May 13, 2021 • 22 mins
Helya Mohammadian once thought she’d have a career in high fashion. But then she invented an undergarment that made life easier for women with disabilities. Now her company, Slick Chicks, is a success, and is empowering countless women.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to Made by Women by the Seneca Women Podcast
Network and I Heart Radio. At a moment when businesses
face some of the biggest challenges in recent history, we
bring you inspiring stories, practical insights, and shared learnings to
help you successfully navigate in today's environment. Every Thursday, Made
(00:26):
by Women will showcase the experiences of legendary women, entrepreneurs,
fierce up and comers, and everyday women who found success
their own way. Consider this your real World MBA designed
for the new Now. I'm Kim Azzarelli and thanks so
much for joining us today. Some entrepreneurs are born as children.
(00:48):
They're setting up lemonade stands, they're selling homemade crafts, or
they're taking a booth at the school fair. Others stumble
into entrepreneurship, but when they find their passion, they're in
a hundred and What often fuels these accidental entrepreneurs is
an opportunity to do good in the world. That was
the case with Helia Mohammedian. She thought she wanted a
(01:09):
career in high end fashion, but one day she found
herself cutting up a pair of women's underwear, attaching fasteners
and creating a new type of undergarment. For people with
disabilities or limited mobility. We'll hear about why Hellia started
her company, how she patented her invention, and how she
built slick Chicks around underwear that looks good and instills
(01:29):
confidence in women. Enjoy our conversation. Thanks so much for
joining us, Thank you for having me. So tell us
a little bit about slick Chicks, what it does and
what inspired you to create it. So, slick Chicks are
patented adaptive underwear and they are designed for people with
(01:49):
disabilities or limited mobility. I started the company after seeing
my sister who was having a post operative surgery the time.
She was struggling with bending over and had a hard
time changing using the restroom showering following her surgery, and
(02:09):
so I was just you know, not wanting to really
see her in pain and struggle. So I just kind
of took to the internet and started googling accessible products.
Because we had many conversations where you know, she was like,
my husband has to help me change my underwear, and
that's something that's pretty intimate, and you know, you want
to feel dignified and independent and do things on your own,
(02:32):
so having to rely on someone, um, she felt a
little less confident, and you know, obviously she didn't feel
just good in her own skin at that point. So
UM I did. I looked on the internet and I
started researching products UM that could be easily accessible for her.
And so I found that the market and products that
(02:54):
were out there, we're really just medical products that were
uh stay Earle and Bland and you know created decades ago,
UM products that resemble diapers and you know, urineering continents products.
So I didn't. Yeah, so I was kind of shocked that,
you know, when it had already created something that UM
(03:17):
was you know a little bit more fashion forward. So
I thought, okay, well I have fifteen years experience in
fashion design and product development. I can just create a
product to myself. And it started as like a little
project for me to create something for my sister. And
I cut up a pair of underwear, added fasteners and
(03:39):
I remember this. It was like in my New York
City apartment, just making this like makeshift underwear for my sister.
And I sent it to her and she tried it
out and she was like, this is awesome. You should
really like do something with this, and time I was like, really,
I just you know, I can't imagine, Um, you know
(04:00):
that this would work. But I got, you know, really
really you know, invested in and it was something I
started to become really passionate about after researching you know,
other people that could potentially need the product. So let
me ask you this. You get this idea, obviously inspired
by your sister, and you know, you make your prototype
(04:22):
and you're feeling really encouraged. But I want to just
take you back a bit to your background. Did you
think you would be an entrepreneur? Did you ever have
that sense? What about your background kind of prepared you
for that moment? So I was always a very imaginative kid.
My mom still has sketches of like old bathing suits
and dresses. And I knew I wanted to be in fashion.
