Full name?: Gabrielle Cimon
Position / Job title?: Founder and Designer for Plumeria Swimwear
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to work in Fashion.
2. Fast-forward several years/decades. How did you land (or create) your current position? I had a passion for designing clothes and remember trying to make my own by sketching new ideas and shopping for fabric. I didn’t feel very fulfilled from my previous career, even though it was good experience for me. It wasn’t until I started receiving positive responses about my designs, particularly some words of encouragement from a close friend, that I decided to start my company. I had to take my time, break down the to-do list and take the first step. I had a good idea of the 3-4 things that needed to be established for the company to generate revenue and that was: The sample swimwear, a professional Photo Shoot, a professional website, and a marketing strategy. Then the company grew from there. I had a clear vision of what I wanted the company to be like and I am still working towards that.
3. Did you have to take on internships to get there? How important in general, do you think, are internships? I did not complete an internship, although I do think that internships can be wonderful opportunities to network and see if you like working in that field. Even though most of them aren’t paid I recommend them 100%. What happened in my case was that I had learned a lot while working at my previous job helping with an e-commerce startup. We were buying a lot from lingerie and swimwear brands.
4. Tell us what a typical work day looks like for you. What is your job REALLY like, both the glamorous and not-so-glamorous parts? It really depends on the season and it varies a lot. If it is a regular pre-season and the samples have not yet been made, then a typical day would start by answering emails and making sure the inventory is well stocked. These are the easy days where the routine is installed and it is relatively quiet. The busy days are normally at the beginning of May, there is a lot of promotional work and travels involved. I would say, the least glamorous day involves traveling to go meet a factory owner or fabric producer. Sometimes you come home frustrated and empty handed when there was a miscommunication and they don’t have what you need. On the glamorous side, occasionally my days are filled photo shoots, which I love participating in. Promotional trips are also one of my favorite parts. I just came back from a trip to Monaco for Formula One with the Prodiguer Brands, Juliet Vodka. The event was held at the Hermano Penthouse, which had the most gorgeous view on the port. I felt elegant while I networked with Sue Stai, the New York artist promoted the Brand by wearing it the whole 3 days. I also joined the after party at a Beach Club and met with the race winner Nico Rosberg and Karolina Kurkova, whom I became very fond of!
5. What is the biggest career mistake you’ve ever made? Working from 9 to 5 at a job I hated because I wanted to secure a pay check. I got laid off and discovered that you can also fail at something because you don’t like doing it. Although I gained that important life lesson from this career, at the time I felt like it was a time wasted on repetitive work that lacked skill.
6. What is the single most important piece of advice you would give to other career-minded women? Have a clear vision for your long-term business goals, never hesitate to hire a consultant when in doubt.
7. Let’s talk about work/life balance. What does that mean to you? Is it important? It is very important to me, since I am single, in my late 20’s and have no children. As a result, I can do whatever I want with my free time. Everyone that knows me will say that I am somewhat of a workaholic (slightly obsessed) but I always try to mix business with pleasure. For example if I need to have a photo shoot for the company, I will try to make it somewhere I’ve been wanting to visit. I do have family time as well and travel a long way to visit them as often as possible.
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