Interview: Julianne Goldmark and Emily Matson founders of Emi-Jay Inc.

By: Unknown on 2/13/2014

Prepare to be truly inspired as I kick off my February interview with a dynamic duo of fashionable entrepreneurs who have taken the accessories world to a whole new level with their must-have, addicting and oh so colorful hair ties! Introducing Miss Emily Matson and Miss Juliane Goldmark, co-founders of the celebrity coveted Emi-Jay Inc. These two beauties are not only brilliant and extremely driven, but are pros at running a multi-million dollar company while still in college. These ambitious teens are said to be influenced by the sophisticated style and entrepreneurial spirit of the Olsen Twins, the popular headbands on the show Gossip Girl, choose Starbucks over Coffee Bean, and their favorite movie is, of course.... The Devil Wears Prada! While these besties have a lot in common, read on and discover what differentiates them from each other.

KYMBERLY MARCIANO: Lets start with who is Emi-Jay?
EMILY MATSON: Emi-Jay is the business that we started when we were in middle school that began from our shared passion for fashion and the name is our two nicknames combined.

KM: You two were pretty sophisticated gals to start a company at the young age of 13, so what sparked the concept behind fashion-forward hair ties? Why hair accessories?

EM: We began to notice a growing trend of hair accessories among our friends at school and on TV shows such as Gossip Girl. However, everything on the market was far beyond our price range and too impractical or extravagant for girls our age. With that, we decided to try creating pieces of our own and went to Downtown LA's Garment District to buy materials. We then sat on Julianne's bedroom floor experimenting with our findings, a hot glue gun - and that's where it all began!

KM: Where does your love for fashion come from? Any big influencers?

EM: We have always been bonded by our mutual love for fashion; ever since middle school we would spend our weekends looking through Teen Vogue and shopping together, which is where a lot of our inspiration originally came from. I think we have always been influenced by the Olsen Twins for their entrepreneurial spirit and sophisticated style.

KM: Who are your favorite designers?

EM: We have always been inspired by the classic designs of Chanel, but for everyday wear, we love Zara, Rag & Bone, Vince, J Crew, Topshop, Iro and Isabel Marant to name a few.

KM: What kind of girls are wearing your designs?

EM: Initially, we made our products to be worn by ourselves and our friends at school. However, 5 years later, it's amazing to see that our hair ties have become such a versatile accessory; anyone can wear them, not just girls!

KM: Do you pay a lot of attention to your own personal style on a daily basis?

EM: Absolutely! Our passion for fashion is still a huge part of our lives, and therefore we always make sure we present ourselves in a presentable and put together way on a daily basis.

KM: Can you describe the process of taking your inspiration and turning it into a tangible fashionable accessory?

EM: The accessories we originally made on Julianne's bedroom floor were far more elaborate than the simple hair ties that we sell today - we had to consider how much time and money were going into these beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces and adjust that to make something more versatile and affordable, resulting in the products we sell today.

KM: You have collaborated with a lot of cool lines. What was one of your favorite projects to work on so far?

EM: We have been so lucky to have done such amazing collaborations - one of our favorites to work with is definitely Splendid. As another LA-based company, we share a lot of the same principles behind our brands, which makes collaborating with them so enjoyable! We had the opportunity to visit and tour their headquarters in Downtown LA and pick out color combinations for upcoming seasons, which was so much fun.

KM: What were some of your biggest obstacles when you first got started?

EM: The biggest obstacle when we first got started was our age. As teenagers, it was difficult to be taken seriously when trying to pitch and sell our products. Although we're still young, we've built a brand that gives us credibility, and people now recognize us for being young entrepreneurs, which is an amazing feeling and a compliment in itself!

KM: Would you say one of you is more creative and the other more business?
JULIANNE GOLDMARK: I think we’re both creative in the sense that we equally come up with new ideas, but Emily definitely has a thing for editorials and with pieces we may have to write and I’m more interested in marketing. We both love design and fashion but at the end of the day my favorite part is definitely on the business side.

