Name
of Business:
Bat(h)qol
Name
of Entrepreneur:
Wendi
Williams-Stern
Location:
Los
Angeles, CA
Type
of Business:
Clothing
and handbag designer
What
does your business do?
We
are a clothing and purse design company. I also design custom-made
handbags to meet the individual styles of my clients.
When
and why did you start the biz?
I
started Bat(h)qol in 1998. A lot of my friends in the entertainment
industry would call me and ask me to design outfits for them
for the Grammy’s or some formal event or private party.
It made sense to start a business.
How
Many People are in your Company?
1
What's
the toughest part of running your biz?
The hardest part is that it’s just my husband and me
working in the business. There just seems to not be enough
time to do everything.
What's
the most fun part?
I
enjoy the creative process and seeing the end product. I like
it when I make something new and then take it out on a test
run. When people like it, it feels really good.
What's
next on the horizon for your biz?
I’ve
been working on a new handbag line called Mojo. These bags
are going to be sold at a lower price point than my original
line. I also hope to finally be able to move out of my home
office and hire some more people to work with me.
What
advice do you have for others?
Don’t
go into business blindly. It’s not easy. You have to
love what you are doing and have a passion for it to keep
it going. Just be who you are and make yourself happy.
Prior
jobs or business or education?
In the 80s, I attended the American College for the
Applied Arts and studied Fashion Design and Merchandising.
I was also part of “For Real”, a female R&B/Pop
musical group under two major record deals: A&M and Arista.
Is
there any one person or event in your life that led you to
go into business for yourself? When
I was in college, I was making clothes for myself and for
my friends. I was known as the house seamstress. When I got
older, I started designing for people in the entertainment
industry. It seemed to be the next step, to go into business
for myself.
Contact
Info: N/A
Website URL:
http://www.bathqol.com/
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