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Giveaway: Love, Margaux Stylish Laptop Bag!

September 26, 2010 by Cecilia D. | Comments (9)

We teamed up with a fab entrepreness, AeSoon Benson Fergeson, owner of Love, Margaux laptop bags to offer our friends another giveaway! This time, it’s a laptop sleeve that’s functionally skinny but BIG on style! Laptop bags by Love, Margaux are designed and hand-sewn in Portland with stylish and sophisticated entreprenesses in mind. Enter our giveaway to win the Skinny Sleeve in Scarborough Express (image below). The Skinny Sleeve is a slim carrier that fits your laptop, cable storage, folders, smaller personal items, and has a detachable strap that allows it to be stowed in a bigger bag or luggage. Now that’s a carryall!

There are two (2) ways you can win this gorgeous bag:

1. Add Love, Margaux as a friend on Facebook and/or Twitter – add us too if you haven’t already!
2. Visit www.lovemargaux.com and check out the complete collection.
3. Answer this question:

“Where would you take your new Love, Margaux laptop sleeve?”

Two chances to win:
- Leave a comment on CRAVE Portland’s Facebook answering the question.
- Send one tweet to both @craveportland + @lovemargauxbags answering the question above.

This contest ends on Wednesday, October 13th. You get 2 chances to win and must follow/fan both CRAVE Portland and Love, Margaux bags on Facebook and Twitter. Winner chosen randomly. Good luck!

About AeSoon + Love, Margaux:
Molecular biologist by day, designer by night, AeSoon Bensen Fergeson brings together function and fashion as the designer and owner of Love, Margaux. After receiving a degree in Cellular-Molecular Biology and minor in Chemistry, she moved to Portland, Oregon to start a career in neuroscience–investigating molecules that regulate new brain cell growth at OHSU. Wowsa! Though the job was intellectually stimulating, she soon felt something was missing— she had a longing to create. AeSoon has always had an eye for beautiful fabrics, a love of fashion, and she wondered how this would translate into something fulfilling.

Love, Margaux was created with the intent to design better laptop bags–bags that are a unique alternative to the everyday. Love, Margaux makes stylish cargo for working women traveling and on the go. The laptop bags are hand made with eye-catching fabrics and inventive detailing that creates a fashionable and functional bag. All bags are also designed and hand sewn locally In Portland, Oregon.

Interview with Entrepreness Johnna Wells of Benefit Auctions 360

September 17, 2010 by Kelly | Comments (3)

Johnna Wells is the founder of Benefit Auctions 360, a company that creatively and effectively assists companies with fundraising auctions and events to maximize success and fundraising potential! In addition to being the founder of the company, she is also the principal fundraising auctioneer and consultant for non-profit organizations at her company. We saw Johnna in action at the 2010 Boutiques Unleashed fashion show and benefit for non-profit, Dove Lewis. It was quite a success and Johnna was amazing. Benefit Auctions 360 works with you from start to finish to make sure your event generates results and you are able to build lasting relationships with your supporters. Read our interview to learn more about Johnna and the art of fundraising!

WOW! Where do I even start, how did you decide that auctioneering was the career for you? Did you always plan to follow in your parent’s footsteps?
NO! Not by a long shot! My parents were great, I grew up in an auction family, but they always supported my brother and I in whatever it was that we wanted to do. I guess you could say that they gave us both roots and wings. When I went to college, I decided to pursue a degree in art and design and it wasn’t until 2001 that I decided to go to auction school. From there, I got connected with a company that did specifically fundraising auctions. Through my experience working with this company, I was able to see that the auction method was a really powerful fundraising tool.

What brought you to Portland, specifically, to start your business?
The company that I was working for at the time wanted to slow things down a bit, so from that both parties involved decided that it was a good time for me to start my own company in 2005. This natural progression allowed me to then present what I thought was important in work and in business.

What do you think is the most challenging aspect of running your own business?
It is something my dad told me when younger, actually. Growing up I had this notion that because my parents were self-employed they should have more time to do things for pleasure. I would ask my dad, why don’t you have any time off? He would say, I do because I only work half of the day, meaning that (12 hours are in a half a day). This has been one of the greatest challenges for me also in owning my own business. The work never ends, literally. I work around the clock. No matter the time or day, I am involved in every aspect of this business, whether I am on vacation or it’s a Sunday morning, I am at the reigns to take care of whatever needs to be addressed.

