Check her our: Kelly Hill of Lace Bridal Couture

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What exactly is your business?

I own two bridal gown stores.  One is called Lace Bridal Couture and the other is called Love Curvy Bridal.  Lace Bridal Couture caters to the fashion forward, chic & modern bride.  We sell bridal gowns ranging in price from $1,000 – $6,000.  Love Curvy Bridal caters to the fashion forward, chic & modern bride sizes 16-32.  We specialize in offering a large selection of plus size wedding gowns in an intimate boutique setting that is comfortable for the bride and her bridal party.  Love Curvy Bridal is now also the ONLY plus size bridal boutique in the Cincinnati area!

How did you come up with your business idea?
My husband and I were brainstorming on retail business ideas and we came up with the idea of bridal consignment.  At the time, there was only one bridal consignment store in the Cincinnati area, and it was not located in the Reading Bridal District.  We quickly found a location in the bridal district and opened our bridal consignment boutique called “Yours Truly, Kelly.”  This is how we started the bridal business.  We work very quickly 🙂  My background is in Fashion Merchandising and retail management.  However, I had never been in the bridal industry.  Lots of trial and error, and lots of learning.  Once we secured enough money to start a special order bridal business, we then transitioned into Lace Bridal Couture.  I knew I eventually wanted a high end bridal boutique, but having to purchase so many samples for the store gets very expensive!

How did you find out about Aviatra?
At the time, it was called Bad Girl Ventures.  I had been following BGV ever since its conception, before I even knew what my business was going to be.  I was determined to own my own business and I feel that by following BGV, it gave me the motivation and determination to follow my dream.

What is your inspiration?
I would have to say that my biggest inspiration would be my desire to be a great example to my children.   I want them to see that by hard work and determination and never giving up, you can live your dream!  


What has been your biggest accomplishment with your business so far?
The biggest accomplishment for the business has been the way we have grown into two very successful businesses in a short period of time.  In just 6 short years, we have grown from a bridal consignment store that opened with only 6 gowns in the store to two very profitable special order bridal stores with over 500 gowns to choose from.  And the business just continues to grow with a new building acquisition and a new business venture on the horizon!

What was the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra?
Being a part of the Aviatra finalist team, I learned so many valuable lessons, from how to write a business plan, to how to fill out an accounting worksheet.  Every single class was so informative and I believe it helped me to grow my business even quicker and better.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?
The biggest challenge was the lack of funding.  I grew my business very organically.  Every expense was paid for out of pocket from my husband and I.  All money generated from the business went right back into the business for at least 3 years.  I did not take out any small business loans or ask for any funding.  I was fortunate that the very first month I was in business, I was able to pay my rent and expenses.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years?
I have so many plans for the near future.  We plan to expand our Love Curvy Bridal store to other states in the next year.  It has been a business that has been untapped in the bridal market and we believe that it will benefit many brides in surrounding states.  We also plan on starting non-profit charities once my husband and I do not have to work the business on a day to day basis.  We would much rather put our money and efforts into helping others in need.

Any advice for future Aviatras?
 Never give up!  There are so many times that I thought I was making so many poor decisions that were affecting my business, but I stuck it out because I did not want to work for someone else ever again!  I knew that being an entrepreneur was my life long calling.  I am so glad that I kept my determination since I cannot even fathom doing anything other than what I am doing now.  Being your own boss is the absolute best!! 🙂

The Surprisingly Simple Secret to Better Marketing

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The Surprisingly Simple Secret to Better Marketing

Most entrepreneurs start their business because they are passionate about what they do. They have an idea or a craft that fills them with excitement, motivates them, and keeps them moving forward. They get a ton of joy and satisfaction from their work.

Unfortunately, though, a lot of small business owners make the mistake of thinking that passion and excitement are all they need for a successful marketing plan. The truth is, “being passionate” is not a very good marketing strategy.

Marketing before Brand-Building Doesn’t Work

Over the last few years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Grateful Grahams‘ founder Rachel DesRochers. Rachel is one of the most passionate entrepreneurs I’ve ever met. She puts her heart and soul into everything she does.

And she had a great product – handmade, small-batch, vegan grahams. But these are unlike any graham cracker you’ve ever had; they’re more like delicious, soft, and chewy cookies.

