What is your favorite career wear accessory?
The statement necklace. I love pumping up a plain business suit or blouse with a fantastic pendant or strands of beads. It’s also a great way to stand out from the other “suits” while still being professional at the networking event and/or business meeting.

What has been the craziest thing you’ve done to draw attention to your business?
Before quitting my full-time corporate job, I admit I used some of the networking opportunities from my company to market my business. Luckily it never came back to bite me and I gained my first client during the process; however I hope to not have to go through that “moonlighting” process again.

What is your biggest regret/disappointment while building your business?
By far, my biggest regret while building my business is not budgeting my personal finances more effectively to ensure that I would be out of debt before starting my company. I could have accomplished a lot more up front if I didn’t have my personal debt get in the way. One thing that I would definitely suggest to anyone thinking about starting his or her own business is to align personal finances in order to budget for future business expenditures.

What makes you successful?
A mixture between my passion and naivety. My corporate job was extremely secure even after the economic slump, and I knew that if I didn’t make the career change when I did, I never would because my experience and logic would get in the way. Luckily I also have an immense amount of passion and ambition in what I do, and I have found that my excitement comes across to others, which has resulted in a great many supporters and partners. Lastly, I believe what has assisted with my success has been my gratitude towards those who have helped me get to where I am, and my willingness to work with others. I have always been a team player and know that I would never do anything as well on my own versus from within a group environment, whether that “group” is a business partner, client, or even family and friends.

Tell us something about yourself that has nothing to do with your business.
I love jazz. One of my treats to myself after a week or two of hard work is to frequent a local jazz venue and listen to some great music while drinking a vodka martini (or two).

What college lessons have you applied to your career life?
It is more effective to learn from practical environments versus academic environments. My favorite college professors (most of whom I still keep in contact with) taught at my college as adjuncts, and were able to take us to their work environments and show us what it was like to work in the field we were studying, versus merely telling us about it. Whenever I want to learn something new, I do it before reading a book on it. That lesson has resulted in a lot of fantastic learning experiences and even some success stories. It also has resulted in learning a few things the hard or round-about way, but I still wouldn’t take back any of it as it has brought me to where I am today.

How do you spell success?
I grew up believing that everyone loved their job as much as my father loves his. When I entered into the workforce, I quickly realized that wasn’t true and just how lucky my father was to work in a job he absolutely loved. I spell success as finding and working a job that I genuinely love.

Visit Rachel, read her latest blog and see the Jarbo clip wrap dress at TheWorkingWardrobe.

RachelAnna Consulting is a company that assists in building and promoting your working wardrobe. Founded by Rachel Yeomans, RachelAnna Consulting services both working men and women throughout the Chicago-land area with premium wardrobe consultations that enable busy professionals to dress with aplomb. With an understanding of the needs of those entering into the workforce, RachelAnna also offers specialized services for students and those seeking employment. And as a small business owner herself, RachelAnna is proud to work exclusively with local designers and merchants to ensure the support of local businesses. Whether you are a student working a job fair, a traveling sales professional, an upper manager, or a work-from-home mother, RachelAnna Consulting perfects your working wardrobe and makes it your own.

RachelAnna Consulting – Your style. Your life. Your Working Wardrobe.

Being a bizMe gal doesn’t have an age requirement or restriction but some young women under 30 take their ambitions to great heights and accomplish things that women twice their age may not have. Our featured bizgal is Rachel Hollis of Chic Events, an entrepreneur who launched her own business at the young age of 21. Rachel’s highly successful event planning service represents lots of long hours, a creative and energetic outlook, and the ability to mesh great ideas with the client’s vision of the event.

As a teenager, Rachel graduated early from high school and had her dreams in mind when she came to Los Angeles to become an actress. Her family life in Bakersfield, California nurtured her desire to entertain and to stand out. Growing up in a large family with countless celebrations provided her first introduction to party planning. Rachel has paved her own way successfully and that path did not require a degree.

Career as an event planner? = Plan B
Rachel proves that different paths suit different people. She originally set out to Los Angeles to be an actress and studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts; however, working for Miramax Studios became a turning point in her young life. She had her first taste of coordinating parties while working at Miramax as an Executive Assistant and tackling the workload of three people. She reflected on what drew her to her current career and it was a combination of things. “Event planning was such a good fit for my personality” plus she remains involved with the entertainment industry even if not in the way she originally envisioned.