Along the same line, how do you combat setbacks in your work?
That’s a good question. With any setback I take the same role in both my personal and professional life- when one block is presented, I just reorient myself and take a different course to get to the same point. This method translates across the board. Be it a daunting schedule or whatever, if I can’t climb the barrier, I find a way to go around it.

What are some of the most rewarding things about owning your own business?
In terms of business in general, it’s rewarding to have some flexibility in my schedule. There is a certain level of pride that comes with knowing that you and your team have built something and can be proud of it. It is rewarding, also, to be able to use my inspirations and creativity in my work. Being your own boss, there are times when it is nice having the ability to call the shots, at the same time, you are also responsible to kick yourself in the butt and get going when you need to. In my personal business focus on the non-profit auction method of marketing, working alongside incredible organizations across the country is really awe inspiring and I feel so blessed to be a part of what they are doing.

How do you set yourself and Benefit Auctions apart in the Portland Market?
In all reality, it’s how we operate as a company. There are lots of good companies that provide exceptional service. So, I go out to just do the best job possible and recognize that it’s not just a job, but that the partnering organizations are relying on our services to reach their organizational goals. Auctions are often the primary revenue generators for many of the organizations we work with. So, having the weight of their goals on our shoulders makes me very cognizant of the fact that this is not just a job. Using our knowledge base, we strive to present excellent service because we want to help create an event that the organizations can be proud of and provide them with the money necessary for these organizations to operate for the entire year. Our philosophy is focused on giving back to the community. Benefit Auctions makes a special appeal (or direct cash giving) contributions of some level to all of our customers to show how honored we are to be a part of what they are doing. Not only do we want other people to support the charitable organizations, we ourselves want to support them as well.

If you could use only one word to describe the goal of your organization, what would it be and why?
I would like to hope it’s inspiring. Through the work we do it is my personal and ultimate goal and hope that other people will be inspired to participate as well. By inspiring with hope, we aim to instill in others a sense of obligation to continue to contribute in ways that are meaningful to them. Whether that’s a donation, an auction item, or volunteering, we aim to integrate different ways to inspire an audience and have them feel that they are a valued part of the collective group helping the non-profit’s mission.

What is your favorite auction that you have ever done?
They are all so fun, I can’t pick just one! My favorite thing about what I do is that each event is unique. Benefit Auctions has done everything from work with grassroots groups like Growing Gardens, an organization that works with under-served youth and families to help them grow their own food; to events like the one called Veggie Ball where the guests dressed up as veggies, to million dollar productions that are black tie events decked out with corvettes, no matter what, it’s fun to see that people are able to put their own stamp on the event. All of the events we do have a different scale and scope, but seeing what each one is able to accomplish is really fun.

It’s really cool that you have been able to fuse your love for auctioneering with your passion for non-profit work. What was your inspiration behind targeting that market segment?
The inspiration was really in being able to comprehend the magnitude and strength that auctions can be when used as a fundraising tool, using auctioneering as an asset opened my eyes. Especially now with economic climate, many groups are in need of funding. Some need it to maintain their level of involvement and some are blessed that auctioneering can be huge catalyst and great tool for their organization. When put together in advance, auctioneering can be used to create success for these groups and help raise the funds necessary to keep them in operation.

What is your vision for Benefit Auctions long-term?
In November, we launched an expansion of the company, now with 4 auctioneers and 2 consultants working throughout the country. Over the past five years, most of our business has been here in Portland, but we would really like to see, and are working diligently to develop, an auctioneering template for organizations that can work across the board. Something mainstream that can be used effectively everywhere. My Dad is actually now picking up auctions all over the place, from New York to New Orleans, to Idaho. The bottom line, however, will be to continue to provide heartfelt services. Our goal is for the non-profits to know that we partner with them because we believe in the work that they are doing and we want to see them through with right resources to keep them going so they can continue to keep doing work in the community, that’s what we’re passionate about.

You mentioned that you are a mommy-to-be; do you feel like that has changed your outlook on your career at all? What advice would you give or what message do you hope your child would take away from all of the dedicated work you do professionally?
I think as a mom to be I would of course, want to have it all. To be an incredible mom and be a very strong leader professionally in the auctioneering community I know these elements are easier said than done. In terms of an ideal, knowing that I am having a daughter, I want her to know that anything is possible. Nowhere is it stated that we can’t be dedicated professional women as well as dedicated daughters, mothers and role models. I hope to leave her with the inspiration that in whatever she chooses to do following your passion will cause her to end up on the right path. In being true to me and my heart, I will continue my work with Benefit 360 and strive to be the best mom in the process.

