 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:47,720 Speaker 3: is not that anymore. I was listening to something about 474 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:49,399 Speaker 3: how like back in the day, clothing was made so 475 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 3: much better so that it was so much more flattering 476 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 3: for women. So women were way more comfortable in clothing. 477 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,679 Speaker 3: But clothing is so cheap now and doesn't concern itself 478 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:00,880 Speaker 3: with the women's body that put on clothes and don't 479 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,399 Speaker 3: feel good. And if you actually have a good clothing item, 480 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,679 Speaker 3: you should feel good in it. And so that's the 481 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,399 Speaker 3: twofold part, Like the clothes make you feel good. The 482 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 3: branding behind the brand makes you feel good. So I 483 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 3: feel like that's our big thing, Like women feeling like 484 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 3: they're that girl or a bad bitch. I think that 485 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:19,919 Speaker 3: as far as refining and expanding, like for us, that 486 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:24,840 Speaker 3: just really looks like expanding our offerings to include more 487 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 3: and more bad bitches. Because I actually consider myself a 488 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 3: tomboy and so I like to wear T shirts, I 489 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 3: like to wear jeans. I like to wear bodysuits too, 490 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 3: if I'm not a dress girl. Right so, we had Cozy, 491 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 3: which was our sweatsuit collection. There's some girls who don't 492 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 3: like tight stuff. Right now, we pretty much sell Cozy 493 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 3: and then tight fitting stuff. We're going to get into denim, 494 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:44,479 Speaker 3: We're going to get into vintage teeth, like we're going 495 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 3: to be a one stop shop. But also I want 496 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 3: to emerge. This is something that's a goal of mine 497 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 3: as really like a cool tomboy street where brand as well, 498 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:57,520 Speaker 3: because that's really who I identify as, and so like 499 00:23:57,520 --> 00:23:59,680 Speaker 3: we're working on that. There's girls who might not want 500 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 3: to wear body suits, but they like T shirts. And 501 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:03,920 Speaker 3: there's girls who might not want to wear tennis skirts, 502 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 3: but they like jeans. There's people who love the brand, 503 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:09,600 Speaker 3: but might not buy the clothes yet because they don't 504 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 3: see themselves in them. So the goal for us, as 505 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,240 Speaker 3: far as we're finding our identity is really just expanding 506 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:17,119 Speaker 3: so that more women can be a part of the community. 507 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:21,440 Speaker 1: Honestly, I love that, and I love that as a woman, 508 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 1: you are taking in to note that women aren't seen 509 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:25,920 Speaker 1: in the space and that there needs to be more 510 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: inclusion and more community to make everyone feel good, especially 511 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 1: like expanding it to who you are, and like expanding 512 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,359 Speaker 1: it to a tomboy style because you're right, like, not 513 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: everyone wants to wear like a tight bodysuit, but put 514 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 1: on a dentim shirt and denim jean and whatever, and 515 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 1: like have it flowy. So I like that a lot. 516 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: Let's now chat about the college Girlies strip recently announced 517 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:57,679 Speaker 1: college ambassadors. What motivated you to target this demographic and 518 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: can you share more about the community you're building on 519 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:01,159 Speaker 1: these campuses. 520 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 3: So we launched applications right before this bring semesters up 521 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,120 Speaker 3: for Howard and Spelman. I chose Howard and Spelman because one, 522 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:12,960 Speaker 3: I'm a Howard grad. Two Spelman is the number one HBCU. 523 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:15,119 Speaker 3: I have so much respect for Spelman. First of all, 524 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 3: I'm a single sex education product. I went to all 525 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 3: girl high school. I have so many family members. I 526 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 3: have a little cousin at Spellman, so many family ma's 527 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,240 Speaker 3: from Spellman and little Tidbit. I actually only applied to 528 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 3: Spelman and Howard as an HBCU grad. I think what 529 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 3: separates us from pwy's and other schools is there's a 530 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 3: different level of pride and to me debt that I 531 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 