What distinguishes Rachel and Chic Events from other event planning companies is her commitment to professionalism and in making her events stress free for the host/hostess. As a suggestion to future event planners, she thinks that setting yourself apart from different companies is key. “Be sure to display whatever your strengths are or whatever your education is to stand out from the competition. Grace under pressure is another necessity when coordinating events.” Rachel maintains a professional demeanor at all times even if her stress level is off the charts.

Her professionalism was tested when she was in a car accident just before meeting with clients. Instead of sharing her dismay and looking a touch frazzled, when her clients saw her slightly mangled car they could not believe she had just been in an accident. “It’s a level of trust and creating a bond in which their needs come first; customers must always have a feeling that we are taking care of them and that as a company, we feel client relationships are very important.” Rachel believes part of her job is taking the stress away from her client and not adding to it regardless of the circumstances.

Her dedication not only applies to her job and business but also to her family. Rachel tries to keep her 11:00 am-5:00 pm schedule because she has two toddlers both under the age of three. Even with an established routine, it is still a struggle to maintain both her family and career. With that in mind, her day is not over when she leaves the office. She usually works when her children are asleep and when she is not in the office she is on her Blackberry. As for vacation, she does not remember the last one she had. “I take time off when I can get it.”

The hustle factor
As a maven of her own event planning company, Rachel attributes much of her success to good old-fashioned hard work to achieve her dreams. In her words, “I think it’s that ‘hustle’ factor.” She has compared herself and her business to her competitors and what sets her apart from the rest is the quality of her events and the lengths that her business will go to make her customers happy. She exudes professionalism even at the most high-pressure times so that her clients can enjoy their event without worrying about putting out any fires. She also thinks that her success has been determined by her performance and creative edge but she stresses that in the end it’s yourself that you need to sell.

“In a consultation-based business, people are buying your opinion. Your job is selling yourself.”

Check out Rachel’s press from her Chic Events website!

“I didn’t want to go into business to make a profit. I genuinely wanted to make a difference,” said Michelle Marie, who recently launched her own business. The president of Footprint Consulting, LLC has always been very involved in community service. With the recent launch of her business, Michelle plans to incorporate her passion for community service in some of the day-to-day projects that her company will handle. She said her goal for the company is to complete one non-profit initiative every quarter.

Footprint Consulting, LLC is a marketing consulting firm for small businesses. Michelle and her staff ensure that they are asking the right questions on how a business they are assisting wants to expand and grow. “Unlike other marketing companies, we don’t try to make their marketing better, we start from the beginning and try to make it more profitable for the company,” she said. The company also looks for ways in which a company can become more effective in terms of marketing. “Often times we ask the right questions to help our clients see which media will be most effective for them.”

The fact that she cares so much about her clients speaks for itself in the volume of customer base that followed her when she launched her own company. When she told her clients that she was leaving her position, 90% of the clients wanted to follow her wherever she went because of the relationship she built with them. “I care a lot about the relationships that I’m building,” she said.

According to Michelle, marketing has been a constant in her life since high school. Her initial exposure to marketing was at trade shows where she worked as a model promoting different products. She loves trade shows because of the energy that is consistently present. “That’s when I knew what I wanted to do,” she said of the defining moment when she realized that marketing was always going to be a big part of her life.

“As soon as I started school I knew I wanted to get into the real world.” That kind of thinking has taken the ambitious 23-year-old to the next level. With the recent launching of her business just months ago, the process of creating her business was very rapid and everything fell into place with ease. “I woke up one day and decided to stay at home. In about an hour I had a name and a tag line,” she said of the beginning process. Finding her passion and running with it is the key force that drives Michelle.

To gain experience in her field, she worked as an intern for many businesses. “I’m a really outgoing person,” and her experiences meeting different people only enhanced this trait. She eventually worked for a privately owned business developing marketing plans from the ground up. “After I graduated with my second degree, I wanted to get closer to the client. I started working in marketing sales but I just got to a point where I wanted to be independent and my own boss.”

