One Day, One Job » fashion

Shoptiques

Willy Franzen — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:40:55 +0000

I do as much of my shopping online as possible, but that’s because I don’t really enjoy shopping. It’s all about minimizing my time doing something that I don’t want to do. For some people online shopping is great for the opposite reason–it allows them to spend even more time shopping (at work, on the train, walking down the street, on the couch, etc.). The big problem with online shopping is that the experience feels a bit homogenized–you’re typically buying from major retailers or e-commerce companies. Shoptiques is a New York, NY based company that is trying to make online shopping better by bringing boutiques to the web. Why boutiques? Boutiques offer the ultimate shopping experience: “beautiful hard-to-find hand-picked fashion and knowledgeable advice from the owners who know so much about style and how to make you look beautiful.” Boutiques are anything but homogenized, but their business models don’t translate well to the web–at least they didn’t until Shoptiques came along.

Go Career Shopping

Shoptiques may seem like another e-commerce site on the front end, but once you start browsing through their selection, you’ll notice a difference. The bigger difference is behind the scenes. Shoptiques doesn’t hold inventory–they just facilitate the sale between you and the boutique that you’re buying from. When you order, Shoptiques e-mails the store with a prepaid shipping label. You pay Shoptiques, they pay the boutique after taking a fee, and the boutique ships your purchase. If you want more details, you can check out Shoptiques’ How It Works page. If you love boutiques and can’t wait to see more of them online, you have to take aloof at Shoptiques’ Careers page. Right now they have some great opportunities for new and recent grads including:

Social Media / Community Manager
Graphic Designer
Sales Representative
Customer Service

If you love shopping online and at boutiques, it would be hard to beat a job at Shoptiques.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you shop at boutiques?

Chloe + Isabel

Willy Franzen — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:59:07 +0000

There are essentially two completely different jewelry businesses. There’s the high-end business that is centered around gold, platinum, diamonds, and other gemstones (I know all about that having recently bought an engagement ring). Then there’s the fashion focused business that is more about completing an outfit. The latter is where Chloe + Isabel is focusing. They are a New York, NY based startup that targets 18 to 28 year old women with jewelry in the $18 to $200 price range. That’s not all that unique. What is unique is that Chloe + Isabel is approaching this market by combining direct selling with web-based social technology. Essentially they’re bringing affiliate marketing to a group of people who may not even know what affiliate marketing is.

You + Chloe + Isabel

I tend to be skeptical of direct selling “opportunities,” but I know that they can be great for developing entrepreneurial skills. I think Chloe + Isabel really gets it right with their online platform. You don’t need to make an initial investment in inventory to sell for them–you can just use their “personalized online dashboard” to put together your “own boutique shopping experience.” To get a better sense of Chloe + Isabel’s style, I recommend that you take some time to browse their jewelry. Then you probably want to read up on their Merchandiser opportunity and watch this video about it:

Even if direct selling isn’t for you, it will help you better understand how the Chloe + Isabel works. Once you start to get it, you can take a look at Chloe + Isabel’s Jobs page, where they list their non direct selling opportunities including:

Customer Care Representative (San Francisco, CA)
Sales Development Manager (San Francisco Bay Area, Utah, Florida, Texas, and Michigan/Illinois)
Graphic Designer
Web Designer
Ruby Developer
User Interface Designer

Whether you’re interested in a full-time job or want to do some direct selling, Chloe + Isabel has some great opportunities for new and recent grads.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you purchased anything from Chloe + Isabel?

The Limited

Willy Franzen — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:43:42 +0000

I can’t tell you how many articles I’ve seen about dressing for interviews. Almost all of them can be summed up with three words: use common sense. If that’s not enough insight for you, how about this: look like you belong. There are way more important things to think about before your interview, but I do believe that most people perform better when they feel like they look good. If I had an interview coming up, my go to place to shop would be Bonobos. I’m not sure where I’d shop if I was female, but it looks like The Limited is a reasonable place to buy professional women’s clothing. The Limited is a Columbus, OH retailer of women’s clothing with a long and somewhat confusing history.

