8 minute read
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Ever since taking the jump into this whole crazy freelance business, I've been really craving quality one on one time with fellow entrepreneurial women -- many of which, I'm fortunate to call my mentors, some I met while at Google and some post-Google. They're lawyers, they're writers, they're business owners, they're staying up late, they're waking up early, they're calling the shots, they're getting shit done. Their way.

And amongst that group, there are a select few that I've even more fortunate to call not just a mentor, but my friend. And Antonietta Lepore Dezert is exactly that. She's half the creative tour de force that is the Italian made, luxury shoe line Henri Lepore Dezert, and together with her husband, Henri, is building a family brand from scratch, in an industry that's not easy to make it in, with critics that are as fickle as New York's weather lately (sunny one moment, then rain, then HAIL? WTF?). She's several parts PR and marketing mastermind, several parts accounting whiz and several parts sales director. Oh, and all with a dash of Italian sass and wit. Let's just put it this way, she can talk to you all day long about the ins and outs of breaking through in the luxury shoe market, all while cooking a mean spaghetti bolognese with a little J.Lo playing in the background. True story. I've witnessed it before.

So when Zenni, the fashionable and affordable eyewear brand, asked me about some of the entrepreneurial women in my life and how they've kept their sights set on success, I couldn't have been happier to not only collaborate on a subject near and dear to my heart, but one that would give me an opportunity to introduce you all to my Antonietta. So without further adieu, here's a peek into what makes Annie (as I call her) tick, how she defines success and her secret to a killer Italian meal.

