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Gift biz unwrapped episode 72.

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I figured I had nothing to lose.

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This is John Lee,

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Dumas of entrepreneur on fire,

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and you're listening to the gift of biz unwrapped.

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And now it's time to light it up.

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Welcome to gift biz,

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unwrapped your source for industry specific insights and advice to develop

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and grow your business.

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And now here's your host,

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Sue Monheit and welcome fifth unwrapped.

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Whether you own a brick and mortar shop sell online or

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are just getting started,

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you'll discover new insight to gain traction and to grow your

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business. And today I am so honored to have Marla Duran.

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Joining us.

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Marla is the owner of Marla Duran her own clothing line

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of the same name.

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She started making clothes when her son was an infant,

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and while she was living in LA,

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she sold pieces to local children's boutiques in 1981.

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She moved back East and started selling children's designs to boutiques

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throughout Philadelphia.

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Based on this success for line evolved into women's wear as

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well. She opened her own boutique and design studio in 2001.

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And today Marla is producing and selling her designs to women

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around the country through boutiques and frack shows.

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One of her most memorable experiences was as a contestant in

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Bravo TV's project runway.

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And I am sure we're going to get into that story

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a little bit later,

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but first welcome to the show.

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Marla, Thank you.

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Happy to be here,

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just to have to tell all of this nerves,

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that the way I met you was actually at a craft

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show right here in my hometown.

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The way I'd like to start out is by having our

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listeners get to know you Marla in a little bit of

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a different way in that that is by having you describe

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your motivational candle.

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So if you were to have our listeners envision a candle

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that portrayed you the most,

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what color would it be and what would be the quote

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on the candle?

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Well, for this candle,

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I see it being an off-white kind of pure.

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And for me,

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the scent is important and I really love the scent of

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tuberose or Jasmine.

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And my quote would be to believe in myself,

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which I feel is an ongoing challenge and message to myself

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because you get that little imposter theory that says,

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you know,

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why should you be the one doing this or that kind

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of thing?

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Or maybe I have an idea and I don't always realize

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the value behind it.

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I think I tend to think small and I aspire to

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think bigger.

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So you've got the idea,

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but then something starts to hold you back until you decide,

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Nope, I'm going to believe in myself and go forward.

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Exactly. And does it work?

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Yes. It's an ongoing message to myself that probably,

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you know,

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I just to keep reminding myself,

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Even when we see successes,

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you clearly have,

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there is always that little thing that's saying every point along

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the way,

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right. That saying,

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should I,

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should I all those little kind of hesitancies,

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I liked that you point out that it doesn't really ever

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go away.

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Yeah, exactly.

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Yeah. I have to make a lot of decisions on my

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own because I'm a sole proprietor.

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There've been times when I've had mentors in my life or

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just, I talked to people whose opinions I value and I

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think that's really helpful also for me to overcome some obstacles.

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Some supporters are people that you'll just run things by that'll

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help. Yeah.

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Very important point.

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All right.

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Well, let's jump back away into the beginning.

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When your son was an infant,

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what was this love of making clothes?

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How did that all come about?

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I like to work with my hands.

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My first creative endeavor when I was in college was ceramics

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and I fell in love with making pottery and I had

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moved to California and I was pregnant and started making some

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clothing for myself to wear while I was pregnant.

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And then I started making some baby clothes and I found

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it easier to stop and start sewing rather than stop and

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start working with clients ceramics.

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And I think it was just a medium for me to

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work with to keep myself busy and be creative and express

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myself. And it clicked for me.

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And was it just a feeling there was just that passion,

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you really,

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really enjoyed putting pieces of fabric together and making something?

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Yeah, I think I found some cute fabric at the store

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and I made some little simple garments and I thought that

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they were adorable I guess.

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And I took them to a local boutique and they responded

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to what I was doing.

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And so I really think that that was very helpful.

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Had they not responded?

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I don't know what might've been,

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but they responded positively.

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I should say.

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I liked the fact that you were already a creator,

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clearly a creator by nature.

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You know,

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if you're doing ceramics in college,

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but then maybe that wasn't exactly what you wanted to do.

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Longterm. A lot of our listeners are creators.

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So I would let all of you,

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you know,

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consider and look in yourself,

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you know,

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is this the product that you want to be doing?

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Long-term because you love it so much.

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Or maybe it's something that you want to branch out.

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Like Marla did just to see if there are different areas

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of creativity that would either enhance what you're already doing or

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would be something you'd want to go into business with in

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case you're someone who's listening because you're looking at starting a

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business. So you consciously decided that you were going to walk

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in and see what boutiques thought about when you were in

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LA, you know,

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thought about your designs and all of that.

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Were you nervous?

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Walk us through actually what you did there?

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Well, I want to say back to the ceramics,

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I was making ceramics and living in Washington,

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DC, and I was under an apprentice to a Potter,

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but I was street vending my pottery at that time in

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Georgetown. And it was a lot of fun on the weekend.

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I would meet celebrities that came to town and it was

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just a little way to make some extra money.

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So I guess I had a entrepreneurial spirit way back when,

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right from the beginning.

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Yeah. And then when I started making clothing,

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I had no idea it would evolve into a business,

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but with the baby clothes,

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I guess I don't really remember being nervous.

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I'm sure I was,

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but I think I was kind of naive and it was

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a different time,

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maybe kind of a,

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well, my mind,

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a simple time where I could just go into a boutique

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and strike up a conversation and make an appointment to show

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my clothes.

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But I'll tell you,

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you know,

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it's interesting that you talk about it in that way,

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because you would think that a lot of time has evolved.

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And it certainly has because a lot of the big name

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stores have come up chain stores,

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if you will,

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where no matter what town you go into,

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you walk into a store that's in your town and then

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you go across country,

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walk into the same name store,

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the setups,

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the same,

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the looks the same.

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The product is the same.

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There's a trend now going on in Marla.

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I'm sure you know about it,

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but I just want to bring it up.

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So everyone's aware handmade is becoming the big thing.

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Now, I think we're all over this mass production.

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I'm going to have an outfit that looks just like my

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girlfriends. And a lot of people now are going back to

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what Marla has produced now,

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all along unique designers,

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unique trends and clothing and design and fabrics because it's become

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popular. And also people are really worried right now about the

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carbon footprint too.

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You want made in America,

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you want something unique.

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So where you say it was the times it's kind of

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interesting. Cause I think a lot of those times are now

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coming. Yeah.

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I also noticed that after my experience on project runway,

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I think that helped create interest in handmade.

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A lot of young people started taking an interest in making

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their own clothing.

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And since you've Brought that up,

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let's talk about that.

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When was That?

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It aired?

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I think we shot it in 2005.

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It was season two.

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Most of us had not watched the show season one.

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And I think that we didn't really know what we were

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getting into.

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So it shot in 2005 and eroding 2006.

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So you had already at that point opened your boutique and

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I want to go back and we'll talk about that in

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a little bit.

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We're going to just jump back and forth a little bit,

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but we might as well go with this since we're talking

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about it.

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All right.

