Ciara Brown has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. At the age of 10, she sold pencils and erasers to the neighborhood kids out of her garage. At the age of 20, she decided to try to sell a few of her own clothing items. These days she works in a North Hollywood live work/loft space surrounded by 4,000 designer dresses, and hundreds of vintage clothing pieces. Her journey started in an 8x10 college bedroom with her first sale, a pair of MissMe Jeans.
Sandra Gustard is a London native who migrated to New York City in 1997. Soon after she arrived in the US, Sandra noticed that women were frequently stopping her to ask about her attire. Her U.K. based fashion sense made her a showstopper on the streets of New York, so she decided to try selling clothes and shoes from her favorite spots in London. Her fashion business was a hit, but after a visit to Jamaica in 2008, Sandra decided to switch gears when she discovered pimento oil, a popular local mineral used to treat all kinds of illness.
Yinka Ogunsunlade, a lawyer by trade, is able to combine his love of the law and his entrepreneurial spirit with his online store, Fashionably Legal. Years ago, Yinka’s Mother asked him to help her dispense with clutter around the house. He decided to list some of the miscellaneous items on eBay and was surprised by how quickly they sold. Yinka enjoyed the process and soon found himself selling more and more on eBay. Eventually he narrowed his focus to fashion sales and Fashionably Legal was born. “Technology and the internet have played a vital role in my business,” Yinka explains.
In September of 2003, Laurie Wong opened a small, non-profit thrift store that served not only as a self-sustaining business, but also as a resource center in the local community, providing free items for those in crisis. Sales were mediocre, so Laurie knew she needed to look elsewhere to bring in more revenue. In 2005, despite knowing absolutely nothing about eBay, her friend helped Laurie join this online platform. Laurie went on a risky adventure with eBay, where her uninformed, skeptical self, quickly became a power seller with an anchor store.