Ep 137 | Lele Sadoughi
Why Perfectionism is Holding You Back, How Corporate Experience Can Prepare You For Entrepreneurship & Breaking into Fashion with No Network
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Lele Sadoughi is the founder of her namesake accessories brand, Lele Sadoughi.
Lele had over a decade of experience in the fashion industry before beginning her entrepreneurial journey, allowing her to give us meaningful insight into how she has built her own successful brand. Breaking into the industry with few connections (well before the world of emailing CVs), Lele has had endless opportunities to discover her strengths and weaknesses, and build her skills in operations and sales: the revenue drivers in any business.
Lele explains where her confidence comes from, how she has found the inspiration to jump into new opportunities, and the impact of having faith in herself and her abilities. Looking at typical entrepreneurial traits, we see how Lele’s non-perfectionist personality has allowed her to be nothing other than successful.
Lele shares personal stories of her marriage, motherhood, and juggling it all while building a brand she was passionate about. You’ll hear about the changes in challenges throughout the last 10 years, the worth-it successes, and the different methods Lele uses to stay organized. Lele describes the sacrifices and triumphs, discusses managing realistic expectations, and tells stories of all her experiences in between!
Show Notes:
Why there is never a right time to go after your dreams and goals. [02:25]
How Lele managed to have two children while starting her business [03:58]
The early days of Lele’s jewelry brand. [05:00]
How Lele jugglers her entrepreneurial, managerial, and designer duties [05:51]
Lele’s upbringing as a creative, art-loving individual. [07:20]
Lele’s early years after college, breaking into the fashion industry. [09:57]
The transition from fashion into jewelry. [12:38]
Lele’s insecurities while starting her career. [15:00]
How to continually and successfully foster your creativity. [19:43]
What Lele learned from working at companies like J.Crew. [21:38]
When Lele decided to transition into owning her own jewelry brand. [24:00]
Lele’s advice for women who struggle to balance their business and personal lives. [25:32]
How Lele has managed her non-perfectionist personality. [27:40]
Headbands: the standout moments of growth for Lele’s brand. [29:47]
Factors that helped Lele’s business grow. [31:00]
How to think about future innovation and growth. [32:47]
Lele’s zone of genius: where her inspiration comes from. [33:50]
Lele’s opinions on funding, wholesale, and business size. [34:41]
Who (and how many people) to hire when starting your business. [37:21]
Three skills Lele would have learned earlier in life. [39:17]
The greatest lessons for an entrepreneur. [40:40]
Lele’s closing thoughts and advice. [43:00]
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Follow Lele:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lele_sadoughi/
Website: https://www.lelesadoughi.com/es/
