Fashion Law : Fashion Lawyer & Attorney : Fox Rothschild Law Firm : Licensing, Intellectual Property

As you all know, the business of fashion is tough.  We all seem to be engaged in constant struggles - be it to create the next hot look, sell product, ship on time or sell-through.  And once you make it through a fashion cycle, there is no time rest....it just starts all over again.

So when you have success or an accomplishment, you need to pause for a moment and enjoy it.  Recently, I was able to watch Greg LaVoi and his fabulous team debut the first collection from Irene By Greg LaVoi during Los Angeles Fashion Week. 

Photo Credit: Volker Corell

(For full disclosure, Greg is a firm client, which means I was able to watch the company from inception to runway. Irene by Greg LaVoi did not request, nor was involved in this post.  The views reflected herein are solely mine.) 

Photo Credit: The Recessionista

Sitting there, during the Irene by Greg LaVoi show, was akin to watch a family member graduate.  I was so proud.

But this post is not about me -- it is about what your brand can learn from Greg and his team.  They put in sweat, blood and tears, and preserved through multiple challenges and curve balls to accomplish an amazing victory.

This post started by acknowledging the challenges of the fashion business, but you need to remember that fashion will also give you moments of great joy, pride and satisfaction. Especially when you accomplish a seemingly insurmountable task. 

And when that happens?  You need to pause for a moment and enjoy it.  Smell the roses, as the saying goes.  Or as in Greg's case, kick back and read about your success in the California Apparel News.

Photo Credit: Greg LaVoi

Congratulations again to Greg, Melissa and Emilio, and to Pamela and Eddie as well.  You deserve to savor this moment, which if my hunch is correct, is only the first of many victories in your future.

And for the rest of you out there, take a moment from the craziness and reflect on your achievements.  Hard work deserves reward.   

xoxoxo

Staci

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From all of us here at the Fashion Law Blog, we wish you a year filled with prosperity, health and happiness.  Hopefully, you will use all you learned in 2012 to become better, stronger and more profitable, as well as more thoughtful towards your fellow workers, customers and neighbors.

Over this holiday, remember, take some time for yourself - reflect on what went well and what you want to make better.  Amidst the celebration, now is the time to start your list of goals for 2013 and thinking of your game plan to accomplish them. 

Lastly, we want to thank you for your support, your feedback and your encouragement.  We appreciate you, and are grateful for your time.

xoxo

Staci

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You know, everything happens for a reason. 

As I mentioned, I going to speak at Fashion Law Brazil 2012, which will be held in Rio on November 30, 2012.  Earlier this week, I was telling my kids about the trip.  My 7 year old said, Mommy, did you know the 2014 World Cup is being held there?  And I told him I did, and asked, how did he know?

He said his class learned the words and "signs" to "Wavin' Flag," the 2010 World Cup theme song.  He then proceeded to tell me that the song was about people struggling for freedom, and did I know that many people in the world don't have the rights we do?  or the money? or even running water?  But despite that, they still fight for truth and justice, and to make their dreams come true.  And sometimes, an event like a soccer game can give people the push they need to overcome or just come together.  So we need to be grateful for what we have and even when we have a bad day, we have to fight on.  And always be brave.

I just about fell over.  Then, he sang me the song and I teared up.  Pretty powerful stuff.

So, why are you reading this on the Fashion Law Blog?

Because, fashion is a tough business.  It is a constant struggle and you will always be fighting - to make it, to keep your place or to move forward.  There is always a new season, a new line, another show.  Despite the outward glamor and the glossy images we see in magazines, you all know that isn't what life inside the fashion world is like. 

But if you want it, never give up.  Your dreams are worth fighting for and be grateful you have the opportunity to chase them.  The strong will not only survive, but win. 

Do you have what it takes?

For inspiration, watch this great montage from the 2010 World Cup set to "Wavin' Flag" here:

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I was reading "Dear American Companies : Here is How to Fix the Economy," from yesterday's Business Insider, when my husband called.  He is in IL with our kids (Samantha and Micah), spending some time with the grand parents before school starts. They went fishing this morning, and when asked if he was having a good time, Micah said:

I bet my worm isn't having fun doing this...

And that made me think.  Micah - at 6 years old has it right - he has the ability to put himself in the other-side's shoes.  American Companies, argues Henry Clodget, the Business Insider author, should take some of their record high profits and give them to their workers, who currently have record low wages.  Doing so, will fix our economic problems because the workers (or the fish) will have more disposal income.  

So why are you reading about fishing, the American economy, and my six year old on the Fashion Law Blog?

Because doing the right thing can be hard, especially, when on the surface, it seems to be against your self interest. 

And your probably thinking, Staci what are you saying?  Fashion is a cut-throat industry, with the barest of price differences making or breaking a sale.  Thinking about others?? Put them first?  Phooey.

But you should.  Here is why:

People are your most precious resource and they are not unlimited.  Well compensated people work harder and think more creatively. Your Fashion Brand needs smart people to make it competitive.

