Chase Your Dreams

Stella Carakasi has been a fashion disruptor since 1993 when she launched the first, highly controversial hemp clothing collection in the United States. Her work continued to raise the eco-fashion bar and helped moving the emerging green revolution forward. In this episode, Stella takes us through her journey of building several successful fashion companies and some of the difficult decisions she's had to make as a business owner. This conversation is a powerful, truth telling and insightful look into the fashion industry as Stella shares a very important message to her audience as well as to young and emerging designers. This is unfiltered real talk that covers areas such as: - why she took the gamble and left wholesale behind - why it's the brands' responsibility to work towards sustainability, but don't lead with it - why business is not for the faint of heart - why it's important to start with your values - why you need to know your customer You can find out more about Stella Carakasi on her website: www.stellacarakasi.com Her Instagram is instagram.com/stellacarakasi/ and her Facebook page is facebook.com/carakasi/ You can reach Stella by email at stella@stellacarakasi.com

Here we are, Vancouver, in the 2nd wave. While most businesses are used to ramping up with seasonal promos and lots of consumer spending this time of year, everything is up in the air during a global pandemic. The first wave of the pandemic surprised everyone. It feels like we just got back on our feet and here we are in the 2nd wave. Normally around this time of year you would be deep into making and leveraging holiday marketing strategies and plans. But how do you plan when you have zero control over what happens? In today's episode I have put together 6 tips that can help you and your business adapt to whatever this pandemic brings. Here are the links to the online marketplaces I talk about in the podcast: Farfetch (B2C) https://www.farfetch.com/ca/ ASOS (B2C) https://marketplace.asos.com/ JOOR (B2B) https://joor.com/ NuOrder (B2B) https://nu.nuorder.com/index.html Currently I have a 4-part SEO training video series you can register for at no charge. Click on the link to learn more https://info.glynistao.com/SEO-training-series Do you need help with your business strategy? I offer business consulting for fashion entrepreneurs who are ready to pursue their passion and make a living doing what they love. I'm currently taking new clients, use https://calendly.com/glynistao/book-a-call to book a call with me.

My guest today is Vancouver-based celebrity fashion designer Ryan Amore. He specializes in women's evening wear, occasion wear, athletic wear and high fashion. He's worked with high end clients such as Christian Dior & Zac Posen. In this episode, Ryan talks about how he got his start in the fashion industry. How he developed his strong technical skills through various job experiences he's had and then uses those skills to run his own design studio. He takes us through the process of garment development from sketch to final product. He explains how clothing companies are adapting to the pandemic. He answers the questions, what trends will come out of this pandemic? And should you be starting something new right now? He talks about how he navigates through different work environments. He gives advice on how to stay grounded and true to yourself in an industry that's very image focused, and not to lose your identity when you're working for an employer or client. You can see more of Ryan's work at ryanamoredesign.com

This is Part 2 to 'How to use SEO for your clothing brand.' If you haven't had a chance to listen to Part 1, I recommend you do that first. Today I'm going over the top 10 SEO ranking factors. You can use this handy checklist of essential ranking factors to perform SEO on your website. Go to https://info.glynistao.com/SEO-checklist to download a copy of the SEO Ranking Factors Checklist. Currently I have a 4-part SEO training video series you can register for at no charge. Click on the link to learn more https://info.glynistao.com/SEO-training-series I'm offering a complimentary website assessment which include a site audit and site load speed test. I will go over the report with you and give you recommendations how to improve your website's SEO. To take advantage of this offer, book your zoom call with me here: https://calendly.com/glynistao/book-a-call You can find me on Instagram @glynistao and my website glynistao.com Please subscribe to Chase Your Dreams Podcast if you haven't already. Thank you for tuning in!

