Entrepreneurial

Rhaime Kim

Entrepreneurial captures the raw stories of the good, the bad and everything in between that happens when you’re creating something new.
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BusinessBusiness

Episodes

Trendy Tailors to Terrazzo Keyboards: Serial Entrepreneur Ian Fong | Brazen Studio Founder | On Solving for Your Own Problems
Oct 16 2023
Trendy Tailors to Terrazzo Keyboards: Serial Entrepreneur Ian Fong | Brazen Studio Founder | On Solving for Your Own Problems
After graduating from Cambridge with an engineering degree, Ian Fong went to work for two different entrepreneurs to open more than 10 cafes (and to close down several, too). After cutting his teeth learning from the bosses, Ian set out to do yet again something atypical; Ian decided to go knocking on old tailors' doors in a run-down building reminiscent of Cyberpunk to start a trendy, custom tailor, and for over 8 years, Ian turned the head on the sleepy, un-user-friendly tailor experience. Ian now builds beautiful custom keyboards and coffee gear through his brand, Brazen Studio. Ian shows us the power of solving for your own problems through your business, no-to-low-cost market validation testing, and tackling niches that require little marketing budget.Get a 10% discount (valid until Nov 30) with code EPW10 on https://www.brazenstudio.co/Chapters(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:55) What I Learned Working for Entrepreneurs At First(00:02:39) Solving My Own Problem of Shirts Never Fitting(00:06:22) Simplifying Tailoring to Make It More Approachable(00:07:56) Finding & Retaining Talent as the Biggest Problem(00:10:13) Hustling Door-to-Door to Find OG "Old Guy," The First Tailor(00:13:20) The Infectiousness of Passion & How It Brings a Team Together(00:14:52) Facing Doubts & Hearing Doubts From Other People(00:18:34) Being Well-Rounded: Creative Eye x Technical Skills(00:20:37) Closing Down CUFFS After 8 Years(00:23:07) I Almost Opened a Pizza Shop(00:24:03) Posting Terrazzo Keyboard Design on Reddit & Going Viral(00:28:00) Learning from Zappos' Tony Hsieh: Would you be doing it in 10 years if you didn't make any Money from it?(00:31:12) My Successful Traits: Being a Jack of All Trades & Being Scrappy. Areas of Improvement: Scaling a Business(00:32:37) Keyboard & Coffee Niches Mean Fewer Marketing Dollars(00:36:03) Influencers Help Us Target the Niche with Fewer Marketing Dollars(00:38:01) brazenstudio.co, IG: @brazenstudio, @brazenworkshophk
How I started selling at Urban Outfitters | Pivoting, Persistence, Power of Networking | Perkies Founder, Rosie Mangiarotti
Oct 9 2023
How I started selling at Urban Outfitters | Pivoting, Persistence, Power of Networking | Perkies Founder, Rosie Mangiarotti
Rosie is the founder of Perkies, which makes innovative undergarments for women. Perkies' first product was a sticky bra with replaceable adhesives, since the adhesive wearing off or becoming dirty is the reason why most traditional sticky bras have a short usage life. Rosie also turned the head around nipple covers and created Perkies Nips, which are stick-on nipples, which have become a pop-culture favorite at Urban Outfitters along with the free-the-nip trend, as well as worn by breast cancer survivors and previvors to reclaim their femininity and confidence post-mastectomy.Rosie shares her advice on problem-solving and mindset, including the importance of enjoying the journey -- lessons she learned the hard way losing games and not getting playing time as part of the women's lacrosse team at Brown, as well as the power of networking and not taking no for an answer.I am in such awe of Rosie and I am so grateful we met at Brown! Her positivity, energy and radiance is contagious. Thanks again for your time, Rosie, I don't take it for granted!Chapters(00:00:00) Perkies Sticky Bra with Replaceable Adhesives at Brown(00:03:49) 3 Years of Branding, Learning & Changing the Name of the Company(00:08:38) Power of Networking and Persistence(00:09:04) Selling with Urban Outfitters & Getting Them as a Buyer(00:12:54) Selling on Amazon, Direct Website, Urban Outfitters(00:17:31) Finding the Gap in Market in Diversity of Bra Colors in UK & Australia(00:20:06) Being Accommodating to Retailers for Long-Term Strategy(00:24:13) How Hailey Bieber's Free the Nip Look Inspired Perkies Nips(00:26:14) Partnering with Breast Cancer Research Foundation (00:26:54) Empowering Women Post-Mastectomy with Non-Permanent Stick-On Perkies Nips(00:31:05) Keeping the Mind Strong with Working Out, Sleep, Friendships & Enjoying the Rollercoaster of the Journey
Incredible Story of Unified North & South Korean Women’s Hockey Team | Book Publishing with author Seth Berkman | Overcoming cultural barriers, a political sandstorm & sexist sports dymanics
Sep 24 2023
Incredible Story of Unified North & South Korean Women’s Hockey Team | Book Publishing with author Seth Berkman | Overcoming cultural barriers, a political sandstorm & sexist sports dymanics
Seth Berkman is the author of A Team of Their Own, a December Stephen Curry Book Club Pick & One of ESPN’s 25 Can’t Miss Books of 2019. Seth captures the complex humanity of the South Korean women’s ice hockey team; a story about overcoming a political sandstorm, of sparring against sexist dynamics in sports, and despite it all, keep on keeping on. It is as much of a journey of self-discovery for the South Korean, immigrant and adoptee Korean-American, Canadian, and North Korean players and coaches, as it is a journey of self-discovery for Seth, who visited South Korea for the first time since his adoption during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.Join us for Seth’s incredible insight into the political, historical and gender dynamics behind the complex story of the South Korean women’s hockey team, and learn how Seth got his book published and what he would do differently next time, knowing what he knows now about publishing and writing a book.Chapters(00:00:00) Intro(00:03:44) Getting to Know the Players(00:08:51) Cultural Differences Impacting Team Dynamics(00:17:29) Why Seth Wrote the Book(00:18:27) North Koreans Players Added 2 Weeks before Olympics(00:19:05) International Coverage by CNN, ABC, BBC(00:24:14) North & South Korean Players: Sneaking in Each Others' Dorms(00:29:02) Reporting at NYT & Wirecutter v. Writing a Book(00:31:03) Writing the Book in One Month, from Sunrise till 10PM(00:34:38) Seth's Self-Discover Journey as an American adoptee from Korea(00:39:04) Keeping in Touch with the Players(00:42:29) How Seth Marketed The Book & Found Communities(00:45:52) How Seth Found His Agent & Published His Book(00:49:28) Importance of Pushing Back on Publishers & Editors(00:51:24) Self-Publishing v. Traditional Publishing(00:53:35) Where to Find "A Team of Their Own"