Chasing Miracles

MOst recent correspondence to advisor

I’ve been pondering your request to think about my definition of success. What this exercise has forced me to think about is how my definition of success is different from what it is that I want. For example, I know that what I want is to launch a Proxy collection and bring it to market. However, if I accomplish this it doesn’t mean that I will consider it a success. Which is perhaps the reason why you asked me to do this in the first place. 
However, I consider my definition of success to be three-pronged, similar to Proxy’s business model: to be profitable, to fulfill the social mission to promote fair trade and provide employment to women, and to create value for shareholders/ and or ROI to investors. Oh, and I would like to eventually become a skillful and principled CEO of said venture.
 I realize that my response may come off as cliche, but I am certain that I only want to proceed, and continue to put everything on the line if all three of these things have the potential to be true. Even if the only shareholder is me. 
I suppose the reason I continue down the path is that I absolutely believe that its possible. 
So- do you have anytime to get together soon to work on the revision of my business plan:) ? 

Targeting Generation Conscious: Proxy’s 3 Signature Consumer Archetypes

Archetype 1: Gen Y: Lucy Lou

 Lucy Lou is a twenty-four year old fashion-forward individualist. She grew up recycling, shops at farmers markets, and is well traveled. She reads the Wall Street Journal, New Yorker and People Magazine (the latter when no one is looking). At dinner parties, martini in hand, she is often found urging her friends to support the trendiest new cause, like saving the turtles in El Salvador or ending genocide in Darfur. She has been well aware since childhood that Africa is a continent, not a country.

Lucy Lou recently graduated from a liberal arts college and landed her first job working for an organization focused on energy policy in Washington D.C. With her newly disposable income she’s become an avid shopper and is focused on creating her new sophisticated and professional persona. For work attire she frequents the Banana Republic and J Crew, but she is generally uninspired by her purchases. She’s turned off by their corporate structure and unclear labor practices. She seeks sheik, fresh, ethical apparel to build her wardrobe.  

Archetype 2: Roxie Rue

 Roxie worked her way up in the ad world and is now an account executive at a hip advertising firm located in New York City. She is single, cynical, and older than she looks. Roxie has liberal political views, keeps up with world news and makes an effort to buy carbon offsets for her frequent vacations to Costa Rica to go surfing. 

 Roxie sees her wardrobe as an outlet for self-expression, but is aware of how gender plays a role in her work. She seeks clothing for her wardrobe that is unique - but not loud, sexy yet professional. Roxie primarily shops in independent Williamsburg and Soho boutiques and is willing to pay more for clothing that meets her desire to be a professional fashionista. Roxie buys for design before eco or fair-trade, but she’d be most satisfied if her clothing was fashion-forward and socially responsible.

 Archetype 3: Professor Merleaux

 Professor Merleaux is an anthropology professor at an Ivy League college in the Northeast and her work focuses on Latin American textiles and Mayan weavers. Students love to visit her office, as there is always a bowl of fair trade chocolate to munch on and endless artifacts to look at. Professor Merleaux is well liked by her students and leads an annual field course to the highlands of Guatemala.

 Professor’s Merleaux is in her mid-forties, is fashionable, and she likes to wear clothing that has a story behind it. She is a very educated consumer, from field to fiber to country of origin, and believes that it’s her duty to set a good example to her students through her clothing and products she wears around campus.  

Inspiring a Brand- The Proxy Woman

The Proxy woman moves from the board room to the wine bar to the rock club without a flinch.