What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreness?
Hands down, I would say if you are thinking about starting up your own business, it is the best decision you’ll ever make. Following the course of being an entrepreness is far and wide, although this will probably change once I have my daughter, being self employed is the greatest joy to ever know. Implementing an idea and seeing it through to fruition, and continuing to grow and nurture it in the ways that you see fit is so awesome and exciting! I can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s rewarding to follow your passion and ideas and use it as a launch pad for your own business.

Interview with Entrepreness Megan Clark of Hi, Friend

September 10, 2010 by Megan J. | Comments (0)

Megan Clark is the co-owner of Hi, Friend, an online boutique specializing in fabulous stationary, too-good-to-open gift boxes and the cutest invitations and ribbons. Megan also runs her own personal design studio Clark and Co. Read our interview to learn more about Megan and her experiences as a female business owner!

So, tell me a little about your background and how you came to start “Hi, Friend”
I studied design in school, and I worked in an advertising agency for a few years here in Portland and one of the account managers at the Ad Agency and I worked really well together. Once we both left the agency we were really sad that we weren’t working together anymore and meanwhile I had had this brainstorm of an online retail company that was more focused on what I was trained in but would be a little more free form and fun. So, I approached her [Jennifer Mele] to see if she was interested in partnering up with me on the side because she had her day job and I still had my design studio. She totally loved the idea and together we started this new adventure of “Hi, Friend.” It has so far been really fun! It was in the works for at least a year before we actually launched because I had to do the design for all the different pieces and the volume of it is massive.

I was actually on the website and was so impressed by how much variety and diversity there is at “Hi, Friend!”
Totally! Well, and we kept getting delayed thinking that we were going to launch at a certain time but it never did. So as it happens the more we delayed I was able to produce more to put on the site; but there is always more to be making and more to add, which is a big challenge. We ended up launching in April of this last year and we took a huge deep breath and were like “Ok, this is it, we’re launching!”

What have you learned since the big launch?
A lot of it is actually boring technical stuff, like how to run a retail site and how to capture payments, how to deal with emails breaking down and how to actually build a website. I had dealt with the design of the site, which I do for a lot of my clients, but I had never designed something like this for myself, so I ended up being involved 100% which usually I hand off the design and someone else does the technical side. So now I’m like the user and the creator, which is a different story, so I mainly learned the technical stuff that goes into building a retail site. Then there’s also how to deal with customers, but luckily my partner does most of that stuff! I get to do the design work and she handles all the ordering and billing and all that fun stuff. I don’t have to do much once we get it up on the site, but we’re definitely still in it together. The decision making is always jointly done, we share all the finance stuff, which can be tricky but we’re really transparent with each other. Jen is really great at what she does, she handles all the people side of the business, because when we first started I was thinking “if I’m going to do this little brainchild, I need Jen’s help.” It’s great because I can’t do what she does and she can’t do what I do, so there’s a great balance.

So tell me a little about your creative process. Where do you get your inspiration from? How do you deal with no creative limitations, which is sometimes creatively more difficult, than having a client give you parameters. How do you self-edit?
Jumping into it I was thinking how cool it was that I could do whatever I wanted! But then a second later I realized how overwhelming it is! So, it can be really overwhelming and really hard to focus. In the beginning we were all over the place with the designs, so what we did is we met with someone who looked over everything and then told us what they thought and what advice they had and they suggested that we categorize everything by style and create a personality from each style which is how each of the girls where created, from that conversation. So, we created these fictional characters that works for the shoppers as well as for myself. Shoppers can go directly to the style that they are most interested in and find what they need to find, you don’t have to go through those portals but it makes it easier to look for things within the site. But, it works really well for me because they serve almost as muses, so I can think “I need to design a wedding invitation for Lila..” and now I can wrap my head around what to design. Each girl has something written about what they are to us on the site, so I can go back and look and know that if Lila was getting married that this is what she would swoon over, so that’s where I get my inspiration.