With the present launch still fresh in her mind, Michelle is not sure where her business will be in years to come but being the eternal optimist she is hopeful. I’m hoping to retire in 10 years from the company. I want to gain as much as I can!” she said. She’s looking to the future when all her hard work will have paid off. “I’ve always been an optimist. I think I had to find my own compass,” she said.

“Pay it forward . . .”
Early retirement is just one of her goals. “When I turn 35 I want to take a huge vacation and travel the world,” she said. When she retires from the business, Michelle shares a unique idea of how she wants to pass the torch. She wants to give her business to a passionate, driven young woman who is 23 because that was the age she was when she launched her business. When asked about what that would mean to her, she said that she really wants to ‚”pay it forward‚”.

“I didn‚’t start it to make a profit or become a millionaire,” she said of her aspirations. She found that she loved marketing and she wanted to not only stick with what inspired her but also she wanted to truly help people. Michelle imparts that same wisdom to other young professional women seeking their career path. ‚”Make it your own and keep it special” she said.

Jessica is an immigrant from the Philippines but she never let that define her. “I never really saw my being part of the minority group as a challenge for me. I never really saw it as a handicap.” When she relocated, she said that she soon blended with the mainstream and with the friends that she made.

The companies she worked for had a very diverse staff but she found that she was usually the only first generation immigrant. “I think one of the biggest influences to my mindset was always to be really open to learning and listening first,” she said. Her openness allowed her to assimilate seamlessly because she had the mindset to blend within a group but still maintain a sense of being.

Although she was not impeded by her heritage, others did see it as a challenge. She had an interesting conversation regarding race with a female Filipino reporter who attended the same luncheon as she. Everybody at the table happened to be Caucasian but herself and the reporter. The reporter asked her how she was able to work in such an environment where she was the minority. “You’re not white,” the reporter said. Jessica found nothing unusual in the fact that she was the minority. “I never really thought about it in that way. English was still my first language. My social circle in the Philippines was diverse,” she said of her life before her move to America.

Before joining the professional world, Jessica attended DePaul University in Chicago, where she was a marketing management major while maintaining her intense interest in emerging technology. Ever since the .com era began, she was drawn to the industry. “Technology was still very young, things were not so defined,” she said of the time that inspired her.

When Jessica graduated, she tried her hand at different marketing and product development positions. She worked on different projects including focusing on CD-ROMs for classroom learning. She also liked that she and her team were experimenting but soon found that she wanted to try advertising.

Jessica’s first full-time advertising job was when she started as a producer/project manager at Young and Rubicam. “The big media companies were just starting to get in on the digital phase.” Being one of the newest members of the team, she was in charge of managing budgets and timelines. She also worked with brands and launching websites or campaigns for the brands.

Entrepreneurial spirit spurred her ambition
After she gained her experience from Young and Rubicam she thought the time may be right to start her own company. “That experience really helped me,” she said. Combining her experience, her keen interest in the technology world, and lots of initiative she decided that it was the right time to start her own company. Although she had some slight reservations explaining how her company would succeed to investors, she did not let fear hold her back from her goal.

“You shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes and you should not make decisions based on fear.”

She has noticed that many people in the United States and even in Europe tend to cling to whatever is safe. “Stemming from my point of view on failure, I believe when people fear the idea of failure you really do not get the complete experience on what you could have accomplished,” she said.

Before she came to America, she had a good life traveling with a publishing company in Asia but she felt that world was too small for her. Her curiosity carried her into making the move to the States. Her curious nature and lack of fear were useful when it came time to establish her own business.

2007: Launch of Mavin Digital Inc.
“Ideally, at Mavin Digital we create strategy and discovery and then we create the product. We can produce big scale agencies 360 solutions,” she said. Though her business is relatively new, she is already looking to the future.

In terms of growth, she believes in investing time and resources in developing consumer-focused products with partners. “I am establishing alliances and partnerships to blossom the company,” she said. “It’s very difficult to get funding in the business services phase.”

As for long-term goals, “the idea is to position Mavin Digital to be acquired by a bigger entity five years from now or possibly sell it,” she said. Jessica does not want to grow too much because she doesn’t want to lose the personal touch or conversation with the client. Mavin Digital tries to assist the client by discovering their needs and then walking them through the process.

