Chase Your Dreams Glynis Tao

Summary

In this episode, Carol Shih, founder of ⁠Qode Space⁠, a Shopify web development and creative agency, shares her journey and the ethos behind her business and community work. Her approachable and outgoing personality, combined with a deep understanding of the challenges and nuances of being an Asian female entrepreneur in tech, allows her to connect and uplift others who face similar challenges and experiences. Not only does Carol share valuable advice for e-commerce business owners, she also shares about the impact of creating meaningful connections, embracing one's identity, and openly giving and asking for help from peers in the industry and wise mentors. As she balances her professional goals with motherhood, Carol also shares her honest perspective around “wanting it all” and how certain aspects of American Westernized culture can create challenges for mom entrepreneurs.



About Carol Shih

Carol Shih is an Australian-Taiwanese immigrant and the founder of Qode Space, a female and minority-owned web development agency. With a focus on Quality, Community, Transparency, and Purpose, Carol is committed to fostering inclusivity in the tech industry for women and minority leaders. She aims to balance the industry by delivering outstanding and high-quality design development work for e-commerce business owners. Additionally, Carol serves as a senior partner for Major Asians, an organization dedicated to providing exclusive and unique branding strategies to the AAPI community.

Contact info

Website: ⁠https://qodespace.com/⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/karolz/⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shihcarol/⁠



Takeaways


Leaning on your network and mentors can provide valuable support and insights as a founder.


The vision and mission of a company should align with its core values and target audience.


Understanding customer behavior through data analysis is crucial for effective website development.


Avoid the common mistake of trying to replicate competitors without considering your own unique customer base. Using data and analytics is crucial for making informed creative and development decisions.


Balancing design aesthetics with conversion optimization is a challenge, but it's important to prioritize functionality and best practices for better conversion rates.


Having mentors and a supportive community is essential for overcoming entrepreneurial challenges.


American Westernized culture which tends to be more individualistic than other cultures can create challenges of isolation for mom entrepreneurs who think they have to do it all.


Qode Space aims to continue supporting e-commerce clients for web development as well as be an incubator for young females in tech, and support Asian-founded brands.


The A Major Asians podcast highlights and supports Asian-founded brands and aims to create a more inclusive community.



Chapters

00:00 Overcoming Challenges and Leaning on the Network

10:13 The Vision and Mission of Qode Space

15:26 The Common Mistake of Replicating Competitors

29:39 Using Data and Analytics to Inform Creative and Development Decisions

32:57 Balancing Design Aesthetics with Conversion Optimization

38:37 The Importance of Mentors and Community Support

43:53 Impact of American Westernized culture on mom entrepreneurs

46:40 Future vision for Qode Space

50:49 Major Asians: Highlighting and Supporting Asian-Founded Brands

Maggie Lord, founder of Rustic Wedding Chic, shares her journey of starting, scaling and selling her online publication while balancing motherhood. In this episode, you will learn about how Maggie started with blog writing and eventually worked with vendors in the wedding industry, diversified her revenue streams, and adopted new digital platforms to grow her audience, up until she sold the company to David’s Bridal. Maggie also talks about her current role as a strategic advisor to female-founded brands and shares her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

About Maggie Lord

Maggie Lord was an early pioneer in the online digital wedding media space, establishing her media company Rustic Wedding Chic in 2008. As a founder and CEO of Rustic Wedding Chic, Maggie led the company for 12 years before it was acquired by David’s Bridal in 2020. Maggie is also the author of six books. Today, Maggie has become a sought after strategic advisor to female founded brands allowing her to focus on sharing her knowledge and expertise with other like-minded entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses. Maggie and her businesses have been featured in the New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, Business Insider, Success Magazine, and much more.

Contact Info:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggielordandcompany/

In this episode, Kristi Soomer, founder and CEO of ethical clothing brand Encircled, shares her insights on entrepreneurship in the fashion industry.

About Kristi Soomer

Kristi Soomer is a visionary entrepreneur and sustainability advocate known for her work as a founder and CEO of the slow fashion brand Encircled. With a background in management consulting, retail and supply chain management, Kristi brings a wealth of expertise to the sustainable fashion space. Holding both an MBA and bachelor's degree in business administration prepared her for the challenges of disrupting the traditional fashion industry.

Encircled, under Kristi's leadership has become a beacon for ethical production, eco-friendly materials, and versatile garment design. As a certified B Corporation, Encircled exemplifies Kristi's commitment to making a positive impact on the environment, her team, and her customers.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Kristi shares her insights on sustainable fashion at conferences, events, and podcasts, inspiring others to embrace conscious consumption. Kristi Soomer's dedication to her community, philanthropic efforts, and passion for ethical practices are demonstrated through her coaching and online education business at kristisoomer.com where she helps up and coming entrepreneurs learn how to scale their business through coaching, her eCommerce Maven podcast, Facebook community and mentoring.