(04:43):
My undergrad is from Louisiana State University, my degree in
fashion design. So I knew early on I always wanted
to be um in fashion. I just didn't know that
I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I really didn't even
know what that meant at the time. Um, this was
like twenty years ago. So yeah, I mean, I think
you kind of have to be have a little bit
(05:06):
of a wild imagination to become an entrepreneur. UM. So
I definitely think it was like ingrained in me at
an early age. UM. And so I went to school
fashion you know, no offense to my hometown, but you know,
in Louisiana wasn't such a big thing. So I knew
that I wanted to be in New York City, and
(05:27):
so I applied to the Fashion Institute UM of New
York during my undergrad and then I was accepted, and
so I moved to New York City UM. And my
parents were actually really supportive but scared for me to
New York and started life there. But yeah, I didn't
know that I wanted to be an entrepreneur where I
(05:50):
had no like really business training. You know. I went
to to school to learn a trade. You know, essentially
I was learning how to design clothes, and I always
thought I wanted to be UM kind of like behind
the scenes and just creating the products and seeing them
come to life. I had no idea, you know, that
it would turn into a business. So most of my
(06:13):
early jobs and internships were you know with fashion design
companies and you know, retail, and you know, I worked
early on for Bergdorf Goodman in New York City, and
I worked there for a few years as a assistant
to a personal shopper, and it was quite an experience.
(06:34):
You know, you're just going to say that must be
an experience. I mean it was you you dressed basically,
you're you're you're dressing the you know who's who of
the Upper East Side and these socialites, and um, it
was very unfulfilling for me. It made me realize, like, gosh,
I loved fashion, but now I'm not loving it so much,
(06:57):
or maybe this just isn't what I wanted to do.
And so that was kind of like disheartening because it
just was kind of turned off from from that experience
and it just wasn't for me. It didn't feel like
I was contributing to anything or making an impact, um,
which is also something I think I always wanted to
do and know that I wanted to do. I just
(07:18):
didn't know how and had to do it within the
function industry. So well, that's so interesting because you know,
a lot of things that we talked about at Seneca
Women is sort of how you use your power for
purpose and if you can kind of understand your skill
set and then apply to something you believe in, it
seems like you really were able to do that with
Slick Chicks. Flick Chicks is now defined as a social
impact company. So what does that mean to you? Yeah,
(07:40):
I mean it's kind of like what you just said.
It's like it's about contributing to the you know, to
a greater good and to to be a purpose driven
platform or company or service and UM. So for for
us specifically, UM, our mission is to empower people with
our products UM and have a positive impact on their
(08:03):
quality of life, you know, with something as simple as underwear.
So I think at the end of the day, if
you know, if you want to be a social impact
company or if that's what you aspire to be, UM,
you have to put people first. And that's what it's about.
So it's not just about creating this product for profit.
It's about UM who were actually helping, And it's creating
(08:26):
a real solution with a with a product. And I
think it also starts with understanding UM and learning about
the issues that people face and UM specifically for me,
you know, I didn't realize that this was a challenge
that people with disabilities had, and so it was just
(08:47):
educating myself. UM. So you know, I think whether it's
working for impact like at aggress roots level, or if
you're doing it within your community. UM, it's just social
impact about working for positive change, and that's really what
we do, and that's kind of at the heart and
soul of what we're about. We'll be back with Seneca's
(09:10):
Made by Women after this short break. So you had
this vision and you knew you wanted to have impact,
and you're having incredible impact. Though we're super grateful for
what you've done. We know it's not easy though, So
when you got started, what were the first steps you
(09:31):
took and how did you convince people and did you
have to convince people to come along with you? Well,
thank you for the kind words, but yes, definitely. I
think when I started this idea, the concept of it
was in two thousand and twelve UM, and at that
point it, you know, the challenge was being a first
(09:52):
market company. You know, the market wasn't ready for it
because there really wasn't a market for it. UM. So
I was on basically embarking on something that was like
an entirely new business model. So UM. Granted, there are
always competitors, but for me, it was like trying to
compete against some of these medical companies, and I, you know,
(10:14):
I wanted to kind of bridge that gap between being
a functional medical company and fashion So that was the
biggest hurdle UM when trying to kind of persuade people
that you know, this product is UM needed. So yeah,
I mean I think that the first step for me
(10:37):
was just getting customers to test the product early on
and giving us feedback UM. And I did. I did
a Kickstarter UM and you know, created these like organic
focus groups, UM consumer focus groups to get that feedback,
and that really helped me to validate the product. And
the feedback that I received in the use cases, you know,
(10:59):
are what really helped me kind of UM create our
business model. UM. So being a completely new product, I
think it has it's you know, challenges, but I think
it also has its advantages because once you do get
that trust from your customers, they become very loyal and
(11:22):
they continue to support the business, which we were really
fortunate to have UM those repeat customers and those loyal customers.