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At that time,

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I would say that I,

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in the eighties,

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I started making women's clothing and I had various opportunities come

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my way.

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And in the nineties I launched my women's wear line and

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I had a rep in New York and I was doing

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trade shows around the country.

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So there were boutiques carrying my work 2001.

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I opened my own boutique.

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And so how did it come to pass that you approached

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or did you approach them?

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I didn't really know much about the show.

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I had a family member encouraged me to get on a

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mailing list.

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So I would know when the auditions were.

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And so I went to New York city with my samples

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in April of 2005.

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I figured I had nothing to lose.

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I stood in line with a lot of people for our

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interviews and that's how the process began.

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And so with interview after interview,

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they'd bring you in you'd show what you had and then,

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and then it would pass through and,

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or not.

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Right. Did you find out right there?

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No standing in line,

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they were doing these pre-interviews and then they whittled it down

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a little bit in that way.

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And then I did get a face-to-face interview with Tim Gunn

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and some other people from the show and I showed my

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line and they told me I was selected to go on

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to the next round of eliminations.

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So that was very exciting for me.

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So what happened after that continue with the story.

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This is,

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this is exciting.

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Now hearing about it.

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They told me that I had to have a three minute

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video of myself and I had to have it in Los

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Angeles in about 48 hours.

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So that meant that I had to shoot it the next

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day. So I contacted a friend who had a video equipment

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and we did a little story about myself in my studio

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and in my house,

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I talked a little bit about what I did,

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what I was doing at the time.

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And then I sent my video off to Los Angeles.

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And over the course of the next few weeks,

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I got calls from the producers and whoever.

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And I was asked a lot of questions and had to

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go through series of interviews.

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I had to kind of dig up some information for them.

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Then about a week before the show began,

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I was contacted and told that I was going to be

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on the season.

268
00:10:59,060 --> 00:11:01,850
So it was very exciting and very fast.

269
00:11:02,180 --> 00:11:03,980
Wow. That is exciting.

270
00:11:04,220 --> 00:11:06,410
And I want to stop the story for just a second

271
00:11:06,410 --> 00:11:07,130
right here,

272
00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:08,510
because I love the word.

273
00:11:08,510 --> 00:11:09,830
You said a little bit earlier,

274
00:11:10,010 --> 00:11:10,460
which was,

275
00:11:10,460 --> 00:11:12,050
you felt like you had nothing to lose.

276
00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,060
You really put yourself out there.

277
00:11:14,270 --> 00:11:15,320
A lot of people would say,

278
00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:15,770
well, yeah,

279
00:11:15,770 --> 00:11:17,270
I have a lot to lose because I'm going to feel

280
00:11:17,270 --> 00:11:20,000
terrible about myself if I don't get selected,

281
00:11:20,210 --> 00:11:23,630
but just took the chance and said,

282
00:11:23,690 --> 00:11:24,620
you have nothing to lose.

283
00:11:24,620 --> 00:11:26,240
No one needed to know you were doing that.

284
00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:28,190
But yourself in a small group of friends,

285
00:11:28,190 --> 00:11:31,970
if you elected not to broadcast to family and everybody that

286
00:11:31,970 --> 00:11:32,690
you were doing it,

287
00:11:32,900 --> 00:11:36,020
but had you not done that you don't know where you

288
00:11:36,020 --> 00:11:36,800
would be today,

289
00:11:36,830 --> 00:11:39,380
because you said that it's really helped you with your business.

290
00:11:39,830 --> 00:11:42,830
Yeah. A couple of things on that whole decision to do

291
00:11:42,830 --> 00:11:43,490
the show.

292
00:11:43,850 --> 00:11:44,570
First of all,

293
00:11:44,570 --> 00:11:47,330
I hadn't watched it before I auditioned.

294
00:11:47,750 --> 00:11:50,330
So I think that was helpful because I think had I

295
00:11:50,330 --> 00:11:50,930
watched it,

296
00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:52,760
I might've been intimidated.

297
00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:55,390
And so this way I really didn't know what I was

298
00:11:55,390 --> 00:11:56,080
getting into.

299
00:11:56,380 --> 00:11:58,360
And the other point I want to make is that when

300
00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:00,010
I was standing in line nearer,

301
00:12:00,010 --> 00:12:01,950
a lot of people in line with me on,

302
00:12:01,970 --> 00:12:02,830
I'll say hundreds,

303
00:12:02,830 --> 00:12:03,700
I don't really know.

304
00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,070
And I remember saying to myself,

305
00:12:06,340 --> 00:12:07,390
I know who I am.

306
00:12:07,780 --> 00:12:09,040
I know what I do.

307
00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:11,230
I know what I've done.

308
00:12:11,620 --> 00:12:15,970
And it's not going to really hinge on this experience.

309
00:12:15,970 --> 00:12:16,690
Nothing's going to,

310
00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:17,950
it's not going to change.

311
00:12:17,980 --> 00:12:20,800
It's not going to take anything away from who I am.

312
00:12:21,180 --> 00:12:23,610
So it's a good message for everybody,

313
00:12:23,970 --> 00:12:24,210
you know,

314
00:12:24,210 --> 00:12:26,220
no matter where you are and what you're doing,

315
00:12:26,550 --> 00:12:27,990
it doesn't take away just,

316
00:12:27,990 --> 00:12:28,260
you know,

317
00:12:28,260 --> 00:12:33,300
one event either accepted or passed over it.

318
00:12:33,300 --> 00:12:35,670
Doesn't define you and your business.

319
00:12:36,030 --> 00:12:39,180
It's so great Marla that you were saying that already to

320
00:12:39,180 --> 00:12:40,200
yourself, you know,

321
00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:41,880
before you really knew one way or another.

322
00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:43,380
So often we'll say that afterwards.

323
00:12:43,410 --> 00:12:44,040
Right. You know,

324
00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:45,030
like you want to feel better,

325
00:12:45,030 --> 00:12:47,310
so, or someone will say it to you,

326
00:12:47,610 --> 00:12:50,340
but that gave you the confidence just to do the very

327
00:12:50,340 --> 00:12:51,300
best that you could,

328
00:12:51,300 --> 00:12:54,900
your product was your product and it stands and speaks for

329
00:12:54,900 --> 00:12:55,980
itself. For sure.

330
00:12:56,370 --> 00:12:58,350
And you're also a great representation.

331
00:12:58,350 --> 00:13:00,420
We can all hear just by the way you speak,

332
00:13:00,900 --> 00:13:03,960
where you helping support people supporting each other in line.

333
00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,150
Were you guys talking with each other or was everyone in

334
00:13:06,150 --> 00:13:06,930
that kind of silent?

335
00:13:07,380 --> 00:13:08,820
Well, it was really interesting.

336
00:13:08,850 --> 00:13:09,720
I think that,

337
00:13:09,930 --> 00:13:10,200
you know,

338
00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:13,260
we were all talking and then people from the show were

339
00:13:13,290 --> 00:13:14,880
interviewing us in line.

340
00:13:15,180 --> 00:13:17,790
We have to fill out forms and they started asking us

341
00:13:17,790 --> 00:13:19,350
questions and taking pictures.

