Always put your idea or business first if you want it to succeed. Nothing comes easily and I’ve only gotten this far because I persist and I put the business first, even before a beer!
Get Yourself Dressed is an online independent Australian festival wear brand that is 100% bootstrapped founded by fashion-designer Emma Baker that ships worldwide. The concept was born after Baker attended the annual music and lifestyle event Rainbow Serpent where she was inspired by the expressive and creative community she was immersed in. Influenced by the neon color palette of the Peacock Spider, Get Yourself Dressed officially launched in early 2017 as a lycra apparel and accessories line catering to festival goers in the market for unique and playful clothing of exceptional quality. Handmade in Melbourne using fabric prints exclusive to Get Yourself Dressed, the vibrant uni-sex collection is comprised of accessories, playsuits, leggings and more with custom orders available for those in need of something extra special. Having taken the Australian festival scene by storm, Get Yourself Dressed is now available to U.S customers and offers express 2-3 day delivery from coast to coast, making it a fun must-have addition to your costume wardrobe this summer.
Where did the idea for Get Yourself Dressed come from?
It was born from me fiddling with fabric and glitter to make outfits to wear to music festivals. One thing led to another and my friends started wanting my outfits. I decided to upscale and see where I could take Get Yourself Dressed! Needless to say, I still keep the best outfits for myself!
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I have a lot to jam into a typical day! I’m balancing a very full on full-time job, the festival wear label (designer, promoter, sweatshop worker) and also soon to be launched, an activewear line.
One minute I’m juggling the corporate ladder in a suit and travelling interstate for a client meeting, the next I’m attempting to approve a sample from an international print supplier who doesn’t speak English who I have only communicated with via email and DHL. I finish off the day with organizing a couple of beautiful friends to be in my photoshoots (to which I’m doing the styling, make-up and taking the photos) and editing the photos while attempting to update my stock on my website. In addition to all this I try and squeeze some exercise in between!
How do you bring ideas to life?
Trial and error and many hours at my kitchen table gluing things.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I can’t get enough of color – the more the better. It’s the mish-mashed patterns that probably look like a mess and clash to other people which get me every time.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Persistence. I’m also getting better at saying ‘no’ to social occasions especially on Friday nights. i’ve had to sacrifice a lot of my social life to find the time to make and create things given that I work full time.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Finish what you started. I have WAY too many half-finished garments and stores of fabric and trims that sit in boxes that I have been carrying around for years!
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
That I have a mild form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Always put your idea or business first if you want it to succeed. Nothing comes easily and I’ve only gotten this far because I persist and I put the business first, even before a beer!
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Don’t waste your time doing things you aren’t good at or you have to learn from scratch, and don’t be afraid to pay your friends to do the things you can’t which they can do. We can all waste a lot of time trying to use a new tool or program and only ever achieve a basic level of functionality. Instead, utilize the people who have this skill set so you can focus on something else instead that adds more value to your business.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
Over purchasing without testing stock was a hard lesson I learned early on. I’m pretty good at coming up with new ideas, so I re-purpose the extra stock, my favorite pieces (the capes) came from a mistake just like this. They were never meant to have feathers or tassells but I found the base cape boring and I knew immediately that they were too plain to sell.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Childrenswear. Parents will pay a lot for their kids to be happy and colorful!
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
2 pairs of Converse shoes which I bought for a photo shoot (I forgot the shoes for the models and needed to pick something up quickly on the way to the shoot). I swapped them after the shoot for my size. They are fluro neon orange and shiny gold – I love them.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
At the moment it’s Google – my amazing PR agent is keeping me in check with all the social media updates and publications that I need to be aware of through Google Docs. It’s so easy to make updates and track actions. I would be all over the place without it!
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
This is a tough one for me as I don’t often find time to read books unless I’m on an island beach holiday with no glue gun in sight. But when I do get to read, I prefer books that teach me something.
What is your favorite quote?
“All progress takes place outside the comfort zone.”
— Michael John Bobak
Key learnings:
- Google Docs really does make organizing your workflow so much easier and streamlined
- Knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are and hiring based on this will make your job so much more efficient and in the end successful
- The children’s market has a lot of potential for burgeoning entrepreneurs
Connect:
Get Yourself Dressed on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/get_yourself_dressed/
Get Yourself Dressed on Facebook:
Emma Baker on Linkedin:
Carlyn runs the day-to-day publishing operation here at ideamensch and interacts with our awesome customers and entrepreneurs. She is likely editing this with a cat on her lap.