Developing her own secret to success isn’t much of a secret when the path to success can involve bumps and turns in the road. We want to inspire women around the world by showing the different paths these inspiring entrepreneurs have taken to reach their goals by sharing their wisdom and insights on what it took to get there.
Christina Stembel
As the founder of Farmgirl Flowers, her goal was to support her local agriculture industry but she hit a roadblock when her domestic supply chain quickly ran dry. The challenge she faced was either to begin sourcing internationally or halt the growth of her young company; the problem being a fear that her customer’s loyalty was built upon the love of local support and her lack of experience with international sourcing.
By reaching out to her followers and hosting focus groups to gather opinions, she was able to develop a plan to embrace honesty and communicate the forthcoming changes to her customers. “I put a lot of thought in how to communicate the change, and decided that honesty is the best policy, so I wrote a letter to our customers and digital fans and followers explaining the why behind the change. And then I hit send and held my breath–no, really,” she continues. “And the amazing thing: the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.”
In just one year following this change in direction, her brand saw a 50% growth in revenue. Her willingness to embrace getting “comfortable by being uncomfortable” allowed her labor of love to reach its full potential, and her brand continues to receive media accolades today.
Jessica Alba
You probably first knew her from leading roles on the big screen, but her passion for earth-friendly products for baby, personal care, home cleaning, and beauty have landed her on the covers of leading publications such as Forbes, Fast Company, and the New York Times.
As a consumer, she saw a need of hers that wasn’t being met. As a mom, she wanted to have confidence in the products she was using on and near her children. Her path to success wasn’t easy, but it held enough importance to her that it was her mission to figure it out. Alba used her journey to learn as she went, even learning from rejections, to build her fearlessness and drive; with each setback actually getting her one step closer to making this vision a reality.
“It’s brave to know that you're not always going to be successful, but you do it anyways.” Second guessing yourself can make finalizing decisions difficult, and even her gut feelings require evidence and anecdotes to lead her down a path. Success is “not something that happens immediately or linearly” and it’s important to remember that in times of doubt.
Her global brand The Honest Company cares about quality, transparency, and effectiveness. Meeting the needs of customers, no matter where the live, is her priority.
Mandy Nagel
Sometimes you don’t know your mission in life until it’s staring you in the face. A coincidental meeting in rural Indonesia led to the creation of a I Thought of You, a purposeful brand that has recently surpassed making 100,000 strides towards improving the health, living conditions, and job prospects for women in developing and rural areas.
What began as a jewelry brand to provide opportunities to women in Indonesia has grown into a lifestyle brand now also offering accessories and apparel that give back. Partnerships with artisans in nine countries (and quickly expanding!) are spreading hope to women who weren’t sure where their children’s next meal would be coming from. The sustainable job opportunities created with every purchase allow for dreams to finally be reached; things many of us take for granted like clean drinking water and the reality of opening a savings account.
After working in the corporate environment, Mandy realized the skills she had gained could now be used to do good. In corners of the world where she never dreamed she’d even get the opportunity to visit, she now has close friends in the groups of artisans who are paving their own way to success.
Joanna Griffiths
She founded the Knix brand, a line of undergarments with one goal in mind: making women feel more comfortable in her own skin. Her path to success began in 2013 when she aimed to catch the eye of major department stores with a crowdfunding campaign. Knix made history as the first brand to be picked up by a retailer through this innovative platform.
Press coverage soared and they sold through their line of products in a matter of days. Problems arose when the amount of time and resources it would take to restock was discovered, and demand was growing from her retail chain partners. At their peak, more than 700 retail stores picked up the line and Knit was quickly becoming a wholesale brand (where their model focused on selling in bulk to stores instead of direct to consumer). Orders continued coming in, but profits were scarce.
Joanna knew this was the time to pivot and rethink her entire model. She made the decision to expand the line which originally consisted mostly of underwear, to now include a line of comfortable bras. Most importantly, however; she reorganized her team, cut ties with her retail store partners, and became a brand that sold directly to customers. Her first month with this new direction was eye-opening. They sold more in 30 days than they had in the previous two years. Her product line has expanded to now include shirts and sports garments, all perfectly made to make women feel unapologetically comfortable. “I’ve learned now that focus is everything, and one of the most important roles that I have is saying no to the distractions so we can keep on our path.”
