Full Transcript for Everybody Mentors Me: Nancy Gale on Building JAMAH the Hard Way | F5 Collective

for companies like Ernst and Young and Bank of America and everything I was not. And at the time, you know, I that that was one of the, you know, sort of crosses to bear was I was very concerned about what people thought. Yeah. And one day I realized this this is not me. I need to go after my dream. speaker-1: Yeah. What was that like leaving a kind of stable corporate or whatever and then jumping off and saying, Okay, I'm gonna start my own business, I'm gonna do this. speaker-0: It It felt so right so quickly. And I knew, you know, it was scary, of course, and my dreams were so big. I'm going to create what I knew would be the next legacy the first legacy made in the USA ultra luxury brand. And when I started drama I had a business partner and we worked in the entertainment industry quite a bit doing casting crew gifts. And that's what sort of brought me back into the fashion world and then we quickly separated and I I started realizing my dreams. with Jama and I thought I wanna be the first made in the USA ultra luxury handbag brand. And I wasn't afraid because sort of back to what I was ⁓ saying earlier I grew up ⁓ with so much positivity around me, but I also experienced in my life. my mom spent the the better part of four years when I was a teenager in the hospital in a coma for a long time. ⁓ wow. when I was twenty five I was raped. And a little over ten years ago my mother was murdered in a home invasion. But speaker-1: ⁓ gosh. speaker-0: Through all of that, what I realized and this is what really helped me run my business is We can actually be two things at once. And our challenges do not dictate our constitution. So life kept telling me that. So when I hit a challenge, and in this case the challenge was everybody and their sister telling me, you can't do this, that's crazy. Nobody'll nobody will ever care about made-in-the-sa luxury. There will never be another big ⁓ fashion house. and that was ludicrous to me, but it was just one more. challenge that I was going to overcome. Just like I and and life taught me that no matter what I've been through, you can you get to keep going. You get to make that choice every day. And I and I think this is one of my my best secrets I knew and didn't care that it was going to take me at least twenty-five years before people really understood who I was. Because we look back at the grades of the Coco Chanel and Louis and all some of these just and whether someone likes them or not, the the it's amazing what the those brands did. Yeah. But one day there was one person behind them. ⁓ you know, Coco Chanel, nineteen fourteen, it was nineteen forty by the time people really fully understood who she was and what the brand was. But we've not seen any of that. So I think we're very misled about the time it takes to to perfect something. And we're living in this fast world now. But even in this fast world behind the scenes it's it's not so fast. speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. But it's it's you know, that myth of overnight, right? Yeah. ⁓ even if it is it's sustainable, it's not sustainable. And yeah. speaker-0: You know, it's interesting to that point. I ⁓ I w was actually doing a podcast a few years ago and when I launched, ⁓ which we can talk about, my motor car collection, my brand was like that that was the turning point for the brand. And at that point I had been in business twenty three years. And someone said to me, do people now, because of the motor car collection, do they think you're an overnight success? And I said, ⁓ I get that question all the time. He said, How do you how do you respond? I said, Honestly, I just tell them that twenty-three years of ramen is a lot of fun. To which ⁓ the the he responded and s by saying, ⁓ it's a salty path. So we now have a LinkedIn newsletter called Twenty Three Years of Ramen, The Salty Journey of an Entrepreneur. And it's tidbits from me, and then now I'm starting to bring some guests on. And those things that we all wish we knew then. Yeah. And ⁓ everyone has the opportunity to to share their story around that. speaker-1: So great. speaker-0: And and it's great, we have this modern ⁓ the our logo now or our packaging is this really cool modern art ramen package. Sometimes I'm in the noodles and Yep. speaker-1: You know, it makes me think of so I remember. This is so perfect. I just remember as a kid, I remember I would say to my dad, because I love the packaged ramen. We weren't really allowed to have a lot of that kind of stuff in our house. But I remember I said to my dad, You know, Dad, someday I want to eat this every day. He said, You know what, baby, someday you're gonna have to eat this every day and I guarantee you you're gonna be sorry you ever said it. I remember when I realized one day it's like, ⁓ my god, I wish he wasn't right. But yes. ⁓ speaker-0: Yeah. And then one day you advanced to being t able to put an egg in I know. speaker-1: I think you're the best. You think you're ⁓ my gosh, look, I've added protein. At least there's protein to it. ⁓ my gosh, it's so good. Okay, so now this navig I So this is so wild. As I was walking into ⁓ we had the a lovely conversation a little bit earlier about the value of luxury and and the perception of it. And as I was walking in after having picked up a little treats and stuff, there was a lady walking in front of me that was wearing a sweater, kind of like a duster sweater. that had Chanel written all over it in giant letters, making sure that I knew it was Chanel, in case I didn't know. And I thought to myself, wow, okay, this is interesting because I'm about to meet with somebody who creates these really elegant displays of luxury that are just truly among high quality and really beautiful and that's how you know how beautiful they are. So as you have done this with your brand and really established this look and feel and we will talk about the motor car collection in a bit, you have a unique experience when you go online to even buy your leather

goods. You can choose and then have it personal. I mean all these different things. So what led you to realize that my type of luxury is truly about creating this personal connection. Because It's also the names of your bags or something. So what led to that? speaker-0: So I th the vision I had was we'll call it you know personalization on steroids. Because that's when you meet people who have any kind of luxury item, right? Whether it's a watch, whether it's a bag, and then you ask the story behind it, right? Like that's the emotional connection. And I want I realize I want a brand where every time you pick anything up ⁓ that's Jama, you feel that connection. And so for a long time, right, i i in a nutshell, lu ⁓ luxury equals logo. Mm-hmm. And I thought I'm not going to be mad at that. I'm just going to bring something different in. I'm going to have a personal, very honest relationship with my clients. I'm going to give people a little bit of autonomy, but not so much that ⁓ like when I do bespoke work, it still has to represent the Jama brand. ⁓ but what what does real personalization mean? And the first thing I thought of was what if what if you could write a letter to someone if you gifted the bag? So and funny enough, right, people say, ⁓ personalization, yeah you can get your your initials. I wanted to go a whole different level. So we ask we invite our clients to ⁓ write a they can write something for themselves or if they're gifting it and we actually inscribe that inside the bag. So ⁓ in fact recently I had a client that was really neat, he bought his ⁓ wife two bags. And one was Mother's Day and one was her birthday. And they were two a couple weeks apart. And the first bag ⁓ was for Mother's Day and it came out and it said, Amanda To the greatest mother, dot dot dot. And then the next ⁓ two weeks later, and she didn't know what that like meant. And a couple weeks later for her birthday, he gave her the other one and it said dot dot dot and an even better wife, Love Cyrus. And so eventually her grandkids, her kids, her grandkids, in fact, I have a client, ⁓ she reads a story to her ⁓ grandkids called Red Birds. And so we found the red bird's logo and every bag she buys is a red patch with the black outline of the bird in in every bag. So they're so you you can't get that anywhere else. And then we also film the making of your bag. ⁓ Yeah, and then we have a little surprise that comes in everybody's bag, which we're actually implementing now and I can't say what it is. But it's really special. speaker-1: Wow. Yeah. God. speaker-0: And so for ⁓ to me, like that's real luxury, like storytelling. And so even you know, when I was learning about the fashion world, and one thing I always knew was many, many brands name all of their products. So as a consumer, I can go into Chanel and say that's the you know, the the what the the Linda bag. Yeah. But who's Linda? What does that mean? I is that actually someone you know? Is it the a laundry list of names? And again, I don't wanna like disparage any the other brands and the way they do what they do. and also I'm in in a unique situation because I'm an ultra luxury designer among Like it if you look at all the greats, right, no one's alive. Yeah. Yeah. And so now I have a a brand that's over a quarter century old and and I'm alive and kicking. So I get to really implement all of this. So then I thought, well what if we video the making of your bag and you see your nameplate and then what if the bag isn't just the Linda? speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: it it's my telling the story about why Linda inspires me and what she means in my life. Yeah. And so ⁓ that became really special for me. So and it's fun because I'll go through our orders sometimes. I mean I do bespoke work, but when we get orders on the website and ⁓ without missing a beat, I'll share with, you know, ⁓ one of my best friends, Rosie, I will say, you know, I sold you today. Someone bought you today And and that it just ⁓ so I feel like I've been able to bring in my childhood, my dreams, my best friends, my the people that inspire me all into my business every day. speaker-1: Wow. Now what had ended up because th there is such a beautiful personalization and an understanding of ⁓ I don't know what gets people excited or certainly feeling good about what they're about to experience with your with your products. What then led to you deciding to do your motor car collection? And and what is that exactly? I I looked at it, it's it's very cool. So if you can speak to that a bit speaker-0: So I was at an event a a car event one day for there's a company called Guntherworks and they remaster Porsche's and I met Peter who bounded Gunther Works and he said you need to make a bag that would fit a certain component in my in the car and we did and ⁓ it was for Porsche 900 and ⁓ I got the Papita from Porsche and I trimmed the bag out with that and it was really cool. This is really great, but it's not this I don't know what it is and I love the car culture. I mean I'm you know, grew up in the D. My dad and I would do donuts every every Sunday morning in the winter. We would go out for donuts and we'd come home. We'd actually were smart enough to pick donuts up. But what we actually did were donuts. And I but the funny part is I got rid of my car twelve years ago. I Uber everywhere. But I'm a demon on the racetrack. I love to race. And so I actually ended up at a at the thermal racetrack meeting this gentleman who was telling me the story that he his wife is his biggest fan. He's a big car guy, he's a big collection, he races all the time. ⁓ but but it's not her role that way. So I said wouldn't it be fun to find a way to bring her into that world subtly. Yeah. So he has this beautiful nineteen sixty five Alfa Romeo. It's all red, ⁓ but there's one marking, yellow marking over the driver's side front wheel well. It's this yellow, ⁓ really cool shape. So he said, Okay, I said, let me do a

bag that reflects the car. So ⁓ because Alfred's ⁓ logo is the serpent and the car was red, I said the bag has to be red snake, and one side similar to that shape is yellow. Then he wrote her a beautiful message. Then we filmed the making of the bag. I was actually able to be there when he handed her the bag. and then I realized that's that's the space. I wanna work with the individuals or with the brands if they wanna connect me with the clients. And it's funny because you can go to Porsche, buy your Porsche, go into the shop, buy a Porsche bag. These are more like if you know, you know. And they're meant to be f if they're for women, just a beautiful handbag. ⁓ I did ⁓ recently for a Bentley ⁓ a really beautiful Himalayan crocodile tote. But if you open it, the top four inches of facing mimic the quilting on the door. so so and then someone else might say, no, I want it to to yell that way, whatever that is. I'm working on a one of one or a bags for a one of one Ferrari right now. A group of twenty people got together to buy their friend who's getting this bag 'cause he's sort of the man who has everything and very lovely speaker-1: Wow. speaker-0: and generous and they said, How do how do we gift him? So I'm working on that ⁓ r a bag right now to reflect his new one of one for ⁓ speaker-1: Well, speaker-0: I'm I did a wine caddy for someone's McLaren. She wanted to surprise her husband, so I so it reflects and that's always the word I use, it reflects the interior of his McLaren. That ended up getting sent to McLaren or a photo of it. So it'll that's how those opportunities are now opening up with the brands. But the bespoke work ⁓ and getting to know the clients is so much fun. And then interestingly, and we can talk about my nonprofit now Now a number of my motorcar clients are starting to mentor my ambition students. speaker-1: Okay, this is very cool. So yes, let's talk about that because you know what you're doing ⁓ by providing these wonderful opportunities for growth and learning for you know for folks that probably wouldn't have the opportunity unless you had to open that door. What led to ambition, your nonprofit? speaker-0: My dinner table. Yeah. I I grew up at what I always call the ideal dinner table. And as I grew my company into the, you know, working in these worlds of wealth, ⁓ and seeing a lot of people that were self made, I just started thinking, you know, what happens if you didn't grow up at my dinner table? And that's not financial. It's about access and exposure. Yeah. The way my dad thought, even you know, before he had a level of success, was if I came home one day and said, I think I wanna be a brain surgeon I guarantee you within the next two to three months we'd have a friend over and it would turn out he's a brain surgeon. And so I that's what I kept thinking was h how do how do we do that? And so ⁓ that that was definitely the origin, the the the inspiration for ambition. speaker-1: Yeah. So is ambition something