3: owe to my university than maybe other schools. Right, And 532 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:40,200 Speaker 3: I feel like when people reach out to me from Howard, 533 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:41,879 Speaker 3: I'm always down to do it because I feel like 534 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 3: I owe Howard for who I became. I'm also just 535 00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:48,199 Speaker 3: happened to be like huge Howard family, like child of 536 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 3: too double Bison. I'm a double Bison sister, you know, 537 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 3: like so many in the lineage. So I have so 538 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 3: much love for HBCU. And then from a real just 539 00:25:56,680 --> 00:26:00,040 Speaker 3: like business perspective, it's really important that the brand and 540 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 3: stays young in the sense of considering our price point. 541 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:07,159 Speaker 3: We are definitely millennials all the way through thirties, but 542 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 3: the youth are gonna be our next customers. So it's 543 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 3: like I'm getting further and further removed from Howard, so 544 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:16,639 Speaker 3: I'm like, let me tap in with the young girls. 545 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,200 Speaker 3: I also just love dealing with young people. I always 546 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 3: have interns. One thing I remember being a kid and 547 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 3: always be like, I'm not gonna be one of those 548 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 3: adults that hates kids and like looks down the next generation. 549 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:28,440 Speaker 3: I always hated that as a kid because I always 550 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 3: thought I was so grown. So I really feel like 551 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:33,200 Speaker 3: now I want to be that adult that I wanted 552 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 3: for myself, like just someone cool who I don't judge 553 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 3: the younger generation. I actually think gen Z is super lit. 554 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 3: So I'm like, let me absorb some of what they 555 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:43,679 Speaker 3: got going on because they know some stuff. So I 556 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,119 Speaker 3: think from a business standpoint, it's really smart because it's 557 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 3: giving us exposure and they have great ideas and they're fun, 558 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,239 Speaker 3: so it's like it's just like a win win and 559 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,680 Speaker 3: I get to give back to a community that did 560 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 3: a lot for me, so it's really just a win. 561 00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 1: And you're feeding into the generation as well with your 562 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:04,120 Speaker 1: wisdom and your knowledge and all your tips, so it's 563 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 1: a win win for sure. 564 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:05,880 Speaker 3: Yeah. 565 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:10,439 Speaker 1: So many college students have business ideas, but they feel 566 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 1: unsure of where to begin. Where should someone start when 567 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 1: they have a great idea but no prior experience. 568 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 3: So when I started, I had no experience in fashion. 569 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:23,639 Speaker 3: And I like to tell this story just because I 570 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 3: remember being at my manufacturer and like they were talking 571 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 3: about the process, and they were saying so many things 572 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:33,440 Speaker 3: I had no idea about, and I literally that night 573 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 3: was like, that's the last time I've be in a 574 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 3: room and I don't know what people are talking about. 575 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 3: So I just like googled. I've always been good at 576 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,200 Speaker 3: research and reading, and I'm pretty sure most college students 577 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:45,719 Speaker 3: should be considering that. In college, they've done plenty of research. 578 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 3: If I predated TikTok with TikTok, now you have no excuse. 579 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 3: I mean, you can learn anything. I don't think that 580 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 3: the success in business is measured on necessarily how much 581 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 3: you know about what you're getting into. I think it 582 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:01,240 Speaker 3: has a lot more to do about a willingness to 583 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 3: learn and ask questions is important. That's what I did. 584 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:09,359 Speaker 3: But also really, to me, it's about aligning your personal 585 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,439 Speaker 3: brand and who you are with what you're doing. Unless 586 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:14,639 Speaker 3: you want to be a person who like opening storage units, 587 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 3: like that's cool, Like those are businesses that are just 588 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 3: like whatever. But if you're doing something that's personal to 589 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:21,159 Speaker 3: you that you're going to be the face of that, 590 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 3: you're going to really be the one to push because 591 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 3: you really are going to be the one pushing your business. 