Know Your Limits

The Limited got its start with one store in 1963. As they added more stores, they became Limited Brands and went public in 1969. From there they went on an acquisition spree that included Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Henri Bendel. They also added some new brands along the way, and they were all rolled up into Limited Brands. Abercrombie & Fitch was spun off in 1996 as its own publicly traded company, and then The Limited was sold off to a private equity firm in 2007. That means that The Limited, the flaship brand, is no longer part of Limited Brands. The Limited is its own company with one additional brand, eloquii by The Limited (plus size). The story behind The Limited is pretty confusing (I relied heavily on Wikipedia for it since The Limited’s own site doesn’t offer much information), so browsing through the products on their website might be the best way to get a feel for them. If you like what you see, then you’ll want to continue on to The Limited’s Careers page. Right now they have some interesting opportunities for new and recent grads including:

There are some great jobs here, so give them a close look. You can also check out their store level positions if that interests you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you shop at The Limited?

Claire’s

Willy Franzen — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:59:34 +0000

When I think of shopping malls, I instantly think of escalators, Auntie Anne’s pretzels, and overpriced gadget stores. Because I was never a teen/tween girl, my memories don’t include Claire’s. In case you’ve never heard of Claire’s, they are a retailer of “fashion trends, accessories and jewelry for young women.” They have more than 3,000 stores across the world and are in 95% of U.S. shopping malls. That’s a massive retail presence. While Claire’s is headquartered in Pembroke Pines, FL, they only have Customer Service and Investor Relations located there. Most of the action (and most of the jobs) seems to be at Claire’s Hoffman Estates, IL office.

Accessorize Your Job Search

Claire’s describes their target market as “young women, teens, tweens and girls ages 3 to 27.” That’s an interesting range, as it’s very specific and much broader than I would have expected. One of the keys to Claire’s branding is ear piercing. They’ve pierced more than 80 million ears. That’s an absolutely unbelievable number in its own right, but it’s even more amazing when you consider that a massive number of women (and probably a good number of men) have a major life memory tied to Claire’s. That’s called branding. If your mall memories are deeply tied to Claire’s (or you’re just really interested in their business), then you should definitely check out their Jobs page. Right now there are a few great opportunities for new and recent grads including:

Associate Planner
Allocation Analyst
Transportation Operations Analyst

There are also a number of jobs that require a little more experience like Buyer, Planner, and Assortment Planner.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you shop at Claire’s?

Total Beauty Media Group

Willy Franzen — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:49:03 +0000

Beauty isn’t usually one of my top priorities, but I do know that I look better when I’m tan (which is why working outside in the sun yesterday was so awesome). That’s about the only beauty tip that I can offer, so if you want more, you’ll have to look somewhere else… like one of the sites run by Total Beauty Media Group. They’re a Santa Monica, CA based company that runs TotalBeauty.com, BeautyRiot.com, LimeLife.com, and ModernMan.com. These four brands combine to help Total Beauty Media Group achieve their mission of inspiring “all consumers to live beautiful lives.” The company was founded in 2007 and it now gets 12 million unique visits a month across its network of sites.

Show Your Beauty

Beauty marketing is a great area for content businesses because advertising is so effective and valuable. If you really want to dig into how Total Beauty Media Group’s content model works, I highly recommend that you check out their Insights/Research page and their section for advertisers. The next step is obviously visiting each of their properties and getting a feel for the actually content. If you like what you see, then you’ll want to check out Total Beauty Media Group’s Jobs page (which is on TotalBeauty.com). Right now they’re looking for an Associate Online Editor, an Associate Online Beauty Editor, and a Front-End Developer. If you’re interested in beauty and online content businesses, then Total Beauty Media Group might be the perfect place for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your best beauty tip?

Outdoor Research

Willy Franzen — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:41:18 +0000

This weather is insane. Yesterday it hit 80 degrees in Chicago. The 10-day forecast would be awesome for June… and it’s mid-March. As a result, all I want to do is be outside. But to be honest, even when the weather sucks, I still usually want to be outside. With the kind of gear that companies like Outdoor Research put out, there’s no excuse no matter what the weather. Outdoor Research is based in Seattle, WA, and they’re focused “on creating functional solutions for human powered adventure.” The company was founded in 1981 by a physicist named Ron Gregg. He was unhappy with how his gear performed on one of his outdoor adventures, so he decided to make a better version. They started with handwear, headwear, and gaiters, but after finding success in those areas started developing new product lines.

Do Your Research

What differentiates Outdoor Research from a lot of other companies in the space is that they take a deep dive into very specific niches, or as they say, “We do weird well.” The video on their Our Story page does a great job of explaining how they do this and what they mean by performance. It’s not just about serving markets like alpinism, backcountry skiing / riding, hiking, backpacking, ice climbing, rock climbing, trail running, and paddling. It’s about considering all of the situations that those activities occur in and designing gear that will perform in the situations they’re intended for. If you love that approach, then take a look at Outdoor Research’s Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Front-end Web Developer and a Product Developer – Apparel, but the best posting is definitely for I’ll do anything to work at Outdoor Research!. I think it’s pretty self-explanatory.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How are you enjoying the weather?

