Urban Ninja
[su_spotlightheader who=”Erica Easley” what=”Founder, Gumball Poodle” where=”Los Angeles, CA”]
We’ve all had that moment when we think to ourselves, why doesn’t anyone just make this? Erica Easley had that moment in 2008, during the presidential election, when she wanted a pair of socks that would boldly announce her support for her candidate – below the knee. The difference between the rest of us and Erica is that she did something about it. Flash forward seven years and hundreds of socks later and today, Easly is the owner of Gumball Poodle, a worldwide sock company that counts Madonna and Beyoncè among its fans. Based out of Los Angeles, Gumball Poodle has a statement sock for every mood, so your fashion can speak for you. I sat down with Easley to talk about her inspirations, sexism in fashion, and what she learned from her UPS driver, Gus.
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How did Gumball Poodle get started?
Gumball Poodle was started as a fluke: in 2008, when everyone was excited about the election and there were Obama t-shirts, bobble heads, toilet paper, etc., I really wanted Obama knee socks. When I looked around, no one was making them. So, I decided to use some fashion industry connections and make OBAMA knee socks myself. I thought they were going to be a fun, one-off project but the world’s first presidential knee socks were wildly successful, selling through several manufacturing runs and garnering national press (LA Weekly, The Oregonian, Marie Claire, etc.). When the election was over, I decided to try making a few more sock styles…And I’ve never looked back.
[quote_right]You learn a lot about yourself and what you are capable of when you build a company. Personality is vastly more important than schooling.[/quote_right]Where did the idea come from?
Random. It came out of a Friday afternoon conversation over margaritas with a friend from Oregon, in the Spring of 2008. Creating socks was truly impulsive.
Ha! So drinking does help spark inspiration. How did you manage to put together financing & gather resources? I made the first batch of socks with $2,400 from my savings and then worked my butt off. I lived modestly and I’m fortunate enough to have many talented and supportive friends who have, and continue to, share their abilities with me. I’ve never focused on what I don’t have, or what I should need, to make my business successful. Instead, I look at what I do have and think about what I can make out of it. Bootstrapping forces you to really understand your business and what is important.
Did you have a background in business before you started?
I was an English major who would never have considered herself an executive, a manager or someone who wanted to run a business. You learn a lot about yourself and what you are capable of when you build a company. Personality is vastly more important than schooling.
How much has your business grown since your first pair of socks? We’ve had an incredible trajectory since our first year, basically doubling sales year over year every year since 2009. We’ve grown from a company where everything operated out of my apartment (including inventory and shipping!) to a brand sold worldwide, with offices in Downtown Los Angeles. Beyoncé and Madonna wear Gumball Poodle! That’s pretty surreal.
But the thing I’m most proud of is still just randomly spotting people wearing our socks – seeing what people are doing in our socks, and where in the world they are wearing them is always inspiring.
That’s amazing. Did you have any business mentors?
I know it sounds like a cliché, but I am very lucky that both my boyfriend and my father are successful business owners and some of my best advisors. Their perspective on business is very different, so I turn to them for different things, but it’s been incredibly helpful to have both of them supporting me.
Wendy Lazar, the genius designer of the I Heart Guts brand, was so encouraging, too – she introduced me to a lot of other young business owners, gave me trade show guidance, etc. Wendy really showed me the ropes and opened me up to the excitement of being an entrepreneur. She was the first business owner to champion our socks.
I also have a great group of friends who have been cheerleaders and helpers since day one.
I am very fortunate, and I marvel at the people who are successful without similar support networks.
Yes, we also don’t know how people do it alone. Do you believe work-life balance is an achievable goal? Well, it’s something I’m working on. I’m a workaholic by nature; I don’t like to “relax.” Relaxing for me is getting things done.
What does a typical day in your life look like? Wake up at 6 am. Run. Emails, phone calls, email. Walk the dog. Afternoons are for creative reflection, talking with my team, putting out fires. Walk, garden, cocktail, dinner with my boyfriend and/or friends, music, read. Bed.
Do you have a favorite indulgence?
I’m a shopaholic (antiques and vintage clothes). I also love a good drink – right now it’s Campari and tonic.
Any books, art, or media that inspire you?
Andy Warhol, The Misfits and Ramones, New York Dolls and Johnny Thunders. Elvis Presley and Motley Crue. Fiorucci. Cyndi Lauper, Boy George and Rick James.
What advice would you give to your 18-year old self or to would-be entrepreneurs? I had no self-confidence at 18; I would encourage myself to take the risks I always thought about and stop holding back. As for entrepreneurs, I hate to quote a corporation but Nike is right: Just Do It. With whatever you’ve got, start pursuing your idea…Don’t wait for funding, or the perfect time to launch. Get out there and work, work, work. You’ll amaze yourself!
[quote_left]…like the guy who accidentally sent me a reply email intended for his business partner, saying socks were a joke and he’d only work with me if I was hot. I kept his sexist email on my wall for several years – it was good, kick ass inspiration.[/quote_left]Do you find fashion to be a more welcoming place for female entrepreneurs?
Many of my biggest supporters and best advisors are men. That said, I’ve also experienced some blatant sexism – so insulting, and I didn’t realize people still thought or acted that way…like the guy who accidentally sent me a reply email intended for his business partner, saying socks were a joke and he’d only work with me if I was hot. I kept his sexist email on my wall for several years – it was good, kick ass inspiration.
Wow. What do you consider to be your hardest won or most treasured life lesson?
One of my most prized lessons came via our regular UPS driver, Gus. As I was building my business, I’d see Gus almost daily with deliveries and shipments. I didn’t have any employees. I could be having the most hellish, stressful day and then a quick conversation with Gus – he always has a genuine smile, truly positive energy – would totally change my mood. He made me realize how the simplest kindness can make the biggest difference in someone’s day. I really try to emulate Gus’s spirit and remember small, genuine gestures can make a huge difference in someone’s day, whether a friend or a stranger.