Rachel had a ton of passion combined with a great product. But there was a problem. Sales were flat. Her marketing wasn’t working.

She wasn’t communicating who she was and what her brand was all about, she wasn’t connecting with the right people, and she wasn’t able to stand out on those crowded cookie-aisle shelves.

Build Your Brand before Your Marketing

Before trying any more marketing, Rachel and I took a step back and started working on building her brand from the ground up.

First, we took a look at the purpose behind her business. It turns out she has an amazing mission – to spread a message of gratitude, one graham at a time. She even refers to Grateful Grahams as “A gratitude company that happens to sell cookies,” as opposed to a cookie company that talks about gratitude. We made this message her North Star. Every decision going forward had to line up with this purpose.

Next, we took a look at who she was serving. We then created a more accurate definition of Grateful Grahams’ ideal customer. We used words and images in our marketing campaigns that spoke directly to them. We even asked people what they were grateful for and then printed their responses on bags. It was a compelling way of connecting with customers while also (literally) spreading messages of gratitude.

Finally, we took a look at the competition. We saw what everyone else was doing and came up with a few ways we could stand out on those crowded supermarket shelves. We combined the handmade look of a kraft bag with bright, bold labels to create a unique look for a Grateful Grahams.

Once Rachel got intentional about building her brand, her marketing started working. And armed with better marketing, sales began to take off. Kroger soon took notice, and today you can find Grateful Grahams in 89 Kroger stores around the US.

The Simple Secret to Better Marketing

Here’s the simple secret: If your marketing isn’t working as well as you’d like, take a step back and get intentional about building your brand first.

Here are a few questions you can answer  today to start improving your marketing:

Who are you? You need to be able to communicate your purpose clearly. Why do you do what you do? What is your mission? Give people a reason to care about you.

Who is your customer? Who are you serving? What are their hopes and dreams? What do they worry about? What problems do you help them solve? Get to know more about them than just surface-level demographics.

How are you different? Why should anyone choose you? Do a little research on your competition. You’re looking for a unique angle, for cracks your brand can fill. Find ways to stand out, and give people something to talk about.

This is just the tip of the brand-building iceberg, but it’s a good start. Having compelling answers to these three questions will help your marketing work much better. It’s simple, but it’s not easy. It takes a bit of work to get it right, but the payoff is well worth it.

About the Author

Patrick McGilvray is an experienced brand strategist and creator of The Brand Sketch—courses and community designed to help solo entrepreneurs build more profitable, more sustainable brands. Sign up for your free brand-building course today at www.thebrandsketch.com.

Check Her Out: Natalie Bauman of SimplyTold!

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What exactly is your business?
The Digital Mosaic is streamlined video content creation platform, using the SimplyTold app to instantly and easily capture custom content.

How did you come up with your business idea?
I’ve been a video professional my entire career, and saw a huge void for both families and businesses between user-generated content and a managed online platform.

How did you find out about Aviatra?
I was introduced to Aviatra when it was still Bad Girl Ventures by JumpStart and some other women business owners. The appeal of applying to the program was both the loan competition to get my business off the ground, but also the business boot camp to fill in the many things I didn’t know about starting and running a business.

What is your inspiration?
Even though the business applications of the SimplyTold app and video platform have become the main focus of my work, I’m regularly moved by how it often impacts individuals and their families as they document their important stories and share them with their loved ones. Knowing I’m making that possible means a lot to me. I’m starting a collaboration right now with a local museum gathering Holocaust survivor stories that gets right to my heart. I’m helping people preserve their personal and community history. That matters.

What has been your biggest accomplishment with your business so far?
Because SimplyTold is a new way of gathering, managing and sharing video content, it’s taken a while for people to hear about it, and thinking of ways in which the searchable platform can help their organizations and businesses. We’ve reached a point now that other people are spreading the word about SimplyTold because they know it will be helpful. When those stories get back to me it’s pretty satisfying.