592 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 3: It's really to me about how authentic is it aligned 593 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:30,760 Speaker 3: to who you are? And if it is, then it 594 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,160 Speaker 3: doesn't matter what you don't know because you're figured out 595 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:36,200 Speaker 3: because you're passionate about it and it's genuine. It's really 596 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 3: about making sure you're doing something that's true to you. 597 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 3: I think that's really the measure of if it's going 598 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 3: to be successful. 599 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 1: Mm hmmm. That willingness to learn for sure. 600 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, and being a college unit is the perfect time. 601 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:50,760 Speaker 3: Like when you have no kids, maybe you do, maybe 602 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 3: you don't. You have less risk, you're young, it's like 603 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 3: why not start and learn? People are also what's much 604 00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 3: forgiving of you? 605 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 1: Yes, because yeah, that early grid life, it's like a 606 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 1: lot of other figuring it out. 607 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,680 Speaker 3: So it's like, yeah, like do it then if you can. Right, 608 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 3: the responsibilities are chill. 609 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 1: They're very chill, No, very chill. So how did you 610 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 1: manage your time between brand building and managing motherhood and 611 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: handling other commitments and what strategies. Would you recommend to 612 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,800 Speaker 1: students struggling classes work in entrepreneurship. 613 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 3: I think that one, some things are just in you. 614 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 3: So for me, I do just really like being busy. 615 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 3: I've always embraced that. For some people, like my sister, 616 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 3: she's like, you work way too much and you work 617 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 3: too hard, and you need to chill, And she likes 618 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 3: to chill, and so for her, she doesn't probably do 619 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:44,719 Speaker 3: as many things in a day. But for me, like, 620 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 3: if this is the life you're gonna choose, Like you 621 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 3: want to run a business and work a job, right, 622 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 3: I did that and I had a kid, Like you're 623 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:53,160 Speaker 3: going to be busy. You're optimizing every moment of your 624 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 3: day that you're awake. So you have to embrace the 625 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:59,120 Speaker 3: busy and you have to like it, otherwise it might 626 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 3: stress you out. And with my daughter, sometimes I'm on 627 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 3: the phone a lot when I'm with her because I'm working, 628 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 3: but I'm with her. But some people might think that's 629 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 3: a huge loss, Like I don't get to give her 630 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 3: undivided attention at all times, but I do make up effort. 631 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 3: At a certain time of the night, I'm gonna chill 632 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 3: and I'm not gonna be on my phone, so I 633 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 3: can just give it to her. But the reality is, 634 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 3: it's about integrating all those aspects of your life. When 635 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 3: I was interviewing for Big Law, I remember a woman 636 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 3: told me there's no such thing as work life balance. 637 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 3: It's all about work life integration. And I feel like 638 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 3: that's really true. If I got to get my nails done, 639 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:37,400 Speaker 3: I can accomplish this task while I'm getting my toes done, 640 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 3: I can accomplish this task when Chrome's asleep taking her nap. 641 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:44,040 Speaker 3: You just have to really optimize your day. And there's 642 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:46,200 Speaker 3: no real answer other than like, you have to do it, 643 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:49,600 Speaker 3: and you have to be regimented. And so I'm a 644 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 3: to do list fanatic. I have a million to do lists. 645 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 3: I can't even think a life without it. So that's 646 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 3: one way I do it. And I also believe in 647 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 3: to eat the frog method, which is I try to 648 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 3: do the little thing I want to do the least first. 