How do you see your future?
Who knows? But I really hope it involves Morocco or India and lots of good books, good drinks and good people! The adventures and experiences you never expected are always the best.
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[su_photo_credit_1_photographer photolink=”http://andywindak.com”]Andy Windak[/su_photo_credit_1_photographer]
Sunny days are here again! While we may not be able to spend every waking moment of it on the beach, we can bring summer into our own home. Mr Jason Grant’s newest book, Away at Home, takes all his inspiration from road trips, beach houses, boutique hotels and long summers on the coast to show you how to bring that style into your own space. The Sydney-based interior stylist and lifestyle blogger has put together page after page of eye candy to inspire you to make your home feel like a vacation all year round.
[su_spotlightheader who=”Freya Estreller” what=”Co-Founder, Cool Haus and Founder, Ludlows Cocktail Co” where=”Los Angeles, CA”]Freya Estreller has this entrepreneur thing down. Having already started a successful business, Cool Haus with her partner Natasha Case, she decided to tackle the world of spirits by launching Ludlows Cocktail Co, a line of pre-packaged premium alcoholic jelly shots using all natural ingredients and quality spirits, henceforth elevating the jiggling shots you remember from college. We talked to her about finding funding, supporting female entrepreneurs, and having drinks with Supreme Court justices. [/su_spotlightheader]
What is Ludlows Cocktails and how did you get started?
Ludlows Cocktail Co. is a start-up focused on crafting fun, innovative, and premium spirited products using all-natural ingredients. We wanted to do something a little “disruptive” in the industry, where there are very few female or millennial owned brands.
I was with a couple friends who were entreprenurs as well, and we wanted to work on a new venture together. For some reason, we kept going back to Jell-o Shots and how no one had reinvented them. It seemed like a good niche to tackle, especially since the alcohol indsutry is super competitive and we had to stand out immediately. We raised a few hundred thousand from friends and family, both equity and debt, and then ran a kickstarted campaign, most of which went to product development and inventory.
What gave you the courage to take the entrepreneurial leap? I feel like my creative output is starting businesses. I also want to live the life I want to live, so being an entrepreneur and working for myself affords me that freedom.
Did you have a background in business before you started? I have a major in Sociology and minor in Business & Organizational Studies. One of the most formative jobs I had in college was actually as a door-to-door sales person. I then worked in real estate development and finance as a Project Manager for 6 years before doing Coolhaus full time.
You launched Ludlows Cocktails on Kickstarter. Was that a calculated move to generate funding or awareness or both? It was definitely more for the marketing than the funding. We wanted to build a community of people who were excited about the product to act as our “unofficial” brand ambassadors. It also forces you to get the word out and do some marketing and PR on your own. If you look at it from that perspective, it is a successful model.
In CoolHaus, you meshed architecture and ice cream, and in Ludlows you have the love child of craft cocktails and jelly shots, clearly you have a knack for finding new niches. How was that instrumental in the success of your brands? I feel like you have more creative freedom when you pick a niche. I think that’s where the “mash-up” inspiration happens, within these constraints. It’s also a good go-to market strategy.
[quote_left]I feel like you have more creative freedom when you pick a niche. I think that’s where the “mash-up” inspiration happens, within these constraints. It’s also a good go-to market strategy.[/quote_left]You’ve dabbled in more than one foodie enterprise, would you consider yourself a foodie? A couple friends have dubbed me a “consuminator.” I like EVERYTHING from the tasting menu at L’Arpège in Paris to a Del Taco chicken flatbread taco. I don’t discriminate (nor judge!).
Do you have a desert island meal? I have to go with an old school surf and turf with wedge salad and dirty martini with blue cheese olives. Preferably from somewhere like Taylor’s or Peter Luger’s.
You have partnered with women (Natasha Case in Cool Haus) and have gone it alone (Ludlows). What are the pros and cons of a partnership versus a solo act? Always have a partner. Do not go it ALONE. I actually started with a partner at Ludlows, but he dropped out right when we were going to launch. Recently, Ludlows just partnered with David Kaplan, Alex Day, and Devon Tarby from Proprietors LLC, on our bottled spritz line slated to come out later this year. And I am currently looking for a more day-to-day partner…just putting it out there!
In the alcohol world, I’m sure it’s quite the boys club. Has that been challenging as a woman? Absolutely, but it has also been an advantage. I don’t feel like I have to do anything a certain way, which can be liberating. But, it is 100% a boys club. I see more and more female bartenders and brand owners, but we need more female ownership/management/buyers at the distribution and retail level.
Having run two successful female run businesses, how important is it for women to support each other? Do you believe work-life balance is an achievable goal? It is of paramount importance that women support each other. We should all be forming “advisory boards” for ourselves with other women that have complimentary skill sets and to whom we can turn to for advice. I think achieving work-life balance can be easier when you own your own business. It just takes a little bit of time to get the business to run without you so you can work ON the business, and not necessarily in the business.
What advice would you give to your 18-year old self? To start a business back then! You really can never be to young to start. Use your youth to your advantage.
With whom (living, deceased, or fictional) would most like to have a drink with? What would you drink? Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, especially because I apparently lived in her room at my AEPHI sorority at Cornell. We’d drink Vieux Carres.
What do you consider to be your hardest won or most treasured life lesson?
That you accept the love and respect you think you deserve. As women, we need to think and dream bigger. This was actually one reason given by a male friend at a Venture Capital firm on why more men vs women get funded.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
Running a female fund investing in other female entrepreneurs by the time I’m 40.
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