OpenSky

Willy Franzen — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:23:16 +0000

Yesterday I came across Fast Company‘s list of The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies. I love lists like these not only because they’re an interesting read, but also because they’re a fantastic source for company ideas. Unfortunately, this list in particular is always a little disappointing in terms of the latter–mostly because I’ve already written up a lot of the companies. That’s why it took me until #49 on a list of 50 to find a company to tell you about. Luckily, OpenSky looks pretty cool. They’re a New York, NY based company (with another office in Nashville, TN) that is changing the online shopping experience through a focus on curation (that’s a big buzzword lately). They’ve hand selected some of “the brightest stars in food, healthy living, style and design” to provide product recommendations. You can “add” any assortment of these experts to customize your shopping experience.

The Sky’s the Limit

Personalization in online shopping isn’t anything new. There are tons of companies that gather data about you, and then try to sell you things that they think you’ll buy. The problem is that the recommendations tend to be the same kind of things over and over. OpenSky is different because they don’t base recommendations on what you’ve purchased or indicated that you like but on your selection of people whose style you like. This adds an element of creativity and randomness that other recommendation engines can’t provide. And people must love it. OpenSky has over 1 million members and does $500,000 in sales weekly. Those are really big numbers for a young company, which means that they’re hiring to keep themselves growing. Right now their Jobs page shows a few interesting positions including Customer Service Representative, Graphic Designer, and Freelance Retoucher. There are a few other positions like Healthy Living Buyer and Project Manager, but they require some previous experience.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you used OpenSky?

Nasty Gal

Willy Franzen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:30:24 +0000

One of the coolest things about the time that we live in is that the barrier to starting a business is essentially nonexistent. You can test your ideas on someone else’s platform, and if it works, then you build your own. Nasty Gal is a perfect example of this. The Los Angeles, CA based company began in 2006 when Sophia Amoruso “started an eBay store selling a highly curated selection of vintage pieces.” After finding success on eBay and validating the business, she started her own site where she could control the entire customer experience (and not pay eBay’s crazy fees). A lot of Nasty Gal’s stuff is pretty far out there–their home page has a huge picture of studded platforms that look like a medieval torture device–but it’s hard to argue with a brand that has nearly a quarter million Facebook likes.

Are You Nasty?

The key to Nasty Gal’s success is curation. Even though they’re in the business of selling and not editorial, they’re seen by many customers as a guide to what to buy. If it’s on Nasty Gal, it has to be cool–and that begs the question: What is a Nasty Gal? She’s “the coolest girl in the room‚ pulling off whatever wildly unique piece that suits the mood.” I’m certainly not a Nasty Gal, but maybe you are. And if you are, you’d be a great fit for a job at Nasty Gal. Right now they have a few opportunities that seem like they could be perfect for a new or recent grad. These include Accounting Clerk, Production Coordinator, Software Engineer, PR Coordinator, and Planning Analyst. Hope you’re nasty enough.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Nasty Gal?

Holstee

Willy Franzen — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:47:43 +0000

Usually we associate with brands based on our experiences with their products. After a while we know what brands we like and use brand names as a heuristic to make purchasing decisions easier. Occasionally when a brand has an exceptional story, the brand actually becomes the product. That seems to be the case with Holstee, a New York, NY based company that focuses on “lifestyle design with a conscience.” The only reason I had heard about them is that they’re often on Fab.com, yet there are a ton of people who have bought a printed version of the Holstee manifesto to put on their walls (see the manifesto here). The brand has literally become the product. Some may write off Holstee as an online store for “hipsters,” but the “People, Planet, Product” approach has a lot of meaning for a lot of people, and it’s enabled Holstee to grow their business.

Design Your Lifestyle

Holstee’s product line is pretty small, and it’s pretty random, but it’s all tied together by a story. They’ve curated a collection of products that help people live their ideal life. Whether you’re buying the Holstee original with a bizarre pocket on the side or Sugru Hacking Putty to repair old stuff instead of buy new stuff, you know that you’re making an ecologically conscious decision (while also sending a message about who you are). You’re also empowering “entrepreneurs in the developing world through,” as Holstee donates 10% of all sales to Kiva. If you’ve already ordered a copy of the Holstee manifesto to hang on your wall, then you’re probably dying to hear about Jobs at Holstee. They take a slightly different approach in that they don’t post job openings. They expect you to tell them about your dream job and why they should give it to you, so go do it!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you purchased anything from Holstee?

