You know that dress that your daughter just won’t take off? That one that twirls just perfectly, and makes her think she is a princess or Hermione Grangier going to the ball (yes, Addie pretends to be Hermione from Harry Potter and my brain just exploded with happiness).
Well, for us, that dress is from Two Els – Addie calls it her “polka dot dress.” Hollie Kim, founder and designer of Two Els, creates dresses that have the most precious silhouettes and design touches that reflect high end style, but appeal to the “twirl-loving” desire of a toddler. Hollie is a design genius with a true talent for creating a cohesive brand through product photography, look books and personalized packaging.
Listen to Hollie’s introduction below.
And without further ado, here we go!
“Hi. I’m Hollie. I’m the owner/designer of Two Els, a handmade girls clothing and accessory line. I’m also a mom to two and a wife of my best friend.” – Hollie
Hillary: What did you do before Two Els? How did you decide to start your own business?
My background is originally fine art but I majored in Fashion Design in Parsons. I used to be a menswear designer in NYC but then I decided to be a stay home mom and focus on taking care of my child. However, when my second child was born, I wanted to and was ready to run my own business.
Can you give us a brief history of Two Els? How long have you been in business? What has your growth looked like?
Two Els was born in 2012 as a girls clothing line. Raising kids and working at the same was much harder than I thought but as time went by I was much better at managing time. Thankfully, now I have many more customers loving my line.
What’s your big picture WHY? What motivates you to work hard and build your business? What is your ultimate lifestyle goal?
I truly believe the biggest success is doing what you love most and it’s all that matters to me. Also, getting full support from my husband and little ones truly motivates me. Of course, having more and more people loving my creation also motivates me as well. It gives me strength when I see pictures of the lovely girls wearing my dresses and accessories.
Where did you find your mentors, or resources to help learn about entrepreneurship and running a successful business?
There are many successful and inspiring business owners but I try not to follow them exactly. What works for them may not work for me and I know my strength and weakness.
Can you tell a story of a specific failure you encountered while building Two Els? What did you learn from it?
One specific failure that I learned is not saying no when needed. I usually know my limits and stop when I have to but sometime I want to challenge myself and continue. There was a project that I challenged and I ended up being sick for two (2) weeks from lack of sleep and using up all my energy.
Do you currently have help? Or are you a one-woman show?
This might be one of the biggest challenges many business owners face. I received a big wholesale order when I started Two Els. I was lucky enough to find a trained seamstress to support but I ended up doing more work since the quality was below my expectation and I had to fix every pieces. Nowadays, my husband helps me whenever and whatever he can but mostly it’s admin work, and the actual design and creating the pieces is my work. Good thing my sewing speed is about 10 times faster than when I started. =)
How many hours per week do you work? How do you balance family life with work?
I work much as I need to but I try not to work when my kids come home from school so that I can spend enough quality time with my husband and kids. There are two promises I made this year. First is not to work when kids come home from school and sleep with them at night rather than working. The other thing is “no work” during weekends. Weekends are supposed to be the family time.
What has been the most exciting thing to happen to your business so far?
There is a ton of excitement, but the most exciting thing is seeing girls wearing my dresses and accessories on the street.
What is your ultimate vision for your business in the coming year? Where do you see Two Els in 5 years?
Two Els is gradually growing and I’m happy with where I am now. Rather than focusing on growing the business, I hope to continuously enjoy what I do.
What’s holding you back from where you are now and your end game?
Little ones are still too little and I need to focus on them more than business. I’ll probably have more time to focus on business when they are bigger.
What is it that you need help with right now, and if you could get free advice that would solve your problem right now, what would it be?
It would be great if I can get some help on the production process.
If you could sit down with any entrepreneur for a 2 hour lunch and pick their brain, who would it be and why?
I have been inspired by Anabel Fournier who is the owner of Fournier (www.fournier.bigcartel.com) ever since I started Two Els. Her craftsmanship and how she enjoys her work truly inspires me. I would love to meet her.
What advice would you give your “just starting a business” self knowing everything you know now?
Don’t forget to enjoy the work otherwise it’s not worth it.
Do you have a morning ritual or routine?
I hug and kiss my kids till they push me out.
What’s been the best business book you’ve read?
I honestly don’t have time to read. Sometimes, I wish I have time to read but I can’t complain since I am doing what I like the most.
What’s your favorite success quote and why?
“Direction is so much more important than speed. Many are going nowhere fast.” – Unknown
Closing thoughts to other entrepreneurs or those wanting to take the leap.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Those mistakes are the ones that make you grow. Don’t look back and learn from those mistakes. Lastly, work hard because nothing comes easy.
Ok ladies… Isn’t Hollie sweet? I love her advice from her introduction video to just do your own thing and to not worry about how others do business or what you think it’s all “supposed” to look like. That’s what creating an “uncommon” life is all about – making your business work for you, instead of you working for some notion of what business should be.
You can follow Hollie on instagram here @two_els // And purchase one of her perfect new fairy dresses with two layers of tulle (!!) here.
and stay tuned next week, for an exciting interview from the one and only Erin, owner of Candy Kirby Designs!
Be Brave!
Hillary
