Excelle

Successful Entrepreneur Gets Hers and Gives Back

Erica Varize is a beautiful, successful, driven woman who has opened a successful fashion design business and storefront. But what’s even more amazing is that she has fought the global AIDS problem, and created an example for all the school children she speaks to in Oakland as a result of her success in business.

Walking into EVarize Fashion Café, the clean, open space exudes a welcoming ambiance to the beat of light pop music. The walls are splattered with local art and the counters with jewelry and handbags designed by local artists. The tasteful mannequins wear beautiful clothing designed by Erica Varize. For Erica, training at fashion school and the confidence to turn her business idea into a plan seemed an impossible feat. Looking back on it now, she realizes the schooling wasn’t necessary, but self-belief was the key to moving from a business banker to a business owner. Her ability was brought to her attention by buyers and then assured through the Women’s Initiative (www.womensinitiative.org), a non-profit business training center for low-income women. Her motivation to make her business work stemmed from her mother’s strong words written on her vanity mirror “if the goal of your pursuit is not clear, you will lose sight of what you are striving for.”
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While her business has been moving along for five years, her store front opened two years ago in November. The welcoming atmosphere brings customers into a space of magnificently designed, retro-inspired clothing. In Berkeley Erica has managed to do what she set out to, sell high quality clothing without the commonly snobbish boutique experience.

Erica got the boost she needed when a friend told her about Women’s Initiative. She was working on EVarize from her home at the time, and she knows “it was in the plan for me to go through the program.” She needed just what Women’s Initiative could give her, the tools to design a strong plan. It was here she found strength to fight for her dream of expansion. She was immediately impressed with the breadth and depth of knowledge her instructor had. And when the end of the session came only she and eleven other women remained. “Women’s Initiative is a brilliant vehicle for women who have drive,” Varize says, adding with pride that clients have to be motivated and, “know how to bring your idea to life in order to survive in the program.” She still uses tools like the formula for the “daily break even” that she took away from the program.

Her line, which brought in only $4,000 her first year, because of the limitations of her home space, was able to grow to $54,000 last year. Her business model involves selling wholesale and retail at one storefront, and racks at twelve other boutiques and locations. Erica works with interns from the San Francisco Art Institute and Met West High School in Oakland. Her mentoring is an all-inclusive approach that teaches everything from marketing to patterns and actual design as well as merchandising and store keep-up. While she is a cut and sew artist, she also has ready to wear clothing at each location. She makes everything in the back of her store.

Erica Varize has won many awards including Best New Business 06, Best Specialty Store 06 and Best Women’s Clothing 07 in the East Bay Express. But the award that she sentimentally said was her biggest accomplishment was Best Charitable Event 07 for her work in HIV/AIDS. “Everyone is doing something big, and it’s great to be recognized for the big thing I’m doing,” she said. EVarize is one of the only small companies to start its own RED line, which helps to aid the global fund to fight HIV/AIDS. “RED.com is a movement of corporations,” and the ability for her to work on the line is incredible given “there aren’t any small businesses involved because it is on a really large scale;” and besides, “everybody wants a hot red dress.” She also takes part in the Uganda project with her local church to help three schools and two orphanages, aiding children, many of whom have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. “It allows me to help people just be educated on the disease. It gets people talking about it.” While she is most proud of these projects she also wants to work for a cause closer to home, one that would directly affect her area.

The awards have shown Erica that other people believe in her. This is an important feeling to counter the obstacles that seemed insurmountable along the way; such as her need to give her family priority over her business. While she is proud to have done 23 fashion shows, she is most happy to be a role model and speak at schools, “I go and speak whenever I’m asked to; I love doing that.” She also is a role model to her own children. By having them spend time in her store and see her success she shows them that they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up.

She has already surpassed her life goals of generating change and being a positive example. And by joining SuccessLink, she helps herself because for her, “it’s good to see other women that are in business thrive. It keeps me in that community of women who are doing that.” So staying in a strong community is mutually beneficial for her and the other participants.

Erica is now ready to move on. “I want to open another store. I want my line to be in New York and Atlanta and D.C.” Because of her local accomplishments, Erica says she has been forced to look at success in a different light. It is a financial triumph, but also an ability to make a conscious change in the world around her. It’s time to “get my mind around all that and make it happen.” With the help of Women’s Initiative, Erica Varize has a clear goal that she has met and surpassed with elegant style.

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