So yeah, I think UM. I think early on as well,
trying to get funding from vcs was a challenge because
people didn't really know this market. It was an emerging market. UM.
(11:42):
So it definitely presented its challenges, but you know, at
some point I found someone who was really passionate and
who had a personal experience with their family member and
we connected on a deeper level and she ended up
becoming my first seed uh seed investor. That's amazing. We've
talked to others like Figs who have kind of come
(12:02):
into a new marketplace and tried to put fashion forward
products and what was very traditionally a medical type environment,
and that's not easy, as you say, you know, there's
so many people who when they go up for that
first round of funding, they're talking to people who don't
necessarily connect with the product, especially when you're breaking into
a new female, first market. How did you deal with
(12:23):
that early on? I mean obviously there's a lot of
naysayers and and everybody who starts a business goes through that.
How were you able to cope with that? Um? Yeah,
that's a great question. I think that was you know,
that was a huge obstacle for me early on, because
you know, you're you're so excited about you know, this
idea in this product and bringing it to life, and
(12:43):
you want to share it with your friends and family. Um.
Which I did. You know, I didn't. You know, I
didn't keep it to myself. But I also at that point,
I didn't really have a big network, um until later on,
so I talked about it with anyone who was close
close to me, and um, because they care about me.
(13:04):
They were like, we don't want to see you invest
all of your time, your energy, and your money into
this because you know, at that time the market wasn't
ready for it, but I believed that there was something there.
So I think for me, it's like you just kind
of have to push through and you can't really listen
to what everyone says otherwise than you know, you don't
(13:24):
follow your dreams. But I was also very realistic at
that point. Um, you know, I worked two jobs while
I was trying to get slip Chicks going. You know,
I never put all my eggs into one basket, um,
but I always I always remembered why I was doing
it and the reason, and that was the people who
(13:46):
needed the product. And UM, I think when if you're
passionate about doing something and you're doing it again for
the greater good, I think that there's so much success
there and not just monetary. But you know, you know
you're making an impact, and you're whether you're impacting one
person or one million people. Um, I think that's that,
(14:08):
at the end of the day, is what matters. And um,
I never really cared that people were telling me it
was a crazy idea. Well, you know, it's so interesting
you say that, because you know, we wrote a book
called Fast Forward and part of the research was around
purpose driven work and what happens. And I guess there's
this phenomenon called helpers high where you almost become addicted
(14:31):
to making a difference and it actually, you know, there's
literally like a chemical reaction to making a positive contribution.
And I definitely feel like with Seneca women for us,
it's very similar, where you know, you're just like, well,
what motivates you and what gets you through the really
hard times is that you're going to be able to
make this impact. And as you said, if you can
just help one person, I think it's it's huge and
it's so motivating. So I think that's such great advice
(14:54):
because there's so many entrepreneurs who are facing I guess
it's like six nos to every yes or something, and
and so it's really important to do what you just said.
Which is remember the why you're doing it and use
it as your compass. So we also understand that you've
got some of your funding when you were on a
television show. Can you tell us about that? Sure? So I, UM,
I participated on this reality pitch competition on ABC and
(15:19):
it was called thunder Dome. I think it was like
a few seasons um that the show was on air.