What was the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra?
Aviatra required me to think critically about my business, and practicing how to share it with others by presenting my pitch over and over. While the vision has evolved since then, the process we went through is often part of my planning process. The connections I made during the class with my peers, and with the people who came in to teach us various business aspects continue today.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?
My biggest challenge when I started The Digital Mosaic was clarifying who my ideal audience should be and the business model that fit my growth and revenue objectives. Now my challenge is figuring out how to take the leap from a very busy individual with great clients and a team of trusted contractors to become a larger company. It’s an interesting middle-ground.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years?
In five years, I hope to have a presence with non-profits, museums, libraries and large community organizations around the country, with an online automated offering that delivers a new way to facilitate onboarding, training, and marketing support for businesses and other organizations.

Any advice for future Aviatras?
My best advice for future Aviatras is to always take baby steps. Even small momentum forward will be meaningful over time. Try things. Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most people who have been successful have gotten there with the help of those who came before, and are glad to reciprocate with newer entrepreneurs. And finally, your mis-steps and mistakes will be your best teacher – try not to repeat the same ones.

Check Her Out: Jessica Krogman of J Kro Designs!

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What exactly is your business?

I sell handmade jewelry, stationary and home decor on Etsy.

How did you come up with your business idea?

I have always been crafty and love making gifts for others.  I love finding unique jewelry and gifts on Etsy, so thought I would open a shop of my own.

How did you find out about Aviatra?

I heard about Aviatra in a business class at NKU.  We were talking about venture capitalists in the Greater Cincinnati area.  My professor was talking about how Aviatra helps woman owned businesses and I knew I wanted to go through their program one day, and I did.  I went through the program with an old business partner for a pet sitting business we were running.

What is your inspiration?

My inspiration is my passion for creating.  I love to write and express myself through my creativity.  I love small boutiques as opposed to shopping malls and department stores.  I’m inspired by all of the other creative, passionate and bad ass woman opening and running businesses.  Who run the world?!

What has been your biggest accomplishment with your business so far?

This business is new for me so my biggest accomplishment is taking it from and idea to up and running while working a third shift job in a veterinary hospital.

What was the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra?

I met so many strong woman who are inspirations and the business owners I want to be.  You can make so many amazing business connections and learn so much from all of the people in the program.  If you have a question, there is someone in the program who can help you.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?

My biggest challenge right now is trying to narrow down the direction I want to take J Kro Designs in.  I’m constantly coming up with ideas of different things I want to make so I have to reign myself in and focus on a few things until I figure out what works, what’s selling and what I enjoy make the most.  That’s why I’m starting my shop on Etsy, to figure out what people are liking before I move on to a bigger platform.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years?I imagine moving my store from and Etsy shop to my own website.  I would also like to have people selling my products in their boutiques.  I could also see myself opening a brick and mortar store one day.

Any advice for future Aviatras?

My advice for future Aviatras is to get to know as many people in the program as you can.  I had just started my pet sitting business when I was going through the program.  I was stressed and tired.  I wish I would have built more connections.  There are so many amazing people to learn from.

Check Her Out: Suzanne Davis of Urbane Society!

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What exactly is your business? 
Urbane Society is a new, sophisticated, membership-based salon concept for men and women that offers unlimited services at a reasonable monthly cost. We offer the same cost for services as a typical salon per year, spread out through fully customized subscription packages designed to fit our guests’ needs and desires. We also have a full a la carte menu for those that feel the membership model is not for them.

How did you come up with your business idea? 
I love the salon industry! In no other industry can you use your creativity, physical skills, and entrepreneurial spirit to directly enhance someone’s life and how they present themselves to the world.  We get to physically touch and alter the way someone looks and feels in a world where it is becoming easier to drift away from a person to person experience. I worked at one of the top 20 salons in America for many years, heavily involved in management and education. I was approached by a few investors to open salons over  the course of my career, however I never wanted to. I always thought that this career was leading me to something else, I just wasn’t sure what that was.

The last time I was approached, my immediate response once again was, “No thank you. I am not interested.” That night I thought to myself: “Why do I immediately reject the idea of owning a salon?” I decided to make a list reflecting my hesitations, and the reasons became obvious. There are significant challenges I intimately experienced working within the structure of the traditional salon model; unsteady revenue, significant loss of revenue in cancellations, and high turnover, to name a few.