that ⁓ supports and I'm assuming that it does more than just support folks in their quest to be part of the fashion industry, but truly Yeah, I was going to say, yeah. speaker-0: ⁓ y in fact it has nothing to do with it. It's really it's ⁓ we work with juniors and seniors and h sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school. We're actually transitioning now to partnership with the Boys and Girls Club. ⁓ wow. We've been an in school program for a long time. But we've realized we can do what we do so well in these club partnerships. so it's really about getting these kids to feel comfortable in arenas that they don't feel they belong. Yeah. And the biggest focus, we've we focus everything around marketing. Because that's the one thing that I know it doesn't matter what field anyone goes into, they will not suffer at the hands of learning market. And so, but it's been interesting because speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: One of the things that I discovered immediately, but it really resonated within a few years of the program. We're sixteen years old now, was if you don't know these kids, you cannot serve these kids. And so we I reset the program and from sept and we're with the kids once a week. And our mentors must commit to at least once a month because consistency is everything. And so speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. speaker-0: ⁓ we started a program called You Don't Know About Me. So all we do in the fall is get to know the kids and the kids get to know the mentors. And at the end of the semester, everybody, including the mentors, does their official You Don't Know About Me. So they've worked all semester and what that means is they get on camera and with power, not pity, and that's the absolute key, that's the foundation of our program. With power, not pity, they announce their greatest challenge. Then they share how they got through or are getting through it. And that's that makes them leaders. Yeah. And then they wrap it up with a humble flex to show that you can hold to truths at all times. speaker-1: Wow. My gosh. So you've been doing this for sixteen years. And about how many kids have you had speaker-0: We work in pods of thirty to forty kids. Okay. ⁓ and we're actually the great thing about boys and girls called is allowing us to expand. Right. Yeah. speaker-1: Right. ⁓ my gosh. So as you've been doing this and also having this for profit business, how how do you kind of straddle that? speaker-0: I say that the success of drama allows me the bandwidth to run ambition. And if you work for drama, you somehow, some way, and it's different for everyone, volunteer for ambition. ⁓ that's the connection. We don't do buy a now, every so often, in fact on the month of my mom's birthday, we'll say anyone who buys a Helen will make a donation ⁓ to ambition. But, you know, when I s started thinking about ambition, it was at a time that there was this whole kind of cause and commerce, ⁓ cause marketing was the thing. And what it felt like for me, and I'm sure there were many places that it was beautifully done orchestrated, but what it felt like for me was find a cause, any cause, act like you care. Yeah. And I thought, I don't want to do that. I want them separate but intrinsically connected. So I thought, how do I how do I do that? And it was through having my my ⁓ Jama team get involved with ambition. Yeah. And so and it allows though my students to speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: come in and understand how I'm doing business. But what we've also done is because after we get to know the kids, now we can really help guide them. So when we move into the marketing campaign, in fact ⁓ we do so much around marketing that the first ⁓ order of business in January is who is someone that you feel like is so in another you know universe that you'd like to meet? And so the very first year we did that They gave me names and we said, okay, so now we have to study that person. And after we study them, we'll make a script and then we'll film that and then we'll send this thing around and maybe that person will come to class. And and it can't you can't say, We think you're so great, we want you to come to class. Yeah. You have to compel that person, you have to make them feel that they're missing out if they don't come. So It's such a great story w with you and and me because the first person was Richard Branson. ⁓ my god, Sam and Sam. Yes, so and it was so funny because the kids are there and it's Richard and every and we actually met them at the Sunset Marquee and they let us film. But I just became obsessed with Sam. ⁓ my gosh. ⁓ wow. That was so beautiful and it w it really ignited that program for us. Right. And so that's how we start the year and then or the semester and then we move on to the kids marketing our merchandise line, which is all You Don't Know About Me and Power Not Pity and Ambition Merchandise. And now we have an anthem and we're about to launch a big dance challenge and yeah, so tha that way the kids we could have a kid that says, I don't think marketing's really my thing. I'm interested in accounting. They can they'll work with our accountant i i with our merchandise, yeah. speaker-1: Wow. Yeah. It's you know, it's it's funny you should say it regarding marketing itself because, you know, it's true, it's just it's storytelling, right? And to be able to say, Okay, you can't just say, You're really cool, we really want you. Yeah. But to show that you've taken the time to know them a little bit. Which reflects what you were talking about. You know, so who, ⁓ would you say is somebody that maybe mentored you or the value that you have found being mentored? speaker-0: But yeah. speaker-1: yourself because when we do these kinds of things it's like what have I discovered about myself in this? speaker-0: I would say, I mean there's the obvious right. in fact in ambition I always say who aside from your parents, because right away I'm I say my dad, my mom, I was blessed to have. Honestly, this might

sound crazy, but I feel like everybody mentors me. I get into an Uber and I start having conversation, and we talk to the students about this all the time. Just start talking to people. And so I feel that it's not a person that's mentored me, it's many people and it's conversations that have mentored. speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. No, that's great. Because also your your personal touch speaks to that a lot. Because I can hear that even what has kicked off even certain kind of levels in your brand, like the motor car. And so as you have been on this journey with drama and and establishing luxury, this USA made luxury, what have you I guess discovered as you've navigated luxury in America and seen maybe how luxury has shifted or changed because you have been doing this for a good amount of time and I know that it has shifted a bit. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think sort of going back to what we were talking about earlier, it shifted to I think It's easy to say the personal connection, but sort of the personal involvement. Right. And again with my setting parameters, but a client can say, I'd like that bag with gold hardware instead of nickel hardware. Or I love that bag, but can you add a pocket for my computer? ⁓ so I think there's nothing more luxury than that, right? That you can and and you know, the bags are not cheap and we make everything made to order. So I I get no breaks anywhere, not on my materials, not on my labor and I want my l my labor I mean they're my family I want them to put food on their table like and and not feel like they're having to scrape and so I think people understanding all those layers, that's also feels like luxury because luxury, right, and special things like is it's when we feel in on something, right? Like we've sort of got the secret because what we're discovering now, right, it's all over TikTok, the videos of where things are really being made. Yeah. And I always say it's so interesting, people say, ⁓ my God, I can't believe we discovered whatever brand is made in China. I don't know where we have this idea, and it's probably the same place as it was in the US, that someone in China can't sew. They might we there's major talent everywhere. The issue is people just want you to be honest. Yeah. They just tell us. If you tell ⁓ i I I'm surprised no one has filmed an artisan in China making a bag. speaker-1: Just tell ⁓ You know, okay, so this is interesting that you bring that up. My older son is very fascinated with Asia. and I I've had the opportunity to spend time in on the continent in variet variety of countries. It's amazing. And he looks for that. He goes online and he goes on YouTube and he seeks out those kinds of things where you see somebody doing a bag from China or from Korea or wherever, you know, s creating artisans and and ⁓ it's so interesting that that's not more prevalent. ⁓ to recognize that. Well, you know, what has what has been exciting for you with your artisans and and how do you work with your folks? speaker-0: So I have a lead sewer. ⁓ I like we're we really are like family. And ⁓ it's interesting when we started working together years and years ago, he had done more mainstream and everything they'd give to me, I'd say, This is great and then I'd point out ten things we need to change and very graciously and but unfortunately no matter how gracious I was, no one likes to Yeah. That was hard it what it came what came across to them at the end of that, like week after week, was doesn't seem like anything we do is good enough. And I said, I'm looking at each product the way I know our clients will. And I say, if we get these if I give you these ten instructions or this this this feedback redo it. Let's redo it and redo it. And eventually you won't have to redo it. This'll be the way that we yeah we do. So all of a sudden so we do that for a few months and all of a sudden one day I see there's a shift and now he is so excited to show me everything. And and in fact sometimes it's so funny now I've watched his whole process and I'll give him something and you know years ago the first answer might have been no we can't do that. And I video him sometimes watching watching him think and then he goes into these little circles and marches and looks up in the air. I don't know who he's talking to. And and so it's been such a great learning experience because he's a just by nature an incredible incredible craftsman. speaker-1: Look. speaker-0: But watching him go up to this level has been really, really beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. So I say you you you hear what your clients have to say. You can't do everything every client says, right? Because ninety other clients might want it differently. Yeah. ⁓ I've learned like to take in information but let time tell us what's more weighted. speaker-1: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I was going to ask you, how did you come to this incredible ability to not just offer this luxury brand, but to have it be so personal. Was there a moment that you realized, you know, I ⁓ it doesn't just differentiate me, but it speaks to me on a deeper level? speaker-0: You know, I was I had a showroom in New York at one point and the head of the showroom said to me one day, ⁓ why are you putting suede interiors in your bags? Like, get some silks, it's less expensive, like I said, I don't wanna do that. And that began the conversations of there will never be another. Yeah. And I realized I I'm going to do this forever. And you know, peop when people say, if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. I call total bullshit. If you love what you do, it will drive you to become successful. Yeah. And it will sustain you at two AM when you're figuring out how to pay the bills and how to get that order in on time. And so speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: ⁓ I think as I realize like this is my life's work, it really has to be my life. And what's going not and it's not a matter of well, 'cause I have such great vision and ideas. It's I love

this. It speaks to me. I want to speak to it, and if I'm going to sustain and really make my mark and build something, then it has to be who I am. speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. You're putting yourself out there. And it goes back to your why. Mm-hmm, right? So your why is if this is something you're going to pursue, how much are you willing to commit to truly pursuing what matters to you about it? speaker-0: Exactly. Yeah. And then once you do that and build that base, then it's much easier, at least from my experience, to bring in other people's input. It's hard when you don't have a base and everyone's telling you what to do. In fact, when I was building and everyone was telling me what to do, that's a tricky spot for everybody because all I heard were the naysayers. And I in fact and I I think about this all the time now. I wish I just hadn't given weight to them. I wish I listened to them just to hear the words 'cause sometimes a little nugget comes. But the The energy that turns into time that one can put into listening to all of that is really detrimental. Yeah. Because what I realized is people are telling me the limits based on their own limitations. Yeah. Mine are different, and one's not right or wrong, or better or worse. Yeah. But I had to really craft not just the vision, but I had to really, really absorb what it was going to take to get there. And I had to figure out how do I navigate all the input. And I learned eventually the best way to navigate the input is to just say, Okay, I don't need to be mad at you that you don't think I can do this. Yeah. Because you really don't think you can do this and that's okay. Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah. It's your path to walk. Yeah. Yeah. And finding that strength as you're walking that path to actually be able to do that. Mm-hmm. So as you are because you are in a service industry, this is what you do. Yeah. As you are serving others, what do you do for yourself? speaker-0: I just I feel like I'm just really good at garnering like the gold in every moment. And I've learned I mean I've done some great, amazing things. I've traveled, I've jumped out of airplanes, I've like run races, I've j I've skied like crazy. I I have I think what's the best husband that's ever been speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: in this universe. So every moment with him is just heaven. But honestly, in every single moment I just try to find find the excitement in that moment because then it doesn't matter what you're doing. Then if I'm on a work bender, I'm still enjoying every moment. And not just because I love my work, but because I l I love that peace and joy all wrapped up into one. speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. Well what have been some of the challenges that you've discovered as you've gone into the fashion industry, which I know is not the easiest industry and especially when you're looking at luxury and dealing with European brands and so forth. ⁓ what have been some of the challenges and how have you overcome them? speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. So I think one of the things I did a long time ago and I and it's funny because I think it speaks to real luxury is I was you know, I I was part of a showroom, I was doing the shows, I I was running out of money, I I was ⁓ i And I realized I I don't wanna live in the fashion industry. I wanna stay on the peripheral of it. Maybe I was chicken, I don't know. and then of course, as I really, really became committed to creating this ultra luxury name, I that's why my my mom was killed. Mm. So going through that and getting her case her case went cold and we had to get it pulled out of cold case and then go to trial and I think what I do to overcome the challenges is just remember like you have a choice every single day. And some days it's easy and some days it's harder to navigate those challenges. But in so I don't have a lot of specifics I can give you as to what were those challenges, but I think every day throws challenges at us. Yeah. So my commitment was more to figure out just what's my formula to get beyond things. And so So I th ⁓ so I have a ⁓ a million anecdotes. Yeah. Like even that, like real like when people would tell me I could it couldn't be done, I used to I was so compelled to explain why it could and why it's okay that I'm d I I felt like I had to answer to everybody. So that was a big challenge actually, because that also takes a lot of you don't realize how much mental energy that takes. And you'll never convince anybody. No. And so I'd say that's been one of the the best learning experiences I've had and I I and and also the biggest challenge I think is learning a lesson and holding on to it. Yeah. Like we're very quick to say we learn from our mistakes. But once you've made the same mistake ninety four times Yeah. Did you really You mean you learn from a hundred mistakes? I don't know. Yeah. So ⁓ that's been a big challenge is to like pull out those anecdotes and that that sort of, you know speaker-1: Yeah, speaker-0: library of of the ways of overcoming challenges. So I think one of the things that's really helpful for me in the is every day throughout the day just sort of resetting and remembering like whether it's we've run out of leather or we had an issue with the machine or ⁓ you know we're having financial challenges, whatever it is, I have a little exercise I do called stops. been doing I do it five, six times a day. Started when I was a little girl with my dad, it was a game. And so we'd be in the middle of something and he'd say stops and it stands for settle down, take a breath, own it, poof. Because I love the word poof because I was seven or eight when I started this. And the last S is and smile because for the moment you smile you cannot be sad. It doesn't work. And nobody doesn't have a minute four or five times a day to do that. So I still do it. And that's just my reset. So I'm I reset not only when I need a reset. And I think that's really helpful too. Yeah. And you know, and it's great, right? You can

meditate and go to yoga and you can go to all these productized things to fix yourself, right, where you have to pay. And that's great, what ⁓ you everyone has to figure out what works for them. But I think no matter what you're doing, to spend a few minutes a day ⁓ where it doesn't cost ⁓ time or money or anguish to just take a sec to reset, not only when you need it. So I think that's that's helped me frame my mind so that I can deal with my challenges. Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. No, that's great. ⁓ I used to tell people ⁓ when I worked in certain things that I'd say, you know, maybe put just even if it's ten minutes on your calendar for every yours. Because everybody needs to breathe. You gotta you gotta take speaker-0: Every day. Yeah. Just that's Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. speaker-1: for you and and if you can get in front of it, that's great because if you can get in front of it as opposed to it's kinda like when you're you need to hydrate and you wait until you're absolutely so thirsty you can't stand it. Your body's saying, Okay, I'm at the point that if you don't give me something I'm just get in front of it. Mm-hmm so you don't find yourself like that. speaker-0: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I think too, it's really important to remember, and especially when you're running a business, we're very busy complicating and we spend very little time, in fact, I I think it's often looked down on to simplify, as if someone doesn't understand the complexity of something. But I believe life throws many great challenges at us that we really don't need to then complicate the simple in our own lives. Yeah. speaker-1: No, that's speaker-0: I always tell my students, if you can show me if you take a situation where you're highly stressed, if you can actually show me how the angst and anger and fear helps solve the problem, I will out anger, out angst and out fear every single one of you. And so but no one's been able to show that that actually works. Right? 'Cause then it would make sense. Yeah. speaker-1: Ha ha ha. Yeah. If they're able to do that and that happens, please film it. Exactly. Now, ⁓ what's next for Jama? speaker-0: Yes. So I actually am iterating right now, so with the motor car collection, because it's about a reflection of your car, I just started something new where ⁓ and it can be a full shot of your car or a blown up section of your car where we actually have an artist who hand paints your car on your bag. So that that's literally coming out as we speak. ⁓ God And I I called a client of mine, she has a Bentley bag that I made, and ⁓ I said, would you speaker-1: ⁓ my god. speaker-0: carry one of these and I sent her a mock up and she said I carry a bag with my frickin' dog's paint on it. Yes, I would definitely carry this. Yeah, so that's exciting. That's very cool. And then growing ambition and getting this big ⁓ dance challenge going and really we're we're working on getting ⁓ speaker-1: That's so co that's very cool. That's very cool speaker-0: actual you can actually register a holiday. So we are look we're s we're in the process now of reg registering National Power Not Pity Day. Because that's something right like that that's such a simple life approach. And we see it's interesting with our students the re when we they do their you don't know about me's speaker-1: ⁓ how cool that's so speaker-0: The reason they've all gotten so comfortable sharing bearing their souls is because it used to go like this. And I I do my you don't know about me the first day of class every year and I was talk I tell them about my mom. And ⁓ one of my students one day she saw that and her dad had been ⁓ shot and killed by the police. And obviously there's so many layers to the story. But for her as a teenager, that's what she's left with. And she said her identity with that was my dad was shot and killed. After her You Don't Know About Me, her identity was my dad was shot and killed. But she's still a full amazing human being. So we