Photo: Desi, the Mompreneur featured in this article, is demonstrating the many ways to wear the Wrap Me Up Throw with another Independent Stylist (and new friend) Mary Perdue and Customer Anne Mueller from Paradise Valley, AZ.
I came across Desi Bradley’s story almost by chance, while getting to know some of our customers. As early as our first phone conversation, her story showed me the power of US new businesses and compelled me to share it with you.
OK, so maybe it hit me because I’m a mom myself. The beginning of Desi Bradley’s story is all too familiar: an intelligent, educated mom with three young children, ages eleven, nine, and three, struggling to maintain a working career and managing her family life.
Desi decided she had to find a solution that worked for her.
Desi, who worked as a part-time teacher needed a way to supplement the family income. Would her need to balance work and home come at the expense of her ambition for career growth? Luckily, in this case, the answer is NO.
Brainstorming on the go.
Yep, the casual chats between mompreneurs, whether at school pick ups, birthday parties, or the park district swimming pool or soccer field, in many ways mirror the networking sessions of hi-tech businesses. Desi first heard about Zazma from Diane Prince, CEO of Winnie & Kat, who she knows through their daughters.
The solution might be right in front of you. Here’s how Desi found hers.
When Desi began her new path a few months ago, she had already enjoyed attending Winnie & Kat trunk shows, where she bought comfortable and trendy clothing.
Winnie & Kat is a Malibu, California based company founded by Diane Prince in 2013. They offer moderately priced fashion to women in every nook-and-cranny of the country.
In fact, the company’s innovative business model builds on the notion of social selling, modernizing the concept of Tupperware parties and applying it to contemporary women’s clothing. As Independent Stylists build their businesses, they can step up their careers by becoming group managers of other stylists.
The company is very clear about its mission: to empower women’s entrepreneurial spirit, helping women achieve their dreams by giving them the tools to do it themselves.
And that’s exactly what Winnie & Kat did for Desi. Empower her as an entrepreneur.
Desi decided to start a Winnie & Kat business. She would provide women in her area with access to great fashion at reasonable prices. And she’d run her new business during flex hours, out of her own home, as her own boss.
How did Desi finance her new business venture?
On a Winnie & Kat conference call, Desi first heard about the option to finance her first business payment with Zazma, instead of laying out the cash upfront. The initial hurdle of starting a new business now seemed manageable.
Desi used Zazma to pay for her initial Business Builder’s Kit, and to order herself a set of the clothing line (with the stylist discount!) to wear everyday for advertising purposes. With less stress over cash flow, Desi can proactively plan her business.
Seriously… how hard is it to obtain funding?
Starting your own business is very intimidating, especially for those without strong backgrounds in finance. But starting a business, even without financial know-how, doesn't have to be so difficult.
In Desi's words, “When I decided to apply for financing through Zazma, I imagined bank statements and credit history, and waiting for approval - I was really surprised at how simple and easy it was to pay for my Business Builder Kit. I had never seriously contemplated business financing, because I thought it was much more complicated, and I still have student loans to repay,” said Desi.
Her husband, a businessman for twenty years, also couldn’t believe the ease with which Desi obtained business financing. Back in the day when he struggled with raising capital for his business, nothing like Zazma existed.
From “Mom” to “Mompreneur”
Desi found a great means to juggle her delicate balance between a successful life as a mom at home and a successful life as an entrepreneur.
In our partnership with Winnie & Kat, we’re proud to be joining the dialogue among women entrepreneurs. While this dialogue has been around for ages, a recent wave arose when Barnard College for Women’s president Debora Spar released her book, “Sex, Power and the Quest for Perfection”. Spar states that women “can’t have it all” and eventually need to decide what’s gotta give.
But what’s “gotta give”?
That’s up to you to decide. We’re just giving you the financial tools to implement your choice.
And with Zazma on hand, you can start a business tomorrow.
Want to partner with us to empower small businesses? We’d love to hear your ideas.
Want to share your story of starting a business? Send it to rocky@zazma.com.