7 March 2021|Latest Posts, Meet the Successful Founder
Karen J. Gerrard was born in London in 1964, where as a young girl she nurtured her creative spirit through education in creative arts and fashion. Her passion for fashion led her to work in the beauty and fashion industries. Starting out as a sales assistant for Lancome, she then travelled the globe in the design and manufacture of women’s clothing, stopping work to focus on her family and charitable endeavours. It was during this time that she attended a Millinery course at The London College Of Fashion where her hands got cut, burnt sore and dry, she couldn’t find a hand cream that helped to heal and moisturise that wasn’t greasy so she created SEAMS Couturiers Hand Cream, there are now 2 other products in the range Silk Touch Hand & Nail Oil and SEAMS CARES Hand Sanitiser. She is thoroughly enjoying building SEAMS.
What would you love to share to encourage other women to start their own business?
“Whatever your business idea is you will never know until you try it. To get to the finish you have to start. When you have the idea you are halfway there. You can do it – Look at other successful companies and say to yourself if they can do it so can I! There will be days when you are on the floor crying and others where a success is making you feel high, but on the days when everything comes together there’s nothing else quite like it. Starting a new business is exciting, fulfilling and if you are doing something you enjoy success will come. When you first start it can be difficult for people around you who see your role in a different way.
Follow your gut be the leader of your own destiny it will be worth it!”
What are your top 5 tips for entrepreneurial success?
1 MENTOR: Take advise from experts in areas you are unsure of that’s what professionals are there for, the expense can save you lots of money later. Have a mentor someone you can check in with every couple of months, as the company grows to different stages. It helps to get an outside experts view.
2 CHANGE: If somethings not working then stop look at it another way and change. The only way to fix something is by not doing the same again.
3 THINKING TIME Give yourself “Thinking Time” Thinking time can be as important as action. The brain needs time to process and come up with ideas, resting and thinking can be as productive as doing. Write notes when the ideas come a busy mind. Often I look back at my ‘thinking notes’ and see ideas to action.
4 ORGANISED Be very organised. At the start when you don’t have many staff you have to be super organised especially on your computer makes sure everything is filed otherwise you will loose a lot of time just trying to find something.
5 COMMUNICATION Sometimes emails get misunderstood arrange a quick telephone call to communicate and build relationships.
Who are the 5 women who inspire them the most?
Coco Chanel “ Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.”
Estee Lauder “I never dreamed of success I worked for it.”
Audrey Hepburn “ I tried always to do better: saw always a little further. I tried to stretch myself.”
Kamala Harris “ What I want young women to know is: You are powerful and your voice matters.”
Florence Nightingale “ I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.”
Website & Socials
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