Kirstie Whittaker is a leader in retail and manufacturing who launched her first shoe boutique at 18, grew it into a multi-location empire, overcame a multi-million-dollar identity theft loss, and now guides entrepreneurs on branding, legal strategy, and scaling their ventures through international law and arbitration
She explains:
◽️ How a daring hack at 16 led to her expulsion and ignited her entrepreneurial journey.
◽️ What it takes to open a retail store with just $1,500 and build multiple locations without bank loans.
◽️ The immersive, three-week crash course living on a factory conveyor belt in Vietnam to master every step of shoe production.
◽️ Strategies to defend your brand and trademarks internationally after a brutal identity theft saga that nearly destroyed her business.
◽️ Why small businesses must understand arbitration and international trade law to thrive across borders.
◽️ How to pivot through crises—from the 2008 financial meltdown to COVID-19 and today’s volatile tariffs—to keep your venture afloat.
◽️ The entrepreneurial mindset of resilience, self-reliance, and relentless problem-solving that turns setbacks into springboards.
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⏱ Timestamps:
[00:00:00] – From Expulsion to Entrepreneur: Hack Sparks Vision
[00:05:58] – Bootstrapped Retail Launch: Opening Shop on $1,500
[00:07:09] – Vietnam Crash Course: Immersing in Shoe Production
[00:08:29] – Canton Fair Revelation: Mastering Manufacturing Scale
[00:17:40] – Identity Theft Nightmare: Fighting to Reclaim Your Brand
[00:20:48] – Legal Strategy Emerges: Crafting Your Defense Plan
[00:29:38] – From Founder to Arbitrator: Embracing International Law
[00:40:56] – Tariffs & Anxiety: Navigating Today’s Market Storms
[00:43:29] – Turning Crisis into Growth: Strengthening Your Business Mindset
[00:45:11] – Embracing Resilience: Final Lessons & Outro Kirsty Whitaker:
◽️Website: www.missmafia.com and www.supportmyempire.com
◽️Instagram: https://tr.ee/eDzQD8
◽️Linkedin: https://tr.ee/LJyEGm
Atelier de La Hang:
◽️ Join ADLHcircle here -https://www.atelierdelahang.com/
◽️ What Kirsty is wearing:
Website (best way to support our small business): https://tr.ee/8Vle2e
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt
◽️ Get email updates - https://linktr.ee/atelierdelahang
◽️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atelierdelahang/
◽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atelierdelahang
◽️ Follow Quan -https://tr.ee/3YmExF
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