PUMA

Willy Franzen — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:25:19 +0000

I’ve always wanted to see a mountain lion in the wild–as long as it’s not stalking and about to eat me. They’re amazingly strong, athletic animals, and they have a serious mythology surrounding them. That’s why they’re called by so many names including panther, catamount, ghost cat, painter, and PUMA. It’s an appropriate name for a “sportlifestyle” company that “designs and develops footwear, apparel and accessories.” By bringing together sports and fashion, they’ve built an iconic brand that is known all over the world. What I find odd about PUMA is that they were founded in Germany in 1948 and are based in Herzogenaurach, Germany (with their USA headquarters is in Westford, MA). I find that strange because pumas are very much American cats, but I guess plenty of American companies use foreign animals in their branding.

Get Ready to Pounce

In addition to their eponymous brand, PUMA also owns Cobra Golf and Tretorn (a Swedish rubber tire company that used to make a lot of products for tennis and now is more boot focused). I actually don’t own anything from PUMA and I don’t play golf, but my Tretorn flip flops and boots are awesome. The best way for you to get familiar with PUMA is go to PUMA.com and start browsing their products. They go in a variety of directions with their “sport lifestyle” focus, but their two main product areas remain apparel and footwear. If you love the PUMA brand, then you need to check out PUMA’s Jobs page. It’s a bit difficult to browse through their listings (and their Entry Level Positions page is a dead end), but if you do you’ll see some great opportunities for new or recent grads including: Running Tech Rep (Atlanta, GA), Facilities Coordinator (Westford, MA), Accounts Receivable Representative – Cobra Puma Golf (Carlsbad, CA), Credit Analyst (Westford, MA), Credit Analyst (Carlsbad, CA), Assistant Developer Footwear – Lifestyle (Westford, MA), Junior Designer – Brand Marketing (Westford, MA), Junior Brand Strategist – Brand Communications (Westford, MA), and a number of other positions. So start stalking PUMA and see where it leads you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own anything from PUMA?

Kembrel

Willy Franzen — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:57:32 +0000

Kembrel is members-only, but you can get in using this link. They’ll even give you a VIP Card for free (worth $20) and $5 in store credit to get you started.

There’s a battle going on between traditional retailers and e-commerce companies. The former offers the opportunity to get your hands on the merchandise, but the latter usually offers better prices, better selection, and more convenience. This leads to a lot of people using retailers to check stuff out and then buying online. I want to see companies start merging those two business models, and that’s exactly what Kembrel is doing. They’re a Philadelphia, PA based “online club” that allows “students to access their favorite fashion, food, and fun for a fraction of the retail price.” The online flash sale strategy is being combined with retail stores (they recently opened their first in Philly) to build the brand and offer members the opportunity to actually interact with products.

Join the Club

I find it really interesting that Kembrel is so intently focused on the college market. Fashion, food, and fun are a lot easier to sell to people who are post-college and have an income. Still, college kids are fashion conscious and need a place to buy clothes, and I think a hybridized online/retail model is the best way to sell to them. If you’d like to be a part of growing this model, then you need to check out Kembrel’s Jobs page. They kind of have a trying too hard to appeal to college kids way of copywriting, but maybe that will appeal to you college kids. Here’s what their Jobs page says:

Working for Kembrel is basically like working for a golden sunset that occasionally rains candy and happy hour beers in the form of a pastel-colored rainbow and there’s a wind in the air that sounds softly like hip hop mixes and there are gentle ponies with glittering braids that leap across the waving fields of tall grass delivering trendy clothes and vanilla mint ice cream to all the cheerful workers typing giddily at their desks.

Right now they’re hiring a Women’s Apparel Buyer, student photographers, and a bunch of interns. Take a look at the positions and see if any make sense for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Will you shop at Kembrel?