That’s really cool! Because I’m sure there are so many styles that you enjoy so it’s hard to narrow it down to just one.
Exactly, but it still can be really hard because I don’t have that other brain there to tell me what they want and what they don’t want, which is what you have when you’re working with a client. But I do find that I pay more attention when I’m out and about, I have a tendency to catch things that I think I should incorporate into certain pieces. I do that all the time for my clients, but it is especially helpful with Hi, Friend because it keeps it me generating new things. It also helps that I have my own studio stuff to do too, because when I’m feeling confined by client stuff I can jump over into Hi, Friend and be inspired and vice versa.

Each persona you’ve created are all so different from one another but there is a sense of cohesiveness, where do get the inspiration within each character?
I think a lot of the cohesiveness comes from the fact that it is just me doing all the designing so ultimately I get to make all the creative decisions. But when it comes to what inspires me, I am really inspired by photography. Also, if I’m online, I have a folder on my desktop that is titled “scrap” so when I find a picture that is really interesting I put it in there, so it becomes a kind of archive of all these things that I have find interesting. I’m also really drawn to old stuff, there is a vintage shop right down the street from my house and they have the coolest things. They actually have old can labels that never got used so now they are preserved in these plastic sheets, so I’ll go buy a couple and throw them on my desk as something cool to look at. I have never mimicked that style directly but I have found compelling color palettes and other things from those pieces which I’ll use in random projects. Like, if I find a killer color combination, it can work with so many things on Hi, Friend, whether its stationery or wedding invites.

I have found in the past with myself, that when I’m working on a project I start noticing different aspects of that project elsewhere. Do you ever notice or pay closer attention to stationary and invitations now that you’re designing them?
Ya, I do but I try not to actually. Because although I notice silly things about stationary I try not to focus too hard because I don’t want to be influenced by other peoples work. Sometimes once you get something stuck in your head you copy it without even realizing that’s what you’ve done which is what I try not to do. But, one thing that I have noticed is that a lot of people are relying on screen printing or letter press, and there are some people who do this excellently but there are some who rely more on the process than the actual design and it turns out kind of disappointing.

Where do you see Hi, Friend going in the future?
Well we definitely want to venture in further into wedding invitations. There is a huge market for that, and we really are interested in designing things for milestones in a woman’s life. So we want to design wedding invitations, baby shower stationary, etc..

Do you ever think that Hi, Friend will have a store front?
You know, probably not. We had talked about it and there is just so much overhead that goes into having a store and with online retail our overhead is relatively low.

Ok, so because this is CRAVE, what is it that you’re craving right now?
Oh wow! That’s a hard one! I think a good book….and a vacation!

Interview with Entrepreness Karen Beninati of WeVillage

September 3, 2010 by Elijah | Comments (6)

As many of the ladies in the CRAVE community know, WeVillage is a great place for busy moms to drop their kids before a night on the town, a last-minute meeting, or even a class at The Bar Method. Located in the Pearl at NW 11th and Flanders, is a convenient stop for urban moms living, working, and playing in the Pearl or downtown. Owner Karen Beninati has used her own experience as a single mother to create a thriving business for all parents to appreciate.

You come from a film background. How did you apply that to something that’s as different as childcare?
Film production is really just putting pieces together and that is kind of what you need to do to start a new business, so every film is kind of like a new business. I’ve started many, many new businesses, in that sense. This is different in that it doesn’t end whereas with a film, there’s a beginning, a middle, and an end to it. This is different than that.

You also have a background in branding. How has that helped you as a small business owner?
I worked for Nike in brand marketing as a producer. I just have an overall sense of design and style and brand. I get what you need to do to develop and implement a brand. I’ve done all the branding for WeVillage myself, so I’m very particular about it. It’s easy for a brand to get picked apart; it’s amazing how quickly it can get picked apart and disassembled, so it’s hard to keep that up.

You’ve partnered with many other local businesses to enhance your services and theirs. What has that process been like for you?
It’s been great. The entire idea of WeVillage is creating a community, so we’ve done that by helping other businesses with our service and vice versa. It’s been great and I’ve met so many great people and we help each other out. They came to me before we were even open. They had heard about us and came knocking on our door and were like “PLEASE.” Otherwise, they would have had to build a childcare area at their facility and that would have been a very big cost for them. They wanted it to be done right, so they were very, very excited that we were there.