But Steve Harvey was the host, and you know, he's
like a quirky character, larger than life personality. And at
that time, UM, because my business was still so early on,
you know, I was bootstrapping. I wanted to do anything
(15:41):
I could to raise money for this company. So you know,
for me, it wasn't about being on TV. It was
about getting access to capital. So of course I was
going to do it. But so that being said, I
you know, I got accepted and I flew out. They
flew me out to l A and so basically what
the show was, UM, they they put two inventors and
(16:06):
you know, had them compete for a certain amount of
seed funding. UM. And so both inventors basically pitch before
live studio audience, and UM, that was terrifying. Whoever who
whoever ends up I guess winning is the win or
you know, whoever wins that seat funding UM, it's through
(16:28):
the audience vote, so they basically decide UM. And that
was my I think that was my first time pitching
in front of that many people. UM. And you know,
you have all of these eyes on you in this
like very brightly lit studio with you know, like directors
(16:50):
and producers and people all around, and UM, I had
to kind of just like, I guess, go into a
different like world and like inside my head and just
pretend like I was just pitching to to a friend
or family member, even though I was looking at like
a couple of hundred people all around me in a room. UM,
(17:10):
but cameras, cameras. Yeah, yeah, it was. It was terrifying,
but it was also fun. I had so much fun
doing it. And I ended up UM winning a small
amount of funding for UM for slip Chicks, and that
was that was the goal, And it was an experience
and UM yeah it was definitely UM definitely something that
(17:34):
kind of put me outside of my comfort zone. And
I think every time you pitch, whether it's in front
of one investor or like a hundred people there's always
like you know, you always feel a little anxious and
once you get into it. Um, my experience with the show,
as soon as I started, I was like, I think
(17:55):
I blacked out. I was like a minute pitch and
then when it was over like, oh my god, that
wasn't so bad. Um. But yeah, but of course you're
like a ball of nerves before doing it. Um, but
the show was really I mean, I mean it was
a great show. Um. It gave you know, people who
(18:15):
you know had like mom and pops or you know,
small businesses, um, you know, minority owned businesses and opportunity
uh to uh you know, pitch for for funding. And yeah,
I mean it was definitely like a mini version of
like a Shark Tank. I would say, well, I think
the advice you gave there that was so important, which
is that anytime you have to pitch, you're kind of
(18:37):
getting out of your comfort zone and so getting comfortable
being uncomfortable it is kind of the name of the game.
I think. I know, these are really obviously hard times
for everybody, and hard times for women entrepreneurs for sure.
We see that a lot in the press and and
in reality. But is there anything that's keeping you optimistic
in this moment, there is I feel like, right now,
there's such a for for my industry. UM, I see that,
(19:01):
and not just my industry. I see it more and
more every day, and just different industries. But uh, there's
more I guess opportunity for you know, diversity and inclusion
in workplaces. And there's more bought lighting of women owned businesses,
which I think is so important UM. And more advocating um,
(19:23):
not just like with their words, but with actions and
things that they're doing. So I think there's like a
lot to look forward to, and I think things are
definitely changing. I mean we have still have a lot
more work to do, um, you know, adaptive fashion and
our our industry. UM. I see companies that are embracing inclusivity. UM.
(19:46):
But again there's there's so much more to be done. Um.
You know, we're just scratching the surface. But I do
see more and more companies being inclusive. I do see
more female owned businesses, more black women entrepreneurs emerging, and
I think that women have I think women of color specifically,
(20:06):
they faced double biases because they you know, gender and race.
They are like the fastest growing group of women owned businesses,
which is pretty incredible. Yeah, it's so amazing. So I think,
you know, that gives me kind of like inspiration and hope,
and you know, it inspires me, you know, people that
(20:27):
I meet all over the world, women that I meet.
I think that's the biggest thing, is like women who
are starting businesses are inspiring other women to start businesses,
and we're just kind of like dominating that. And we're
here for each other. You know, we're showing up and
showing support. So I'm very hopeful even though we had
a really rough year, I mean everyone did, everyone was
(20:48):
affected by this this last year in the pandemic, but
I think it's also making us come back stronger as well. Well.
You are definitely inspiring us, and again we're just really
grateful for what you've done and we'll continue to support
and follow your work. So thanks so much for joining us,
Thank you so much for having me, and thank you
for being an advocate and spat flighting women in Businesses.
(21:12):
What an incredible product and a great company. Here are
some lessons I took from the conversation. First, never underestimate
the power of purpose to drive your business forward. Pullia
had to face skeptics and naysays. She had to work
two jobs to finance the launch of slip Chicks, but
she knew she was creating a product that would bring
(21:32):
confidence and empowerment to people with disabilities. Second, know your customer,
hell You believe she had a great product, but she
conducted focus groups to really understand the potential market. The
feedback she got helped her design not only her product,
but also her business model. Finally prepared to be uncomfortable,
(21:54):
Hellia was terrified the thought of appearing on TV to
pitch her company on the Steve Harvey Show. But she
did it and she ended up getting some funding for
Slick Chicks. That was just one of the many times
she had to leave her comfort zone on the way
to success. You can find Slick Chicks on the Seneca
Women Marketplace, a digital resource for amazing women don't businesses.
