MAKERS Q+A | JULIA + HONUBELLE
In 10 words or less, what do you do? I design swimwear for women to feel confident and sexy.
What motivated you to start your business? I've wanted to design and create fashion since I was a little kid. I needed that creative outlet, but I wanted it to be meaningful for me as well. So I combined my desire for creating garments with my passion for living an ocean/surfer lifestyle.
What has been your most rewarding experience since starting your company? The most rewarding experience was when a customer told me that she has never received a compliment on a beach until she wore the Jericho bottom. Helping women feel confident and beautiful is what keeps me driving forward.
What does a typical day look like for you + your crew? Here is where I wish I could say that a typical day for me involved 2 hours of kitesurfing to do product testing, haha. Not there just yet. ;) A typical day for me involves balancing being a Mom, a designer/business owner, and a fitness instructor. I start the day early so that I can squeeze in as much as I can.
How did you grow your business from a hobby to a full-time job? Because it was a hobby, there was passion. That passion is what drove me to make something worthwhile out of it.
Work / Life balance, how do you keep it? Being a business owner, you always push forward and it's easy to burn out. It's important for me to have downtime on the weekends, when I spend time with my family doing things we love, like going kitesurfing or skiing. But most importantly I strive to achieve balance by being present in everything I do, so I can stay focused and get things done.
What’s the next milestone for your brand? Growing the distribution channels and getting into more surf shops and boutiques across Canada.
JULIA'S SALT WISHLIST
