The R’ebel Mag highlights topics that engage readers in thought leadership, entertains with a rebellious twist and spotlights visionaries and leaders who are encouraging positive change and making a difference. A few weeks ago the lovely ladies behind The R’ebel Mag were nice enough to feature CAVATA in their new publication and asked me (Lori) questions about female entrepreneurship, the small business world and the future of our growing brand. In case you missed it, here’s the transcript from the interview below.
www.therebelmag.com
“Two years ago, I had the opportunity of interviewing my fellow classmate, a business woman, and an overall fun spiritual being. Her name is Lori Kirk and she’s the creative director of her tee shirt company, CAVATA. Just as candid as she was with me during our first interview, she brings that same warmth and honesty to our second interview. Her journey and success are truly inspiring.
Q: Who is Lori Kirk in the eyes of Cavata Clothing consumers?
A: I’m a musician, entrepreneur and the Creative Director at CAVATA. Where other brands are faceless entities, only recognizable by their logos, we are extremely visible in our community and are always involved in various projects from speaking to the youth, setting up vendor booths at local craft fairs, and supporting our sponsored artists across New England.
Q: Why the name Cavata Clothing?
A: CAVATA is an Italian music term and an acronym for Creating A Voice About The Arts. We donate 10% of every purchase to non-profit organizations, like The Music Drives Us Foundation, to support music and art-education programs. We wanted our brand name to be ambiguous yet meaningful, to spark curiosity about what “CAVATA” means. When we explain our brand history and involvement in the community to our customers the word “CAVATA” takes on a whole new meaning, often inspiring others to create a voice about the arts in their own unique way.
Q: What were your initial expectations when first starting off (financial gains, social responsibility, fulfilling your dreams, etc)?
A: When I launched CAVATA I was still in graduate school at Emerson College. For years I had been toying with the idea of creating a tee shirt line (I had a big collection of vintage, quirky, sometimes outright offensive tees) but I wanted to create more than tee shirts. I wanted to develop a brand that not only promoted the importance of supporting DIY (do-it-yourself) creatives but contributed to the community and programs that help shape us as artists. At Emerson, I was absorbing massive amounts of marketing communication information and I couldn’t wait to apply this new brainpower to a real business. I had a credit card, an idea, and determination. All I wanted to do was sell a few tee shirts and I am amazed and thankful to see how much this little brand has expanded since 2008.
Q: I interviewed you on my radio show almost two years ago. What has changed for you since then?
A: Wow, has it been 2 years? Since our last interview we’ve diversified our product line with new hoodies, jewelry, accessories, prints, collaboration designs with other independent brands and strengthened our relationship with the Music Drives Us Foundation and the Boston Music Awards. This year, in addition to videography, we were commissioned to design a CAVATA X 2011 BMA commemorative tee shirt sold exclusively at the Boston Music Awards and through the Music Drives Us Foundation site. We’ll be setting up a vendor booth at the awards show as well. When I say vendor booth, I’m talking about MUCH more than a table and some merchandise. We’ll have professional lighting, monitors looping past years’ event highlights, a photographer shooting guest photos against our CAVATA backdrop and much more. When we do an event, we do it big!
Q: Name two interesting unknown facts about yourself.
A: I can spin a basketball on a pen and I have lupus.
Q: What’s an off day like for you when you’re not immersed in Cavata business?
A: Peter and I are both musicians and spend a lot of time writing. Among our friends and family we’re both known for keeping crazy hours. I’m usually up all hours of the night playing the piano and Pete can go days running on only a few hours of sleep once he gets immersed in creating a new beat. I also work in an after school program at a charter school in Dorchester, MA where I develop project and play-based educational activities and Peter is an extremely talented athlete who is always involved in some kind of league or tournament in town. We’re both insane movie buffs and will absolutely beat you in a quote-off and family is extremely important to both of us (big family, I’m talking 15 cousins just from one side!)
Q: You as well as myself and my ladies, who co-founded R’ebel Mag with me, all met and went to the same graduate school in Boston, Emerson College. In retrospect, did those concepts help you along the way personally and professionally?