(22:14):
Visit shop Seneca Women dot com to learn more. And
if you have a women down business that you'd like
to nominate for the Seneca Women Marketplace, go to shops
Seneca Women dot com and click the Nominate button. Made
by Women is brought to you by the Seneca Women
Podcast Network and I Heart Radio with support from founding
partner png,
Welcome to Made by Women by the Seneca Women Podcast
Network and I Heart Radio. At a moment when businesses
face some of the biggest challenges in recent history, we
bring you inspiring stories, practical insights, and shared learnings to
help you successfully navigate in today's environment. Every Thursday, Made
(00:26):
by Women will showcase the experiences of legendary women, entrepreneurs,
fierce up and comers, and everyday women who found success
their own way. Consider this your real World MBA designed
for the new Now. I'm Kim Azzarelli and thanks so
much for joining us today. Some entrepreneurs are born as children.
(00:48):
They're setting up lemonade stands, they're selling homemade crafts, or
they're taking a booth at the school fair. Others stumble
into entrepreneurship, but when they find their passion, they're in
a hundred and What often fuels these accidental entrepreneurs is
an opportunity to do good in the world. That was
the case with Helia Mohammedian. She thought she wanted a
(01:09):
career in high end fashion, but one day she found
herself cutting up a pair of women's underwear, attaching fasteners
and creating a new type of undergarment. For people with
disabilities or limited mobility. We'll hear about why Hellia started
her company, how she patented her invention, and how she
built slick Chicks around underwear that looks good and instills
(01:29):
confidence in women. Enjoy our conversation. Thanks so much for
joining us, Thank you for having me. So tell us
a little bit about slick Chicks, what it does and
what inspired you to create it. So, slick Chicks are
patented adaptive underwear and they are designed for people with
(01:49):
disabilities or limited mobility. I started the company after seeing
my sister who was having a post operative surgery the time.
She was struggling with bending over and had a hard
time changing using the restroom showering following her surgery, and
(02:09):
so I was just you know, not wanting to really
see her in pain and struggle. So I just kind
of took to the internet and started googling accessible products.
Because we had many conversations where you know, she was like,
my husband has to help me change my underwear, and
that's something that's pretty intimate, and you know, you want
to feel dignified and independent and do things on your own,
(02:32):
so having to rely on someone, um, she felt a
little less confident, and you know, obviously she didn't feel
just good in her own skin at that point. So
UM I did. I looked on the internet and I
started researching products UM that could be easily accessible for her.
And so I found that the market and products that
(02:54):
were out there, we're really just medical products that were
uh stay Earle and Bland and you know created decades ago,
UM products that resemble diapers and you know, urineering continents products.
So I didn't. Yeah, so I was kind of shocked that,
you know, when it had already created something that UM
(03:17):
was you know a little bit more fashion forward. So
I thought, okay, well I have fifteen years experience in
fashion design and product development. I can just create a
product to myself. And it started as like a little
project for me to create something for my sister. And
I cut up a pair of underwear, added fasteners and
(03:39):
I remember this. It was like in my New York
City apartment, just making this like makeshift underwear for my sister.
And I sent it to her and she tried it
out and she was like, this is awesome. You should
really like do something with this, and time I was like, really,
I just you know, I can't imagine, Um, you know
(04:00):
that this would work. But I got, you know, really
really you know, invested in and it was something I
started to become really passionate about after researching you know,
other people that could potentially need the product. So let
me ask you this. You get this idea, obviously inspired
by your sister, and you know, you make your prototype
(04:22):
and you're feeling really encouraged. But I want to just
take you back a bit to your background. Did you
think you would be an entrepreneur? Did you ever have
that sense? What about your background kind of prepared you
for that moment? So I was always a very imaginative kid.
My mom still has sketches of like old bathing suits
and dresses. And I knew I wanted to be in fashion.
(04:43):
My undergrad is from Louisiana State University, my degree in
fashion design. So I knew early on I always wanted
to be um in fashion. I just didn't know that
I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I really didn't even
know what that meant at the time. Um, this was
like twenty years ago. So yeah, I mean, I think
you kind of have to be have a little bit
(05:06):
of a wild imagination to become an entrepreneur. UM. So
I definitely think it was like ingrained in me at
an early age. UM. And so I went to school
fashion you know, no offense to my hometown, but you know,
in Louisiana wasn't such a big thing. So I knew
that I wanted to be in New York City, and
(05:27):
so I applied to the Fashion Institute UM of New
York during my undergrad and then I was accepted, and
so I moved to New York City UM. And my
parents were actually really supportive but scared for me to
New York and started life there. But yeah, I didn't
know that I wanted to be an entrepreneur where I
(05:50):
had no like really business training. You know. I went
to to school to learn a trade. You know, essentially
I was learning how to design clothes, and I always
thought I wanted to be UM kind of like behind
the scenes and just creating the products and seeing them
come to life. I had no idea, you know, that
it would turn into a business. So most of my
(06:13):
early jobs and internships were you know with fashion design
companies and you know, retail, and you know, I worked
early on for Bergdorf Goodman in New York City, and
I worked there for a few years as a assistant
to a personal shopper, and it was quite an experience.