started seeing right, that's where language really matters and your empowerment. And and I remember it's interesting after my mom and after my dad passed, although he passed exactly the way. If one could write their script, I think it would be. But peop I had some people that would come up to me and say And other people that would come up to me and say, How you doing? Mm-hmm. And that resonated with me. Yeah. And so ⁓ we've seen that with the kids when suddenly you change your voice, you're not a victim anymore. Yeah. So that's that's our focus is now is this ⁓ Power Not Pity Day and our big national dance challenge. speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. Okay, what's the national dance? speaker-0: So we have a new anthem and ⁓ it it really encompasses ambition, you don't know about me, and power not pity and we are ⁓ Just setting it up right now. We have someone creating a signature move. And we have entr we want we're looking for entrants all over the country from eight to eighty, like senior citizen homes, ⁓ disadvantaged ⁓ areas, wealthy areas. There's absolutely no limits. And we want people to make up a dance to the ⁓ the the anthem and then the three winners which will be voted on will fly out here for Power Not Pity Day and we'll be selling all of our merchandise, we'll have a booth where you can do your you don't know about me, so you have months to practice it. And it will be a big giant fundraiser for ambition. We'll have some bands, music like different people re ⁓ recording or performing the anthem and and other music as well. So that we're still figuring out the the ⁓ challenge is being launched in about a month and a half. Okay. Yeah. Okay. speaker-1: When is this taking place? Well definitely let us know. speaker-0: So much fun. ⁓ my gosh. Yeah, yeah. It'll be in Santa Monica. Woo! Yeah, yeah. speaker-1: You know, I I'm a writer and so the importance of story is so is huge. and we we even were talking about that, how you know, looking at the different stories and

what you do with your products, you have this incredible stories. However, I I'm I'm curious if you have a product that it was difficult to come up with the story but then how did you find your way to it? speaker-0: So ⁓ it's so interesting because I do this two ways. I have sometimes a bag that I design based on a person. Okay. And that's the and they both have their they're easy and they're hard. And sometimes I make a bag and then I think Okay, that's that person. And then I go through all the details of the bag and their story and sometimes it's so obvious why this connects. and a little off ⁓ subject, but I also have had some bags. I mean I believe in our lives, right? ⁓ I call them friendshifts. Sometimes, right, you you groove with certain people and it doesn't matter if it's all good or bad or whatever it is, I think ⁓ and I love that term, friend shift. I like that. so sometimes I think, ⁓ do I change the name of the bag? ⁓ my god. speaker-1: Yeah. I was gonna ask you about that too, okay. ⁓ speaker-0: For the most part I don't because because whatever that was, there was beauty in that. and I I don't have a very ⁓ a confrontational personality, so I don't I don't have ugly bitter endings with things and although maybe they they are, but I they just don't come out that way. Right. but I feel like everything like I don't believe that everything happens for a reason, but I believe you can put reason to everything that happens. So I if I sort of move away from somebody or someone moves away from me, I I I like to look at it that way. Right. So that's why I changing the name of a bag ⁓ sort of dishonors the beauty that we had. Yeah. and and like making the bag named my mom's after my mom, the Helen. Yeah. That was so easy to make. Yeah. but I do have one particular bag because this particular friend, she's very particular about what she likes. So I couldn't name a bag after her until so I I knew for her I have to design the bag after her. ⁓ but there were many, many components that I knew I had to figure out a way to tell the story and make look like drama. So that was and then some of my stories and connections with people are so deep that you think, well, how do you lend that to a handbag? Yeah. But what I started realizing is It's not really a connection of who they are and the components of the bag. I mean sometimes that stands out. Right. But it's really ⁓ about the beauty of the bag connected to the beauty of that person. Yeah. So it doesn't have to match super intentionally. Yes. Yes, yes. Yeah. Does that answer? speaker-1: Yeah, like a one-to-one. Yeah, that helps. 'Cause then you 'cause then it seems like, if I'm taking this correctly, that what you then do is you create the essence. Right. That's it. And then that reflects the story. Yes. As opposed to it being literal. speaker-0: That's so well said. Yeah. I th I'm going to write that down. Cool. I love it. Video is wonderful. speaker-1: Well you now we've got it on camera. Isn't

that great? Cool. With your luxury brand, ⁓ you have a specific clientele that you're going after. So how do you target them? And how do how do you know how to target them? Which is interesting too. speaker-0: So two things. I'll kind of I'll start from earlier on. ⁓ I had a yeah, I've been in Vogue and in style and the like magazines and Rob Report and we've got beautiful press. and and interestingly, ten, fifteen years ago, that kind of press meant something very different than it does now 'cause there were no influencers. Right. Right. we had a picture of Brad Pitt on People magazine carrying one of my bags. Cool. speaker-1: Okay. speaker-0: It's game changing. Like back then that's not game changing anymore. ⁓ especially for higher end brands. but I actually got a call from the stylist, the costume designer for the They did a four series arc on the Gilmore girls. Okay. Came back twenty years later. So now all of the kids, like the teenagers who watched that show, they could be possible clients. And that show was very, very like costume ⁓ brands loved to be featured in the Gilmore girls. Wow. So the costume designer called and she said, ⁓ there's a particular bag of yours that I want Rory Gilmore to wear. She comes back as a six a journalist in Europe somewhere and sh I I want her to carry her bag. So they make ⁓ we make the bag and I wait for the series to come out and it's yeah, it's four I think one hour episodes. And this bag is like an appendage on appendage on Alexis Bedell. ⁓ wow who plays Rory. And we start getting orders and it's not a it's not an expensive bag. And I thought, wow Vogue, like modern luxury for all these amazing publications and Rory frickin' Gilmore throws that bag on her shoulder and people want it. But that's random, right? So you can one of our rules is we don't pay for advertising, we do editorial. and I think there's a a middle. Like when you're a really wealthy brand, you do advertising because firstly it's beautiful and people can see your brand everywhere. Right. But for me there there's just there's no in between. There's editorial and then you know, budget will mean speaker-1: Right. speaker-0: Great, great ⁓ advertising. But now there's so many other means to advertise. But what the motor car collection has done is like you know, we're thrown into these people with these high-end cars. Yeah. We do a lot of these car events ⁓ for pleasure, which turns into business. Yeah. So those people are now at my fingertips. And