What Happens When A Mid-Western Sorority Girl Believes in Herself? She Builds a Fashion Empire.
The Caroline Doll, CEO of POSH PR®, shares a story about entrepreneurism and the power of believing in your dreams!
Being an entrepreneur isn’t a safe thing. It isn’t a comfortable thing. Come to think of it, it isn’t the most natural thing either! At the beginning, you HAVE to let go of several securities (i.e. consistent paycheck, insurance, a boss telling you what to do!). You have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable! You have to fight against the need to look to someone else for approval, for that green light.
If a girl with a degree in Journalism tells the world she is going to quit her day job and sell handbags — people would look at her like she’s crazy, and insist she stick with her safe day job. But that’s just it — call it crazy or extremely enthusiastic and confident — that’s what it takes to make your dream a reality.
Kate Brosnahan was one of those crazy girls. A Kansas City, Kappa Kappa Gamma girl, equipped with a degree in Journalism moved to New York City shortly after graduating. She began working in the accessories department of Mademoiselle, and in five years, worked her way up to senior fashion editor/head of accessories. Kate worked in a fashion world that was saturated with big-name brands. To a Mid-Westerner, these European bags came across as too luxe for her own style. She spotted a need in the market for a distinctly American handbag. Something retro and classic, something simple, something "Kate."
Without a design transcript, without a business plan, without an investor, Kate quit her job. With a dream, with confidence, with personal savings she jumped into the unknown and started breathing her dream to life, sketching boxy totes to be made out of burlap and woven with raffia fringe. With the help of her boyfriend Jack Spade, the duo produced a collection of black nylon bags priced between $100 and $400, taking them to various trade shows around New York City.
Kate’s own mom thought she was crazy. One of her fabric suppliers told her she was a sweet girl and should just settle down. Kate herself broke down doubting if she could run her own company. But one more decision to trust her instinct led her to re-sew all of her labels from inside of the bag, to the outside — working through the night to show her bags at one of her biggest trade shows the next day.
Those bags that boldly read “Kate Spade” caught the eye of Vogue, Barney’s and Bergdorf Goodman’s….
I think you know where the rest of the story goes, dolls! Dare to "Live Colorfully" as the Kate Spade mantra goes!
P.S. For all of my Richmond dolls, Kate Spade is one of the select vendors participating in A Love Story Experience at Short Pump Town Center next Thursday, Oct. 5! Come treat yourself to a VIP experience where the vendors come TO YOU!
