Hello, my dazzling, wondrous, and talented girls! We are so excited to announce that we have officially welcomed Anna Alex, co-founder of Outfittery, on board as a #GGU2016 power mentor. Outfittery is a menswear brand that has stylists who put together custom outfits that get delivered straight to customers’ doorsteps. It has grown from a small start-up to a company that spans across eight European countries and has 300 employees. We visited Anna at Outfittery’s home base and sat down with her for an interview. Here’s what she had to say.
Power Tips From Anna Alex:
Power Tip 1- Getting Started…. Just do it!
After working for two different tech start-ups, she really wanted to prove to herself that she could do it on her own. “It’s not a rocket science,” she replied after I asked about her initial motivation to get the ball rolling on Outfittery. “While it’s important to have experience,” she explained, “there’s so many aspects about business that you figure out and learn about as you go. A lot of it is about having the energy and courage to just start.”
Power Tip 2- Focus on Your Next Step
When Outfittery was in it’s beginning stages and she and her co-founder were working out of their living rooms, she told me how at first, it was about focusing on their first customer and asking, “How do we make them happy?’ As time went on and each new challenge presented itself, it was about finding solutions and solely focusing on where to go next.
Power Tip 3- Embrace a Culture that is Open to Failure
Growing from a start up to a company that consists of 300 employees required learning from every mistake and also embracing them. She shared how, “it’s important not to push mistakes aside,” and how as time progressed and the company grew, they learned how to deal with setbacks on a small scale to managing them on a much larger one.
Power Mentor Questions:
1.) What were you like at fifteen?
“I was interested in horses, and at some point it changed to boys. I was very into horseback riding though, did it for years, and I really loved the complete power that came from it. I was always someone to be really into what I was doing, fully invested. That has continued throughout my life.”
2.) What advice would you give a teenage girl today?
“Learn how to code! In an industry dominated by men, it’s such an important skill to have as a woman."
3.) What do you love most about what you do? What are you most proud of?
“The freedom that comes with running my own company is that you can really choose to surround yourself with a great team, and when we have happy customers it’s such a great feeling. Being passionate and having the ability to be creative in my work every day makes me proud of what I do.”
On my way out, I asked her what her vision is for the company, in terms of where she sees it going, and she simply replied, “We want to be the number one men’s outfitter in the world.” A huge thanks to Anna Alex for taking the time to sit down and talk, and a selfie to try and convey just how excited we are!
Power Tips From Anna Alex:
Power Tip 1- Getting Started…. Just do it!
After working for two different tech start-ups, she really wanted to prove to herself that she could do it on her own. “It’s not a rocket science,” she replied after I asked about her initial motivation to get the ball rolling on Outfittery. “While it’s important to have experience,” she explained, “there’s so many aspects about business that you figure out and learn about as you go. A lot of it is about having the energy and courage to just start.”
Power Tip 2- Focus on Your Next Step
When Outfittery was in it’s beginning stages and she and her co-founder were working out of their living rooms, she told me how at first, it was about focusing on their first customer and asking, “How do we make them happy?’ As time went on and each new challenge presented itself, it was about finding solutions and solely focusing on where to go next.
Power Tip 3- Embrace a Culture that is Open to Failure
Growing from a start up to a company that consists of 300 employees required learning from every mistake and also embracing them. She shared how, “it’s important not to push mistakes aside,” and how as time progressed and the company grew, they learned how to deal with setbacks on a small scale to managing them on a much larger one.
Power Mentor Questions:
1.) What were you like at fifteen?
“I was interested in horses, and at some point it changed to boys. I was very into horseback riding though, did it for years, and I really loved the complete power that came from it. I was always someone to be really into what I was doing, fully invested. That has continued throughout my life.”
2.) What advice would you give a teenage girl today?
“Learn how to code! In an industry dominated by men, it’s such an important skill to have as a woman."
3.) What do you love most about what you do? What are you most proud of?
“The freedom that comes with running my own company is that you can really choose to surround yourself with a great team, and when we have happy customers it’s such a great feeling. Being passionate and having the ability to be creative in my work every day makes me proud of what I do.”
On my way out, I asked her what her vision is for the company, in terms of where she sees it going, and she simply replied, “We want to be the number one men’s outfitter in the world.” A huge thanks to Anna Alex for taking the time to sit down and talk, and a selfie to try and convey just how excited we are!
This #powermentor interview is brought to you by our awesome intern Cailey, who adds so much energy and innovation to the #GGU2016 team. Learn more about Cailey here.
Register for #GGU2016 today to meet our inspirational power mentors, get equipped with important 21st century skills, and make lasting friendships with change making teen girls from all around the globe.
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