I did the following interview with Lisa Harrington of Bonitas International
Bonitas International is
a hub of innovative design collections. The flagship line of BooJee Beads™ revolutionized the look
and design of boring shoelace lanyards for employee badges and conference
credentials, turning them into fashion accessories workers want to own. The
ever-expanding line of Bonitas products are seen in the medical, education,
transportation, and government industries in the US and Canada.
Let' see what she has to say about giving herself the Permission to Succeed!
How much research did you do before you made
your move
We participated in many
table sales, etc in hospital and corporate lobbies for about a year. In this way, we were able to determine which
styles were most popular. From there we
narrowed our collection down to 10 styles to start with. Since our product was new, it was hard to
find comparable products to research price points, etc. This direct sell method allowed us to get
feedback on color, style, price, etc. and it worked very well.
What did
your friends say when you told them about your dream
Many of my friends were
excited and happy for me to pursue it.
So many people have great product ideas that could likely be very
successful. But, fear or lack of
resources keeps them from making the move to launch it. So, I believe they like to see that someone
is really "going for it".
Did you have any people who did not believe in
you.
Not so much. What we did have as a challenge was getting
people to see the need or advantage of using/selling our products. We really pioneered the whole idea of an ID
necklace. So, we had a lot of consumer education
to do until the viral marketing happened.
Describe a life-defining moment of change?
The day we sold our first order at a gift show was
really important. It was to a large
chain of gift shops. We had extended
ourselves out there, in terms of considerable financial risk, and it was as if
we received confirmation that we made the right call.
Did you have moments of doubts about what you
wanted to do, and how did you overcome it.
Yes, and I think I always will.
It is easier now that the business is successful. But, there are always doubts about the
direction we are heading into or products to release, people to hire, etc. I believe we just try to make the best
decision given all the data we can gather regarding that decision. Then we see it through. We learn from mistakes and move on.
What did you do to stay motivated through the
process
I stay
motivated every day with the support of others who believed in us and our
products. I try to stay focused on our
goals as a company and what needs to get done and not get caught up in fear and
“what ifs”.
Did you ever get down on yourself because you
felt like you were not making progress
Yes, sometimes. When you
surround yourself with employees and supporters that care and believe in you,
it makes it much harder to get down.
What advice would you give the person who is
reading this blog and has been hesitant about granting themselves the
permission to succeed?
If you believe in what you are doing and
surround yourself with positive people, you can absolutely succeed. Success takes hard work and is earned. You deserve the success that you are willing
to build.
Five years from now what’s your dream? Five years
ago where did you want to be and are you closer or have you achieved your
dream?
In five
years, I would like my business to be double in sales volume with myself
working half of the hours that I currently work.
Five years
ago, we wanted to have a larger company in 2012 than we do now with more sales
and more employees. The economic crash
in 2008 dramatically impeded that goal.
However, I feel very proud that we survived that period of time and are
back into a growth mode. We have a new
set of goals that we are exceeding currently.
What
advice or motivation would you like to leave the readers about giving yourself
permission to succeed?
If you believe in what you are doing and
surround yourself with positive people, you can absolutely succeed. Success takes hard work and is earned. You deserve the success that you are willing
to build.
Thank you Lisa for sharing. Your story tells what can happen when you give yourself the
Permission to succeed and get off the bench and into the starting line up of life. Check out Lisa's company and product, they are great. I sale them in my store and I cannot keep them in stock.
