Franciska Bray-Mezey
Aura7 Activewear
Newport Beach, CA
What is your product(s)?
Welcome to the World of Aura7 Activewear where SEXY meets SUSTAINABLE. We believe that beautiful, buttery-soft design doesn’t have to be harmful for the environment. Our hand-crafted garments are made to celebrate the female body and highlight it’s unique and beautiful shapes, but most importantly, each piece was created with love and respect for our planet.
Our mission is to create a more sustainable fashion industry and bring awareness to the plastic problem in the oceans and landfills.
Every time you make a purchase you have the power to make an impact on our planet.
Where were you with your idea or business before joining Factory45?
I knew from the very beginning that I want to do my business in the right way, the sustainable way but I felt like a little fish swimming in a giant ocean in between sharks. I had some ideas but nothing was clear. Besides my strong desire to create a sustainable activewear line, I didn’t have any business plans. I felt overwhelmed, stressed and just overall lost until I found Factory45.
I knew I didn’t just find a program, I found my tribe, a community with people just like me with a sparkle in their heart and a mission to change the bad patterns of the fashion industry.
How did joining Factory45 help you?
Shannon’s program is very helpful and very easy to follow. There are great videos and excellent templates, awesome resources and suggestions. I went through the program pretty quickly but I still go back to the lessons over an over and incorporate all her directions into my business. My vision became a clear business plan and I was able to launch Aura7 Activewear a year after I joined the program.
Connecting to fellow entrepreneurs was definitely one of the biggest thing about the program. I was able to create great partnership opportunities and also friendships through the program.
Shannon was always by my side. Whenever I had a specific question she was there for me with great ideas and suggestions.
In your opinion, what is the most valuable thing about Factory45?
For me the videos were super helpful. I have three kids and I had to drive to Los Angeles from South Orange County (back and forth 120 miles) pretty often to talk to factories, to source my fabric, etc. I was able to listen to those videos and every time I started to understand the system on a deeper level.
The community is also key. I met a lot of great people through the program and they were always there for me when I needed help. I also found some great people to hire for certain projects, like social media assistant, SEO audit for my website, etc.
Shannon is also very organized and very easy to follow. I learned a lot about how to keep my business, my expenses and my ideas organized and trackable.
I also love all the resources. They are very helpful and allows you to have a deeper understanding of the main lessons.
What were some big or small milestones that you hit after going through Factory45?
When I started Factory45 I was stuck. I was working with a pattern maker/small production company. We were trying to create the prototype but nothing ever was ready on time or the way I wanted. After joining the program my vision become more clear and I was able to move on and find the people they were able to make my vision a reality. I did not find my pattern maker or factory in Shannon’s resources. But the program gave me the confidence, the knowledge, and the vocabulary to be able to move forward and find what I was looking for.
Please describe your business after Factory45.
After joining Factory45:
I got my trademark.
I finalized my fabric choices.
I found my production partner.
I found an amazing pattern maker.
I figured out my packaging.
It became clear what my business is.
I launched my business!
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