342
00:13:19,350 --> 00:13:19,620
I mean,

343
00:13:19,620 --> 00:13:21,660
the whole thing starts right off the bat,

344
00:13:22,050 --> 00:13:25,110
but I remember filling out some forms and one of the

345
00:13:25,110 --> 00:13:26,130
questions were like,

346
00:13:26,220 --> 00:13:27,630
what designers do you like,

347
00:13:27,660 --> 00:13:29,190
what designers don't like.

348
00:13:29,490 --> 00:13:33,420
And as I remember putting Michael Kors down as a designer,

349
00:13:33,420 --> 00:13:36,750
that wasn't one of my favorites not to take anything away

350
00:13:36,750 --> 00:13:37,170
from him.

351
00:13:37,170 --> 00:13:38,160
I think he's really good.

352
00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:38,640
But you know,

353
00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,610
I, I wasn't as drawn to his work as I am

354
00:13:41,790 --> 00:13:42,810
some of the other designers.

355
00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:45,000
And I didn't realize that he was a judge on the

356
00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,150
show. I'm sure they love that because they,

357
00:13:48,330 --> 00:13:51,540
I think they like anything that's kind of not safe.

358
00:13:52,380 --> 00:13:53,310
Yeah. Well,

359
00:13:53,310 --> 00:13:54,300
and creativity.

360
00:13:54,300 --> 00:13:54,690
I mean,

361
00:13:54,750 --> 00:13:57,150
that is a little bit scary as an artist because you're

362
00:13:57,150 --> 00:14:00,990
putting your personal work on display for critique,

363
00:14:01,290 --> 00:14:03,660
but creativity and write is very subjective.

364
00:14:03,660 --> 00:14:04,710
Some people are going to love it.

365
00:14:04,710 --> 00:14:07,200
And some people won't like it as much.

366
00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:07,410
I mean,

367
00:14:07,410 --> 00:14:08,670
that's just the way it is.

368
00:14:08,670 --> 00:14:11,100
That's the name of the game with creativity.

369
00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:16,560
Yeah. And I think also I tend to most admire some

370
00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:19,320
of the designers that are a little bit more beat.

371
00:14:19,620 --> 00:14:19,890
I mean,

372
00:14:19,890 --> 00:14:22,620
I like lots of designers for lots of different reasons,

373
00:14:22,620 --> 00:14:25,770
but probably some of my favorites are a little bit quirky.

374
00:14:27,630 --> 00:14:28,560
Gotcha. All right.

375
00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,350
I want to go back a little bit now and talk

376
00:14:31,350 --> 00:14:34,920
about when you made the decision to open a boutique and

377
00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:35,880
a design studio.

378
00:14:36,420 --> 00:14:40,260
I've had a design studio for most of my career out

379
00:14:40,260 --> 00:14:40,950
of the home.

380
00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:43,110
I always had really great spaces.

381
00:14:43,110 --> 00:14:44,580
I've just kind of lucked out,

382
00:14:44,970 --> 00:14:48,660
but this particular space I had looked at because there was

383
00:14:48,660 --> 00:14:51,860
an area in a town next to mine that starting to

384
00:14:51,860 --> 00:14:52,940
kind of blossom,

385
00:14:52,940 --> 00:14:54,050
then, you know,

386
00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,410
had some interesting little businesses opening up.

387
00:14:57,740 --> 00:15:00,920
And this one particular space caught my eye,

388
00:15:00,950 --> 00:15:04,550
but it was spoken for a national company,

389
00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,010
a woman who had a company called bluefish,

390
00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,470
which was opening a store in my area.

391
00:15:09,470 --> 00:15:12,140
And so she claimed the space and I met with the

392
00:15:12,140 --> 00:15:13,520
landlord and he said,

393
00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:14,150
he was sorry,

394
00:15:14,150 --> 00:15:15,470
but he couldn't rent it to me.

395
00:15:15,890 --> 00:15:16,160
I don't know.

396
00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:17,480
Sometime after they opened,

397
00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,720
they were having some kind of difficulties and she ended up

398
00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:22,130
having to close her business.

399
00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,280
And I walked in there one day on a whim.

400
00:15:25,550 --> 00:15:27,560
And the women working in the store said,

401
00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:28,190
well, you know,

402
00:15:28,190 --> 00:15:31,460
we're closing the store in about two or three days.

403
00:15:31,460 --> 00:15:34,310
And so I immediately went to the landlord and said,

404
00:15:34,340 --> 00:15:35,480
I want this space.

405
00:15:35,900 --> 00:15:36,890
And I feel,

406
00:15:36,890 --> 00:15:38,300
again, that I got really lucky.

407
00:15:38,710 --> 00:15:42,160
Here's something that I think our listeners would be curious about

408
00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,580
clearly starting to work out of your home,

409
00:15:45,580 --> 00:15:47,650
where you don't have all the overhead and all of that.

410
00:15:47,650 --> 00:15:50,620
And then making that first initial jump to have a space

411
00:15:50,650 --> 00:15:53,200
outside adds a lot to your costs.

412
00:15:53,770 --> 00:15:55,240
I'm really cautious too.

413
00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,630
I just want to say that I am extremely cautious in

414
00:15:58,630 --> 00:16:01,810
the decisions I make financially with my business,

415
00:16:02,500 --> 00:16:04,900
Where you feeling that your business had grown to a certain

416
00:16:04,900 --> 00:16:09,430
level, or were you feeling that your business would jump up

417
00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:11,230
because you were more visible?

418
00:16:11,350 --> 00:16:12,490
What was your thinking of saying,

419
00:16:12,490 --> 00:16:13,870
okay, this is a good idea.

420
00:16:13,870 --> 00:16:16,810
And I'm really asking you more in line for direction for

421
00:16:16,810 --> 00:16:18,640
people who might be considering something like that.

422
00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:19,210
Right now,

423
00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:23,980
I had a design studio that was pretty inexpensive in a

424
00:16:23,980 --> 00:16:25,030
space I liked,

425
00:16:25,330 --> 00:16:27,550
but I wasn't crazy about the neighborhood.

426
00:16:27,850 --> 00:16:30,610
And I think that I was feeling like it was time

427
00:16:30,610 --> 00:16:31,570
for change.

428
00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:35,470
And when I saw this neighborhood blossoming in my area,

429
00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,830
I think I was attracted to being part of a neighborhood.

430
00:16:39,190 --> 00:16:42,160
And I was very cautious and I did the numbers and

431
00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,580
I talked to one of my mentors and I realized that

432
00:16:45,790 --> 00:16:49,900
I could take on this responsibility that it was not going

433
00:16:49,900 --> 00:16:51,550
to, I mean,

434
00:16:51,580 --> 00:16:56,380
barring any terrible unforeseen circumstances that it would be something I

435
00:16:56,380 --> 00:16:57,100
could manage.

436
00:16:57,250 --> 00:16:59,680
Well, and it sounds like because you were recognizing that it

437
00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:01,150
was an up and coming neighborhood.

438
00:17:01,150 --> 00:17:03,580
And a lot of people are curious about something new.