649 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 3: I learned that at one of my jobs, where they 650 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 3: said eat the frog, So like, basically, do what you 651 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 3: don't want to do first, get that out the way, 652 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 3: and then do the rest. And I mean, those are 653 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:11,920 Speaker 3: my real tips I can give. But other than that, 654 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 3: you just got to do it. I've never heard of 655 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 3: to eat the frog method. So you just taught me something. 656 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 1: I like that. I like it. I'll look it up. 657 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:21,120 Speaker 1: I like it. 658 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, hopefully I quoted it right. 659 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 1: Google will figure it out. TikTok will figure it out, right, 660 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 1: they will. So how are you making time for yourself 661 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 1: and resting as a busy entrepreneur And what advice do 662 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 1: you give to students cultivating time for their own self 663 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:39,440 Speaker 1: care practices? 664 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:39,719 Speaker 3: Like? 665 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 1: What would you say to them? 666 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 3: That is definitely something I've been working on. One thing 667 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 3: I don't play about, though, which I always say, as 668 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 3: busy as I am, I get my sleep. I get 669 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:52,000 Speaker 3: eight hours of sleep, okay, because sleep is so important 670 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 3: to your livelihood, to your physical well being, and to 671 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:58,440 Speaker 3: your future. Like they're saying, lack of sleep is being 672 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 3: attributed to like dementia, and I'm like, no, I will 673 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 3: be getting my eight hours. I always get my eight hours. 674 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 3: I just go to sleep early and I wake up early. Personally, 675 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 3: I think that waking up early is a key to success, 676 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 3: unfortunately at least for super busy people. So I do 677 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 3: have to wake up early and have to go to 678 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:16,440 Speaker 3: bed early. I actually travel a lot for work, and 679 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 3: so I feel like when I travel, I get like 680 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 3: a mini break. I do work out, so that's the 681 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 3: time for myself. I have my hobby. I like to 682 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 3: play tennis, and I really like watching reality TV. So 683 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:30,000 Speaker 3: I always know that my week has been super busy. 684 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 3: If I've watched no shows, I have an anxiety associated 685 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 3: with not working. I'll feel like I'm wasting my day 686 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 3: sometimes if I'm just like chilling. I'm working on that though, 687 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:42,560 Speaker 3: but I do think that having methods of decompressing for me, 688 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 3: it's watching reality TV or true crime. I love true crime. 689 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 3: I'm working on allotting time for that in my nights 690 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 3: and in my weekends, or like going on walks so 691 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 3: I can actually have time for myself. But I do 692 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 3: love to work, to be honest. 693 00:32:56,640 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 2: Hi, I'm sorry, Taylor. We'll return to Jana right after 694 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 2: the break. 695 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: You mentioned reality TV, like what's the show, what's the 696 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 1: current show? 697 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 3: I mean, I watch them all. I can seriously talk 698 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:19,320 Speaker 3: to most people about everything, but I'm big into real housewives. 699 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 3: I just finished Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Crazy. I 700 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,160 Speaker 3: liked that one. I love TLC, but I kind of 701 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,120 Speaker 3: hop in and out of those crazy ones. We TV 702 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 3: love after lock Up. 703 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:31,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what. 704 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 3: I really that's really liked my trash TV. I love that. 705 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:41,480 Speaker 3: I just watched the Menendez dramatization on Netflix, The Monsters. 706 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:45,120 Speaker 3: I'm looking forward to the docu series that's gonna come out. 707 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 3: So I just finished that one. 708 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 1: I didn't finish Mormon Wives, and I didn't start the 709 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,840 Speaker 1: Mendez Brothers Yez Brothers. 