Never being one to back down from a challenge, I chose to come up with a plan to solve those challenges. At this time the subscription model in business was popping up everywhere. Exploring the idea of a membership model for the salon industry almost immediately solved the major problems that turned me off from owning a salon. Then the question became “Why don’t salons do this already?” Well, some do. In my research I was able to find many spas and barbershops that adapted to a membership model, but no “salons.” I knew that the model would work for a salon I also realized the hesitation and challenges it would produce. I would simply have to combine my creative skills and knowledge as a stylist as well as a manager in order to create a model that worked.

About two months into my planning I was beaming with excitement. On paper, not only did the membership model make sense for the salon professional and salon owner, but the consumer as well, almost too good to be true. It was then my job as a stylist to prove it could be done within the salon. I then began to develop a technical system and map out how the whole operation would work.

As I was becoming more knowledgeable in businesses within a subscription service, I started to see articles about a salon in LA that had just opened and was a “members only salon.” They were offering a membership as one monthly service per member. That was all I needed to reaffirm that my idea wasn’t crazy and that I knew I could do it better with “unlimited” services.

How did you find out about Aviatra? 
As I was exploring funding options with SBA they suggested I go through the Aviatra program.

What is your inspiration? 
My inspiration are the challenges in life. To feel passion about the people and beauty that surrounds us, the drive, the ups and downs, it all intertwines to create inspiration. I definitely prefer a roller coaster to a merry go round. Challenges in every aspect of my life have inspired greatness. I hate to going through them at the time, but I have learned they are absolutely there to make you better and create strength.  It was important for me to show my young daughter that I can do this even through the many hardships. My family, my late boss, my peers, my clients, they all inspire my drive in my profession and in my person to create this life. Passion for me is everything.

What has been your biggest accomplishment in with your business so far? 
My biggest accomplishment was putting aside my stubbornness to realize I needed to open this small location to prove concept before I can create my full vision.  It took me way too long to realize that because I knew the model will work and just assumed everyone could see what I know to be true. What I needed to understand was that no one would risk their money on me with my “idea” that wasn’t proven and I couldn’t prove the concept in someone else’s salon.  I needed to take the smaller step first, risk my own money to prove that it works on a small scale.

I would say accompanied with that realization, my ability to open this location in October while pregnant, raising my daughter, and going through a very draining and significant personal hardship added to the accomplished feeling. I went back to work 4 weeks after my little guy joined our family in Feb. Looking back I really don’t know how I did it. It is all a blur. You need to have the right people in your life at the right time. I am very grateful.

What is the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra? 
I joined Aviatra at the idea phase of my business, so in my head I had to prove to the world this will work without any revenue or other businesses to point to prove it can be successful. Having other like-minded entrepreneurs ask the tough questions and challenge your concept really helped foster a solid game plan moving forward with the business. The most valuable thing I gained was a solid base of organization from idea phase to fruition. The reoccurring experience of pitching the concept to varied audiences helped tremendously when it came time to articulate and pitch to investors as well as my clients.

What is the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business? 
When you are looking to disrupt an industry that has used the same methodology for decades, you are faced with much negativity and have to have some pretty tough skin. There are a lot of people who will tell you it will never work. As a woman “stylist” looking to create major change, you face even more discrimination towards your abilities. Not to mention you end up pitching to a lot of men who go to Great Clips for their $10 cuts, and have NO idea how much their wives spend at the salon. Part of me felt bad for their wives as I opened their eyes to that realization and they started checking the credit card statements! Nonetheless I consistently felt the needed to prove myself over and over again. That was the biggest challenge. Yes, it was challenging to find funding, to create a business plan, and financial projection, but those are things you expect to be a challenge. To share your ideas as an entrepreneur is like exposing a deep dark secret to strangers. Having to constantly prove yourself to others, and even yourself I found to be more challenging than anything.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years? 
 In five years I would love to have a larger location for the real “Urbane Society” secured. I also am learning that the software I am using, although great, isn’t intuitive for the needs of a salon. Knowing nothing about tech, my five-year ambitious goal would be to have started development of software focused on the salon industry that specifically utilizes the membership model.

Any advice for future Aviatras? 
Just do it! Don’t wait for “the right time.” There never is one. Know your weaknesses and don’t waste time trying to improve in those areas to prove you can do it all. You can’t. Find the right people to help you in those areas. Be knowledgeable about everything but an expert at a few things. Don’t ask others input on every detail. As an entrepreneur you know in your gut what you need to do, now DO IT!!!