So was the initial struggle worth it? “It’s 20 or 50 times more fulfilling than my past career,” she said. “Being an entrepreneur makes me happy.” It is a lot of work and it is challenging especially when the business is self-funded but she knows it is worth the risk.

Residing in New York also injects Jessica with a daily dose of energy. “There’s something about this city,” she said. “If you make it in New York you can make it anywhere.”

“For as long as I could remember, I have always been passionate about fashion,” Anna Medeiros said when explaining her love for aesthetics. Only after her sudden layoff at a software company was Anna able to take this passion to the next step. Her situation, an all-too-familiar circumstance in our struggling economy, can leave many a reserved person completely bewildered but Anna concentrated on the positive.

As she attempted to come up with a new professional strategy, Anna’s focus began to flit back to the idea of pursuing living on another continent. She had been toying with the idea of moving to England to enroll as a student at the University of the Arts in London.

Her dream of living in London became a reality when she earned her postgraduate Fashion certificate in Fashion Marketing and lived seven months in London. “I always wanted to live overseas,” she said. “I definitely think that it enhanced my career.” Her fashion portfolio was also improved when she worked for Nordstrom’s and Anne Taylor. Her time in London broadened her fashion knowledge by not only attending school but also by working for Ralph Lauren located within the world-famous Harrods.

Starting Point: London and Harrods!

“It feels almost like an amusement park,” Anna said of her environment at Harrods. When she tried to compare the store to that of one in the states, she said she would compare Harrods to Neimen Marcus but really it’s a store of its own. The customer service was also amazing. “If you want it they’ll get it for you,” she said. Another perk to her job at Harrods was making some great contacts with people in the industry. Some of the people she came across were more quirky then others.

Harrods is known for telling a story and they create stories around their merchandising she said. One manager in particular that she worked with had an interesting way of interpreting how to tell the story of her clothes. The manager would name all her mannequins and she also created story plots.

Though she found her time at Harrod’s rewarding, she knew she couldn’t stay indefinitely. Before she moved to London she had already started thinking about opening a boutique but wasn’t ready financially. “Honestly I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur,” she said. “I sort of kept hitting this wall in my professional life and I didn’t see a direct track for growth.” Opening her own boutique would afford her the ability to showcase all she had to offer and she thought she could do it all on her own.

The start of her launching her business, Muito Fino, was a lot of work and for a year and a few months she continued to work full-time while trying to launch her business in her free time. “I worked in the evenings and weekends. I could have worked 80 hours in a week and I would use my vacation time to fly to speak to vendors,” she said. Although it was work, she said that it was also fun.

Reality Star: Muito Fina

As for her clientele, Anna said that the majority of her customers are based on the east coast. She believes the reason behind this may be that the clothes that Muito Fina (which means very fine) features are dressier. Californians tend to be a little more casual possibly due to the climate.

In regards to fashion and her target audience, she tends to think of the Sex and the City girls but her inspiration also stems from her experiences abroad.

“Being in London completely opened my eyes to a different consumer,” she said. While living abroad she realized the differences in American fashion as compared to European fashion. “Americans are a little more conservative and are pretty simple when it comes to fashion,” she observed. She also got a lot of her fashion inspiration when she visited Portugal. On a particular trip when she was five years old, she remembers being so excited about the shoes she got while there because the shoes were completely different from what her classmates were wearing. “I like being different, a little more fashion forward,” she said.

Her style has matured and the clothes she sells reflect that fact. Anna characterizes the clothes sold through her online boutique as young contemporary fashion items for women who are are transitioning from college to the workplace. Her pieces are a little more conservative but at the same time classic with staying power.

As for parting wisdom that she feels she could share with other young professionals, she said that knowing your market and who your competitors can be instrumental in making or breaking a business. In addition, knowing your resources can be very beneficial to a company’s growth and so is educating yourself when it comes to the industry. “One thing I would say is I definitely did my homework,” she said. In looking back, she could have done things a little differently and there were times when she had been in tough situations but no matter what her mistakes she always found that no matter what position she was in that she always had an opportunity to learn and grow.