439
00:17:03,910 --> 00:17:06,100
So if by development,

440
00:17:06,100 --> 00:17:09,190
in terms of residents and then also a new partial area

441
00:17:09,190 --> 00:17:10,360
with new shops coming up,

442
00:17:10,630 --> 00:17:12,370
my guess is that there was a lot of traffic.

443
00:17:12,370 --> 00:17:13,600
A lot of people wanted to check it out.

444
00:17:14,050 --> 00:17:17,830
Exactly. And I had my wholesale business and I was doing

445
00:17:17,830 --> 00:17:18,940
a few craft shows,

446
00:17:18,940 --> 00:17:19,930
not that many.

447
00:17:20,230 --> 00:17:21,880
And I had a lot of merchandise.

448
00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:23,170
And so when I opened the store,

449
00:17:23,170 --> 00:17:26,800
I had a lot of stock and I had a sale

450
00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,980
rack that people love a sale rack.

451
00:17:29,980 --> 00:17:31,480
So that was a great thing.

452
00:17:31,780 --> 00:17:35,020
And then I started shopping for the store and buying things

453
00:17:35,020 --> 00:17:36,670
that I thought were interesting.

454
00:17:36,850 --> 00:17:38,290
I had a great experience.

455
00:17:38,590 --> 00:17:41,890
I will say that in September was nine 11.

456
00:17:41,890 --> 00:17:45,280
And so retail businesses took a bit of a hit,

457
00:17:45,310 --> 00:17:47,590
but I always managed in that space.

458
00:17:47,590 --> 00:17:48,460
I'm still there today.

459
00:17:48,460 --> 00:17:49,620
15 later.

460
00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:53,160
That Is a great endorsement for sure.

461
00:17:53,490 --> 00:17:54,570
Are there any other tips,

462
00:17:54,570 --> 00:17:58,230
if someone is looking to turn now to go into a

463
00:17:58,230 --> 00:17:59,550
brick and mortar retail shop,

464
00:17:59,580 --> 00:18:01,260
not just a design studio,

465
00:18:01,500 --> 00:18:02,940
is there any tips,

466
00:18:03,060 --> 00:18:03,900
any suggestions,

467
00:18:03,900 --> 00:18:04,860
any advice for them?

468
00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:07,490
Well, I want to also add that.

469
00:18:07,730 --> 00:18:10,970
Yeah, the it's also my design studio and I don't depend

470
00:18:10,970 --> 00:18:13,280
on the retail to make a living.

471
00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:16,610
I think that's a whole nother thing onto itself and you

472
00:18:16,610 --> 00:18:19,100
really have to just be devoted to retail if you want

473
00:18:19,100 --> 00:18:20,720
to survive in a retail climate.

474
00:18:21,380 --> 00:18:24,440
So now you are also at craft shows.

475
00:18:24,830 --> 00:18:27,770
Talk us through a little bit about how do you decide

476
00:18:27,770 --> 00:18:29,390
what shows you're going to do.

477
00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:31,970
Give us a little bit of that in terms of how

478
00:18:31,970 --> 00:18:33,380
you work a show as well.

479
00:18:33,980 --> 00:18:39,680
I started by doing a couple shows in New York city

480
00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,830
where I developed a very loyal clientele.

481
00:18:43,220 --> 00:18:43,700
And for me,

482
00:18:43,700 --> 00:18:47,030
the craft shows were just kind of a bit of extra.

483
00:18:47,030 --> 00:18:50,090
My wholesale business was what I was focused on.

484
00:18:50,420 --> 00:18:53,030
Wholesale started to get a little trickier.

485
00:18:53,270 --> 00:18:56,270
Some of the stores were closing and I'd like doing the

486
00:18:56,270 --> 00:18:58,850
craft shows because I really liked being in touch with my

487
00:18:58,850 --> 00:19:02,990
customers rather than just putting my clothes in boxes and shipping

488
00:19:02,990 --> 00:19:03,560
them off.

489
00:19:03,890 --> 00:19:07,280
I find that I get a lot of immediate feedback from

490
00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:09,140
the women I sell to with craft shows.

491
00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:13,460
So I would say that it's been word of mouth from

492
00:19:13,460 --> 00:19:18,650
other artists who make recommendations and also customers who make recommendations

493
00:19:18,650 --> 00:19:20,960
on what shows they like to go to.

494
00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:24,380
And that's helped me decide where I want to apply.

495
00:19:24,740 --> 00:19:28,670
And it was really just a process of growing into these

496
00:19:28,670 --> 00:19:33,560
craft shows and discovering which ones were the ones that brought

497
00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:37,730
in the kind of women I typically sell to.

498
00:19:37,790 --> 00:19:43,280
And then there are shows that have prestige and shows that

499
00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,140
I aspired to be in,

500
00:19:45,140 --> 00:19:48,020
that I eventually became part of.

501
00:19:48,020 --> 00:19:51,410
And so it's been a process,

502
00:19:51,500 --> 00:19:54,860
but now I'm pretty entrenched in the craft show world.

503
00:19:54,890 --> 00:19:55,820
It's a lot of fun.

504
00:19:56,270 --> 00:19:57,770
Everyone helps each other out.

505
00:19:58,130 --> 00:19:59,270
They're intelligent,

506
00:19:59,660 --> 00:20:03,980
they're savvy and it's also very social.

507
00:20:04,250 --> 00:20:05,090
That's been working.

508
00:20:05,450 --> 00:20:06,140
That's Fabulous.

509
00:20:06,140 --> 00:20:07,400
How many shows do you do a year?

510
00:20:07,610 --> 00:20:11,420
The crashes I do about 15 to 20 shows a year.

511
00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:12,710
Wow. That's a lot.

512
00:20:12,830 --> 00:20:13,460
It's a lot.

513
00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:15,440
Is it concentrated into the summer?

514
00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:17,030
No, it's all year round.

515
00:20:17,030 --> 00:20:21,230
Actually. One of my favorite shows is in Chicago in December.

516
00:20:21,500 --> 00:20:22,490
The one of a Concho.

517
00:20:22,490 --> 00:20:23,480
I love that show.

518
00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:24,920
Oh, I didn't know you were there.

519
00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:25,970
I'll come say hi.

520
00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:27,080
It's awesome.

521
00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:28,520
They do that shot.

522
00:20:28,550 --> 00:20:29,120
It's huge.

523
00:20:29,120 --> 00:20:30,650
And it's really not one of a kind,

524
00:20:30,650 --> 00:20:33,920
but the people that produce the show are fantastic.

525
00:20:34,130 --> 00:20:36,020
Well, any of you who follow me on scope,

526
00:20:36,020 --> 00:20:38,600
if I go to one of the kind show in December,

527
00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:39,860
which is right around my birthday,

528
00:20:39,860 --> 00:20:40,250
by the way.

529
00:20:40,250 --> 00:20:43,070
So I love going with my girlfriends drop little hints here

530
00:20:43,070 --> 00:20:43,340
and there.

531
00:20:43,340 --> 00:20:46,700
Right. But maybe I'll just get Marla on a scope.