What can you do to make work fun for your employee's? What can you do to increase their wages?  Give it some thought, then take action (read the Business Insider article if you still need to be convinced).

ps - no fish were hurt in drafting this blog post.

 xoxo

Staci

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Just in case you are having a hard time trying to put yourself in time-out as suggested yesterday, I thought I would share with you my family's favorite time-out.

Our favorite place is Club Med Ixtapa.  I love it, my husband loves it, our kids love it, even all the grandparents love it.

When either my husband or I are having a tough day, we'll text each other a link to the weather in Ixtapa.  Seeing this, immediately:

• makes me smile;
• makes me think of all the wonderful moments we have spent at Club Med and the wonderful memories we hope to create in the future;
• makes me more relaxed and subsequently more focused; and
• gives me the push to complete 10 more seconds.

So where is your favorite place?  It doesn't have to be far.   But if you want to succeed in this crazy business of fashion, you must find one.  A time-out is the path to inner peace.

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We all need a time-out once in awhile. 

Yes, you heard me.  You must take a break from the daily stress and pressure we all face.  Why?

First, studies show that people who allow themselves down-time, or recovery time as most of the literature calls it, are happier, more productive and more creative.

Second, you need down-time to be able to remember why you are working so hard.  Why are you pushing yourself?  What have you accomplished over that last quarter that was such a whirlwind?  Are too busy working that you aren't working smart?

Third, and most important, what this point of success if you can't take some time to share it - be it with your family, your dog or even yourself. 

For those of you who know me, you know this was a very hard lesson for me to learn.  But thanks to some great mentors and my family, I finally got it. 

So I urge you to give it a try.  Even if it is just a weekend, an afternoon or an hour and not a full on 2 week vacation with no contact with civilization.

Trust me, it works.  Promise.

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I hate working out.  There.  I admitted it. 

But, I hate not fitting into my jeans even more so I do it.  Recently, during a killer pilates class, the teacher was making us hold every position for a really, really, really long time.  I seriously considered walking out.  But just then, while we were holding a plank position for what seemed like an hour, she called out:

10 more seconds!

which made me think:  in the course of this class, this week, my life, what's 10 measly seconds?  I can make it through 10 more seconds.  And you know what?  I did.

Now, you know this post isn't really about me and my workouts.  It's about how you face, and overcome, adversity and challenges in your life.  We see people conquering insurmountable obstacles and odds every day, especially in the fast-paced, hyper-competitive world of fashion. 

Many like to think that those people or companies were just lucky.  I don't and you shouldn't either.   And you know why? 10 more seconds.

People who succeed, who create, who ship, have the ability to work through those last 10 seconds.  They don't give up when the going gets tough, when they face a setback, have a mental block or all seems lost.

If you have answered the why question, you will have the intrinsic motivation to make it through those last 10 seconds.

So, next time when you feel like giving up, think of this post, know I am cheering you on, and tell yourself: I can make it through 10 more seconds. 

And you know what?  You will. 

xoxo

Staci

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So more clients swam with the Sharks last Friday night!  If you missed it, you can check out GoGo Gear pitch the sharks here.  [Video]

I have known these ladies for sometime and what impresses me the most is their sheer determination, passion and ability to handle challenges. 

Arlene says it best on the GoGo Gear Blog:

THIS is a tes­ta­ment to how you turn adver­sity into oppor­tu­nity and how when bad things hap­pen in your life, like a job loss, you make choices and say I will NOT be a vic­tim of cir­cum­stance or the econ­omy, you defy the odds sim­ply by believ­ing that ANYTHING is pos­si­ble and then do some­thing about it.

Wow - pretty cool right?  I know there are many of you out there who would love to be on ABC's Shark Tank.

So why did GoGo Gear get the opportunity?  Now some would say it's all luck, but I don't buy that.  Neither does Arlene:

You GET that oppor­tu­nity when you have an idea and you do some­thing about it.

So, what action will go take today to turn your dreams into reality?

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Missed Shark Tank tonight? Check out this video from Rachael Mann of Litter SF and Daymond John:

[Disclosure: these are clients!  and I was there when this was shot - woo hoo!!]

SOOOOO Proud! 

love you guys.

xoxo

 Staci

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Just want to send out positive thoughts to all y'all aspiring California (Fashion) Lawyers! 

Waiting on bar results is tough but just breath, stay busy and 6pm will come soon enough.

My fingers (and toes) are crossed (fashionably, of course!)

Big Hug and I expect to hear from you with good news later today!

photo credit: Geogr@phy Blog

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Recently, the WSJ argued that Mckinsey & Company's report, "Women in the Economy" [PDF] found that women can't crack the glass ceiling because of lack of coaching and mentorship. 

Respectfully, I found the WSJ article, "Coaching Urged for Women" offensive, and poorly titled to mischaracterized the study's result.

Here's what the McKinsey & Company report really said:

As women approach their 40's they begin to realize that barriers to cracking "the upper echelons of corporate America," become insurmountable, especially for working mothers.

