About Us

Well, aren’t you smart. Checking me, my credentials and ulterior motives for writing this blog, offering my advice, consulting services and anything else that may come from this site.

OK, I’ll be honest. I’ve spent the last 5 years trying to escape my past. Not that it’s a very sordid one. I just wanted to stretch beyond what I ‘ve been doing for the last 20 years. Just what is so horriblé that I have to escape it’s talons? I’m a fashion designer. Oh sure, when I put it like THAT it sounds sooo glamorous! Well, most days it is pretty fun, but in reality it’s not just about designing. If only it were that easy, my sweets. It’s about business, marketing, branding, merchandising, identity, research & development, competitive product analysis, costing, sales, production, sourcing, profit margins, ROI, P&L, sell-throughs, buy-back dollars, shelf space, margin guarantees, trend and line presentations, buyers, trade shows, the list goes on. You get my message.

After 10 years of working in-house at and 10 more being a design consultant for multi-million/billion dollar corporations, I started my own bath & body line, La Dolce Diva, because I wanted something where I could be creative. Ironic, I know. The “story” behind it is not important here, what is important is the process behind the brand. HOW it came to BE. The idea, the inspiration, the merchandising, the branding, the execution of all these things and more. Hmmm, sound familiar? It’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the last 20 years, 10 fold. On top of that, it’s  all on my dime, er dollar…let’s not speak about funds here. My point is, it was all on me. No expense account I could turn in. No official committee that had to vote on it. No team member to blame. Nope. Just me. So, I haven’t really escaped my past at all..it keeps pulling me back in. Poor me.

The history and knowledge I’ve gained from working at various companies, in a multitude of capacities, has been both a blessing and a curse. Starting my company thinking about the “Big Picture” has helped me grow faster, because I already seemed like I had it all together or “Branded”. It’s also hurt me because I  was used to working  at behemoth corporate levels and budgets. I’ve made some expensive mistakes. But, you move on and learn. Really, you cry, then you move on and learn.

Back to my ulterior motives for starting this additional business. With the success of and generous compliments I receive on the packaging and branding of the La Dolce Diva line, I have been asked by numerous small, indie biz owners to talk about all the elements of my line and the experiences I’ve had. Well, there is really nothing I like more than branding except maybe giving my opinion.

So, here we are.