Check Her Out: Tracy Macmorine from Wrap Artistry!

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What exactly is your business?
Wrap Artistry LLC offers custom gift wrapping for all occasions, gift concierge services, seasonal and custom gift baskets, and a curated selection of gifts designed for relaxation and self-care.

How did you come up with your business idea? 
It started as just holiday gift wrapping, then I offered embellishments, put together some fun & funky paper and ribbon pairings and learned how to make fancier bows (thanks to YouTube). When I was wrapping at TriCounty Mall on the same day they offered free gift wrapping, yet I still had steady traffic and even a line, I knew I was on to something.

How did you find out about Aviatra? 
The day after Christmas I was determined to come up with a plan to sustain the business year- round, but had no idea how. I thought about how immersed our area is in startups, so I googled Cincy Startups and found the Start Up Cincy website. It had info on a number of small business accelerators, and Aviatra seemed to be the best fit.

What is your inspiration?
I think it’s a combination of many things:

– My dad was a successful entrepreneur, as is my nephew (he and his wife, Lindsey started the Sol Angeles clothing line).

– I’ve always been creative and worked in the arts over 20 years.

– Starting in 7th grade, my mom gave me the responsibility of wrapping all of the family Christmas gifts–sometimes even my own. She’d tell me they were for someone else- so the tennis racket I wrapped for my brother ended up being for me, just like the bathrobe I wrapped up for my cousin. LOL!  Anyway, she was pretty particular in her standards and if the wrapping paper was too loose or too much tape was showing I would have to rewrap it. She helped to develop my aesthetic appreciation, as well as the belief that a lovely presentation is one way of expressing how much you care.

What has been your biggest accomplishment with your business so far? 
I think it’s that I just dove in and started doing it without getting stuck in analysis paralysis. Were mistakes made? Sure, but I have learned so much! And I’m eager to keep learning!

What do you hope to gain from your experience with Aviatra?
I hope to gain a support system of women who both cheer me on and challenge me to grow.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?
I hadn’t really done any planning; it was just a spur of the moment idea. I had been out of work for a year and very down on myself, doubting my capabilities, wondering if I did anything well. And it struck me, I’m really good at wrapping presents. It may be kind of silly, but why not? Surely there are people that either don’t like to wrap or don’t have time to wrap, or aren’t good at wrapping. That’s a service that I could provide. This was at the beginning of November, and I soon learned that all of the holiday markets had been booked months prior. So I decided it was a lesson learned, put my name on their waiting lists (with no real hope) but thought I could take some time and be really prepared to do this the following year. Before I knew it my phone and email were exploding with opportunities to wrap at various craft show events. It turns out nobody else was offering gift wrapping services, so when a cancellation came up I’d get moved to the top of the list.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years? 
I hope I can develop Wrap Artistry into a sustainable, full-time brick and mortar business with a strong online presence, focusing on Gifting Concierge Services as well as gift wrapping.

Any advice for future Aviatras?
I’m still very much a beginner with so much to learn, I think my only words of wisdom at this point are to be brave… trust that your ideas are valid and you can put them into action!

Check Them Out: Pat Fettig and Brett & Dadnitri Johnson!

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What exactly is your business?
We own a Venezuelan Food Truck called Empanadas Aqui. We specialize and feature Venezuelan Street Food. Through the love of cooking and authentic family recipes, Pat Fettig, myself (Brett) and Dadnitri Johnson started an Empanada Food Truck in the Greater Cincinnati area in the Spring of 2014. When Dadnitri moved to Cincinnati from Caracas, Venezuela in June of 2012 and we got married, a lot had changed for her. Because she missed home so much, we decided to start a food truck that would bring a taste of Dadnitri’s home to Cincinnati. With Pat’s marketing and market research background, my experience in the food and hospitality industry, and Dadnitri’s recipes, the food truck was the perfect idea.

How did you find out about Aviatra?
Pat came across an organization called Aviatra that we decided to go through for a crash course in how to run a business. We decided that we would apply to be a finalist in the running for a $25k loan at the end of the class, and if we were a finalist, we would continue the class. We didn’t really think it through to consider what would happen if we didn’t make the cut. The help and support we found through Aviatra was incredible. There were no stupid questions and we could ask anyone for help. The organization of Aviatra did an excellent job finding the right field experts each week to come in, share, and answer our questions that we had. Even though we did not win the $25k loan, Aviatra backed us as a sponsor through KivaZip to crowd fund $10k to start our truck and get us going. This was a huge help and I don’t know that we could have started successfully without this support.

