In the Bags Hand-beaded accessories have treated Christiana Lapetina-Johnson almost as kindly as she treats her employees.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Vital Statistics: ChristianaLapetina-Johnson, the 40-year-old founder and CEO of Chatsworth,California-based Christiana Enterprises Inc.
Company: Started inLapetina-Johnson's garage in 1994, the company makes acollection of hand-beaded bags, home furnishings and apparel.
2002 Projections: $6 millionto $8 million
Ready to Leave: "I wasin the ready-to-wear business before 1994, working for a successfulcompany out of India for five years. I did sportswear and startedbeading vests, but I got sick of that, so I thought, 'OK,I'll utilize my knowledge and contacts and try some beadedaccessories.' "
"This businessis competitive, and you've just got to keep your chin up andkeep trying." |
Oversaturation: "Myquest was to reproduce antique bags; and then, as trends comearound, beaded bags became all the rage with couture designers likeBadgley Mischka and Valentino. Then the rest of the world catcheson to the idea, and I have to face a tremendous amount ofcompetition. At first, I was upset by it because then my businessdidn't seem special anymore, but I just decided to spend all myenergy pushing forward and reinventing, trying to stay at the topof my game and experiment with different things."
On Roots: "Being fromthe Midwest [Kansas City] has helped me out in a lot of arenas-notjust in being an easygoing person in business, but also in beingable to work with my employees. You get a lot more with kindnessthan you would by being a real b****."
Contact Source
- Christiana Enterprises Inc.
(818) 993-5678, www.christianaonline.com
