Jul 21, 2022
Today, we are joined by my sweet friend Heather
Fujikawa! We are so excited about the arrival of her little girl
and reminiscing on our journeys as wives and mothers who are also
busy in their careers!
Heather, my friend since college, started her company
and entrepreneur journey as an interior designer in Los Angeles.
She was drawn to the fashion and design industry and started a hair
accessory business with her twin sister who was also in California
at the time. It took off quickly, being in magazines and having a
line at Nordstrom. You can see their work on Taylor Swift and Kelly
Clarkson. They saw the trend starting in the early 2000s, noticing
hair accessories were very popular and knew they could supply a
growing demand.
They then jumped from that company to writing a book
called Fairy Birds, teaching children to “shine bright and help
others” she says. They sold through Scholastic and Costco, and
credits her communications education in allowing her to have solid
media attention and skills to sell her products to
retailers.
“I was going through years of infertility
and I gotta connect to kids somehow as I was waiting on these
babies, it's kind of where the heart of the book came
from.”
Heather's designs now are focused on finding the
heart of people in her designs, and takes inspiration from organic
environments. Watching her mother be a designer, she knew interior
design is her passion and has spent time designing homes in Dalla,
Texas since.
Quotes:
“There’s going to be a lot of no’s out there, but
someone's bound to say yes, and you gotta keep going”
“There is a no from this person, but it does not mean
it is a no on the whole project. It doesn’t have to be a deal
killer.”
“Remember those punching bags as a kid, the
inflatable ones with the sand at the bottom? It’s like that, you
get knocked down but you get right back up over and over again”
“Instead of pushing and pulling in
directions, lean in to what feels natural.”
“Make it big and bold”
“Throw fear out the window”
“You can give value; you can do
anything”
“Have the desire to keep building; just move
forward”
Takeaways-
- Learn from the no’s- there are tips you can get
from no’s. Ask how you can improve and change your problem points
with your clients.
- Be self-aware, and be willing to change and be
taught. Humble yourself to ask “is this process working for me and
my clients”
- Move forward with faith and build- you should
always be building up.
- Heather and Heidi had to learn what was the right
fit for her and their company, it is okay to say no, be told no, or
learn when something is not a good fit.
- The right fit will feel like you are being pulled
to it, when she was being pitched shows by TV producers, she felt a
strong desire to not be on TV until the right situation came
forward.
- Opportunities do not happen overnight, trust the
process and have faith in it.
- When the reality tv show started filming, they
lived in chaos and had to work hard to find balance. Set ground
rules with not only the people you work with but yourself.
Boundaries are incredibly important to maintain a work-life balance
and allow you to avoid burnout.
- You will have to stand up for yourself- over and
over again.
- Lean into it- instead of pushing and pulling into
directions, lean into what is naturally happening.
- Communication is key- make sure your staff is
matching your vision, attitude, and personality. They can then be
trusted to do the heavy lifting so you can take on more
projects.
- See your own weaknesses- Your brand will be
stronger when you see these things because it means you can keep
improving. Self confront.
- People first- Heather and Heidi were not only
business partners but sisters. Finding that balance in working with
someone you have a personal relationship with is key to succeeding
in business ventures. While Heather admits she and Heidi get along
incredibly well and don’t struggle in this area, she says the
biggest way to keep things smooth is to put their personal
relationship first over their business relationship. Love on the
people, and people come first.
- Don't apologize- don’t make yourself small. Take
credit for your work, and don’t shrink your vision by talking your
business down. When someone asks about your company, don't brush it
off as “just a small website, etc”
- Use actual legal counsel- the value of real experts
makes your journey easier than online DIY legal
services.
- Three tips to starting a business-
- Start with the end in mind. Ask yourself “what
could this be? What do I want it to be?”
- Throw fear out the window. Lean on others and their
testimonies until you have your own and are confident in
yourself.
- Write it down. Write down the small specific tasks,
it makes the bigger goals less daunting. Micro steps give you the
energy to accomplish building those big goals.
- Balancing being a mother and entrepreneur- Make
sure to be present when you’re with your kids. Heather takes her
apple watch off, to ensure she is not distracted by work. She says
“When I’m working, I’m working, but when I’m off, I try to be
off.”
Connect with Heather-
https://housesprucing.com/
Instagram- @house_sprucing
Watch “Design Twins” on Amazon Prime