what's happened is ⁓ that word of mouth has spread like wildfire. I also have a very dear friend, her name is Christina. and she was with Rob Report and she's now with the DuPont Registry and she is my chief pimp. I mean she's just an amazing person on every level as it is. But she has really helped i spread the word of Jama. ⁓ wow. Yeah. In fact I have a bag named the Christina. It's named after her. If I talk about it too much she cries. She cries a lot. speaker-1: Yeah. ⁓ but does the background speaker-0: You know what? That's actually a great idea. But it's like what she has shown me was like that that she she really ⁓ She's just has so much exposure to that world. It has really introduced me, ⁓ to her to the way she navigates that world. So having more Christina's I mean I'm not sure how her husband would feel about more Christinas, but speaker-1: Ha ha ha. speaker-0: But having more people like that and and what happens, right? You you get one Christina, you get more. You and and we all help each other's you know, sort help each other flourish on this journey. ⁓ she happens to always carry my bags. So and she just has a way about her and so people see the bags that way. So sometimes right, it's just a a person carrying the bag that brings the attention. But when you have people like her who are in the business ⁓ making noise for you. That's what that's what I'm looking to do is replicate that. Because that's fun, connective, personal, and helps grow the business. speaker-1: Yeah. And it speaks and it does speak to ⁓ you know how that works. If if sh well if she's got that, then that must be the thing to have. You know. Yeah. ⁓ I like to say that my my mom was one of the ladies who lunch. ⁓ and that was a big part of it. You know, if you brought something then it was ⁓ man, then I Lee's has that, I gotta have speaker-0: That's it. Yeah. Yeah. that. Yeah, and you know what's so interesting about that, because this whole sort of fighting against the big brands and people would say, you know, nobody's gonna care about an unknown brand, and nobody's gonna care about made in the USA. And just in the last few years, 'cause I went I it sort of iterated from no one cares about made in the USA to people say they care but they really don't because their actions are not following that, to now people actually care and so many brands are so saturated because of social media. Now I have clients coming in and saying I have my you know whichever bags ⁓ but I want something that I don't see on every street corner. Yeah. And and not at the expense of those bags but and that's what I always say I don't want someone to come to me to replace the fact that they're buying all these other brands. I want to be added to that collection. And that's the goal of Jama to be the for the name to be thrown around in the breadth of Chanel and her men And and Louie and what whatever anyone sort of fancy is. speaker-1: And that's another aspect of luxury as well that we didn't touch on, but it you said it so beautifully, which is that one of a kind, it's mine. Nobody else has it. Yeah. And that means that it's a cool thing to be able to say, Well, just so you know, I know you love my bag, but yours will even be something that nobody else has because of what they do at Jama for you. And then to say, ⁓ my gosh So, I mean I can say I've got a Jama bag, but I've got my Jama bag. speaker-0: I love that you said that because a long time ago I remember this

gentleman said to me, like like so it's made to order, like what does that really mean? That means you don't have to store inventory. I said, That also means I pay five times as much for everything I touch. And it also means that your bag, even if you and someone else order the exact same bag, to your point, they are made separately and with you in mind. Yeah. speaker-1: That's beautiful. That's great. That's really great. So with the personalization and having these mate to order and and all of that, which is really beautiful, how do you scale if it is very specific, if it is like that? speaker-0: So if you go into our website, even though you can make some choices, ⁓ w it's certain leathers, it's certain hardware, ⁓ it's the second you want something special you sort of go out of our mainstream. Right. So scaling our classic collection that is easy to buy online, even though it's made to order, ⁓ we can follow a pretty typical scaling process with that. With the bespoke work, that's where it's completely different. Right. ⁓ and I always say, and it it might sound naive, but I promise you it's not, and I've said the same thing about ambition. one day, right, Coco Chanel in nineteen, you know, twenty was on her knees pinning, you know, hemming, making hats in a little atelier. And d never understood right the magnitude of that brand. And I think many people even when you have huge dreams, it's hard to really understand to to imagine the magnitude. So I've always said and I always use this other example, ⁓ in the late 1800s, five women sitting around wanting to help these young kids didn't say, we're going to have the Boys and Girls Club. Right. And this is what it's going to be. How no one said how are you going to scale it? And that's a very common question now. And what I say and what we've been experiencing is I'm just going to do this ⁓ so damn well that scaling happens to us. And like everything else we do, at as we grow and iterate, we bring people in that help us go to the next level. So that's my goal is just doing it really well. Yeah. speaker-1: Next. Yeah. That's cool. That's cool. Huh. Yeah, I I I was on the website and it it is, it's really great because you can choose the different leathers and you can choose, you know, the different grommets or whatever and and it it i it's very ⁓ intuitive, very user friendly. speaker-0: And we're actually in about two months releasing our a a whole nother level of that. We have a lot of pieces that are waiting to be seen. speaker-1: Yeah. Well that means that we just have to come back to you. I mean yes it does. We'll just have to hang out again. speaker-0: That that might be. Yeah. And with nobody else in the speaker-1: No, nobody else in the room. We'll go to the room. Perfect. For those of you who don't know it, it's a sushi place, we love it. Okay? Is there anything else you would like to share? speaker-0: ⁓ gosh. I think we just want people to follow us and see who we are and and ⁓ you know,