KM: One of you lives on the west coast and the other the east coast, how does that work?
JG: A lot of emails! We definitely make a lot of phone calls and have emails going back and forth daily…But I’m also in New York a lot and Emily comes home for breaks often so it works out pretty well. I’ve already gone to NYC 8 times in the past year so it’s definitely been a ton of traveling on both of our parts to make it all happen!

KM: How do you balance studying and normal life with design? 
JG: In high school it was much harder to juggle all of it since we were in school for long hours, where now in college we get to pick our schedules. I made it so I only have classes Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, which leaves me Thursday and Friday for work days. Even on school days though we’re usually always working on something! School has always come first for us, but right now I’m personally trying to focus a lot more on work.

KM: I see you have a Spring 14' launch coming soon! What is the next collection you are working on?  How far in advance do you and Emily design and create?
JG: We’re launching our new “Skinny” hair ties. They’re basically mini versions of what we have now in great colors. To set our brand apart from competitors we try and stick with trends for seasons…So different prints, colors, etc. are planned pretty similarly to regular fashion labels. Right now it’s January and we’re working on Fall/Winter which is so fun!

KM: You have so many collections that are themed, and I'm sure inspired by trends, seasons, etc., can you give us an idea about what's next for Emi-Jay? Any desire to go global?
JG: We actually also just launched an Emi-Jay site in Asia which is pretty cool. We’re also working on more collaborations like we’ve done with Splendid and SPANX, really trying to expand as much as possible. In addition to all of this we’re in the midst of completely re-doing our website, so that will be a nice change!

KM: What was the most exciting moment for you two as designers so far? 
JG: I honestly can’t think of just one moment! We’ve gotten to do some really fun things. We did a shoot with Oprah Magazine and Seventeen Magazine, which comes out in March! The best part is definitely all of the relationships we’ve built over the past several years and getting to work with such successful people along the way and gaining so much from them.

KM: The fashion industry is fiercely competitive - how do you stand out from other brands?
JG: As the original hair tie company, we keep our quality at the best we possibly can. While most of our competitors use inexpensive materials from out of the country, all of our collections are produced here in the US from the best materials out there. We also keep up with trends and forecasting for each season, which is not too standard for a hair tie company. Our most prized characteristic though is definitely the collaborations we’ve done with well-known brands and being sold in stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, etc.

KM: Your collaborations are with very specific brands, do you have a specific criteria for partnerships?, Who's next or is there a brand you are dying to do a collaboration with?
JG: We typically like to collaborate with brands that use similar aesthetic to ours! SPANX and Splendid are two brands that we’ve both owned apparel from and have a strong presence in parts of the fashion world. I can’t say too much but we’re in the midst of actually working on some stuff with GUESS and some other really awesome companies!

KM: What's after college for you two?
JG: I honestly couldn’t tell you…! I hope to be doing something related to lifestyle, fashion and business once I graduate college. You never know, maybe I’ll start another label one day or just ditch fashion all together! I have no idea, we’ll see. But I definitely hope that by then my company has grown even more than it has already!

KM: It's hard not to notice since we first worked together how much you have expanded and now have Doodle and Spirit! I'm guessing you two are in sororities now? WOW. Tell us about that? 
JG: We’ve added a few divisions to the brand, which were essential! Doodle is our kids line, and SPIRIT is our high school/college/greek life/team division. We also have a lot more to come with our new website! I’m actually not in a sorority and Emily isn’t either but most of my friends who go to big football schools are and the hair ties are a huge hit for tailgate attire and sororities as well!

KM: Emi-Jay has partnered with Step Up Women's Network Young Luminaries program. Tell us about that. Is it exclusive?
JG: Our partnership with Step Up Women’s Network just ended because the sponsorship was for the 2013 school year. We’ve worked closely with the organization for the past year and had great experiences, but now that the partnership has finished we’re working with other charities. We think its important to build relationships with great organizations such as Step Up and others we’ve worked with like Operation Smile, but being able to get a taste of a bunch of different charities and programs is something important to us, so that we get to help an array of causes.

