My dad's philosophy is that possessions and large amounts of money bind and bring worry. I sympathize with him to a certain extent, but on the other hand, since I was a child, I liked the atmosphere of the factory masters in films for memories, watched with admiration footage from production lines and factories, and it fascinated me. When I was older, I enjoyed sewing on myself and inventing my own fashion brands.
When I defended my thesis years later - a set of intimate aids for women Whoop·de·doo, the childhood dream of my own brand remained in me. Thanks to my work being in the media thanks to the National Award for Student Design, I got the opportunity. People were interested in the products and I had a vision - a vision of a premium brand for women that would offer quality. At the same time, it was something that I myself lacked in the market.
Believe in your skills and your vision
When I decided years ago to start producing and selling "your own T-shirt", many experienced business friends talked me out of it. They claimed that this "childish" business model of mine (the first product will earn the next one, etc.) couldn't work for me. They saw it from the outside: a little girl who is less than six feet tall, barely looks twenty, and wants to have her own brand. But I already had ten years of production experience behind me, so I wasn't afraid to organize and arrange everything and approach production companies. And since I was an "obedient girl" from an early age, and I feel perhaps an exaggerated responsibility for that, I was freer to work without obligations to someone else.
I was not responsible for other people's money. I took a building savings account and went for it because I believed in it. I told myself that in the worst case it would just be my "mishap", and that reassured me. Even though my vision was big, I started gradually. With only one product to see if people really wanted it - and it worked.
With the passage of time, I understand the concerns of my experienced friends. Today I would have them too, because I know things that I had no idea back then. For example, I didn't know there was any online marketing. I started sales purely from my e-mail and thanks to people praising the product and spreading awareness about it.
Hitting a wall: patience and quality
I gave the brand clear pillars. Quality came first, which is why I decided to manufacture in the Czech Republic. Because I was driven by an inner idea of how the products should look, I chose manufacturers and suppliers not so much by price, but rather by their attitude. Whether they actually care about what they make and whether they like a challenge. I almost gave up a few times. For example, when I "pre-sold" vibrators for a million crowns on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo years ago and subsequently drowned this amount in development that failed.
But I armed myself with patience. Even though everything was delayed and I had to borrow from the bank for further investments for development and operation, I managed to finish it. And start production without having to run to China for cheap production. This theory about local production was confirmed for me even during the pandemic. When no one knew what was going to happen, we called our Czech suppliers and we knew exactly what was happening in their factories. The production was delayed a bit, but the contact was not interrupted.
Be thrifty and invest in what you really need
I had no problem being modest and giving all my finances back to the company. I handled a lot of things myself in order to save money - from general administration and packaging of shipments to design and production management. I considered all investments and always asked myself whether I absolutely needed this or that. It was important to have a working mobile phone and computer. Instead of a luxurious office, I had one room in a warehouse at my friends' house, where everything happened, including the assembly of products. Thanks to this, I was able to launch the entire brand with a small budget.
But it doesn't go on forever. There was a moment when it was necessary to move on and start delegating work. Paradoxically, this was the most difficult task for me. I couldn't do it and I'm still learning. It's like jumping over a stream: you have to seize the moment when you already have the resources for employees, choose those who will support you, and jump.
Give people confidence
Today I'm at the stage where I treat myself to a comfortable chair and I really like paying people for a job well done. I love it when they come up with their own ideas and I can give them free space. Despite the fact that, after my previous experience, I said to myself that I would not go to any crowdfunding again, I ended up doing it again when developing a menstrual cup. And it was completely different from the beginning.
Thanks to the team, I was not alone in this. I could focus on what I do best - product development. Suddenly there was room for other activities, for example for our podcast about intimacy.
Keep your eyes and ears open—and accept help
Without the people around me who enjoyed my enthusiasm and stubbornness and who kept their fingers crossed for me, I wouldn't have made it. My former classmates and now colleagues often did not even bill me for their work in the beginning, saying that I would pay them when I had time. That also happened, and I am still grateful to them for their trust. It is important not to forget such support and to keep promises.
What would I have done differently?
Sometimes I feel that men are gifted with a great quality: they can look at things with a greater perspective and do not deal with so many details. I sometimes get stuck on a little thing that is not of fundamental importance to the company, which slows things down and drains my energy unnecessarily. I think sometimes I shouldn't hold the steering wheel so tightly.
Of course you can also read the full article in Forbes.