Posted Under: Entrepreneurship, Our Heroes

Today under the “Our Heroes” series we are talking to Jennyvi Dizon, an accountant turned fashion entrepreneur and founder of Jennyvi Dizon Couture. Having a true passion for fashion trends, Jennyvi started earning supplementary income in high school by sewing prom gowns for friends.  Over the past year and a half, she has been busy booking gowns in the Phoenix area. Let’s hear more about what Jennvi has to say…

DD: Who you are and what kind of corporate job were you at?

JD: I’m a fashion designer / business owner currently residing Phoenix, Arizona.  I have an Associates in Applied Science (AAS) degree in Fashion Design and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration.  I have worked in accounting since I was 19 years old (I am now 29, turning 30 in September).

DD: What made you leave the job? When did you realize that you wanted to be an entrepreneur & why?

JD: My ah-ha moment was when I came home from work crying for the umpteenth time and was just tired overall of coming home feeling like nothing that I did at work really mattered.  I had always known that I wanted to work in fashion; I always did it on the side while I was in school and working full-time, but never on its own.  In high school I even started sewing prom gowns for my friends for some extra cash (it was approximately 50 dollars each for about 3 gowns), so technically I had the entrepreneur itch when I was 16.  But it had been a dream of mine since I started sketching and hand sewing at age 5. My dad was also a part-time tailor in the Philippines (where I was born).  I guess it’s literally in the jeans.

DD: How did you prepare yourself for the employee to entrepreneur transition?

JD: The great thing about always having a project on the side is that when I left my job, I always felt I had a backup plan.  Now that I am doing this full-time it’s the other way around, I feel that if I ever needed to return to the corporate scene that I could easily find an accounting job. I first started my business when I was working for a tax accounting company; I honestly loved both of my bosses, but if you have ever worked a tax season you know how stressful it can get. But my bosses taught me all the skills I needed to know to run my own business.  The most inspiring thing was that I was open with my bosses and they knew I was sewing for clients on the side.  The company even prepared my taxes and showed me step by step the deductions I could take as a business and the common / uncommon business practices.  I definitely feel that if you are thinking about leaving your field, it is important to ask your employer questions or really pay attention to how your company is organized and which processes work versus which don’t.  As a business owner you have to pay attention to details, as minute as they may seem.  And as much as I don’t want to admit this, I have learned a lot from the jobs and bosses I disliked.  Past jobs and bad bosses had to happen for me to be able to finally pull the trigger all the way.

DD: What are your our Top 5 tips for employees who want to be entrepreneurs but are hung up on something?

JD: 1) Don’t worry about the legal stuff. I have so many friends who think they have to file thousands of licenses to be in business, but many start off as sole proprietors and file for the LLC status later.

2) Network, Network, Network.  If you are shy or nervous, you won’t be after talking to a few strangers.  Part of being an entrepreneur is having people skills and putting yourself out there, that’s what business owners do. After all, they take risks.

3) Keep up the research.  I know that fashion changes every minute and business changes even faster.  What worked for business owners 10 years ago doesn’t apply to today’s technology-driven world.  So, once you think you have settled in your owner role, keep up with marketing trends, financial trends, and most of all keep up with your competitors.

4) Always keep a close eye on your finances. This is especially true for those who have funded their own company without a bank loan like me.  I had to save up and unfortunately use my credit cards for supplies and business expenses.  Just like your personal finances, if you can live without it or it is not an integral part of your daily life then it can probably wait until you get paid.  And sometimes by the time you get paid, you don’t even want it anymore.  This is where you have just analyzed your wants over your needs.

5)  Don’t ever say you can’t!  This is the most annoying sentence I hear my intern say all the time. It is when they haven’t even tried to do something and automatically think they can’t do it.  I tell them to remove this sentence from their mind and replace it with “I can see what I can do” or “I’ll try it out first and see what happens.”

DD: How are you now? Are you still in same business, and how do you feel?

JD: I feel great! My business is really taking off for some reason this year.  Over the last year and a half I have been doing this on a full-time basis. I have booked more gowns in the first 3 months of this year than I ever have before, and I’m a lot happier, even though I actually work more than I ever did for anyone else.  I suppose that is the biggest difference between working for yourself and someone else; I’m okay with working myself to the bone because my business is at stake if I don’t.  I still have the same business as I did when I left my last job and was even crazy enough to launch another one, but now I feel I should focus on my initial business as a priority.  I guess once you launch one business, each one after that just gets easier and easier.

DD: Wow!! It is such a pleasure to talk to you today, Jenny. Thanks for your time and good luck with your business!

JD: Thanks Devesh, I enjoyed the talk and good luck with your blog and book.

DD: So people, this was Jennyvi Dizon. Did you hear what she said, “Don’t ever say you can’t!” … remove this sentence from your mind and replace it with “I can see what I can do” or “I’ll try it out first and see what happens.” You’ll see, it will make a difference!

Success to all!