In today’s episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Nicole Alexander, owner of Ivy Alexander. After discovering a box of broken dreams from a family member, Nicole decided to chance her dreams of starting her own luxury bag hook company. She discusses how she built the company from inception to manufacturing and shares her best marketing tips for bringing a product to market. She discloses what’s ahead for her company and the challenges she has faced while creating Ivy Alexander. Tune in today to hear about the entrepreneur process and get some great tips on pushing forward through fear. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [7:33] Nicole introduces her company, Ivy Alexander.
• [10:36] Who are the competitors for Ivy Alexander?
• [10:57] Where can people buy their bag hook? 
• [11:29] Why did Nicole start this business?
• [13:14] What did Nicole do before starting her company? 
• [14:38] What was the process for Nicole to start her company and manufacture the bag hooks?
• [15:55] How much time was there between starting the process and going to market? 
• [17:00] How did she determine the pricing? 
• [18:57] What is the Ivy Alexander Foundation, and how does the “Luxury with a Purpose” tie in? 
• [21:27] How did Nicole’s grandmother influence her business? 
• [22:50] How does Nicole manage her work-life balance? 
• [24:25] What are some of the things Nicole does to make Ivy Alexander stand out with marketing? 
• [25:33] What are the next products in the vision for Ivy Alexander? 
• [29:44] What was one of the biggest challenges she faced?
• [33:24] How did Nicole overcome fear? 
• [34:45] How did Nicole get to the level of success she is at right now?
• [55:27] What are the most significant things she sees for the next year?  

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Surrounding yourself with wonderful people helps with work-life balance. It is also crucial to acknowledge people who are supporting you and let them know how important they are to you.  
• Important to have good marketing and PR and put products out there to grow the company. It will not happen overnight, but nothing will happen unless people know about the product. 
• When becoming an entrepreneur, look around at the people in your corner to see who has connections that can help you build your business. Nicole expedited her business growth through the connections that she had.

BIO:

Ivy Alexander is a luxury accessories brand starting first with opulent purse hook products designed to keep your beloved handbags safe from theft and damage. We hope this will be the first of many products we offer, manifesting our tagline, “Luxury with a Purpose.”

The meaning behind “Luxury with a Purpose” is two-fold. First, we hope to create small, functional, luxurious accessories and products for a sophisticated clientele. Second, a percentage of our proceeds shall go to the Ivy Alexander Foundation, a foundation dedicated to helping non-profit organizations that advance equity for women. 

Founding this company has been a truly joyful experience because during the process, from inception to launch, I have had the opportunity to work with a fantastic group of talented, creative, and strong women professionals, all seeking to raise each other to new heights. I hope that this company and the Ivy Alexander Foundation will be able to give back and provide others with opportunities to flourish and find joy. 

LINKS MENTIONED:

Ivy Alexander Website

Ivy Alexander Instagram

Ivy Alexander Facebook

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