Name: Nora Gardner
Job Title and Description: CEO and Creative Director of Nora Gardner NYC
College Name/Major: Georgetown University, Economics
Website: www.noragardner.com
Twitter Handle: @noragardnerinfo
Instagram Handle: @noragardnernyc
What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
Nora Gardner: There is never a typical day. My job includes designing, sourcing, sales, product development, finance and accounting, e-commerce work, order fulfillment, production, fundraising, interviewing and hiring, social media… the list goes on…
What is the best part of your job?
NG: Making women feel beautiful and confident.
What inspired you to start your own clothing company?
NG: The lack of attractive professional workwear in the market.
What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
NG: I have come to not believe in mistakes but rather some decisions were better than others and that it is important to experiment to learn. Every decision has an element of right and wrong to it; but no matter what you must always learn. In the context of this question, an example might be when I experimented with a fashion-forward print one season. It didn’t sell as well as my core essentials but some people loved it. I learned that my market really wants more conservative styles. Some might say it was a mistake but it was an experiment to test a new idea, which is important to do. Sometimes you will be wrong!
What has been the most surreal moment of your career thus far?
NG: When the first large multi-door store placed an order for my entire collection. It was then that I knew my life was about to change.
What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
NG: Trust your instincts and believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.
What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
NG: It sounds cliché but find your true passion. If you don’t know what your true passion is yet, take a job that allows you to learn a valuable skill set, because that is what you will put to work once you find your passion.