Urban Outfitters

Willy Franzen — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:28:02 +0000

I’m a strong believer in the theory of hipster relativity. If someone has more interesting facial hair than you, wears more plaid than you, or has thicker rimmed glasses than you, then he’s probably a hipster… at least to you. I’m pretty far up the chain (though I do have an affinity for plaid), which means that a whole lot of 20-somethings look like hipsters to me. The only thing I don’t get is where they get all of their cool hipster gear. I often walk by Urban Outfitters, and occasionally step inside. The store is packed with people and filled with what I consider to be hipster merchandise. This confuses me, because I know that no true hipster would shop somewhere so mainstream. I mean, Urban Outfitters, which is based in Philadelphia, PA, is publicly traded, has nearly 200 locations, and also owns Anthropologie, Free People, BHLDN, and Terrain. I guess the only loophole for a hipster shopping at Urban Outfitters is if you liked corporations before they were cool.

Get Urban Outfitted

Despite my sarcasm, I actually think that Urban Outfitters is an amazing company. They started as a single store in Philly in 1970, and they have grown the brand and the business to an amazing level. Urban Outfitters may be a corporation with a $4 billion market cap, but they offer a distinctly different feel from many other retailers in the fashion industry. I think the paragraph on Urban Outfitter’s About page really says its all:

Our established ability to understand our customers and connect with them on an emotional level. The reason for this success is that our brands — Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain and BHLDN — are both compelling and distinct. Each brand chooses a particular customer segment, and once chosen, sets out to create sustainable points of distinction with that segment. In the retail brands we design innovative stores that resonate with the target audience; offer an eclectic mix of merchandise in which hard and soft goods are cross merchandised; and construct unique product displays that incorporate found objects into creative selling vignettes. The emphasis is on creativity. Our goal is to offer a product assortment and an environment so compelling and distinctive that the customer feels an empathetic connection to the brand and is persuaded to buy.

If that sounds like a company that you want to be a part of, then check out Urban Outfitters Careers page. You’ll probably get overwhelmed if you look at all of their posted jobs (there are 100s of positions), so I recommend using some of the search criteria they offer to narrow down your search. For instance you can look at positions at their Home Office or in their Anthropologie Retail Stores. I’m not going to list all of the positions that make sense for new or recent grads, bot here are some that caught my eye:

This is just a small sampling of the jobs available at Urban Outfitters, so dig in and see what positions might be out there for you. Judging from that last posting, they must do some campus recruiting too–so that’s something to look into. Finally, Urban Outfiters has a Twitter account for job postings, so you may want to follow that.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you a hipster?

Victorinox Swiss Army

Willy Franzen — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:15:40 +0000

In case you haven’t noticed, I love using holidays themes to pick companies. Sometimes I get a little silly with companies or organizations that would never actually have jobs, but it’s really all about getting you to have a little fun and start thinking more creatively. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays to use for idea generation because you can take it in so many directions. In past years I’ve looked at Jennie-O, Plimoth Plantation and Colonial Williamsburg, Pilgrim’s Pride, Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Food Bank for New York City. I’ve exhausted a lot of options, so I started racking my brain–I even looked up Thanksgiving bingo cards for ideas. Then I realized that Thanksgiving is nothing without a good carving knife. No matter how well you cook that turkey, if you can’t piece it out properly, you’ve failed. And who makes a top rated (by America’s Test Kitchen) kitchen knives? Victorinox Swiss Army does–and super affordable ones at that. You probably think of the Monroe, CT based company for the little red pocket knives that have a whole bunch of tools, but they make all kinds of cutlery in addition to watches, travel gear, and clothing.

Essential Equipment for Job Search Adventures

Victorinox Swiss Army is a super recognizable brand even though it’s one that you probably don’t think of all that often. The company got its start in 1884 in Ibach-Schwyz, Switzerland as a cutlery workshop, and since then “handcraftsmanship, quality and functionality has been the top priority for Victorinox Swiss Army.” Unfortunately, Victorinox Swiss Army doesn’t provide too much more information about themselves, so I guess looking at their products is the best way to get to know them better. If you like what you see, then you should consider Jobs at Victorinox Swiss Army. Right now they have a number of openings including Consumer Support Rep (Monroe, CT), Order Management Rep (Monroe, CT), and a few retail positions in New York.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you have a Swiss Army knife?

Proper Cloth

Willy Franzen — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:18:54 +0000

Want to try Proper Cloth? Use this link to get $25 off your first shirt. It’d probably help to have a shirt that fits when you’re interviewing.

