Theresa Ebagua from Corporate America to Celebrity Footwear Designer & How to Succeed as an Outsider

LEAVE YOUR MARK: Freshly Brewed Career Advice with Aliza Licht

Aliza Licht

Business, Careers

5.0 • 585 Ratings

🗓️ 14 May 2023

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Theresa Ebagua pursued her dream of becoming a luxury shoe designer after studying computer science, getting her MBA, and working in corporate America for ten years. As a Nigerian-born, LA and London-based luxury footwear designer, she founded Chelsea Paris, a luxury footwear brand, in 2012 inspired by her African heritage and named after her two daughters. Her mother's passing made her realize that life is short and there is no better time than the present to pursue her passion. Many celebrities, including Zendaya, Beyonce, Lupita, and Selena, have worn Chelsea Paris. Theresa acknowledges that the footwear industry is tough, but her initial ignorance of its difficulties helped her persevere and realize this dream. The ethos of her brand is craftsmanship, sustainability, and giving back. Chelsea Paris shoes are designed in London and expertly handcrafted in small artisan factories in Italy. In this episode, we discuss Theresa's determination to make it in an industry dominated by people who didn't look like her. As an outsider in a white male-dominated industry, Theresa faced challenges. She recalls people assuming she was the salesperson at trunk shows and even some advisors suggesting that she had a new "face" of the brand represented by a white man. Theresa shares her journey of making it, her early supporters like Barneys, who took a chance on her, the importance of community and paying it forward, the role of identity in fashion, and the challenges of managing a successful business. Lastly, Theresa shares her approach to self-care and the importance of giving herself that one hour.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, everyone.
0:08.7	It's Elisa Likt here, your host, and I'm so thrilled to share that my new book, On Brand,
0:14.3	Shape Your Narrative, Share Your Vision, Shift Their Perception, is out now.
0:20.6	I hope you'll pick up a copy because personal branding is for
0:23.9	everyone. It's for the new graduate starting out, the middle manager looking to level up,
0:28.9	the executive who wants to be a thought leader, the entrepreneur starting from scratch.
0:34.2	It's for anyone who wants to pivot or transition into something new. Because having
0:39.4	a strong personal brand means that your name gets dropped in rooms, you're not in, and that
0:44.7	you're thought of for opportunities that other people haven't even heard of yet. So pick up a
0:49.8	copy, and I can't wait to hear what you think.
0:57.1	Hi, this is Alie the Lict and this is Leave Your Mark the podcast where I brew fresh
1:01.8	career advice with some of my most inspiring and successful friends.
1:05.9	It's professional advice that you can action immediately, whether you're just starting out
1:10.2	in your career or well
1:11.6	on your way. With a massive to-do list and a large cup of coffee, I promise that you can get it
1:17.4	all done and still have time to post about it. I'm excited to introduce my guest today on
1:24.9	Leave Your Mark, Teresa Abagua, a Nigerian-born, L.A. and London-based
1:30.4	luxury footwear designer. Teresa, welcome to Leave Your Mark. Your story is pretty incredible.
1:37.7	And for everyone listening, in 2012, Teresa had this vision for luxury footwear inspired by her African heritage.
1:47.4	And you brought that to life and named after your daughters Chelsea and Paris.
1:53.0	Chelsea Paris was born.
1:54.8	You really are embodying diverse creativity, global perspective, timeless luxury.
	...

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