McKinsey gave Corporate America a call to action: 

businesses must work harder to change the mind-sets limiting women's opportunities, such as the popular notion that a woman can't juggle certain jobs and family duties.

Our evidence points to the need for systemic, organizational change. Companies that aspire to achieve sustained gender balance must choose to transform their cultures.

The competitive and economic advantage from retaining the best talent should be a powerful enough reason to make management take steps need to dislodge entrenched beliefs that prevail.

Wow.  How did the WSJ equate ending outdated, discriminatory beliefs with the need for coaching and mentorship? 

The leaders of corporate America need to take a page out of the Fashion Industry's play book and learn to understand #thejuggle. 

Related Posts:

Forbes article, "Women Hold Just 1 in 10 Top Paid Executive Positions in S&P 100 Companies."

Related study: Examining the Cracks in the Ceiling: A Survey of Corporate Diversity Practices of the S&P 100, (click here to download in PDF format):

Maybe then we'll see these statics change.

Again, women's failure to break through the ceiling is blamed on women and the cause of the problem is ignored.  Bravo. 

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Like most of you active in Fashion, the first part of 2011 was extremely busy for me.  Even though I haven't been blogging as much, I am still active on twitter. 

I tweet using the hashtag #thejuggle often and received some super kind emails from you telling me those are your favorite tweets.  Thank you!

And some of you ask what exactly is #thejuggle? 

So I wanted to post an explanation:

In fashion, like in life, we are always working on multiple things at one time.  For example, you are shipping Spring, producing Back to School and are sourcing Holiday. 

Or for you fashion bloggers, you are listening to current stories, connecting with your followers and engaging them with your next post.

So, back in the day when I was running apparel production, that's how I would describe my professional life, as a constant juggle.

Now, as a working mom, especially one working in #biglaw and in fashion, #thejuggle has taken on a whole new meaning. 

As working women with children, we are constantly "juggling" our different roles: 

• wife, mother, daughter;
• Co-worker, manager, employee; 
• Creative, technology savvy and bottom line oriented.

It is not easy.  Success takes intrinsic motivation, and a very supportive spouse. 

We need to survive judgment from bosses - both the guys who still don't get it or the generation of women who came before us and chose not to have kids (who all then wonder why women leave #biglaw or corporate life!) - other moms and even our families.

Balancing an overseas conference call and demanding clients with permission slips, soccer practice and ballet and dry cleaning or changing the car's oil, takes talent, a ton of time and energy and a sense of humor.  (remind me to tell you about the morning my children used blue ink to turn themselves into "avatars" at 6am before I had to go to Court.  yup. true story.)

Whether we like it or not, in United States' society today, women are still responsible for the majority of caretaking, even though we work just as much as our husbands or male colleagues. 

And the worse part is, we get paid 75-80% less on average than our male counterparts for doing more work - both in the office and at home.

And, even though this is written from a mom's point of view, I know many of you "fash-entrepreneur" out there are going through the exact same thing.  (Right Jeffrey?  Arlene?)  It may not be kids and billable hours, but running your own business requires multiple hats.

So I challenge all of you to pause for a moment and think about your own juggle and those of your friends and family.  If you list all the things you do, you will amaze yourself -- and I bet that it will motivate you to keep at that hard task or striving for that win.  Why? 

Because if you can do #thejuggle, I know you can succeed both in Fashion and in life.

xoxo

Staci

photo credit: The Day Care Dilemma- Part 1 of 5 (read Maggie Palmer's whole series, it's great!)

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In case you missed the Seth Godin reference in Monday's post on Eminem, today we are going to talk about the lizard brain.  Both Seth and Eminem have overcome the lizard, or our internal resistance.  To succeed, so must your fashion company.

According to Seth, the lizard brain is the:

voice in the back of our head telling us to back off, be careful, go slow, compromise....the resistance which caused every project that ever shipped late because people couldn't stay on the same page long enough to get something out the door.

The resistance grows in strength as we get closer to shipping, as we get closer to an insight, as we get closer to the truth of what we really want. That's because the lizard hates change and achievement and risk.

In Linchpin, Seth shows us how to beat the Lizard, just like Eminem does with his music.  What steps have you and your company taken to quiet and ignore the lizard? 

Unless you stop rationalizing, become indispensable, forget about the jerks and just start shipping, you'll never make it in fashion.

Then the Lizard wins.

photo credit: Seth's Blog -- Quieting the Lizard Brain

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Last month, after sharing some of the concepts from Daniel Pink's book, Drive, you were challenged to think outside the box and come up with ways to support and encourage intrinsic motivation in your team.

Have you taken steps to change the way you motivate your team? What can you do to convert working for you from a job into a passion?

Not started yet or still trying to figure out how -- or even why you should try?

Check out this animated video from Daniel Pink:

In sum, you are the leader of your organization.  What motivates you?  Does your leadership style need adjustment so that you inspire and motivate your team?

And don't forget, your leadership style directly effects how your team treats your customers, which will (hopefully) lead to sales and to customer retention (and fans and followers!)

I would love to hear what has worked for you.....and what hasn't, in the comments.

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