710 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:55,720 Speaker 3: I didn't finish that or I didn't start it, but 711 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 3: I saw it on TikTok. So it's pretty intense, but 712 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:01,280 Speaker 3: it's good. Yeah, that's good. It's made by the people 713 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:02,840 Speaker 3: who made the Jeffrey Dahmer show. 714 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 1: Okay, Okay, that's all you have to say. That's what 715 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 1: you have to say. So how important is mentorship and 716 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 1: this idea of shooting your shot with other successful people 717 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 1: and or brands important when creating a business. 718 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:22,840 Speaker 3: I am just getting in the phase of like really 719 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 3: trying to network. I really wasn't focused on that for 720 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 3: a long time because I was just so busy and 721 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:32,239 Speaker 3: like heading the game. But I was always about horizontal networking. 722 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:33,880 Speaker 3: I like working with people who are like on the 723 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:37,560 Speaker 3: up just like me, as opposed to like begging people 724 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:40,880 Speaker 3: who are too cool for me. I always encourage people like, 725 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:43,400 Speaker 3: shoot your shot with me because I love that I'm 726 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:45,279 Speaker 3: working with this nonprofit. And she was just telling me, 727 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:46,920 Speaker 3: like I was just so scared because I wanted to 728 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:49,799 Speaker 3: be perfect first, and I'm just like, no, shoot your shot, 729 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,400 Speaker 3: especially with my peers, like people I went to school 730 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 3: with are still young, still getting it. That's what I 731 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 3: really like to do. I went on a panel once 732 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:58,200 Speaker 3: and I was with a girl who is like a 733 00:34:58,239 --> 00:35:01,480 Speaker 3: super networker, and and she was just saying things like, 734 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,480 Speaker 3: you know, you should leave every event with five business 735 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:04,960 Speaker 3: cards and all this stuff. And I'm like, damn, Like 736 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:06,520 Speaker 3: I probably need to get my head in the game 737 00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:10,440 Speaker 3: with that. My parents are Howard grads and they were 738 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 3: in DC and so like I kind of had the 739 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 3: benefit of always knowing someone who knew someone right, So 740 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:17,959 Speaker 3: I feel like maybe I got comfortable with not really 741 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 3: networking because it was just like there's so many people 742 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 3: around that know somebody that's gonna connect me something. But 743 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:26,279 Speaker 3: I do need to start doing that because it's fun, 744 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:28,520 Speaker 3: Like I like meeting people. It's just I always had 745 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:32,000 Speaker 3: like a nervousness around it. But I do think that's 746 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:34,560 Speaker 3: something that's on my goal list now that I'm like 747 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:35,640 Speaker 3: a full time CEO. 748 00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:39,920 Speaker 1: But yeah, and it's vulnerable. It's very vulnerable to network 749 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:41,560 Speaker 1: with people. And I don't feel like that's talked about 750 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:45,520 Speaker 1: as well. And I have heard the five cards thing, 751 00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: but I'm like also subjective and that's not how everyone socializes, 752 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:53,239 Speaker 1: and like I might leave with one, but I had 753 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:57,080 Speaker 1: a really strong connection with one person, So it's subjective 754 00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:57,560 Speaker 1: for sure. 755 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:00,520 Speaker 3: I consider myself an introvert. I like being on people, 756 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 3: but I am shy. No one believes me when I 757 00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 3: say that, but I am shy, and so networking has 758 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:09,800 Speaker 3: always been so uncomfortable for me. No, it's terrible. 759 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 1: I don't like it at all. But how can college 760 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 1: students who need to be networking begin creating connections now 761 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:21,399 Speaker 1: as they're still in school that may help them when 762 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:23,759 Speaker 1: deciding to pursue business as a career later. 