I’m a big guy at 6’3. I typically enjoy the benefits of being tall, but there are disadvantages like having to knee myself in the face on airplanes and not being able to hear a single word that anyone under 5’8 says in a loud room. I’m not so tall that I need to shop at specialty stores for clothes, but I’m just at the point where clothes off the rack don’t fit all that well. I fixed my pants problem with Bonobos, but I have a ton of shirts (button downs, t-shirts, sweaters, and more) that fit beautifully until I start actually moving around–then they somehow bare my midriff like I’m a teenage girl. Nobody needs to see that, which is why I should probably start buying custom shirts from a place like Proper Cloth. They’re a New York, NY based company that makes it “super easy to buy stylish, quality dress shirts that fit.” I haven’t tried them yet, but it’s probably about time that I go custom.

Get a Proper Job

Proper Cloth has been around since 2008, but it seems that they’ve recently become more serious about growth. Maybe it’s because GQ named them “our new favorite online shirt maker.” Or maybe it’s because of their Perfect Fit Guarantee. They work with you to get the exact fit you want on your first shirt. After that they save your measurements so that all other shirts fit just as well. You really should read up on the guarantee, because it’s core to the business. Then you should take a look at Proper Cloth’s shirt designs to get a better sense of what they offer. But don’t be dismayed if you don’t like anything that they have to offer, as Proper Cloth allows you to design your own shirt. I wonder if they’ll let you design your own job? I don’t have any answers on that right now, but I did find their job postings on Startuply. Right now they’re looking for a User Interface Designer/Graphic Artist, a Customer Service and Operations Lead, and an Analytical Marketing Engineer. All of the positions look well suited to a new college grad, so check them out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you bought any shirts from Proper Cloth?

BeachMint

Willy Franzen — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:37:43 +0000

So far our survey says that you find the job search frustrating. Tell us more so that we can help.

Back in June we told you about Birchbox, a company that offers a subscription to customized beauty product samples for $10 a month. It’s an interesting model, and it seems to be working out extremely well for them. BeachMint is a “social commerce” startup with a similar subscription model, but a very different approach. They’re a Santa Monica, CA based company with four brands: JewelMint.com, BeautyMint.com, StyleMint.com, and ShoeMint.com. I think you can guess what each offers a subscription to. When you sign up they give you a quiz to get a sense of what you like and what you don’t like, and then they start making new recommendations for you every month. It’s a little weird in that it’s structured like a subscription, but you don’t have to buy every month (but it sounds like it’s more of a monthly opt-out than opt-in). I kind of wish they stayed true to their name and would send me to a different beach every month.

Making a Mint

BeachMint is still a very young company, but they’ve raised a ton of money (nearly $40 million) and had some great early successes (apparently BeautyMint got 500,000 visitors in its first day). A big part of BeachMint’s strategy and a likely reason for their rapid growth is that they’ve aligned with some big name celebrities like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Jessica Simpson, Rachel Bilson, and Kate Bosworth. I’m sure they had to spend a lot of their funding on getting those names to sign, but it seems to be paying off with huge growth now. I’ll admit that I find BeachMint’s model a little confusing, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping people from signing up.

If you’re intrigued by what BeachMint is doing, then you should take a look at their Jobs page. There are a ton of jobs posted though most of them are either tech (Web/Software/Mobile Development) or Mint Brand Ambassador Manager / Independent Sales and Promotions Coordinator positions. The latter are available all across the country, and seem to be heavily commission based. The job best suited for our readership is probably the Merchandising / Design Assistant, which unfortunately is only part-time right now. Additionally, there’s the option to apply for future opportunities, and I also found a Customer Care Associate position and an Executive Assistant/Office Manager position on Startuply. I also found a Content Department Coordinator posting from a couple of months ago. It seems that BeachMint might be a bit disjointed in posting jobs, so don’t be afraid to apply for future opportunities.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you tried any of BeachMint’s offerings?

Refinery29

Willy Franzen — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:38:05 +0000

Keeping up with fashion isn’t a priority for me, but I still like to dress well. That’s why I trust Bonobos and Gilt Groupe to do the curation for me, and then I just buy what I like from them (it also helps that I’ve accrued a lot of credits from both of them). I know that a lot of people are far more active in keeping up with fashion, which is probably why Refinery29 is growing so quickly. The New York, NY based company is aiming to be “the cornerstone of fashion, beauty, and shopping for a new generation” as they offer “the only 360-degree source for shopping, exclusive deals, trends, beauty news, local hot-spots, and at-home sneak-peeks of fashion’s finest.” That’s ridiculously ambitious, but the results so far indicate that they’re pretty much killing it.

