Slim Girl Shapewear founder Juliana Richards knows a thing or two about putting your heart, time, money, and patience into a career that is not coming together as anticipated. The Nigerian-born wife and mother has worked tirelessly to get her company off of the ground, but if you were to meet Juliana today, you probably wouldn't imagine that her story is rooted in struggle. Her company, which provides comfortable body shape wear pieces, has been so fruitful that she was able to create a subsidiary company, 1800Cinchers. Today, she's the leader of a global brand that operates in the U.S., Europe, and Africa.
Not only that, but it's a celebrity endorsed brand hailed by some of the country's most familiar faces, including Khloe Kardashian, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Lira Galore, Erica Dixon of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, and Carmen Electra, and has been featured on popular daytime talk shows The Real and The Wendy Williams Show.
Slim Girl Shapewear on "The Real"
Juliana stands before the world as a testament to how hard it is to go through the battle of getting a business off of the ground, and how appreciative you will be of the struggle when it's all said and done. No stranger to dreaming big, her journey to the top started when she was a little girl. Growing up, she said her dream was to become an attorney and one day a judge. Juliana's parents were very supportive of her daughter's goals, but seeing her mother, who she describes as a "serial entrepreneur," helped plant the seeds to success in Juliana's young mind.
"[I] Never thought I was learning anything," she reveals. "However, when it was my turn, I caught myself drawing inspiration from what I saw my mom do or not do in business."
"The good thing with having a parent who had their own business was learning from their mistakes and triumphs. And there were many."
There was also another seed planted by the world around her that Juliana wasn't aware of until she started her own business years later. She explains that growing up, it was customary for her to see Nigerian women wrap their bellies with hot cloths to reduce belly fat after giving birth. Fast forward years later, when Juliana was a college student at Georgia State studying accounting, and the seeds that were planted in her mind as a young girl started to blossom. It started with a shopping trip. Like many women Juliana found that more form-fitting clothing required a little smoothing out of the mid-section, and out of her own personal experience determined that there was a need for shape wear. But not just any shape wear, something that was more comfortable than a corset or a girdle. She realized that she could be the one to start a business and turn her idea into a reality, especially since at the time she was positioned in a comfortable seat in her career.
"By the time I decided to start my own business, I had a very comfortable job at J.P Morgan Chase Mortgage," says Juliana. "I knew I was crazy to think of leaving this job and trying to 'live,' but I felt empty with no life. I told myself, 'Hey if there is any time you will take a risk, let it be now.' I’d rather be homeless now with no kids than homeless with kids. So I took the chance and I have not looked back."
"I’d rather be homeless now with no kids than homeless with kids."
But it's hard not to look back at the life you left behind when the world has yet to see that you have something special to contribute. Juliana faced this issue when she started making her first Slim Girl prototype. "Believe it or not, it was not easy to finally get a prototype," she says. "You get samples made, some are good and others are horrible. Lots of trials and errors and scammers. You have to really want to succeed, and have student loans!"
Juliana was so dedicated to the process of getting the prototype right that she traveled to Colombia to oversee the process, which allowed her to make quality control a key part of her business plan for success. The entrepreneur believes that you won't have a business without that one important factor. "Truth is quality is what makes customers come back," she says. "If you don’t have quality, just pack up and go. The good thing is customers will tell you. We try our best, and I obsessively follow through in every stage of production to make sure things go smoothly. However, there are going to be hiccups. Be ready for the hiccups. We had 10,000 pieces sent to us we had to reject after close inspection. Situations like these make you want to lose your mind and cry, and it’s ok to give up for one day. Come back the next day and start again. That’s allowed."
That's exactly what Juliana did. The beginning of her story was one laced in a struggle that often leaves many budding entrepreneurs to feel defeated, but her success is a testament to the importance of perseverance, and provides encouragement and guidance to those who want to one day become their own bosses. It's something that she often thinks about as she drives past her old job on the way to one of her two Atlanta store locations—a come up from her days of working out of her two bedroom apartment.
But she also wants business owners to know that they don't have to throw in the towel just because their business venture is not planning out as they had hoped. If you use Juliana's keys to success, then hanging in there during the rough times is key. "You will not be Oprah from day one. You have to start small and read, read, read. There is a plethora of information out there. You just have to slow down and follow the steps others took and tailor it to what fits you."
To find out more information on Juliana's innovative products, visit slimgirlshapewear.com and 1800cinchers.com. Read more on Juliana at www.julianarichards.com and follow this girl boss on Instagram.
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
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Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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