763 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:27,520 Speaker 3: I think something that's very underrated is building relationships with 764 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:31,040 Speaker 3: your classmates that maybe aren't your friends, but are people 765 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 3: who are doing things that you're interested in. Those relationships 766 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:36,560 Speaker 3: are really what is going to matter, Like all these 767 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 3: people are going places, and the relationships you cultivate, if 768 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:42,279 Speaker 3: they're real, like you're gonna get the strength of Like, 769 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:44,279 Speaker 3: if you're Howard Grad and I'm Howard Grad, I'm gonna 770 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:47,280 Speaker 3: mess with you, right, But if you were my friend, 771 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:49,200 Speaker 3: and like, even if you just had a conversation with 772 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:51,320 Speaker 3: me in school or we did something together, we probably 773 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:54,680 Speaker 3: have a better likelihood of cultivating a meaningful relationship with 774 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:56,560 Speaker 3: that person in the future. So I think you could 775 00:36:56,560 --> 00:37:01,000 Speaker 3: really start with focusing on those around you in school 776 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 3: if you don't have access to people in business or 777 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 3: like who you think are like big time. I was 778 00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:08,480 Speaker 3: just listening to somebody say this on TikTok and they're 779 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:11,200 Speaker 3: like nine times out of ten. Like, as a black person, 780 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 3: you probably know lots of business owners. You might not 781 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:16,680 Speaker 3: look at them like that, but you might know someone 782 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:19,319 Speaker 3: who does hvac. You might know an electrician, you might 783 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 3: know a beautiful buy store owner, a dentist. You know 784 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:25,400 Speaker 3: like a lot of business people. Actually you might not 785 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:27,759 Speaker 3: categorize them as that in your mind, or they're not 786 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,239 Speaker 3: doing the cool businesses. But those are the people you 787 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:34,040 Speaker 3: could be talking to too, because it's all the same concepts, right. 788 00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:37,040 Speaker 3: You could be talking to them about raising money, what 789 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 3: they did, how they grew all the same concepts and 790 00:37:41,719 --> 00:37:44,600 Speaker 3: then as you just continue to live your life in 791 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:47,319 Speaker 3: the trajectory of which you're trying to go, you'll, I 792 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:50,399 Speaker 3: feel naturally become aligned with the people you're looking for. 793 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:54,480 Speaker 1: I like that that was a good tech talk. That 794 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 1: was good. That was really good. But I definitely agree 795 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:02,359 Speaker 1: with which in hindsight I should have respected more. But 796 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:04,759 Speaker 1: while you're in college, it's hard to like think of 797 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:07,399 Speaker 1: in ten years I need you know what I mean. 798 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:11,759 Speaker 1: So I definitely second that, like your peers in your 799 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:14,640 Speaker 1: class or who you went to school with during the 800 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:17,440 Speaker 1: same time Chef's kiss, that is the best connection to 801 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:22,160 Speaker 1: have for sure. So you talked about denim and vintage teas. 802 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:25,200 Speaker 1: What do you see as the future of stripped and 803 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 1: how can college age girls get involved with it? 804 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:34,000 Speaker 3: Definitely expanding our product line. We're also going to expand 805 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 3: our ambassador program. People always tell me, come to this school, 806 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:38,560 Speaker 3: come to this school, come to this school, and I 807 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 3: would go to all the schools. It's just that our 808 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:43,960 Speaker 3: ambassador program is actually pretty robust. Like I'm literally flying 809 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:45,800 Speaker 3: to Atlanta next week to go do an outing with 810 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:49,200 Speaker 3: the Atlanta Girls and Spellman. They all get five hundred 811 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,759 Speaker 3: dollars each semester in allowance. I want to be able 812 00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 3: to pour into the girls. So we are going to 813 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:59,279 Speaker 3: continue to expand the college Ambassador program, so that's one 814 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 3: way to get involved, and then also will help college 815 00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:06,160 Speaker 3: age women enter into the Strip brand will have continuing 816 00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:08,560 Speaker 3: to have different price points, so like our smooth collection 817 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:11,960 Speaker 3: is more affordable for people, it's less compressive, but it's 818 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 3: more affordable. Although I don't think that our price point 819 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:17,360 Speaker 3: is unaccessible or inaccessible. I think that just as a 820 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:20,240 Speaker 3: college student, hopefully we'll be able to have a college 821 00:39:20,239 --> 00:39:23,080 Speaker 3: discount and a retail space close to Howard and where 822 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:25,799 Speaker 3: girls could come and get discounts. And then also like 823 00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:28,000 Speaker 3: college girls shoot their shots at us all the time. 824 00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:30,920 Speaker 3: I probably will never do an intern call again, just 825 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:33,920 Speaker 3: because I don't want to be inundated. But all of 826 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:36,640 Speaker 3: the interns I've worked with have always been girls who 827 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:39,879 Speaker 3: were persistent and reached out to me consistently, and once 828 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:41,279 Speaker 3: I had a spot for them, they were the first 829 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:43,800 Speaker 3: ones on my mind. And so that's always what I suggest. 