What is your inspiration?
Ever since the beginning of our story, we have been inspired by a passion to bring Venezuelan food to the streets of Cincinnati. Venezuela is a beautiful country and we want our city to see and experience that as much as they can. Every day we are motivated to bring our best representation of what we love about Venezuela. We focus on fresh food made with love and we hope people can feel that.

What has been your biggest accomplishment with your business so far?
So far in our business, our biggest accomplishment has been our Food Truck Team Members. We have worked hard to find just the right people to work with us to accomplish this passion we have. We have found the best people around to make, create, and serve our Venezuelan food to their fellow Cincinnatians. We find it very easy to brag on our team and we fiercely defend our work culture we have worked hard to establish. We are thankful that we get to pursue our dreams each day and there are amazing people who come along side us and continue to make it happen.

What was the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra?
The most valuable thing we have taken with us from our time going through Aviatra are the connections we made. We have several ongoing business partnerships and relationships that we started while going through the course. In most days, I forget the info that I learned in the classes, but I am always reminded of the friendships and partnerships we made through Aviatra.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?
Our biggest challenge we faced while starting our business was that none of us were an expert in the fast food service industry. None of us were professionally trained in the culinary world and we were still just crazy enough to want to jump into a food truck. There was a very large learning curve that we had to go through. It all ranged from what kind of meats to buy for our carne mechada, how many people to properly staff for each event, scheduling the right events, finding our niche market, and making sure that we still made enough money to ultimately pay our own bills.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years?
In 5 years, we honestly do not have any expectations about ourselves or Empanadas Aqui. We have thrown the idea around about a brick and mortar spot but I don’t know that that is where our heart is at the moment. We love having our food truck and it is very hard to imagine doing anything else at this point.

Any advice for future Aviatras?
For any future Aviatras, I’d say to go in each course with an open mind and an eagerness to form relationships outside of the classroom. As far as the course work was concerned for us, I wish I paid more attention while learning about Accounting and Finances. Now that I am actually in the thick of doing the work, I wish I had a better idea of what I am actually doing. But 5 years ago while going through the class, I never once thought I’d be doing this part of our business. That was not how our responsibilities were divided. Since then, that has changed.

Check Her Out: Becca Cowles of Vagabond Salon!

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What exactly is your business?
I own a private hair studio that focuses on exceptional cut and color, while promoting an eco-friendly approach to hair care and the salon industry as a whole.

How did you come up with your business idea?
I came up with the idea on how I wanted to expand my business simply by daydreaming about it. Salons are notoriously wasteful and I wanted to build a space where I could create and feel good about what I was (or rather, wasn’t) putting back into the environment. I started to look into green business practices, things I could implement immediately into the salon and what I would want to do when I opened my own salon. One thing led to another, research led me to Aviatra! Aviatra gave me a platform to network and those connections have gotten me to where I am today. Ready to build my dream salon.

How did you find out about Aviatra?
I found out about Aviatra through online research. I was looking for resources for women in business. I loved the way the presented themselves online.

What is your inspiration?
I am inspired by the individuals I work with every day and anyone taking the initiative to make the world a better place for themselves and others.

What has been your biggest accomplishment with your business so far?
My biggest accomplishment in business so far is having the courage to branch out on my own and pursue my dream. The connections I have made in my community are making my dream of owning Cincinnati’s first portable, eco-friendly salon a near reality.

What was the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra?
Aviatra gave me the courage as a woman to follow my dream. It was an invaluable experience to hear that I was not alone in my hesitation to become an entrepreneur and to have the support of such an awesome network of women.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?
The biggest challenge I’ve faced is building a clientele from scratch. When I left my previous salon to work for myself, I left behind my entire client list that I had spent 5 years building. All I had was believe in myself and my craft. It was terrifying to start over but through hard, quality work and personal connections I have a larger and more loyal clientele base than ever before.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years?
In five years I hope to be thriving in my “tiny” salon and working with an architect on creating a Vagabond Salon that could be purchased by and shipped to stylists in different cities.