(06:34):
You know, you're just going to say that must be
an experience. I mean it was you you dressed basically,
you're you're you're dressing the you know who's who of
the Upper East Side and these socialites, and um, it
was very unfulfilling for me. It made me realize, like, gosh,
I loved fashion, but now I'm not loving it so much,
(06:57):
or maybe this just isn't what I wanted to do.
And so that was kind of like disheartening because it
just was kind of turned off from from that experience
and it just wasn't for me. It didn't feel like
I was contributing to anything or making an impact, um,
which is also something I think I always wanted to
do and know that I wanted to do. I just
(07:18):
didn't know how and had to do it within the
function industry. So well, that's so interesting because you know,
a lot of things that we talked about at Seneca
Women is sort of how you use your power for
purpose and if you can kind of understand your skill
set and then apply to something you believe in, it
seems like you really were able to do that with
Slick Chicks. Flick Chicks is now defined as a social
impact company. So what does that mean to you? Yeah,
(07:40):
I mean it's kind of like what you just said.
It's like it's about contributing to the you know, to
a greater good and to to be a purpose driven
platform or company or service and UM. So for for
us specifically, UM, our mission is to empower people with
our products UM and have a positive impact on their
(08:03):
quality of life, you know, with something as simple as underwear.
So I think at the end of the day, if
you know, if you want to be a social impact
company or if that's what you aspire to be, UM,
you have to put people first. And that's what it's about.
So it's not just about creating this product for profit.
It's about UM who were actually helping, And it's creating
(08:26):
a real solution with a with a product. And I
think it also starts with understanding UM and learning about
the issues that people face and UM specifically for me,
you know, I didn't realize that this was a challenge
that people with disabilities had, and so it was just
(08:47):
educating myself. UM. So you know, I think whether it's
working for impact like at aggress roots level, or if
you're doing it within your community. UM, it's just social
impact about working for positive change, and that's really what
we do, and that's kind of at the heart and
soul of what we're about. We'll be back with Seneca's
(09:10):
Made by Women after this short break. So you had
this vision and you knew you wanted to have impact,
and you're having incredible impact. Though we're super grateful for
what you've done. We know it's not easy though, So
when you got started, what were the first steps you
(09:31):
took and how did you convince people and did you
have to convince people to come along with you? Well,
thank you for the kind words, but yes, definitely. I
think when I started this idea, the concept of it
was in two thousand and twelve UM, and at that
point it, you know, the challenge was being a first
(09:52):
market company. You know, the market wasn't ready for it
because there really wasn't a market for it. UM. So
I was on basically embarking on something that was like
an entirely new business model. So UM. Granted, there are
always competitors, but for me, it was like trying to
compete against some of these medical companies, and I, you know,
(10:14):
I wanted to kind of bridge that gap between being
a functional medical company and fashion So that was the
biggest hurdle UM when trying to kind of persuade people
that you know, this product is UM needed. So yeah,
I mean I think that the first step for me
(10:37):
was just getting customers to test the product early on
and giving us feedback UM. And I did. I did
a Kickstarter UM and you know, created these like organic
focus groups, UM consumer focus groups to get that feedback,
and that really helped me to validate the product. And
the feedback that I received in the use cases, you know,
(10:59):
are what really helped me kind of UM create our
business model. UM. So being a completely new product, I
think it has it's you know, challenges, but I think
it also has its advantages because once you do get
that trust from your customers, they become very loyal and
(11:22):
they continue to support the business, which we were really
fortunate to have UM those repeat customers and those loyal customers.
So yeah, I think UM. I think early on as well,
trying to get funding from vcs was a challenge because
people didn't really know this market. It was an emerging market. UM.