Show Your Refinement

I learned about Refinery29 from a blog post by my friend Charlie O’Donnell. The post touches on something really cool that Refinery29 is doing that I think more companies should do. They started out by focusing on editorial and grabbing attention to sell to advertisers. That’s what most companies in this space do, and it works, but why not take the extra step? Refinery29 has built it’s own e-commerce product called Reserve, and it’s essentially built on the daily deal model. It’s smart because it allows Refinery29 to capture even more value from their users than they do by selling advertising. I think we’ll see more and more companies do this–build media products as channels to promote their own products (I guess it’s nothing new considering the same idea is where Soap Operas got their start). I highly recommend that you dig into Refinery29′s content and get a better feel for who they are. If you like what you see, then you should probably check out their Careers page. They have a bunch of cool opportunities that might appeal to new or recent grads including:

Account Manager
Miami Editor (Miami, FL)
Los Angeles Editor (Los Angeles, CA)
Marketing Data Analyst
UX + Interaction Designer

There are a bunch of other positions, but they generally have more significant experience requirements. Hopefully something at Refinery29 will catch your eye and be a great fit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Refinery29?

ClearVision Optical

Willy Franzen — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:16:02 +0000

Apparently wearing glasses is cool again, especially if they’re what used to be considered dorky. I don’t get it. I’m a contact lens kind of guy. I wear my glasses right after I wake up and before I go to bed, but other than that I relish in the fact that we’ve developed tiny pieces of plastic that can make us see perfectly. You’d think technological breakthroughs like contact lenses and Lasik would be bad news for a businesses that was founded in 1949 to distribute fashionable eyewear, but you’d be wrong. ClearVision Optical was started by a Navy veteran to “serve the independent optometrist community” in Long Island, and it has grown into a “global enterprise, serving optical professionals throughout the U.S. and in 40 countries around the globe.” The Hauppauge, New York based company has been able to grow like this because of its devotion to strong customer service that is centered around helping clients build stronger practices.

Do You See What I See?

While ClearVision Optical mainly calls itself a distributor, they’re also in the business of designing and producing “premium eyewear and sunwear products.” One of ClearVision Optical’s main selling points is the brands they work with, which include BCBGMAXAZRIA, Izod, Cole Haan, Marc Ecko, Fisher-Price, and a bunch more. I’m not exactly sure what the relationships with these brands look like, but I do know that ClearVision Optical benefits significantly from being able to sell them all through a single rep. I found out about ClearVision Optical because one of their former interns and current employees e-mailed me to tell me how much she loved working for them (I will note that she now works in recruiting). After taking a look, I was really impressed with how the company has continued to balance growth with remaining family-run. It does look like a cool place to work, and it’s very clear that they put a lot of emphasis on developing talent. They are big on internships, and their Jobs page shows two positions that could be well suited to new grads: Customer Care Associate and Outside Sales Consultant – Designer Eyewear. Take a look, and see if ClearVision Optical might be just what you want to see.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you wear glasses?

Fab.com

Willy Franzen — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:42:03 +0000

Want to check out Fab.com and get daily design deals up to 70% off? Get your free invite here, and hurry. If you sign up before 11:45 AM EDT on 10/18/2011, you’ll get $10 in your account as soon as you sign up.

If my parents had to pinpoint the time when they hated me the most, it was probably one of the times they took my sister and me furniture shopping. It was always an unmitigated disaster. When I’m in a furniture store, it’s like I’m wearing a Horcrux (Harry Potter reference for those who have no idea what I’m talking about) around my neck. My irritability and immaturity increase at an exponential rate over time. My girlfriend, having had heard the stories, came up with a smart solution when we were buying stuff for our new place. Instead of dragging me along from store to store, she did some pre-shopping and then only showed me the stuff she absolutely loved. It worked perfectly, as I was in and out of the stores before I even had the chance to start acting like a hungry, tired three-year old. Now we’ve come up with an even better solution–she just sends me links to Fab.com. It’s a New York, NY based site and company that offers “daily design for everyone.” They’re relatively new on the scene, but they’ve been getting a ton of positive attention by offering amazing deals of up to 70% on all kinds of cool stuff for your home.

Are You Fab?

