Kristy and I were invited to a wedding and we were both complaining that we didn’t want to buy another dress that would eventually not fit, be out of style or just wouldn’t be appropriate for the next event. As a result, Rent frock Repeat was born.
What were the biggest initial hurdles to building your business and how did you overcome them?
Hurdles are there at every stage of the game and we overcome them in the same way each time – brainstorm on solutions, reach out to people and ask for their brain power to help and start testing some solutions. You can never control the outcome but you can control the effort! This mantra helps us overcome the challenges without the stress or self-doubt that can often creep up when facing a challenge.
Did you ever deal with contention from your family and friends concerning your entrepreneurial pursuits? How did you handle it? What would you do differently in hindsight?
We’ve been very fortunate and have had the support from everyone around us. The key for success as an entrepreneur is to surround yourself with those that can encourage you on the low days (and we all get them). If that is not your family and friends then go find your tribe and spend as much time as you can. There is a saying “you resemble the 5 people you hang out with most”. Choose your 5 carefully!
What would you say was the single most influential factor in your business success?
Recognizing that success is different for everyone. We get to learn, explore and innovate everyday. We get to pick who we want to work with every single day. We also get closer to our vision of letting women experiment with fashion, reduce the stress they feel every time they open their closet and help reduce our collective fashion footprint. We are thrilled to be part of a world that is starting to see that true success is not only tied to dollars (although we do understand that profit is key to supporting all these other outcomes).
What do you know today that you wish you would have known when you first got started as an entrepreneur?
Everything.
Ask me the same question 5 years down the road and I can assure you I will give you the same answer. The fun part is the learning and the liberating part is knowing that you will never have all the answers but that it should never stop you from moving forward.
What advice would you give to an upcoming entrepreneur locally and internationally?
Learn on someone else’s dollar. Being an entrepreneur is fashionable right now but that doesn’t mean you can’t be an intrapreneur first. Work with a company that is doing interesting things and fosters intrapreneurs. Volunteer for the new projects and take in everything you can from the experience. Treat the budget as if it is your own cash. Once you feel like you could do it on your own then venture out if the thought of building your own company is still nagging at you every day!