Let’s see, words to describe Danielle Nicole—creative, inspiring, popular, non-stop energy, building an accessories empire—yep, the girl that’s got it all! She’s passionate about purses and accessories and she’s got the press to prove it . . . Danielle’s handbags have been featured in Lucky, NYTimes, Lush, Sweet, Harpers Bazaar, Women’s Wear Daily . . . and on the shelves of high style stores. bizMe talked with Danielle and she definitely makes an impressive first impression!

From a very young age, Danielle DiFerdinando of Danielle Nicole Handbags worked at her father’s business, Boardwalk Fries. “I’ve been working for him since I was six years old. He was always my inspiration.” She was very close to her father and she knew from a very young age that she wanted to be like him. After working with her father at his business, she could never imagine not having her own business.

Danielle’s unintentional introduction into the business world began as a DECA project in high school. She designed neckties and sold them to students for $20 each. Her ties sold and she was able to supplement her income because of her designs. Soon she began selling fabric handbags that were made partially from her homemade ties to the female high school population.

Valuable Internships
“I always loved high fashion,” and to gain a better knowledge of it Danielle attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She came to New York not knowing anyone, but took advantage of internships every semester not only to gain experience but also to network.

The internship that was priceless to her was her time at Bergdorf Goodman. “It taught me everything about fashion, life and common sense,” she said. She learned that in order to make it in fashion you must be a people person and know how to talk to people.

At Bergdorf Goodman, Danielle was supervised by the #1 top personal shopper, Dominica Paradisi. “She was like a mentor to me,” she said. Danielle was 19 and because of the upscale clientele most people that were successful in the career that she was pursuing were at least 5 years older. “To be around that type of people you have to be very mature,” Danielle said.

Danielle remembers one experience vividly when Dominica had stepped out and Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, entered the store. Instead of being intimidated, Danielle greeted Mrs. Trump and started assisting her with her shopping needs. When Dominica came back, she found Danielle assisting Mrs. Trump and she reacted by laughing at her gutsyness. ‘This girl’s crazy. I love her,” said Dominica.

“I don’t care if you are a CEO. People are people. Don’t be intimidated by anybody,” Danielle said. The internship made her believe in herself and it also boosted her confidence. Being young and being in this industry Danielle offers this advice: “you always have to be very careful and represent yourself in a professional manner. I always try to inspire other people and I try to give back.”

A young entrepreneur’s demanding schedule:
Although Danielle is a very young entrepreneur, interacting with more established people does not phase her. When dealing with her customers she feels that you have to have respect for them but you also must show confidence in yourself and in your product. “Other people see it and they appreciate it and it’s inspiring,” she said. “I’m 22 years old and I built my company from nothing,” she said.

Her days are busy–“Keep in mind my friends go out during the week.” Although her friends may have more free time than she may, she still has fun. “I’m just not the type of the person that likes to stay out all night,” she said. She admits that she may stay out a little late every now and then but that is not something you want to make a habit of.

“When I’m exhausted I read a little,” she said. Currently on her nightstand is Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger. Danielle believes there is much value in reading the newspaper because she learns something every time she picks up a newspaper. “It’s so important that you read. The more information that you know the better you sound,” she said. “When a person reads the newspaper and speaks about an article they read, they look much better educated. Danielle also stated that “being able to write is important no matter what the business. “I want to have strong writers around me.”

Danielle’s typical day starts when she wakes around seven. Her schedule is demanding: she works all day, works out at 7 pm, then she works with her factory over the phone from 9 pm-midnight and then she calls it a night. Running her business is not limited to weekdays. Usually on Saturdays she works and meets with her customers. Danielle knows the value of customer feedback–”its important to speak to them and listen to what they have to say to make adjustments that will improve her product.”

What’s up next for Danielle Nicole:
The next phase of her business is Elle Nicole, which is an organic line that retails from $70-$130. “We had a lot of customers ask us,” she said in regards to launching an organic line. “With the current economy, this line is a less expensive price point.” The next phase of her business will be launching her own line of wallets, belts, briefcases and shoes. And then after that? Danielle is a never-stop gal so once her shoes are on the market, she plans to start her clothing line–but not for another five years.

Danielle is a wonderful role model–she’s a highly motivated bizgal that’s attaining achievable goals with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. “It’s a lot of hard work and there’s going to be more bumps in the road then you can ever imagine but hard work does pay off!”