Summary

Kristi Soomer emphasizes the importance of understanding your customer and differentiating your brand. She discusses the evolution of Encircled from a travel clothing brand to a versatile athleisure brand. She also shares her motivation for starting her own business and the initial hurdles she faced. Kristi highlights the value of finding support and mentoring, as well as the need to adapt to industry trends. She offers advice for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs and gives a sneak peek into upcoming projects for Encircled.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristisoomer/

Website: https://www.kristisoomer.com/

Company Website: https://www.encircled.ca/

Encircled Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/encircled_/

In this episode you will discover the journey of Canadian fashion designer, Linda Lundström. 

Linda shares her insights on embracing change, the impact of technology in manufacturing and why challenges should be seen as gifts. Join us for inspiring conversation with this true fashion innovator.

About Linda Lundström

Linda Lundström is an award-winning fashion designer, lean manufacturing practitioner, inspirational speaker, Indigenous ally, and creative director of online outerwear brand Therma Kōta.

Linda’s career spans over five decades in the fashion industry. She's well known for designing and building the Linda Lundström brand and a state-of-the-art Canadian lean manufacturing facility. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including three honorary PhDs. She was named to the Order of Ontario in 1995 and received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013. She is recognized as a champion of First Nations awareness, ethical manufacturing practices, and a proud supporter of the Made in Canada label. Linda's entrepreneurial journey is marked by synchronicity guided by mantras from her parents and a deep commitment to social responsibility.

Summary

Linda Lundström, a renowned Canadian fashion designer, shares her journey of resilience, innovation, and spirituality in the fashion industry. With over five decades of experience, she emphasizes the significance of seeing every life event as a gift, even setbacks like her company's bankruptcy in 2008. Lundström highlights the importance of paying attention to the universe's signs and believing in one's path. Her career is marked by her dedication to Canadian manufacturing, ethical practices, and empowering Indigenous communities through the Sewing Circle Project. She also discusses the transition from running a multimillion-dollar business to founding Therma Kōta with her daughters, focusing on sustainable, made-to-order outerwear.



Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehackslinda

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lundstromlinda/

Website: www.thermakota.com

Today is a solo episode where we're diving into the essential habits that will pay off for your online fashion business. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the vast world of e-commerce marketing, you're in the right place.

E-commerce marketing can be a daunting task, but fear not! Today, we'll break down five key habits that won't break the bank but will significantly impact your online fashion business.


Habit #1: Improve the Shopping Experience


Recommend Best Sellers on Your Home and Product Page

Habit #2: Show Social Proof


Display Customer Reviews and Testimonials Everywhere

Habit #3: Do Email Marketing


Collect Addresses and Send Newsletter Emails Regularly

Habit #4: Create Better Blog Content


Publish High-Value Blogs that are Search Engine Optimized

Habit #5: Improve Your Copywriting


Have a Clear Call To Action

How many of these marketing checklist items are you currently implementing on your fashion e-commerce website? 

Maybe you’re nodding with full satisfaction because you’re using all these strategies for fashion marketing already, or perhaps you feel your jaw starting to tense a little because you realize—you’ve been missing out on some key opportunities to drive conversions.

It’s okay. The truth is, every business has room to grow and improve no matter where they are at with their marketing. It’s never too late to get started on building good habits!

Resources mentioned:

Blog writing tips to help your brand stand out

Discover your fashion entrepreneur archetype. Take the quiz: ⁠⁠https://glynistao.com/quiz/⁠⁠

Join the free Apparel Workshop Community

My guest today is Sherri Langburt, CEO & Founder of BabbleBoxx and has been a pioneer in the influencer marketing space since 2007. A passion for storytelling and brand marketing, and
a desire to create an innovative social media solution led Sherri to create BabbleBoxx - the influencer marketing agency best known for its co-sampling and signature box strategies.

In this episode, Sherri highlights the significance of influencer marketing for fashion brands in today's digital landscape. She talks about what criteria fashion brands should consider when identifying potential influencers to collaborate with.

You'll learn why it's important for a fashion brand to align with influencers who resonate with their target audience. Including
what are some key considerations and best practices when negotiating partnerships with influencers.

Lastly, she talks about what are some ethical and legal considerations that fashion brands need to be aware of when working with influencers.

You can find out more about Sherri Langburt on her website: https://babbleboxx.com/ Her Instagram is instagram.com/babbleboxxofficial/

Discover your fashion entrepreneur archetype. Take the quiz: ⁠⁠https://glynistao.com/quiz/⁠⁠

Join the free Apparel Workshop Community