SM

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Live Blog: Interview w/ Laura Zander


Laura Zander, founder of Jimmy Beans Wool
Customers: Women, age 35-60, mostly women in big cities since they function online
Trends in the industry: Fashion based trends, Engaging Social Media, Examples: Organic dyes & easy projects
How Jimmy Beans Wool withstands the recession: Frugality, good management of tax flow, & being online has helped a great deal
Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur? Laura had a very successful lemonade stand- but it never occurred to her to create a business.
About five years into the business, Laura’s husband Doug quit his job and they expanded into a very successful business.
“There wasn’t a lot of job opportunities so we felt we had to make our own opportunities.”
Future? Staying what it they are now, but grown.
“One in four women know how to knit, so I would like one in four women to know who we are.”
Values: The Golden Rule. “It’s not complicated.”
Biggest Personal Challenge in being an Entrepreneur: Having her baby take away from her 80-hour workweek with “so much more that we still want to do.”
Risk-taking Tolerance Level: Risk adverse.
They have 50% annual growth rate.
“I dream about us having our name in lights.” She mentions one day having a radio, magazine, and television show.
Speed Bio:
Hometown: Cary, NC
Age: 36
College/Grad school: NC State, Washington State, and more!
Degree: BA in Criminal Justice, Masters in Criminal Justice, Ph D in Sociology
Passions: Running, skiing, wakeboarding, mountain biking
Siblings: Only child most of her life, siblings later in life
Most admired business leader: Norm Brodsky
Lemonade stand? She sold the most cookies for Girl Scouts

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