This episode I talk to accomplished apparel professional, Glencora Twigg. ⁣ ⁣ Glencora talks about what it takes to make it in the fashion industry. She gives her advice to young designers starting out and why it's important to do the ‘grunt work'. ⁣ ⁣ As an OG of the Vancouver fashion scene, she cut her teeth working at her own retail store for 15 years. She also spent 10 years teaching at the local colleges where she shares her knowledge of what she knows to the new generation. If you are interested in a career in fashion, this episode is a must listen.

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Stephanie Ostler is a prominent Vancouver entrepreneur, influencer and instructor at SFU. As a life long resident of the rainy city she launched her clothing company, Devil May Wear, straight out of high school immediately attracting international attention and sales.  By the time she was 30 she had 3 successful retail locations including Granville Island, Main Street, and Fan Tan Alley in Victoria. Devil May Wear has been voted Vancouver's Best Local Designer Clothing Store. Stephanie gives her advice on how to weather the storm from her experience of being in business for 17 years.  She also gives her insight into: What opportunities that can come out once we get over this pandemic, especially with commercial real estate. Which style trends will emerge from the quarantine, also why she thinks there will be a style freeze. Why its important to create an experience for the customers to differentiate yourself so that they can interact and connect with your brand. You can learn more about Stephanie Ostler and her company here: https://www.devilmaywear.ca/

Today's episode I'm interviewing the founder of Vancouver- based activewear brand Daub + Design. Lexi Soukoreff talks about how covid-19 has affected her daily life and business. Despite the fact that the pandemic happened right before the start of a 6-week run of shows, she shares her story of how she pivoted her business to online. She's switched to making non- medical grade face masks but there's a shortage of supplies to make them. She's figuring out things as she goes along, just like when she first started her business she's using the knowledge of what she's learned through the years to get through this challenging time. You can learn more about Daub + Design here: https://daubanddesign.com/

I have a super awesome treat for you today. I'm interviewing my friend and fellow fashion entrepreneur Adila Cokar who's an expert in offshore manufacturing.⁣ ⁣ Adila is a media- acclaimed, award-winning serial entrepreneur and author of the recently released book “Source My Garment- The Insiders Guide to responsible offshore manufacturing. She's also the Founder of The Good Tee, an apparel company which offers sustainable fashion basics that are fair trade certified and fully traceable from farm to the warehouse.⁣ ⁣ In this episode, Dee shares her story and lessons she's learned through her entrepreneur journey. She talks about how this pandemic is affecting the factories and garment workers overseas.⁣ ⁣ She answers the questions, do you think this pandemic will force the industry to be more sustainable? And what are the misconceptions start ups have with the cost of manufacturing overseas? ⁣ ⁣ Despite what's going on in the world today, Dee is actively working on her business and maintains an optimistic mindset. It's a very uplifting conversation which you don't want to miss. ⁣ ⁣

The following is a recording from my presentation at Apparel Camp conference in Vancouver. I will go over common challenges that most small businesses face. I will use actual examples of challenges I've faced running my business and how I dealt with them and give you some creative and practical solutions to use in your business. You can find me on Instagram @glynistao and my website glynistao.com Please subscribe to Chase Your Dreams Podcast if you haven't already. Thank you for tuning in!

Jenna Herbut is a serial entrepreneur, speaker and writer. She's the founder of The Make it show, one of Canada's largest craft shows which she's been running for over a decade. In this episode, she shares her story and how she got started on her entrepreneur journey. She offers insight to how Covid-19 has affected her life & business after being forced to cancel all her Make It shows this spring. Despite this huge setback she's shifted her focus to help her ‘Makies' and other creatives weather the storm. She answers a very important question for people who's wondering now “What the heck should I be doing?" Through it all Jenna maintains a positive mindset. It's a very uplifting conversation which you don't want to miss. She just set up a GoFundMe campaign to support Makies who were making products, and donating it to hospitals and charities. Your donation will be given directly back to the Makies to help cover their manufacturing costs for making their products. This will allow them to continue to giveback to the community. Click here to make a donation: https://bit.ly/34MIZjO You can find me on Instagram @glynistao and my website glynistao.com Please subscribe to Chase Your Dreams Podcast if you haven't already. Thank you for tuning in!

