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“Hearing their stories about their first Kate Spade bag and they would bring them to the events which was so much fun to see again.”
What does it take to build two iconic fashion brands alongside your best friend and navigate the highs and lows of entrepreneurship? On this episode of the Entreprenista Podcast, we sit down with Elyce Arons, co-founder of Kate Spade and co-founder and CEO of Frances Valentine, to explore her remarkable journey through fashion, friendship, resilience, and reinvention.
Elyce shares how she and her best friend, Katie Spade, bootstrapped Kate Spade from an apartment into a globally recognized lifestyle brand, why building a business around strong relationships and a scrappy mindset made all the difference, and how she found the strength to carry Frances Valentine forward after Katie’s passing. She also opens up about launching her New York Times bestselling memoir, We Might Just Make It After All, and how sharing her story has helped her connect with women navigating their own experiences of friendship, loss, and entrepreneurship.
What We Talked About:
Rebuilding After Loss: The Birth of Francis Valentine [6:33]
Financing the Dream: Bootstrapping and Beyond [14:50]
The Power of Storytelling in Business [24:33]
Navigating Trade Shows and Networking [30:46]
Embracing Life in Your 60s [36:23]
The Importance of Hard Work and Resilience [41:41]
Connect with Elyce:@elyce_arons on Instagram
Elyce Arons on LinkedIn
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