Sramana Mitra: Did revenue take a hit in 2020? Hannah Fastov: It did. That was when we were able to see the benefits of the direct to consumer business that we
Sramana Mitra: What level did you reach in 2019? Hannah Fastov: In 2019, we did $4 million. Then the pandemic hit. Sramana Mitra: How did that go? Hannah Fastov
Sramana Mitra: The positioning was as a gym bag. Hannah Fastov: We started as a gym bag. Our first trade show and our first target demo was either to the
Hannah Fastov: For six months, I couldn't stop thinking about this idea. In January of 2016, I googled "New York handbag designer". I found my designer who had
Excellent story of a fashion e-commerce entrepreneur bringing to market a range of new bags.Positioning, customer acquisition, business development, partnerships - many topics are dealt with in great detail in this conversation. Enjoy! Sramana Mitra: Let's start at the very beginning of your journey. Where are you from? Where were you born and raised? What kind of background? Hannah Fastov: I'm from the US. I always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I've always enjoyed making things and thinking outside the box. When I was in college, I started making beaded jewelry. Next thing I know, I'm selling them to my friends. I started selling them wholesale. Then I made a GoDaddy account and had a website. Then I started drifting away from that, but I always knew that I liked that idea of creating something. When I graduated, I worked for a luxury fashion brand. While I was working there, I was waking up at 6AM every day to go to the gym and then go straight to work. From work