KM: Your brand donates 20% of profits to charity, which other ones are you tied to? What made you choose these types of causes?
JG: We’ve worked with many different charities! Everything from Susan G Komen to Operation Smile and Project Knapsack which benefits children in Africa, and Step Up as well. 20% of our profits go to whatever charity we’re working with at that moment in time. Operation Smile was an organization my parents had worked with closely in the past so I wanted to be a part of it too. Project Knapsack is a great organization started by a family friend that helps children in Africa to obtain the necessary tools like pens, backpacks, and paper to attend school. All of these were causes not only close to my heart but things I found very interesting and important.

KM: What advice do you give to young girls who also have big dreams like you?
JG: Surround yourself with good people! Besides all the cliché “stick with your dream” stuff that’s actually true, I’d honestly say to surround yourself with positive and supportive people and by that I mean both family AND friends! This whole process has really taught me the value of a friendship based on who supports you and who doesn’t.  Having such positive influences in your life can make so much of a difference. If it wasn’t for my supportive parents and friends I doubt that I would’ve stayed as motivated!

KM: Now, A few favorites please! 

Emily’s Favorites

Place: Paris, France

Song: Can't pick just one! 

Actor crush: James Franco   

Julianne’s Favorites:

Place: Tough one…My family has a place in Mexico

that is absolutely gorgeous and definitely one of my favorite

places to be with friends and family. But I’m also a homebody

and have a weird obsession with LA right now. With

all my friends missing home in college it makes

me really happy to live in such an incredible city!

Song: Whatever is current! I can’t pick just one. I love 

everything from Kanye to Avicii, Miley, the list can go on…

Actor crush: Liam Hemsworth 

Follow the Emi-Jay girls on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! 

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Interview: Courtney Whitfield for Tom's Gift to Give

By: Unknown on 1/14/2014

Happy New Year! My January interview is an inspiration for all of you teens! Meet Courtney Whitfield of Moreno Valley, California. This lucky gal put the typical teen life aside to help others and we are in awe. Courtney reached out to us when she entered the TOMS Shoes Ticket to Give contest last summer asking for our support. I am happy to report that the KMP team tracked her journey every step of the way. As one of the fifty winners Courtney joined the TOMS team on a Giving Trip where she traveled to an unknown destination to give the gift of shoes to children in underprivileged communities. My respect and gratitude goes out to this selfless young woman who wanted to make a difference and took action to do so and the organizations involved who made it possible. Hear how this experience impacted Courtney, changed her life, and meanwhile has become an inspiration for all!

Kymberly Marciano: Please share with us why you wanted to do this. Was there a specific reason?

Courtney Whitfield: I love what TOMS does and always have but more specifically, I have an extreme passion for children. I guess you could say it began when I was a child myself. Although I do not remember the story, my mom often reminds me of it... when I was very young I was watching one of those commercials with the "starving children in Africa" digging through the trash looking for food. I took my freshly made tuna sandwich, put it in a plastic bag, and threw it away. When my mom saw me do this she was so surprised and asked why I did it. I said because all of the kids on T.V. didn't have food and I had hoped they would find a clean sandwich wrapped up for them in their trash cans. This was a teachable moment and learned to be thankful for the food I have and that I should eat it instead of wasting it. Looking back...how funny! All the way from Moreno Valley, California, I was determined my trash would make it to a child in a third world country who could enjoy my favorite tuna fish sandwich. Oh the hope of a child!

KM: You told me you are 19 years young, so what inspires you?

CW: Kids! I have two nephews and a niece that have always been a very big part of my life. Eleven days before I lost my mom to cancer, my youngest nephew was born and it was a simple reminder that God gives and takes away. Once I began living with my sister and her family, these three kids were easily the most inspiring things in my life. Seeing the faith and hope that kids have about life is just such an amazing thing. 

KM: I know the destination was kept secret initially and you had only 7 days, so tell us about the locations you served?

CW: I was primarily in Lima, Peru. Amazing! I also traveled along the coast visiting other locations such as Pachacútec, Callao, Cañete, Chincha, Ica, and Pisco. At first it was surreal.

KM: With whom did you travel?