532
00:20:46,700 --> 00:20:48,010
So we see her in person.

533
00:20:48,010 --> 00:20:48,790
You never know.

534
00:20:50,380 --> 00:20:50,770
All right.

535
00:20:50,980 --> 00:20:52,870
So let me just clarify,

536
00:20:52,870 --> 00:20:54,490
because I wasn't sure as you were talking,

537
00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,180
I understand post-sale you wanted to do something to enhance that

538
00:20:58,180 --> 00:21:00,640
side of the business in terms of something additional.

539
00:21:00,940 --> 00:21:03,610
And so the craft shows have been really valuable and I

540
00:21:03,610 --> 00:21:04,660
love hearing this,

541
00:21:04,660 --> 00:21:06,910
and this is a note for all of us feedback from

542
00:21:06,910 --> 00:21:07,840
your customers,

543
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:08,860
what they're liking,

544
00:21:08,860 --> 00:21:09,700
what they're using,

545
00:21:09,970 --> 00:21:12,910
really a lot of help with the different types of shows

546
00:21:12,910 --> 00:21:14,920
that you go to do different shows,

547
00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:16,180
serve different purposes.

548
00:21:16,180 --> 00:21:18,550
So some might be because you're going to get direct to

549
00:21:18,550 --> 00:21:19,660
consumer input.

550
00:21:19,900 --> 00:21:23,980
And do you also get visibility for wholesale then from a

551
00:21:23,980 --> 00:21:24,940
lot of the shows as well?

552
00:21:25,410 --> 00:21:28,380
Some of the shows have a wholesale component.

553
00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,870
It's primarily retail though.

554
00:21:31,230 --> 00:21:34,830
I think that there's probably different areas of the country where

555
00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,220
women respond to different pieces of my line,

556
00:21:38,550 --> 00:21:39,990
but all in all,

557
00:21:39,990 --> 00:21:43,530
it's probably a very similar kind of customer that buys my

558
00:21:43,530 --> 00:21:45,180
clothing or is attracted to my,

559
00:21:45,930 --> 00:21:48,990
Do you bring different pieces then for different shows or different

560
00:21:48,990 --> 00:21:49,680
areas of the country?

561
00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:51,240
Somewhat. I do.

562
00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:53,130
And I also think about the season,

563
00:21:53,550 --> 00:21:53,790
you know,

564
00:21:53,790 --> 00:21:56,340
in the summer I have maybe more short sleeves than in

565
00:21:56,340 --> 00:21:56,940
the winter,

566
00:21:57,360 --> 00:21:58,140
that kind of thing.

567
00:21:58,410 --> 00:21:59,230
Right. All right.

568
00:21:59,250 --> 00:22:02,940
Let's just talk really briefly because you are such a professional.

569
00:22:02,940 --> 00:22:05,310
Now you have so much experience with craft shows,

570
00:22:05,580 --> 00:22:08,610
any suggestions for people in terms of how to work their

571
00:22:08,610 --> 00:22:09,840
space. You know,

572
00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:11,070
when they're actually there.

573
00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,580
One of the things that I think serves me well is

574
00:22:14,580 --> 00:22:18,360
that I try to really pay attention to the customer and

575
00:22:18,360 --> 00:22:21,120
listen to them and look them in the eye.

576
00:22:21,540 --> 00:22:25,170
And I never take for granted that they're looking to spend

577
00:22:25,170 --> 00:22:29,040
their money on my product and I value that.

578
00:22:29,340 --> 00:22:32,970
And so I really try to treat them with respect and

579
00:22:32,970 --> 00:22:37,770
make the process of trying on my clothes and find my

580
00:22:37,770 --> 00:22:41,850
clothing, a very pleasant experience and professional experience.

581
00:22:42,570 --> 00:22:44,670
Wonderful. So a lot of respect for the customer.

582
00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:48,540
Yeah. And do you try to capture their information,

583
00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:49,860
this isn't business to business?

584
00:22:49,860 --> 00:22:51,570
So they're not walking around with business cards.

585
00:22:51,780 --> 00:22:54,510
Do you try to do anything to be able to stay

586
00:22:54,510 --> 00:22:57,510
in contact with them after they leave your space?

587
00:22:58,380 --> 00:23:01,230
I try to get their email addresses and I don't send

588
00:23:01,230 --> 00:23:02,220
out a lot of mailings,

589
00:23:02,220 --> 00:23:04,380
but I like to do a mailing if I'm coming back

590
00:23:04,380 --> 00:23:05,100
to the area.

591
00:23:05,550 --> 00:23:08,490
So do you separate the emails then by event where you

592
00:23:08,490 --> 00:23:09,210
were captured?

593
00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:11,760
Yeah, I have weighted by,

594
00:23:11,810 --> 00:23:12,930
by location.

595
00:23:13,050 --> 00:23:18,180
Gotcha. And then at every show I meet a few customers

596
00:23:18,180 --> 00:23:20,670
that I really hit it off with and I learn a

597
00:23:20,670 --> 00:23:23,190
lot about them or I make it information.

598
00:23:23,190 --> 00:23:26,070
Net is something I aspire to do.

599
00:23:26,070 --> 00:23:29,970
And there's always something exciting that goes on at a show

600
00:23:29,970 --> 00:23:31,100
that I take with me.

601
00:23:32,130 --> 00:23:33,180
So they energize you.

602
00:23:33,180 --> 00:23:34,140
Like they energize me.

603
00:23:34,140 --> 00:23:35,730
It sounds like completely.

604
00:23:36,090 --> 00:23:37,050
I love craft shows,

605
00:23:37,050 --> 00:23:37,410
but I,

606
00:23:37,410 --> 00:23:40,050
for my other business do a lot of business to business

607
00:23:40,050 --> 00:23:43,230
trade shows and I love interacting with people.

608
00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,060
That's just the way it is.

609
00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:46,340
So it sounds like you're the Same.

610
00:23:46,550 --> 00:23:46,970
I do.

611
00:23:46,970 --> 00:23:50,570
I feed off the energy from my customers and I also

612
00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:55,010
enjoy the time I spend interacting with other artists.

613
00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:55,310
You know,

614
00:23:55,310 --> 00:23:57,770
we learn a lot from each other and I value that.

615
00:23:57,910 --> 00:23:58,900
Absolutely well.

616
00:23:58,900 --> 00:24:01,630
So that's something else that you get from doing the shows

617
00:24:01,630 --> 00:24:01,960
as well.

618
00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:02,950
And I also like,

619
00:24:03,220 --> 00:24:06,970
I really like what you talk about where you don't automatically

620
00:24:06,970 --> 00:24:08,890
assume that people are going to spend the money on your

621
00:24:08,890 --> 00:24:10,990
designs and you're very respectful.

622
00:24:10,990 --> 00:24:11,710
And you also,

623
00:24:11,710 --> 00:24:17,470
because I've been in your space that you're not pushy salesperson

624
00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:19,840
either. Don't you hate that when you're at any type of

625
00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:20,080
a show,

626
00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:22,660
whether it's a craft show or whatever you want to be

627
00:24:22,660 --> 00:24:25,660
acknowledging customers and let them know you're seeing them.