Does the name “WeVillage” come from that sense of community that you’re trying to foster?
Yeah, it’s about we as a community of kids and parents and family and friends and grandparents. We all have an obligation and a part in taking care of each other, and it really does take a community to support a family, a child, a business, an individual. You can’t do it on your own.

How was your own son influential in the way that you set up your business?
He’s the whole reason WeVillage is here! When he was born, I just knew there was a space that could be created for families to go that would exceed their expectations. We’re not there yet. Our space is great, but it’s nothing like it’ll be when we have real money to build out. It’s great for now. I just wanted to create an environment where I would take my kid, so I created what I wanted. He donated all his toys, his Wii, he’s been amazing in the whole process.

What are your long-term dreams for WeVillage?
Franchise. We’re opening another one in Bridgeport Village by December, so we’ll see how that model works there. Then we’ll put our franchising package together, and I really want them all over the place so it’s easier for people. Everyone wants one in their neighborhood or in their city. My long-term goal is to take it to other cities and, eventually, other countries– places like London and Paris and Rome– places that people travel with kids. Not everyone brings a nanny with them, it’s expensive, but everyone needs a time out. I mean, you’re traveling with your kids and it’s super fun, but everyone needs a time-out. How great would it be to go out to dinner, but what do you do? Where do you go? We develop the brand so they’re familiar with, then when they’re overseas they’ll feel more comfortable.

How involved are you in the day-to-day operations of WeVillage? When do you think it’s important for a business owner to step back?
I’m very involved. I’m there for twelve hours a day. You have to be there. You have to be the face of your business for at least the first year. Anikka, the director, handles the childcare, but I’m there as a representative of WeVillage and making sure that things work with the business and the marketing and the development. And cleaning and maintenance and bill-paying.

Leaving your children with someone obviously requires a lot of trust. How do you earn that trust, both as someone who cares for children and as a businesswoman?
I think once they see that we actually take the time to create something that’s so different and so unique, that we care, and that we’re licensed and certified and criminal-registered and CPR-trained, and then they come in and meet me and they either get it or they don’t. They see how I am with my child. they see how involved I am, they see how I really care about their kids. You can tell that they love it and are totally taken care of. It’s not a traditional childcare center. We laugh, we play, we do all these different things. We take them on walks. it’s very spontaneous; it’s not very rigid and structured. Although there is a structure to it so that they feel safe, they’re all free to explore and see that life isn’t about rigidity.

Childcare is a fairly regulated industry. What’s it like having to jump through all those hoops?
I’m very free-spirited, so it’s a lesson to have to follow the rules. It’s hard. It’s like to a T that you have to have everything for the fire marshal and health inspections. It’s pretty intensive. And then there’s hiring the right people.

What do you think is the worst business decision that you ever made? What did you learn from it?
The worst business decision I ever made was hiring people too quickly and not spending enough time really working with them. You interview them, and that doesn’t just mean talking to them a couple times. You bring them in, see how they work, take time. People talk a big game, but then they don’t deliver. We have a pretty lengthy hiring process now. I need to spend some time with these people before I let them in. The kids get close to them, my son gets close to them, and then I end up firing them. I don’t keep people who don’t have high integrity and who aren’t willing to work. It’s a brand new startup, you have to be willing to do everything.

Do you think hiring the best employees is crucial in all industries, or just one as sensitive as yours?
All industries. I really recommend that business owners take the time to find out who they’re hiring. Employees are your greatest asset, but they’re also your greatest weakness. They can brand assassinate, they can turn around and claim things that are crazy: the things that employees can do are really scary. I’m very, very blessed to have totally amazing employees.

Working with children all the time, you must have tons of really fun stories. What’s one of your favorites?
That’s very hard. There’s so many; every day is a story. There’s one though in particular: walking down the street with a three year-old and having something come out of her mouth that was so advanced for a three year-old. I just stopped and looked at her. The things that come out of their mouths are astounding. They’re so smart, and they’re way more smart and articulate than we give them credit for. They do get it. Those are my favorites: listening to them talk.

Do you have any additional business advice?
It’s really important for business-owners to really stick together and help each other out as a community. I really, really advise people to reach out to other female business-owners because we’re all so willing to help. A lot of people stay in their shells because it’s hard– it’s scary. Be tenacious, and be open and true. People will see that and they’ll want to help.

Photos by Jessica Neuman Beck