In this episode I am presenting the information from the State of Fashion report put together by Business Of Fashion and McKinsey. The coronavirus has turned the fashion world upside down, leaving brands and executives scrambling to find answers to handle this crisis. Though the duration and ultimate severity of the pandemic remains unknown, it is apparent that the fashion industry is just at the beginning of its struggle. With new information being released on the effects of the virus and changes happening on a daily (even hourly basis) it's good for business owners to stay informed of what's currently happening and think about what they can do to protect their business during this time. You can find me on Instagram @glynistao and my website glynistao.com Please subscribe to Chase Your Dreams Podcast if you haven't already. Thank you for tuning in!

Are you a fashion designer who has an amazing idea for a clothing line but not sure how to begin to get it made? New designers often struggle to connect with the right factories to launch their businesses. They usually don't have connections in the industry and lack practical experience of speaking to manufacturers. This episode, is for emerging designers and new brands who are looking for factories to produce their clothing line. Download your copy of The Clothing Brand Owner's Checklist now! You can find me on Instagram @glynistao and my website glynistao.com Please subscribe to Chase Your Dreams Podcast if you haven't already. Thank you for tuning in!

In this podcast I will provide 3 tips when deciding to do a trade show or convention based on my experience of exhibiting at over 100 shows. This episode was recorded at Hanauma Bay in Hawaii

Do you want to learn how to target your best customers without coming across as salesy and pushy? Do you need clarity around what specific product best represents what you actually sell? Well, then you've come to the right place. In this episode you will learn: 1. What is niching and why you're insane if you don't niche 2. Some myths on niching and why niche-phobia is a common problem of start-ups 3. How to pick your niche Head on over to my Youtube channel for additional training and planning tools.

Do you love what you do? Do you want to build a successful clothing business that lasts? In this episode I share the lessons I learned from running my clothing design company for 10 years. Here's some of the things I will be talking about: -My story of how I got started -How I built my business from startup to generate 6 figure sales in the 2nd year of business -How I got Google as a client (they called me!) -Some of the challenges I faced and how I persevered despite set backs -How I achieved business longevity Download The Clothing Brand Owner's Checklist now! You can find me on Instagram @glynistao and my website glynistao.com Please subscribe to Chase Your Dreams Podcast if you haven't already. Thank you for tuning in!

Today we're talking about Cash Flow, Budgeting and Financing for your clothing business. Here's what we will cover in this episode: 1. How to manage your cash flow 2. How to make a budget 3. Ways you can seek financing for your business Download The Clothing Brand Owner's Checklist now! You can find me on Instagram @glynistao and my website glynistao.com Please subscribe to Chase Your Dreams Podcast if you haven't already. Thank you for tuning in!

Get the exact planning tools from my days working at various apparel corporations that I used to effectively run my clothing company for 10 years. Gain instant access to: The Time Management Matrix Your Big Picture Plan The Entrepreneur Success Calendar Product Development Timeline Line Planning Spreadsheet Production Tracking Grid Product Buying Calendar And receive these training videos: Lesson 1: Time Management Matrix Lesson 2: Big Picture Plan & Sprints Lesson 3: Why Calendars are your BFF Download The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit now! You can find me on Instagram @glynistao and my website glynistao.com Please subscribe to Chase Your Dreams Podcast if you haven't already. Thank you for tuning in!

Can you answer these questions? 1. I know exactly who my ideal client is, what their needs are and how to serve them best. 2. I am clear on what I sell to my clients, including any products or services that I offer. 3. I have conducted thorough market research to validate my business idea. If you can't answer these questions, then check out this episode. Download your copy of The Clothing Brand Owner's Checklist now! You can find me on Instagram @glynistao and my website glynistao.com Please subscribe to Chase Your Dreams Podcast if you haven't already. Thank you for tuning in!