830 00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:46,319 Speaker 3: If I can, I'll make a spot for you. That's 831 00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:47,880 Speaker 3: one way to get involved, to shoot your shot in 832 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,240 Speaker 3: any way you want to be involved period. 833 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:53,480 Speaker 1: I love the accessibility I think we've talked about this 834 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 1: a little bit, like with making space for women, but 835 00:39:56,280 --> 00:40:00,120 Speaker 1: also like broke college kids, Yes exactly, they all to 836 00:40:00,239 --> 00:40:02,239 Speaker 1: be closed and they also want to feel sexy, and 837 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:04,840 Speaker 1: they also want to feel empowered. So I love that. 838 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 1: I love that before we go, what one piece of 839 00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:12,399 Speaker 1: advice you wish someone had given you before you start 840 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:14,160 Speaker 1: a stripped You can leave big. 841 00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:16,320 Speaker 3: Lots sooner than you think. The amount you will be 842 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:20,960 Speaker 3: able to accomplish outside of working two jobs is so 843 00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:24,279 Speaker 3: much more. Your trajectory is so much quicker when you're 844 00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 3: working one hundred percent of your business, like all day 845 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:29,439 Speaker 3: I work on my business now, and I always think 846 00:40:29,480 --> 00:40:31,520 Speaker 3: like damn, like how was I working a job in 847 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:34,040 Speaker 3: doing this? And the reality is I wasn't doing it. 848 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:38,440 Speaker 3: I was doing less. My brand was still doing things, 849 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:41,320 Speaker 3: but not all that we can do now. I always 850 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:43,480 Speaker 3: had this belief like I'm going to grind, like I 851 00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:45,439 Speaker 3: can do both at the same time for so long, 852 00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:48,799 Speaker 3: da da da da, And you should, right, But for me, 853 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:51,520 Speaker 3: it probably made sense to leave a lot sooner. So 854 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:55,640 Speaker 3: I wish someone would have told me that. Maybe I 855 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:58,719 Speaker 3: probably wouldn't have listened, but it's the truth. I should 856 00:40:58,719 --> 00:41:00,319 Speaker 3: have probably left earlier. 857 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:04,560 Speaker 1: Like putting your one hundred in your full undivided attention 858 00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:09,960 Speaker 1: into something. Yeah, that's hard, but I think that's definitely 859 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 1: something that we all can relate to in so many 860 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:14,600 Speaker 1: aspects of our lives and dedicate that time and space 861 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:17,319 Speaker 1: to one thing we're super passionate about, for sure. So 862 00:41:17,360 --> 00:41:19,759 Speaker 1: where can we keep up with you? What are your 863 00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:21,319 Speaker 1: social media handles? 864 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:26,520 Speaker 3: Okay, so my personals are missus Mrs dot strip that's 865 00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:30,239 Speaker 3: Instagram and then Stripped Official is our stripped Instagram. My 866 00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:34,000 Speaker 3: TikTok is Ari the Baddest Baddie, and we also have 867 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,879 Speaker 3: a strip TikTok which I believe is Stripped Official as well, 868 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:39,280 Speaker 3: So you can definitely keep up with me there. 869 00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:42,759 Speaker 1: Perfect Well, thank you so much Ari for the conversation. 870 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,600 Speaker 1: I love talking to you and getting to know you. 871 00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:47,239 Speaker 3: Thank you so much. 872 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:53,480 Speaker 1: I want to thank Ari for joining me for this episode. 873 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:56,640 Speaker 1: Class is over for now, but here are some affirmations 874 00:41:56,640 --> 00:41:59,239 Speaker 1: to take with you. I am capable of turning my 875 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:04,080 Speaker 1: existing paths into a successful business. My unique perspectives and 876 00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:08,800 Speaker 1: experiences are valuable assets in the entrepreneurial world. I embrace 877 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:11,360 Speaker 1: the challenges that lie ahead of me as opportunities for 878 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,800 Speaker 1: growth and innovation. To learn more about the work Aria 879 00:42:14,920 --> 00:42:17,040 Speaker 1: is doing, or to do more research on this topic, 880 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:20,400 Speaker 1: be sure to visit Therapy for Blackgirls dot com slash TBGU. 881 00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:23,360 Speaker 1: This episode was produced by Elise Ellis and Zaria Taylor. 882 00:42:23,560 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 1: Editing is by Dennison L. Bradford