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From Socks to Mega-$$
It's every home-based entrepreneur's dream: to make it big. Kathy Ireland, former super model, made her home-based business really big. She's come a long way since Home Business Magazine® (HBM) last interviewed her in 1998. After operating for a little more than a decade, Kathy Ireland Worldwide is a $1.4 billion design enterprise selling a staggering variety of home- and family-oriented merchandise. Ireland didn't fall back upon her fame as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model or even use her image as a model for an easy springboard to success. She started out just like any other home-based business owner, struggling to obtain loans, failing in a few business ventures, and learning from her mistakes. She also had to overcome the stereotype of appearing like just a pretty woman who certainly couldn't know anything about business. Despite her company's enormous success, she still chooses to work from her home office in southern California. She and her husband, Greg, an emergency room physician and commercial fisherman, have three children, Erik, 13, Lily, 8, and Chloe, 4. Home Business Magazine® (HBM): What inspired you to start your home-based business? Kathy Ireland (KI): Home is the center and it's the center of all that we do. Our mission is finding solutions for families, especially busy moms. We have our corporate headquarters and other offices at other locations, but so much of our business is focusing on the home. Busy moms are drastically under-served. Things such as taking a shower are difficult. Finding solutions for families, especially for busy moms, ignited the passion in our team, and we take that very seriously. The team keeps saying that we keep repeating our mission statement, but it takes the ego out of it. HBM: Why did you decide to shift from modeling to running a business? How can entrepreneurs know when it's time to make a change like that? KI: I entered the modeling world as a business person already. I had several jobs before becoming a model. Modeling was never something I identified with, but I was grateful for it. It financed my design philosophy. I don't have a formal education, so I knew I'd have to have the exposure to the best designers in the world. Business was something of great interest to me. I attempted several and failed miserably, and it was educational for me. Change is inevitable, and it is so much more powerful to initiate change than be forced into it. We should not let fear paralyze us, but we should use that fear as a fire to ignite our passion to help move us forward. I had people saying I was not smart enough or good enough. I really wanted to start something not based on how anyone perceived on how I looked. No one offered me an endorsement. I had to build something solid from the ground up. I'd recommend to people thinking about changing, you've got to turn down the noise so you can go forward with the plan for your dream. HBM: Why did you begin your company selling socks of all things? KI: Socks felt like a great place to start. I'm a practical person. People said you can't break in with socks; they said I had to start with swim wear, which felt too obvious. But if women embraced the socks, I could go with that. HBM: What did you learn the most from previous business ventures you attempted, and how can home business owners learn from their experiences? KI: It has to be the right connection for you. You have to have a passion for it. One of my earlier business attempts was making beer. A friend gave me a booklet about making beer. I made it and it turned out great, and I got all excited and I spent money and time and researched a couple of years in the beer industry. I also partnered with people in a micro brewery in the ‘80s when they were just becoming popular, but I learned it wasn't a passion for me. It can't feel like a sacrifice. It's a bold investment, not a sacrifice, if it's your passion. HBM: What aspects of your previous experience best equipped you for the challenges of running a home-based business? KI: Whether home or any kind of business, as a model, I faced a lot of rejection. I never knew at the time what a blessing it would be. Now when I make calls and people say no, I figure now we're talking at least. HBM: What are the best ways for home-based entrepreneurs to create a professional image? KI: The Web is very powerful. You've got to make sure you're Web-ready, because everything's moving online. It gives you a wonderful opportunity to compete globally with virtually everyone online. More and more businesses are moving to home-based offices. With technology, businesses are very conducive to home offices, so it's more accepted. It's all about presentation. We're all brands, whether we like it or not. How we market ourselves from home dictates what our brand will be.
HBM: How can home-based business owners deal with negativity, both from the outside and their own doubts?
KI: Take your mind off yourself. Oftentimes, we feel we're not qualified, but it's not about you, but the persons you're trying to serve. Whether you're selling information or a service, take care of them.
HBM: How do you promote your home-based business?
KI: On the Web, and through on-going media outreach. We spend over $10 million in advertising. And also word-of-mouth. Our customers are extremely loyal. We had some retailers slamming doors in our faces. They put me in a box, saying, "You used to model. What do you know about marketing?" We've recently sold our 10 millionth pair of socks.
HBM: How has your marketing plan changed over the past decade?
KI: It's now about being alert, paying attention. Who do we need to reach, who is our customer, and how can we reach her? Our brand is not for everyone, and we don't try to be. Our mission includes all members of the family, but we specifically look at the needs of the busy mom. We reach out to her in ways that make sense.
HBM: What do you consider your highest business achievement?
KI: Keeping priorities in perspective. There's such a tendency when running a home business to let it take over your entire life. Prioritizing and setting boundaries are so important.
HBM: What are the primary advantages of working from home?
KI: The time with my family. Every minute is critical and so precious. It allows me flexibility, being self-employed. I so appreciate that.
HBM: How can home business owners know what will appeal to their market, in your case, busy moms?
KI: You have to determine who you want to serve. What is your business and who is your customer? Who are you trying to reach out to? You have to know what you're doing and who it will appeal to. A busy mom — that's me. I have intimate knowledge of her day and what she goes through. We also include children in our focus groups, and children's input is extremely valuable.
HBM: How do you utilize technology to work more productively from your home office?
KI: We're blessed to have some great technology, so all of our members are hooked up. My laptop is essential. I use a cell. I'm not extremely technologically advanced. For me, it's my communication. We're conference calling on a constant basis. We instant message. We're fully taking advantage of technology in the most efficient way. HBM To learn more about Kathy Ireland World Wide, visit http://www.kathyireland.com.
Previously published in the August 2007 issue of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, an international publication for the growing and dynamic home-based market. Available on newsstands, in bookstores and chain stores, and via subscriptions ($15.00 for 1 year, six issues). Visit www.homebusinessmag.com
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