A: I loved graduate school at Emerson and my time there directly impacted the development and growth of CAVATA. The classes, professors, networking with fellow students; each connection taught me something new that I applied to the business. In this industry, many independent new label owners will throw an exorbitant amount of money at a project or seasoned owners will keep supplier contacts under wraps in order to get a leg up on the competition. Firsthand experience and my education at Emerson taught me that anybody with a few thousand dollars can start a “clothing line” but very few people have the passion, know-how and determination to develop an idea into a viable brand. It doesn’t matter if someone tells you where to buy the cheapest woven labels or gives you a great deal on a batch of blank garments. If you don’t know how to position your brand in the market or if you don’t have an idea that resonates with your audience, it won’t go anywhere. Hundreds, if not thousands, of indie apparel brands launch every year but very few make it past the first year or so. The economy can be fickle, marketing campaigns may not always work, and inexperience can lead to big “uh ohs” (been there) but if you feel strongly about your brand and are willing to work through the valleys, the feeling of being on top is that much sweeter.
Q: What are your thoughts on needing or not needing formal/informal education in this present job market?
A: It really depends on the kind of job one is going after. In today’s market, a college degree is the same as a high school diploma 20 years ago, almost everyone has one. To set yourself apart in the job market or in your industry, you have to prove why you are invaluable, why you have added value nobody else can bring to the table. I know plenty of entrepreneurs who skipped college altogether but I would never discredit school or any experience from which you can learn something. If you find an area of study fascinating, like marketing, learning from those who have worked in this field for years can be invaluable but never underestimate the value of a street education, diving in head first, and doing things your own way because you’ve identified a need that isn’t being met by traditional means. In life, as in business, there is rarely only one way to do something. My advice is to set your objectives and then figure out the best way for YOU to get there and to not compare your journey with anybody else’s.
Q: Has gender played a role in your success/challenges for your business?
A: The fact that I am a woman has never adversely affected CAVATA. In fact, I’ve been featured in local publications, blogs and magazines because I am a female entrepreneur. When you’re trying to promote an indie brand that connects with the community like CAVATA, you have to promote who you are as a person as much as the products themselves. Depending on the outlet, some PR stories focus on the fact that my co-owner and I are both musicians and from Boston while others have featured my brand because I’m a woman and also a lupus patient. Pitching a story isn’t as easy as “I have really cool tee shirts so please do an amazing cover story on my brand!” In my experience, you have to give the reporter/blogger/interviewer a bigger reason why you, your brand, and your story are newsworthy so focusing on the characteristics that make you different or aspects that connect you with a particular community are very helpful. So, yes, gender and other parts of who I am have definitely contributed to CAVATA’s success.
Q: Are you afraid of failing?
A: No, not at all. Even if CAVATA were to go out of business tomorrow I would not consider that a failure. I was in my early 20s when I decided to take this risk and I don’t regret any of the decisions I’ve made, not even the bad ones as they taught me what NOT to do. My co-owner, Peter, is also my cousin and running this business with my family has been one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences of my life.
Q: What was your biggest lesson to date and what did you learn from it?
A: I have learned to take my ego out of any business decisions I make. Especially if you are in the apparel industry (or any creative field for that matter). You have to learn how to work with people who may criticize a project or idea you have put countless hours of time and energy into. Not all ideas are keepers and if you want to succeed in business, you can’t take everything personal. Accepting constructive criticism is the only way one can grow personally and professionally. Peter and I are brutally honest with one another when it comes to artwork direction, investments, and which events we decide to be a part of but we had to learn that worrying about hurting each other’s feelings was taking away from making the right business decisions. We laugh about showing up to meetings with notebooks filled with ideas we love only to have the other person veto all but 2.
Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?
A: I don’t consider one “thing” to be our biggest accomplishment. The fact that we’ve grown from an almost non-existent company with 3 designs, based out of a tiny 1-bedroom in Quincy, to a recognizable indie brand that has become a staple at the Boston Music Awards, has a roster of sponsored artists, developed a diversified product line, and supports the community from which we came from is one of the biggest accomplishments of my life.
Q: What is your insight for those wanting to start their own business/company but don’t know where to begin?
A: The answer to this almost seems paradoxical. Of course you should always do your research and prepare as much as possible; market scan, competitive analysis, crunch your numbers. If you don’t know what your marketplace is like or who else is in this competitive space, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice. You may think you have an incredible idea (and maybe you do!) but if there is no need for it or if you cannot create the need, who’s going to buy it? On the flip side, don’t be afraid to jump in head first and make things happen. You should always make informed decisions but don’t get bogged down in the minute details; there will always be another option you can consider but sometimes you just need to go with your gut and make tough choices in the final hour. My biggest piece of advice is simple: ALWAYS prepare for the unexpected. Suppliers go out of business, partners may make bad decisions, prices of materials could inflate, etc. Life rarely goes according to plan so why should your business be any different?
We all have dreams and purposes to fulfill. Hearing Lori’s honesty and fortitude on her journey reminded me of that. It’s something that we all can learn from.“