628
00:24:25,660 --> 00:24:26,170
And you're there to,

629
00:24:26,170 --> 00:24:26,380
you know,

630
00:24:26,380 --> 00:24:27,790
you don't want to be sitting in the back on a

631
00:24:27,790 --> 00:24:30,190
chair, reading a book and let people just look at your

632
00:24:30,190 --> 00:24:32,110
stuff, which so many people do,

633
00:24:32,410 --> 00:24:34,630
but you also don't want to be in their face.

634
00:24:35,110 --> 00:24:38,560
I noticed that I'm often alone in my booth,

635
00:24:38,590 --> 00:24:41,680
but occasionally I hire somebody to help me.

636
00:24:42,010 --> 00:24:44,080
And when there two of us in my booth,

637
00:24:44,410 --> 00:24:44,950
for example,

638
00:24:44,950 --> 00:24:45,730
at Highland park,

639
00:24:45,730 --> 00:24:46,960
I think when you were in my booth,

640
00:24:47,380 --> 00:24:51,010
I find that customers are more willing to approach my booth

641
00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,130
because maybe they don't feel so.

642
00:24:54,460 --> 00:24:55,060
I don't know.

643
00:24:55,150 --> 00:24:55,400
I know.

644
00:24:58,060 --> 00:25:00,520
Yeah. They're a little more relaxed when there's two of us

645
00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:01,240
in my booth.

646
00:25:01,660 --> 00:25:02,740
It's a funny thing.

647
00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:03,850
That's interesting.

648
00:25:04,150 --> 00:25:04,930
Very interesting.

649
00:25:04,930 --> 00:25:07,630
And then the other thing I noticed is that if there's

650
00:25:07,630 --> 00:25:09,730
a woman in my booth trying on clothing,

651
00:25:09,730 --> 00:25:12,280
it seems to attract other women.

652
00:25:13,450 --> 00:25:14,980
Yeah. Interesting points.

653
00:25:15,010 --> 00:25:16,150
I'd never thought of before,

654
00:25:16,630 --> 00:25:17,410
because sometimes,

655
00:25:17,530 --> 00:25:20,530
especially when you're looking at crafts and arts,

656
00:25:20,530 --> 00:25:22,240
you want to look at things and things,

657
00:25:22,830 --> 00:25:23,200
you know,

658
00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:24,940
so you don't really want somebody.

659
00:25:24,940 --> 00:25:25,180
I mean,

660
00:25:25,180 --> 00:25:28,390
I've walked out of shops before where they're being nice.

661
00:25:28,420 --> 00:25:29,050
Can I help you today?

662
00:25:29,050 --> 00:25:30,250
Are you looking for something special?

663
00:25:30,250 --> 00:25:30,580
It's like,

664
00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:31,930
okay, acknowledge me.

665
00:25:31,930 --> 00:25:33,360
But then let me just look and,

666
00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,120
and enjoy what I'm looking at.

667
00:25:36,430 --> 00:25:38,170
And some people just want to look,

668
00:25:38,170 --> 00:25:41,020
they have no intention of spending and I don't mind that

669
00:25:41,020 --> 00:25:41,530
at all,

670
00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:44,440
but I do want to give women a heads up about

671
00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:45,910
what my work is about.

672
00:25:46,210 --> 00:25:48,790
I give them a little info and then I back off

673
00:25:48,790 --> 00:25:49,990
so that yeah,

674
00:25:49,990 --> 00:25:51,490
they have the freedom to look around.

675
00:25:52,120 --> 00:25:54,040
And I also like them to feel like I have no

676
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:58,240
expectations. Great advice have not heard that before.

677
00:25:58,240 --> 00:25:59,860
Really interesting insight there,

678
00:25:59,860 --> 00:26:00,790
Marla, thank you.

679
00:26:01,060 --> 00:26:05,020
Sure. I want to spend now over into the reflection section,

680
00:26:05,020 --> 00:26:06,400
there's just a couple of questions,

681
00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,730
just little tips and things like that for our audience to

682
00:26:09,730 --> 00:26:10,630
learn from you.

683
00:26:11,050 --> 00:26:14,800
What is one natural trait that you call upon regularly that

684
00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:16,210
helps you be such a success?

685
00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:18,790
Well, I think I'm pretty outgoing.

686
00:26:19,030 --> 00:26:21,010
I sincerely enjoy people,

687
00:26:21,340 --> 00:26:24,280
but one thing I'd like to say is that I'm not

688
00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:28,240
afraid to work hard and I hope I'm not jumping the

689
00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:29,710
gun in this comment,

690
00:26:29,710 --> 00:26:31,120
but I'm tenacious.

691
00:26:31,180 --> 00:26:34,180
I think that is one thing that's really been helpful,

692
00:26:34,630 --> 00:26:37,930
Working hard and being tenacious and going for what you want,

693
00:26:37,930 --> 00:26:40,210
I think is a quality you have to have as a

694
00:26:40,210 --> 00:26:43,120
business owner because you're going to run into obstacles,

695
00:26:43,290 --> 00:26:45,270
challenges, and you have to,

696
00:26:45,570 --> 00:26:47,250
you have to pull from within.

697
00:26:48,290 --> 00:26:50,360
And another thing in making clothing,

698
00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:52,220
it's one thing coming up with the design,

699
00:26:52,220 --> 00:26:54,530
but then in the process of making them or getting them

700
00:26:54,530 --> 00:27:00,590
made, inevitably there's going to be occasional problems or obstacles.

701
00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:05,780
And I remember learning early on that kind of business is

702
00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:07,730
equates to obstacles.

703
00:27:07,940 --> 00:27:10,580
And so you can't let the obstacles get in your way.

704
00:27:10,910 --> 00:27:13,400
You have to think of it as a challenge and how

705
00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:16,160
you're going to get through the obstacle.

706
00:27:16,610 --> 00:27:19,130
Don't let it stop you That advice.

707
00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:22,070
Do you have one obstacle you'd be willing to share?

708
00:27:22,610 --> 00:27:27,980
Well, I think occasionally one of the things that I bump

709
00:27:27,980 --> 00:27:33,830
up against is I have more ideas and not enough resources

710
00:27:34,220 --> 00:27:35,900
to create them.

711
00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:40,190
And that might mean working with more people.

712
00:27:40,190 --> 00:27:42,920
And sometimes it takes me a while to realize what the

713
00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,050
problem is and how to solve it.

714
00:27:45,530 --> 00:27:46,910
So what do you do put your ideas,

715
00:27:46,910 --> 00:27:50,420
like in a little idea bank until you have the resources

716
00:27:50,420 --> 00:27:54,470
or personal or money or whatever it is to realize those

717
00:27:54,470 --> 00:27:56,030
ideas. Yeah.

