ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
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Were you involved in any sustainability or any other extracurricular activities at Hult?
I took the Sustainability class, which was one of the highlights of my Hult experience. Since
graduating from Hult, I have been involved in promoting social media for the Hult Prize which
allows me to stay in touch with the school, plus further my networking opportunities globally.
I remain in contact with classmates and really enjoy watching their careers bloom. Many of my
classmates have enthusiastically supported Julie Bee’s, contributing both intellectually as well as
financially through crowdfunding site Kickstarter to support the idea's success.
Tell us a little about your highs and lows as an entrepreneur within this field.
Each day comes with new surprises and fresh, thrilling challenges. Being an entrepreneur is not
for the faint at heart, it is a rollercoaster ride on any given day. I had always heard other entrepreneurs speak about the jolts but never fully understood what they meant until I started to
experience the journey.
Julie Bee’s plays an integral
role in supplying sustainable,
handcrafted-in-America
purchases, which empower
responsible women to make
a difference to their family’s
future.
Julie Brown
MBA Class of 2011
Right now things are great at Julie Bee’s; our shoes will be available in stores from August, we
have stories coming out in some big publications, and production is currently on schedule, but
all of that can change very quickly. Keeping my stress at a manageable level is key for me, as is
staying focused on achieving my goals for Julie Bee’s. I feel confident that each hurdle aligns the
company for a successful future and brings us one step closer to achieving my vision.
What are the biggest lessons you've learned during your entrepreneurial journey?
One of the biggest lessons learned during my venture thus far has been to always plan for more
time than you think it will take to complete a task; this could relate to anything from production to
shipping to meetings.
If you could give one piece of advice to budding entrepreneurs and those looking to enter the
sustainable fashion industry, what would it be?
I am not sure I am in the position to offer advice yet, since Julie Bee’s is still an early stage startup,
but I would suggest discovering mentors that have started their own companies and accomplished a successful exit. Successful entrepreneurs have a tremendous
amount of invaluable knowledge to share. Finding one or more that
would be willing to mentor you along the way will help you attain
your goals quicker, thus avoiding many missteps first-hand,
which will save you time and money.
Find out more at: myjuliebees.com
hult.edu
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