Janet Hernandez Philipps
Valentina Atelier
Santa Monica
What is your product(s)?
Sustainable swimwear and resort wear. Our swimwear and Resort Wear pieces are made with recycled, sustainable, natural and/or deadstock goods. Each piece is created with the intent to reduce and reuse by generating goods that are already in existence and therefore helping to save Earth’s precious resources.
Where were you with your idea or business before joining Factory45?
I was pretty far along the design process, as I have been in the fashion industry for many years but my struggle was in the logistics of how I was actually going to take my vision to market. I had received an email from Maker’s Row about F45 and did a bit of research and I thought I would take the leap and get the help I very much needed. It was exactly what I was looking for!
How did joining Factory45 help you?
I learned how to properly take my product to market. There were steps I hadn’t even thought about prior to joining and would have made some very lethal mistakes. I was able to avoid that by following the step by step program. I learned about critical aspects of starting my own business, for example, by starting my subscribers list and tackling social media and marketing, and so much more.
In your opinion, what is the most valuable thing about Factory45?
The whole program really is valuable, but especially the community. You can talk to your peers and bounce off ideas which is really great. I’ve made some amazing life long friendships! Another thing that was huge for me was the launch pre-launch platform that I used. I decided to launch with a very small collection instead of doing crowdfunding as I had already saved enough capital on my own to launch. It worked for me.
What were some big or small milestones that you hit after going through Factory45?
Launching of course, which is the biggest milestone! I am currently working with influencers and partnerships with sustainable organizations.
Please describe your business after Factory45.
I have an online ecom store where I sell my product DTC. I have recently started doing in-person events to showcase my collection.
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