718
00:27:56,030 --> 00:27:56,960
And I think that,

719
00:27:57,290 --> 00:27:58,070
for example,

720
00:27:58,070 --> 00:28:03,830
just maybe I'm wearing my one worker thin because she can't

721
00:28:03,830 --> 00:28:06,170
keep up with my ideas and it's occurring to me that,

722
00:28:06,170 --> 00:28:08,960
well, maybe I need to kind of reach out and find

723
00:28:09,230 --> 00:28:11,510
somebody else to help to pitch in,

724
00:28:11,540 --> 00:28:11,780
you know,

725
00:28:11,780 --> 00:28:13,400
nothing against the first one.

726
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:14,510
She's fantastic,

727
00:28:14,510 --> 00:28:18,020
but maybe owe it to myself to allow myself to maybe

728
00:28:18,020 --> 00:28:19,130
spend more money,

729
00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:21,200
to see where these ideas go.

730
00:28:21,620 --> 00:28:23,810
So at first your challenges that you're maybe a little bit

731
00:28:23,810 --> 00:28:25,340
resistant to do that,

732
00:28:25,340 --> 00:28:28,220
or you're recognizing that you have so many ideas that you're

733
00:28:28,370 --> 00:28:31,840
limiting your resources and personnel to the point you just said.

734
00:28:32,030 --> 00:28:32,990
Exactly. Yeah.

735
00:28:32,990 --> 00:28:36,770
Like sometimes I think I can't always recognize when I'm limiting

736
00:28:36,770 --> 00:28:40,760
myself. And what tool do you use regularly during your day

737
00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:44,870
to help you keep productive or to attempt at this hard

738
00:28:44,870 --> 00:28:46,040
thing of creating balancing?

739
00:28:47,060 --> 00:28:49,730
Well, I try to make lists all the time,

740
00:28:49,730 --> 00:28:55,430
so I stay on task because I get distracted and paperless.

741
00:28:55,670 --> 00:28:57,920
It is actually although more and more,

742
00:28:57,920 --> 00:28:59,480
I'm putting notes in my phone,

743
00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,000
but I like the feel of paper.

744
00:29:02,150 --> 00:29:03,650
It's kind of like cloth.

745
00:29:03,890 --> 00:29:05,480
Yeah. They're pen and paper lists.

746
00:29:06,020 --> 00:29:08,600
So are they lists of things you need to do during

747
00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:09,890
the day or lists of,

748
00:29:13,250 --> 00:29:15,920
I have the list of the day-to-day things.

749
00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,620
Maybe like in the morning when I go into my studio,

750
00:29:18,650 --> 00:29:21,830
I just make a little list of simple things that I,

751
00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,380
I know I want to accomplish that day.

752
00:29:24,380 --> 00:29:28,400
And so then I can see the progress and then I

753
00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:32,600
maybe have a list of things I aspire to just kind

754
00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:34,070
of a broader category.

755
00:29:34,070 --> 00:29:35,930
It's something that takes more time.

756
00:29:36,380 --> 00:29:37,640
Right. And you're on the road a lot.

757
00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:39,410
Now, obviously with the shows,

758
00:29:39,740 --> 00:29:42,880
is there any app or anything that you're using to keep

759
00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:44,080
yourself organized?

760
00:29:44,350 --> 00:29:45,160
When you're traveling?

761
00:29:46,020 --> 00:29:48,210
I was using an app called TripIt,

762
00:29:48,570 --> 00:29:51,330
which would store a travel information.

763
00:29:51,630 --> 00:29:53,910
Generally try to put things on my calendar,

764
00:29:53,910 --> 00:29:54,780
on my phone.

765
00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:58,650
And then I also have a notebook where I keep track

766
00:29:58,650 --> 00:30:02,880
of various hotel reservations and things like that.

767
00:30:03,270 --> 00:30:03,690
Got it.

768
00:30:03,810 --> 00:30:06,360
It's amazing because there's so much technology now.

769
00:30:06,420 --> 00:30:09,930
And so many people answer this question similarly,

770
00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:12,930
and that is still the physical pen and paper,

771
00:30:13,260 --> 00:30:13,470
you know,

772
00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:14,520
having that accessible.

773
00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:17,610
Yeah. A lot of people say that Because the act of

774
00:30:17,610 --> 00:30:22,740
actually physically writing that imprint something in your brain.

775
00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:24,300
Yeah. I agree.

776
00:30:24,660 --> 00:30:27,360
Have you read a book lately that you think our listeners

777
00:30:27,390 --> 00:30:28,320
would find value in?

778
00:30:28,770 --> 00:30:30,300
I was thinking about that question.

779
00:30:30,300 --> 00:30:31,440
I love to read.

780
00:30:31,830 --> 00:30:34,380
I tend to read fiction.

781
00:30:34,950 --> 00:30:39,780
I love to hear stories about how people overcome the odds.

782
00:30:40,410 --> 00:30:40,680
You know,

783
00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:43,590
Malcolm Gladwell has written a lot of interesting books.

784
00:30:43,950 --> 00:30:45,510
There's sociology books,

785
00:30:45,510 --> 00:30:48,510
but I love to hear stories and read stories about how

786
00:30:48,510 --> 00:30:49,770
people overcome the odds.

787
00:30:50,010 --> 00:30:54,150
But also a book I read that I loved was called

788
00:30:54,150 --> 00:30:55,290
a fine balance.

789
00:30:55,380 --> 00:30:56,910
And it's about life in India.

790
00:30:57,060 --> 00:31:00,960
It made me realize living in the United States,

791
00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:02,760
most of us had it really good.

792
00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:06,660
The things that we take for granted at our fingertips is

793
00:31:06,660 --> 00:31:08,700
amazing. And that in some countries,

794
00:31:08,700 --> 00:31:10,530
especially in third world countries,

795
00:31:10,530 --> 00:31:13,020
a lot of people don't have the same human rights we

796
00:31:13,020 --> 00:31:14,550
do. And it's painful.

797
00:31:14,550 --> 00:31:18,540
We have a long way to go in some countries before

798
00:31:18,540 --> 00:31:20,940
we can consider ourselves civilized.

799
00:31:21,300 --> 00:31:23,460
Anyway, I'm not getting too political here,

800
00:31:23,460 --> 00:31:24,240
but No,

801
00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:25,020
I think you're right.

802
00:31:25,020 --> 00:31:25,260
I mean,

803
00:31:25,260 --> 00:31:27,960
I've been fortunate enough to travel to a lot of third

804
00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:28,530
world countries.

805
00:31:28,530 --> 00:31:29,160
I've been to India,

806
00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:30,750
I've been to Africa and you know,

807
00:31:30,750 --> 00:31:33,750
you come back and not all of our listeners are from

808
00:31:33,750 --> 00:31:35,280
America. In fact,

809
00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,670
I interviewed Katie leaky who makes those Zulu grass bracelets.

810
00:31:39,210 --> 00:31:39,960
Oh yeah.

811
00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:41,370
That was just a few episodes ago.

812
00:31:41,370 --> 00:31:41,790
You guys,

813
00:31:41,790 --> 00:31:45,420
and she lives in the rift Valley in Kenya and those

814
00:31:45,420 --> 00:31:47,820
bracelets are made by the Mussai women.