CW: I had the privilege of going on this trip with 11 of the 50 "Ticket to Give" winners, as well as two great TOMS photographers, one hilarious TOMS employee, an amazing interpreter, two wonderful TOMS/Coprodeli partners, and the most skillful bus driver in the world (Seriously, driving in Peru can be deadly).

KM: How exciting! In 3 words describe the TOMS team, any faves?

CW: Caring, Hilarious, Amazing! This is almost impossible though; Heidi, Kirk, and Lizzy are seriously some of the most amazing people I could ever imagine meeting. I feel blessed.

KM: How about training? Any valuable advice? 
CW: There was not really any specific training, there was a week where TOMS flew us down to Los Angeles to visit their headquarters where we had a bit of preparation, but for the most part every employee had the same thing to say "Do not go in with any expectations and focus completely on the moments that you are in." And they could not have given better advice.

KM: I imagine it was a culture shock, can you describe a typical day for the volunteers?

CW: Hard Work! This was by no means a fun vacation, but was easily the most amazing and life changing week I have had in my 19 years of existence. The days were long and the moments were great! There was tons of shoe distributing, playing with kids, and the most amazing food EVER!

KM: Did you work with children, families, & villages?

CW: We mainly worked with children through the Coprodeli school system. The Coprodeli group works very hard daily to give these kids a normal childhood, I had no idea how difficult it can be for these kids who take on so much responsibility at such a young age, to see the kids in this way really touches your heart. It was incredible to work closely with the volunteers who do what we did for a short week, EVERYDAY, which still blows my mind! 

KM: As the baby of the group, was anything a surprise for you?

CW: Everything was such a surprise, this was my first time ever leaving the country, and I had no idea what to expect with anything. It was amazing to see how similar all kids are, how they all have that desire to just have fun and be a kid... regardless of the clothes on their back or the money in their pockets.

KM: What was the most powerful part of your trip/experience?

CW: As simple as it is, playing with the kids. I will NEVER forget the connections that I had with those children. It was very powerful the way they look at you, look up to you, and treat you like a celebrity. I feel so blessed.

KM: Would you do it again?

CW: In a heartbeat. I want to take everyone I know with me, this is seriously something that absolutely everyone needs to experience. I will definitely be back and cant wait!

KM: What's in store for you in 2014? And what advice can you give for other teens who have dreams or goals for making a difference?
CW:  For 2014, I really want to focus on the little things. When making a difference, I realized that it does not have to be something huge because ALL small things lead to something HUGE. I will focus on the homeless problem here in Chico and do my best to reach out to people when I can given I am a full time student. Everyone should consider that there are endless problems in your own backyard, and after my experience with TOMS, I would like to focus on what I can do in mine first! I plan to save up because I would LOVE to make another trip to Peru or another destination with the amazing TOMS team in the next year or so! 

-XO Courtney

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Interview with Andrea Bernholtz of My Bijoux Box

By: Unknown on 12/03/2013

For my 6th interview series I sat down with long time friend Andrea Bernholtz, founder of the new, popular e-commerce accessories website My Bijoux Box. That's right ladies, these jewels sparkle, dazzle, and shine and are ready-to-wear, just like fashion straight off the runways! The designs will compliment any mood or style crush you are having, and lucky for us, this fashion guru has made it as easy as 1, 2, 3 to achieve a new look. You cannot go wrong with Andrea's "My 3 Way" style guides or her weekly picks. Lets hear what the style expert had to say about her past experience as President of Rock and Republic Jeans, the inspiration behind my bijoux appeal, and how she relates to her customer's unique style taste.

KYMBERLY MARCIANO: You were in apparel for years, denim to be exact, why jewelry? Why e-commerce? Any challenging moments making the transition?

ANDREA BERNHOLTZ: The apparel industry and now my jewelry business really is a natural progression of the fashion industry. After years of success in the denim world, I realized that we were so focused on a very limited demographic and that is why when I launched My Bijoux Box I made certain that our price points and styles would speak to the fashion client and the everyday consumer. I wanted price points that people could really get their hands on and feel free to experiment and find their own personal style. Our average price point is right around $40 and in order to give our customers the most value for their dollar we determined that it would be best to sell directly to our consumer and the best way to do that is via e-commerce.