(11:42):
So it definitely presented its challenges, but you know, at
some point I found someone who was really passionate and
who had a personal experience with their family member and
we connected on a deeper level and she ended up
becoming my first seed uh seed investor. That's amazing. We've
talked to others like Figs who have kind of come
(12:02):
into a new marketplace and tried to put fashion forward
products and what was very traditionally a medical type environment,
and that's not easy, as you say, you know, there's
so many people who when they go up for that
first round of funding, they're talking to people who don't
necessarily connect with the product, especially when you're breaking into
a new female, first market. How did you deal with
(12:23):
that early on? I mean obviously there's a lot of
naysayers and and everybody who starts a business goes through that.
How were you able to cope with that? Um? Yeah,
that's a great question. I think that was you know,
that was a huge obstacle for me early on, because
you know, you're you're so excited about you know, this
idea in this product and bringing it to life, and
(12:43):
you want to share it with your friends and family. Um.
Which I did. You know, I didn't. You know, I
didn't keep it to myself. But I also at that point,
I didn't really have a big network, um until later on,
so I talked about it with anyone who was close
close to me, and um, because they care about me.
(13:04):
They were like, we don't want to see you invest
all of your time, your energy, and your money into
this because you know, at that time the market wasn't
ready for it, but I believed that there was something there.
So I think for me, it's like you just kind
of have to push through and you can't really listen
to what everyone says otherwise than you know, you don't
(13:24):
follow your dreams. But I was also very realistic at
that point. Um, you know, I worked two jobs while
I was trying to get slip Chicks going. You know,
I never put all my eggs into one basket, um,
but I always I always remembered why I was doing
it and the reason, and that was the people who
(13:46):
needed the product. And UM, I think when if you're
passionate about doing something and you're doing it again for
the greater good, I think that there's so much success
there and not just monetary. But you know, you know
you're making an impact, and you're whether you're impacting one
person or one million people. Um, I think that's that,
(14:08):
at the end of the day, is what matters. And um,
I never really cared that people were telling me it
was a crazy idea. Well, you know, it's so interesting
you say that, because you know, we wrote a book
called Fast Forward and part of the research was around
purpose driven work and what happens. And I guess there's
this phenomenon called helpers high where you almost become addicted
(14:31):
to making a difference and it actually, you know, there's
literally like a chemical reaction to making a positive contribution.
And I definitely feel like with Seneca women for us,
it's very similar, where you know, you're just like, well,
what motivates you and what gets you through the really
hard times is that you're going to be able to
make this impact. And as you said, if you can
just help one person, I think it's it's huge and
it's so motivating. So I think that's such great advice
(14:54):
because there's so many entrepreneurs who are facing I guess
it's like six nos to every yes or something, and
and so it's really important to do what you just said.
Which is remember the why you're doing it and use
it as your compass. So we also understand that you've
got some of your funding when you were on a
television show. Can you tell us about that? Sure? So I, UM,
I participated on this reality pitch competition on ABC and
(15:19):
it was called thunder Dome. I think it was like
a few seasons um that the show was on air.
But Steve Harvey was the host, and you know, he's
like a quirky character, larger than life personality. And at
that time, UM, because my business was still so early on,
you know, I was bootstrapping. I wanted to do anything
(15:41):
I could to raise money for this company. So you know,
for me, it wasn't about being on TV. It was
about getting access to capital. So of course I was
going to do it. But so that being said, I
you know, I got accepted and I flew out. They
flew me out to l A and so basically what
the show was, UM, they they put two inventors and
(16:06):
you know, had them compete for a certain amount of
seed funding. UM. And so both inventors basically pitch before
live studio audience, and UM, that was terrifying. Whoever who
whoever ends up I guess winning is the win or
you know, whoever wins that seat funding UM, it's through
(16:28):
the audience vote, so they basically decide UM. And that
was my I think that was my first time pitching
in front of that many people. UM. And you know,
you have all of these eyes on you in this
like very brightly lit studio with you know, like directors
(16:50):
and producers and people all around, and UM, I had
to kind of just like, I guess, go into a
different like world and like inside my head and just
pretend like I was just pitching to to a friend
or family member, even though I was looking at like
a couple of hundred people all around me in a room. UM,
(17:10):
but cameras, cameras. Yeah, yeah, it was. It was terrifying,
but it was also fun. I had so much fun
doing it. And I ended up UM winning a small
amount of funding for UM for slip Chicks, and that
was that was the goal, And it was an experience
and UM yeah it was definitely UM definitely something that
(17:34):
kind of put me outside of my comfort zone. And
I think every time you pitch, whether it's in front
of one investor or like a hundred people there's always
like you know, you always feel a little anxious and
once you get into it. Um, my experience with the show,
as soon as I started, I was like, I think
(17:55):
I blacked out. I was like a minute pitch and
then when it was over like, oh my god, that
wasn't so bad. Um. But yeah, but of course you're
like a ball of nerves before doing it. Um, but
the show was really I mean, I mean it was
a great show. Um. It gave you know, people who
(18:15):
you know had like mom and pops or you know,
small businesses, um, you know, minority owned businesses and opportunity
uh to uh you know, pitch for for funding. And yeah,
I mean it was definitely like a mini version of
like a Shark Tank. I would say, well, I think
the advice you gave there that was so important, which
is that anytime you have to pitch, you're kind of
(18:37):
getting out of your comfort zone and so getting comfortable
being uncomfortable it is kind of the name of the game.