Any advice for future Aviatras?
My advice for future Aviatras is to put the work in. This program gives you all the tools to be successful, you just have to use them. Take advantage of the resources they give you and ask questions. Women can do ANYTHING and together we are unstoppable.

Check Her Out: Lisa Woodruff of Organize 365!

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What exactly is your business?
Organize 365 is an online home organization company that helps you get your home and your paperwork organized through podcasts, books and online programs.

How did you come up with your business idea?
When I was turning 40 I was ready to start my LAST entrepreneurial business and the one thing I knew I could talk about for the next 25 years was how to organize your home and your paper.

What is your inspiration?
My inspiration is helping women at home who are overwhelmed because they feel that their homes are out of control and that they are slaves to the daily to-do.  I want them to feel empowered and in control of their lives and that comes through getting organized.

What has been your biggest accomplishment with your business so far?
Being able to create an online program that works!  The 100-day home organization program virtually walks women, anywhere in the world, in any sized home, through getting their entire home organized in 100 days. The Sunday Basket system does the same thing for their kitchen countertop papers and mail.

What was the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra?
The realization that there is no getting to a certain level in business.  That the longer you are in business, the more experience you have, and the more opportunities and challenges you have to overcome. Growing a business is a lifelong journey in self-fulfillment

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?
Knowing what I don’t already know.  Every time I get ready to do something new in my business I don’t know what I don’t know and so it is hard to Google the answers.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years?
I hope to be a $10 million business in 5 years that is serving thousands of women in multiple countries.

Any advice for future Aviatras?
Follow your gut and take the next step, that is what every business owner does.

 

Check Her Out: Leah Gourlie of LaLa Custom Cake!

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What exactly is your business?
LaLa Custom Cake is a custom cake boutique catering to weddings, birthday, and every other cake occasion. We design cakes starting with the delicious insides with creative and fresh flavors then build a beautiful centerpiece customized to our client’s personality and vision.

How did you come up with your business idea?
I started out cooking in the savory fine dining world. Out of curiosity, I took a fondant cake decorating class about 9 years ago, and loved it, soon after that LaLa Custom Cake was born.  I wanted to approach cake from a culinary standpoint focusing on flavor and texture first to give guests not only a beautiful cake, but an unforgettably delicious experience.

How did you find out about Aviatra?
I started selling cupcakes at various markets around and began following other small business owners on social media. I heard of Aviatra through a few fellow market vendors who had enrolled in the program.

What is your inspiration?
I love to bake and love good food! I want each customer to have a delicious dessert experience with our cakes. I love bold colors and bold decor and unexpected elements that make our cakes unique.

What has been your biggest accomplishment with your business so far?
So far, my biggest accomplishment with LaLa Custom Cake has been maintaining a storefront for the last year and half. We currently have 2 employees and are slowly but steadily growing our customer base and profits each month.  While we have a long way to go, it is encouraging to know that each month we are doing better than the previous year and continue to book more weddings and specialty cakes as more customers discover our shop.

What was the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra?
Moving the company from a home-based business to a brick and mortar storefront was much more difficult than I could have imagined.  Aviatra helped to give me a good idea of all of the challenges and different aspects of running a business.  From legal help to financial spreadsheets I gained so much knowledge from each class that ended up being crucial as I moved forward into a brick and mortar. Aviatra also gave me a great network of other entrepreneurs and professionals to lean on when I need advice, services or just moral support!

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?
Being a baker at heart, it has been tough to learn the business side of running LaLa Custom Cake.  While I enjoy running the business as the owner, I’ve had to learn how to do a little bit of everything to keep the business moving forward.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years?
In 5 years I hope to have LaLa Custom Cake positioned as one of the top go-to custom cake shops in the area for weddings as well as all other cake needs.

Any advice for future Aviatras?
Running a successful business requires a lot of homework and research, as well as an exceptional product or service.  The exceptional product/service is usually the easier part of being an entrepreneur because it’s what we are most passionate about, but equally important if not more important is a well-run well organized business.  Aviatra is a great crash course on everything you need to run a great business, and has given me invaluable resources and connections that I would have spent years trying to figure out on my own.