815
00:31:48,210 --> 00:31:49,560
And you know,

816
00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:52,950
you get an insight into life everywhere else.

817
00:31:52,950 --> 00:31:54,390
When you live in America,

818
00:31:54,750 --> 00:31:58,650
all of this seems very standard and regular because we've known

819
00:31:58,650 --> 00:32:00,000
it since we were young,

820
00:32:00,030 --> 00:32:00,180
you know,

821
00:32:00,180 --> 00:32:01,500
our whole lives really.

822
00:32:01,530 --> 00:32:06,300
But I love that you selected this book because I'm makes

823
00:32:06,300 --> 00:32:07,860
me interested in reading it too,

824
00:32:07,860 --> 00:32:08,580
because you know,

825
00:32:08,580 --> 00:32:09,990
it makes us appreciate what we have.

826
00:32:09,990 --> 00:32:13,260
And it also makes us appreciate how much further we have

827
00:32:13,260 --> 00:32:15,510
to go for all of humanity.

828
00:32:15,510 --> 00:32:16,230
Right? Yeah.

829
00:32:16,230 --> 00:32:19,080
Something as simple as having like clean water coming out of

830
00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,180
the tap that we just take for granted,

831
00:32:21,660 --> 00:32:24,780
Give biz listeners just as you're listening to the podcast today,

832
00:32:24,780 --> 00:32:27,930
you can also listen to audio books and I'm curious,

833
00:32:27,930 --> 00:32:30,510
maybe a fine balance is on audio books,

834
00:32:30,570 --> 00:32:33,570
but I've teamed up with audible and you can get your

835
00:32:33,570 --> 00:32:35,640
first audio book for free.

836
00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,100
If you haven't done so already on me,

837
00:32:38,190 --> 00:32:38,940
all you need to do,

838
00:32:39,110 --> 00:32:39,890
go to gift biz,

839
00:32:39,890 --> 00:32:43,730
book.com and make a selection of a book you'd like to

840
00:32:43,730 --> 00:32:44,390
listen to.

841
00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:45,320
That's cool.

842
00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:47,120
Yeah. All right,

843
00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,760
Marla, I'd like to invite you now to dare to dream.

844
00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,430
I would like to present you with a virtual gift.

845
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:57,320
It's a magical box containing unlimited possibilities for your future.

846
00:32:57,620 --> 00:33:01,070
So this is your dream or your goal of almost unreachable

847
00:33:01,070 --> 00:33:02,960
Heights that you would wish to obtain.

848
00:33:03,260 --> 00:33:06,140
Please accept this gift and open it in our presence.

849
00:33:06,500 --> 00:33:07,730
What is inside your box?

850
00:33:08,570 --> 00:33:13,700
I would love the gift of working in a creative environment

851
00:33:14,060 --> 00:33:15,860
around other creative people.

852
00:33:16,250 --> 00:33:19,670
I love to take workshops because the energy,

853
00:33:21,470 --> 00:33:25,370
my dream is to maybe work on a day-to-day basis,

854
00:33:25,910 --> 00:33:28,190
working in the midst of other creative people.

855
00:33:28,610 --> 00:33:29,840
Along with that,

856
00:33:30,290 --> 00:33:35,270
I really admire people who go to foreign countries to get

857
00:33:35,270 --> 00:33:37,760
the products made and work with local people.

858
00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:41,240
And so in my adventure,

859
00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:43,610
I would maybe travel to Bali,

860
00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:49,160
Vietnam, and work with local people to create some product.

861
00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:50,270
I love that.

862
00:33:50,270 --> 00:33:52,700
That goes back to your book because it's kind of like

863
00:33:52,700 --> 00:33:55,910
let's lift everybody a little bit higher in this world.

864
00:33:56,300 --> 00:33:58,490
If our listeners are interested and they see some of your

865
00:33:58,490 --> 00:33:59,390
designs online.

866
00:33:59,750 --> 00:34:03,560
Well, I have some things that you can find online if

867
00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:04,460
you Google me.

868
00:34:04,460 --> 00:34:07,820
But right now my website is being redesigned.

869
00:34:07,820 --> 00:34:09,920
So my Facebook page,

870
00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,950
Marla Duran design has some images.

871
00:34:13,340 --> 00:34:14,810
And what can I say?

872
00:34:14,810 --> 00:34:15,800
You can email me.

873
00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:18,110
And I'll announce when my website is complete.

874
00:34:18,380 --> 00:34:19,040
Well, you know what?

875
00:34:19,460 --> 00:34:21,770
Your website is going to be on the show notes page

876
00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:23,630
it's Marla duran.com.

877
00:34:23,690 --> 00:34:27,020
Yes. And the nice thing Marla about these podcasts is people

878
00:34:27,020 --> 00:34:29,240
will listen the week that it goes live,

879
00:34:29,270 --> 00:34:31,190
but they're on for forever.

880
00:34:31,220 --> 00:34:34,100
So people like to go back and listen to other episodes.

881
00:34:34,100 --> 00:34:36,620
So there may be someone who's listening a year from now

882
00:34:36,650 --> 00:34:39,680
and by then your website should be up maybe even sooner.

883
00:34:40,310 --> 00:34:42,020
Exactly. All right.

884
00:34:42,050 --> 00:34:44,300
Wonderful. Thank you so much.

885
00:34:44,330 --> 00:34:48,620
I really appreciate your joining us today and interesting information in

886
00:34:48,620 --> 00:34:52,040
terms of your insights on how to work a craft show

887
00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:53,870
booth and how to interact with customers.

888
00:34:53,870 --> 00:34:55,550
That's stuff that I haven't heard before.

889
00:34:55,550 --> 00:34:59,240
So great information for our listeners and the thing that I

890
00:34:59,240 --> 00:35:00,530
really, really liked.

891
00:35:00,530 --> 00:35:04,010
And I appreciate you sharing besides your whole story is just

892
00:35:04,010 --> 00:35:07,220
the confidence you have as a creator and your willingness to

893
00:35:07,220 --> 00:35:10,790
take risks and nothing to lose that your mindset.

894
00:35:11,090 --> 00:35:12,020
I really appreciate it.

895
00:35:12,020 --> 00:35:12,980
I look forward to seeing you.

896
00:35:12,980 --> 00:35:14,870
I might see you at the one of a kind show

897
00:35:14,870 --> 00:35:16,130
here in a couple of months.

898
00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:16,760
You never know.

899
00:35:17,930 --> 00:35:20,900
And I wish for you is always continued success.

900
00:35:20,990 --> 00:35:22,880
May your candle always burn bright,

901
00:35:28,660 --> 00:35:31,750
Learn how to work smarter while developing and growing your business.

902
00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:35,500
Download our guide called 25 free tools to enhance your business

903
00:35:35,500 --> 00:35:36,010
in life.

904
00:35:36,250 --> 00:35:38,850
It's our gift to and available at gift biz,

905
00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:43,320
unwrap.com/tools. Thanks for listening and be sure to join us for

906
00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:44,280
the next episode.

907
00:35:47,510 --> 00:35:53,930
Print company is more popular now.<inaudible>.