I think. I know, these are really obviously hard times
for everybody, and hard times for women entrepreneurs for sure.
We see that a lot in the press and and
in reality. But is there anything that's keeping you optimistic
in this moment, there is I feel like, right now,
there's such a for for my industry. UM, I see that,
(19:01):
and not just my industry. I see it more and
more every day, and just different industries. But uh, there's
more I guess opportunity for you know, diversity and inclusion
in workplaces. And there's more bought lighting of women owned businesses,
which I think is so important UM. And more advocating um,
(19:23):
not just like with their words, but with actions and
things that they're doing. So I think there's like a
lot to look forward to, and I think things are
definitely changing. I mean we have still have a lot
more work to do, um, you know, adaptive fashion and
our our industry. UM. I see companies that are embracing inclusivity. UM.
(19:46):
But again there's there's so much more to be done. Um.
You know, we're just scratching the surface. But I do
see more and more companies being inclusive. I do see
more female owned businesses, more black women entrepreneurs emerging, and
I think that women have I think women of color specifically,
(20:06):
they faced double biases because they you know, gender and race.
They are like the fastest growing group of women owned businesses,
which is pretty incredible. Yeah, it's so amazing. So I think,
you know, that gives me kind of like inspiration and hope,
and you know, it inspires me, you know, people that
(20:27):
I meet all over the world, women that I meet.
I think that's the biggest thing, is like women who
are starting businesses are inspiring other women to start businesses,
and we're just kind of like dominating that. And we're
here for each other. You know, we're showing up and
showing support. So I'm very hopeful even though we had
a really rough year, I mean everyone did, everyone was
(20:48):
affected by this this last year in the pandemic, but
I think it's also making us come back stronger as well. Well.
You are definitely inspiring us, and again we're just really
grateful for what you've done and we'll continue to support
and follow your work. So thanks so much for joining us,
Thank you so much for having me, and thank you
for being an advocate and spat flighting women in Businesses.
(21:12):
What an incredible product and a great company. Here are
some lessons I took from the conversation. First, never underestimate
the power of purpose to drive your business forward. Pullia
had to face skeptics and naysays. She had to work
two jobs to finance the launch of slip Chicks, but
she knew she was creating a product that would bring
(21:32):
confidence and empowerment to people with disabilities. Second, know your customer,
hell You believe she had a great product, but she
conducted focus groups to really understand the potential market. The
feedback she got helped her design not only her product,
but also her business model. Finally prepared to be uncomfortable,
(21:54):
Hellia was terrified the thought of appearing on TV to
pitch her company on the Steve Harvey Show. But she
did it and she ended up getting some funding for
Slick Chicks. That was just one of the many times
she had to leave her comfort zone on the way
to success. You can find Slick Chicks on the Seneca
Women Marketplace, a digital resource for amazing women don't businesses.
(22:14):
Visit shop Seneca Women dot com to learn more. And
if you have a women down business that you'd like
to nominate for the Seneca Women Marketplace, go to shops
Seneca Women dot com and click the Nominate button. Made
by Women is brought to you by the Seneca Women
Podcast Network and I Heart Radio with support from founding
partner png,
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