KM: Who is the Bijoux customer?

AB: The Bijoux Box customer is the women who wants to be in style without having to try to hard. She needs fashion and her personal style to be easy and in an instant. The My Bijoux Box customer looks to us for inspiration on how to wear jewelry in a fresh way that reflects her confidence.

KM: What’s the main inspiration for your line? Who is actually doing the designing?

AB: My inspiration for the curated collections of My Bijoux Box is really my friends and family. I see how busy women are today and how hard one has to work to get ahead. I don't want the women that I know to feel like they need to sacrifice their ability to look and feel good about themselves because it's too costly or too contrived. I curate collections from my artisans and suppliers that can first give my customer "easy to wear style" and secondly at an affordable price point that I know my customer is comfortable with.

KM: In your opinion, what is the single most important thing to consider when accessorizing an outfit?

AB: The single most important rule about accessorizing is that you NEED TO DO IT! Many people take that last fishing touch for granted or simply overlook it. Accessorizing is truly the icing on the cake and the best way to show your personal style. It is probably the most fun part of getting dressed and in haste women tend to overlook it. The more you start to accessorize the easier it becomes and the more you learn about what a difference it can make for you.

KM: What are your style influencers when starting a new collection?

AB: I have always been influenced by the great Gabrielle Coco Chanel and where you will see her inspiration in my collections is that she had amazing personal style that has iconic status throughout generations. She is known for wearing and layering great accessories to best define her style. I have personally been passionate about the importance of accessorizing and now I would like to share with my customers the same joy of defining your style with jewelry.

KM: What trends does Bijoux Box Spring/ Summer 2014 collection highlight?

AB: The fashion industry is constantly chasing trends. Whether it be skirt lengths to skinny jeans versus a boot cut. It is enough to boggle a customer and make them feel like they might not be on point or in style. At My Bijoux Box we have a saying and that is "whats on trend is YOU... just be YOU!". Now that being said, it does not mean that we are not inspired by the natural evolution of good design. We seek inspiration from fashion, music and film as a way to guide our customers to progress and move forward.

KM: Describe your current designs in three words.

AB: ACCESSIBLE, WEARABLE AND EASY

KM: As a personal friend I know you have a huge heart, how does this translate to your new company?

AB: We have recently been fortunate enough to be involved in some philanthropic selling events that have given us the opportunity to speak to our consumers in person and raise money for different charities and we have absolutely loved the interaction and being able to help causes that are dear to our heart. We would love to explore more of these philanthropic opportunities and participate on a larger scale in the near future.

KM: Name five things that every woman’s jewelry box should contain.

AB: Diamond studs, a vintage mans watch, opera length pearls,  a statement necklace for a pop of color, and an armful of bangles!

KM: What are the top 3 things you bring with you from your experience as President and CD of Rock and Republic jeans?

AB: Understanding who my customer is and what she wants from me! My industry connections with suppliers, vendors, and manufacturers enables me to get the products for my customers at prices they can be comfortable with. And knowing how to create a brand that is aspirational yet totally attainable.

KM: It's New Years Eve, you have a date... what holiday items are a must-have? Think city, tropical, think nature!

AB: My go to rule for creating your own personal style for any occasion is to LAYER and STACK and tell a STORY. Pick a theme and layer on your necklaces, bracelets and rings to reinforce that theme. You mentioned CITY and I always think sparkling so I would recommend our diamond dazzler necklace in gold.

AB: For your TROPICAL vibe, we have a lovely shorter, pop-of-blue necklace like the ocean called "The Friendship".

AB: For your NATURE spirit, we have a long horn necklace that is refined primitive elegance named "Chic Power"!

AB: On your wrists wear one of my favorite bangles called "Can't have just one..." 

AB: Now dazzle your fingers with this stunning turquoise statement ring called "Forever Mine"

AB: Lets finish off with some turquoise filigree earrings called "Daytime Luxury"

AB: So the look will be simple, understated, seaside elegance, wear it with a sexy chic white dress and you are ready to ring in the New Year!      

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