understand who we are, whether it whether we're a place you want to purchase a bag from or not. ⁓ we do have men's and women's and of course the motor car collection. ⁓ so we're just trying to bring a attention to what we do and the beauty behind it. Yeah. speaker-1: And if people go on to your site, can they get to ambition? speaker-0: Yeah, so there's ambition.org and jama.com, j A ⁓ A H dot com. speaker-1: Great, because definitely want to send people there because they can also check out more about ambition. Wonderful. Well, Nancy, thank you so much. So we're gonna do the founder deep dive. You ready? We're gonna ask you a few questions. Okay. ⁓ what would you do if someone suddenly gave you $500,000? Perfect. Yeah. Yeah. I can see that. ⁓ what is one financial or any reality of building your business that rarely gets talked about? speaker-0: Yes, exactly. I'd use it to grow ambition. I think the idea behind I always say there's ⁓ what you can afford and you have to be you know fiscally responsible. There's what you can't afford and then there's what you can't afford not to afford. So making the choice like what it takes to make the choices to go outside your comfort zone and ⁓ And to f it's it's a fine dance, right? Because that can ultimately lead to being a spendthrift, which you can't do. ⁓ but I think s what's not really talked about is the significance when you're small and growing of every single dollar. speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. That makes sense. now I'm assuming did you fund your company all yourself? Did was it all stress Before you ⁓ did start seeking with friends and family, you know, how did you decide to take the leap to do that? speaker-0: I've got friends and family, but it's all bootstrap. Okay. Interestingly, I was ⁓ looking to get funding. Okay. Met with this group, they were great. i it was looking pretty likely. ⁓ I I but I have to say it felt bigger than me at the time. I didn't really quite understand it. And like what it really meant to take in real money. Right. then I started sharing about my dream to start ambition and how great this is going to be. And I they started asking me all these questions like very tactical questions. How much time are you going to spend with ambition? What are you going to be doing with ambition? We don't want to give you money for drama and then have you spend it on your time elsewhere, like and I said, Well no, because the success of drama is going to help support ambition and you should all wanna do that. That's a great thing. And this was in the early two thousands. People can handle that conversation now. They couldn't then and so They backed out. Yeah. And ⁓ I mean that they weren't completely in, but you s ⁓ I watched that and I realized nobody's going to get this. If they don't get it, these are very smart, successful people. And they they ⁓ sort of symbolize for me That's i if I have that from them, I'm going to get that from anyone I talk to. Yeah. So I need to do friends and family

because that will I can tell that story and those people will want this because of that. Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah, that makes sense. That makes sense. ⁓ What did you almost do instead of kind of taking the leap with Jama and all of that? Was there anything else that was on the horizon for you that you thought, I'm gonna do this instead or speaker-0: No, I mean when I I was a t technical writer when I decided to go outside of the the fashion industry and when I came back in, ⁓ had this opportun like created this opportunity in the entertainment industry doing, you know, fashion. And no, I reali in fact I called some of my college friends and I said, It's so crazy, but I'm going into ultra luxury fashion to which everybody said, Well, yeah, of course you are I wish someone told me that. That would have been really helpful. so no, I I no. I but I mean I I could I ⁓ speaker-1: What? speaker-0: I could see doing something with my writing. In fact, and it's so funny because I used to want to write a book or host a show on relationships, but really tongue in cheek. Mm-hmm. And what I've realized now, the place I am in the world and all my relationships and my relationship with my husband, that all of the things I wanted to talk about, which were very edgy then, are really how I've lived my whole life. And now we're sort of talking about in like in the Ramen series and ⁓ they become in ambitions, we have this series Nancyms and and so they've all held true, but no, th this this space and fashion is it for me. ⁓ that's speaker-1: Cool, okay, all right. ⁓ okay, so now we're gonna do the BizFit men. speaker-0: Number one, your challenges do not dictate your constitution. We can be two things at once. We can always hold two truths. start before you feel ready, because momentum will build and ⁓ reveal clarity. Do not build for everyone. Build for the people who truly value what you do. Consistency beats intensity every single time. Small actions repeated daily will build your brand. Learn to separate emotion from decision making. Not every setback is personal. Listen closely to what your customers repeat. Your next opportunity is usually hidden there. One of my favorites, simplify more, complicate less. Clear business scales faster. Relationships open doors that advertising never will. Invest in people. Resilience is a business skill. Resilience is a choice. The ability to keep moving matters more than perfection. And the final would be be who you are because authenticity creates trust and trust creates longevity. speaker-1: ⁓ that's so cool. The Nancyms. I love it. We've got Nancyms. It's perfect. Okay, so we're gonna do the rapid five. What did you want to be when you grew up? speaker-0: Okay. Happy. Okay. Am I looking at you? speaker-1: You you can look at me now. ⁓ Happy. Good. Okay. And you are you've got you've got a bright you're you sparkle. It's very, very cool. I just thought I'd say that. okay, well then what makes you smile? What always makes you smile? Everything speaker-0: Everything. Yeah. Because I I like to I think it's smile first. Instead of what makes me smile. If I smile it'll make everything better. speaker-1: Yeah, my mom used to say that. She would she would do this thing, we would take pictures and she'd say, Okay, Linda, think happy thoughts. And I always when I was a little girl, I literally thought she meant that I needed to think happy thoughts. And so then I would smile and think There are a lot of pictures that photographers would ask me to redo. But ⁓ yeah But I always had that's why 'cause you would say that. what ⁓ do you know now that you wish you knew as a kid? speaker-0: ⁓ Everything. Yeah. Yeah, I can't even begin to break that down. Yeah. If I just had a yeah some d more information. I don't know though. Do we wish we knew certain things as a kid or is that the whole point? Right. You know, I'm I'm changing it to that. Yeah, yeah. speaker-1: Hmm. It's a little bit of a a trick question sometimes, at least ⁓ for me personally, I because I I agree with you. I I can only know what I know now 'cause I've been through what I've been through. Yeah. So, you know, and I couldn't have known it then. So yeah. what is your guilty pleasure? speaker-0: No. Smiling. Yeah. Yeah. Like all the time, any time. It it really it changes everything. And I I promise, right? Like you for the moment you smile you cannot be sad. It just simply doesn't work. Yeah. So it would be that. Dog. ⁓ I mean dog. speaker-1: Cat or dog. ⁓ That's so funny. I just realized what I may have sounded like. Just a second. Do you have a dog now? speaker-0: No, no, no. It just would not work right now. We both grew up with dogs, but yeah. I like I love other people's dogs right now. speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. ⁓ Nancy, thank you so much for coming. This has been a blast having you join us today and ⁓ I've really enjoyed chatting with you and we definitely have to do a follow-up. speaker-0: ⁓ we must and thank you so much. This has been so so great. And if there are anyone else here I would thank them. speaker-1: Yes. Yeah, I know. If there were just, you know, anybody here, it wouldn't that be amazing? we'll just put out thoughts as if they are. And all of you, thank you again for joining us for another episode. Links in the description below to find out more about Nancy and Ambition and Jama. Please check it out. You will be so happy you did. And until we see you again, have a great time. Bye.