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What does a typical day look like for you and the HLD business?
Everyday holds its changes for us. It's always busy, but there are definitely some days that fly by and are busier than others; it really just depends on the season and what we have coming up. There is always so much going on, but we never try to take more than what a day will give us. Things change very quickly in this industry, so it's just about taking it one day at a time and focusing on making the most of each opportunity.
How do you and Henri divide the business?
Henri handles all creative and oversees the operational side of the business and I oversee PR and Sales. We have a small, but mighty team behind us made up of mostly family members.
The hardest thing about my work is...
Separating work from my personal life. This business is our life, so to turn off and just relax isn't always easy. It's something that we have to take seriously and after a certain time each day we do our best to not discuss work.
What's the biggest piece of advice you'd like to give for working with your husband?
Don't do it! (Haha!) No, I'm joking. It works for us, let me put it that way, but it isn't always easy and it doesn't work for everyone. You have to make sure to learn how to separate business from the personal, which isn't always easy.
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What's the most rewarding thing about what you do? What's the hardest thing about what you do?
The most rewarding thing is seeing your hard work pay off. Since we are a small family owned and operated company, there is sort of this "organic phenomenon" when things come together for us. The hardest thing for probably any business is the unexpected and in fashion you have to maintain a certain balance in order to react to the unexpected.
What are you currently listening to when you're in the zone at work?
I like anything with a good beat. I've always loved to dance and have danced my whole life. We always have music playing in the office, we make it a fun environment for everyone. I also love to cook and listen to music. I'll be honest, I listen to a lot of pop- JT, JLO, Zayn and Janet Jackson all day long. I'm a dancer, so I need good beats. 😉
If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would that be?
It probably sounds cliché but life is short, don't worry so much. Yes, as a business owner you have to be disciplined, but you never know where your life and career will take you. I've learned sometimes you can't always be so rigid -- I never thought I would be a co-founder of a women's luxury shoe brand and I couldn't be happier, so sometimes the things that aren't planned work out better than anything you could have expected from the things you thought you wanted
You both bounce back and forth between LA (where you live) and Italy (where the shoe factory is based). What do you love about LA? What do you love about Italy?
They are both very different in many ways, LA has beautiful weather and beaches and Milano is so rich in culture and being that we are in Northern Italy, there is a lot of natural beauty with places like the Alps, Lake Garda, Lake Como etc. Italy will always have my heart, as that is where my family roots are.
But it's funny because in many ways we live a very similar lifestyle in both places. Henri is always outdoors, so when we are working in Milan we spend most of the time in the city or in Courmayer an alpine ski town; in Los Angeles we spend most of time in the city, but we have a second home in Mammoth and spend a lot of time there, also an alpine ski town.
Obviously the major difference is the people and the culture that comes with them. I am first generation Italian-American, so I have a lot of family in Italy, as does Henri. We live as part of the new world, but we definitely have an appreciation for the old-world way of things and I think that is also inherent in what our company represents both aesthetically and operationally.
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Who's your ultimate shoe leading lady and why?
I have a few shoe women icons, definitely Selma Hayek, Halle Berry and Jennifer Lopez. They rock heels like no one else and just have so much confidence. To me confidence in a woman is everything.
Who is your ultimate hero and why?
My mother is definitely a hero of mine and is a big part of who I am. She beat stage VI breast cancer when I was 12 and I think the whole experience made me respect her and embody her strength. She is the strongest woman I know and always made me feel like I could do anything.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I wanted to be a backup dancer when I was little girl and then I wanted to be Ari Gold (super agent) as I got older and went to college. I really just wanted to be with people and be the boss so in a way, I think I got what I wanted.
What does being your own boss mean to you?
You really have to be in charge of your day and what you want to accomplish. You have to be organized and very assertive. If you don't get it done then it doesn't happen. You are responsible and you need to be wholly accountable for your actions; accountability is the hardest thing to grasp, but its the key to success and independence.
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What are some insecurities of yours that you had to overcome (if any!) when starting this business?
Everyone has insecurities and starting a business is risky and takes a lot of work. There is so much to think about, especially if you have staff working for you. I think one of the biggest stressors is sorting payroll so that you can ensure everyone gets paid. A lot of businesses owners outsource payroll services to make things easier for them. Of course, there may still be problems even if you outsource to a payroll provider, although I hear a lot of businesses find switching payroll providers to cloudpay solves a lot of their problems. In fashion, planning is obviously the most difficult thing. I think a lot of times I over plan because I am forced to worry about the work that has to be done instead of just doing it head on. I am a very direct person and when I can't be direct, I get anxious. I've learned that I have to let myself find my own balance by trying to be more calm than anything else. I've also learned there is only so much planning I can do, the rest is sort of based on how well I react.
What's your favorite HLD shoe and why?
That's difficult as I love so many but I personally love the 'Carmela', our signature... It's a beautiful shoe and I feel like it fits my sassy personality the best:)
But, there are many shoes that many have yet to be released that are equally incredible in their own way. The latest one I love is our 'Luciana' which is a python gold mule sandal lace-up because the lace-up is also python, it's very unique and really displays the craftsmanship which is a big part of what make these shoes so incredible.
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What does success look like to you? And how do you keep your sights set on it?

To me success is having a good quality of life, getting up every morning and having the freedom to do what you love and are passionate about. With that being said, you have to keep your sights on that and allow for that life to continue and I think you do that by always working hard, being accountable for your actions and staying grateful and humble.
We're coming over for dinner and we heard you like to cook! What might you be fixin' up?
I love to cook!! I would probably make my homemade lasagna or some type of homemade pasta.....There would be a few courses, of course (I make sure there's plenty of food), a fresh salad from the garden and some great Italian wine to top it off! For me cooking is about making delicious, healthy homemade food for the people that I love. I love when someone likes what I've made. It makes my heart smile:)
What is the HLD woman about?
The Henri Lepore Dezert woman is confident and sophisticated. She doesn't rely on labels or trends to feel stylish and she obviously loves shoes;) It's really all about confidence. I hope that when a woman wears our shoes she feels confident enough to take over the world.
Have a woman in your life who inspires you with her can-do spirit? Share her story in the comments below for a chance to win a pair of Zenni glasses for yourself!
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This post was in collaboration with Zenni Optical. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!