Much like Gilt Groupe and ideeli, Fab.com requires you to be invited to get access to their daily deals. Luckily, I’ve got the hookup and you can get an invite here (and if you sign up before 11:45 AM Eastern on 10/18/2011, you get $10 in your account for free). If you really want to get a feel for the site, you should sign up, but the other option is to read the Fab.com Buzz to get some (presumably favorable) third-party opinions. Beyond paying insanely close attention to design in both the products they sell and their user experience, Fab.com also has designed their customer service function to be exceptional. If you like what you’re hearing about Fab.com, then you’ll want to check out their job postings. They don’t have their own Jobs page, so they link straight to their postings on LinkedIn. There are a few postings, but the only one that is presumably entry level is Copywriter (their CEO actually posts the positions on LinkedIn). I did a little digging and found some more postings on our job search engine including positions like Customer Support Representative and Supplier Relations Coordinator. And if none of those positions look like a good fit, you can also check out Fab.com’s Team page to see what other types of careers are possible with Fab.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you signed up for Fab.com? Here’s an invite.

Chicago History Museum

Willy Franzen — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:20:57 +0000

I’m starting to get settled in my new place. After living in two moderately new high-rises in downtown Chicago, I’ve moved into a more historic building–it was built in 1921 and served as a Chinese consulate at some point. Now that I’m starting my fourth year living in the city, I feel that it’s only appropriate for me to start learning a little more about the city’s history. That’s why I should probably make a visit to the Chicago History Museum, which is just a mile down the street from me. Ironically, the museum, having been founded in 1856, “is the city’s oldest cultural institution,” though they pretty much had to start over after the Great Fire destroyed their building and most of their collection in 1871. Three years later there was another fire that destroyed most of what remained. Luckily, there haven’t been any more fires, so the Chicago History Museum has had a decent amount of time to build a new collection.

Make Your Job Search History

The Chicago History Museum’s collection focuses on eight specific areas: Architecture, Archives and Manuscripts (including Audio), Books and other Published Materials, Costumes and Textiles, Decorative and Industrial Arts, Fine Arts, and Prints and Photographs. The scope of these collections is limited to items related to Living in the Metropolitan Area, Working in the Metropolitan Area, Governing the Metropolitan Area, The Built Environment, and Individuals and Ideas. Apparently it all adds up to more than 22 million documents and artifacts. If you want to learn more about the specific collections, you should start here. And if you find that Chicago history speaks to you, then you’ll want to take a look at the Chicago History Museum’s Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Computer Support Technician and a Collection Manager – Costume and Textile (requires M. A. in Costume History, Museum Studies (Costume/Textile), or related field). If neither of those positions interest you, you could also consider volunteering.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you into your city’s history?

SCOTTEVEST

Willy Franzen — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:41:28 +0000

It’s moving day for me. I’m staying in the same neighborhood, but I still had to pack up my entire apartment and load it into a moving truck. It was kind of a pain, but hiring good movers is one of the best investments you can make. If only I had a travel vest from SCOTTEVEST–I could have stuffed everything in there, walked down the street, and done it all myself. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you really can fit a ton of stuff in SCOTTEVEST products. The company is based in Ketchum, ID and was started by Scott Jordan to create gadget-holding alternatives for man-purses–or even worse, fanny packs. It all started with vests, but now SCOTTEVEST offers a wide line of clothing that makes traveling with lots of stuff easy.

For the Trip of Your Life!

To get a sense for how SCOTTEVEST’s products allow you to store so much stuff, you have to head over to their website and take a look at their products. Most of the pockets are internal, so you don’t have to worry about looking like your whole wardrobe is made of recycled cargo pants (and I hear that SCOTTEVEST stuff is also wrinkle-resistant). The combo of functionality and fashion seems to be working well for SCOTTEVEST, as they made the Inc. 5000 with 205% three-year growth to $6 million in annual revenue. They’re still a small company employee-wise, but their Jobs page does indicate that they plan to continue growing. The only potentially entry level position they have posted right now is Graphic Designer/Developer, but they also have positions in PR, Production Management, and Garment Design (along with future openings in Marketing, Sourcing, Design, and Manufacturing). They seem open to hearing from anyone interested in working for them (and living in Ketchum, ID), so reach out to them at jobs@scottevest.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own anything from SCOTTEVEST?

Skullcandy

Willy Franzen — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:26:48 +0000

Yesterday we looked at Niner Bikes and how they’ve carved out a really nice niche in the outdoor action sports market by building mountain bikes with bigger wheel bases. Today we’re going to look at a company that has built a much bigger business in the same market by offering products that you may not initially associate with the market. Skullcandy is a Park City, UT based company that “markets high-end headphones, earphones, hands free devices, audio backpacks, MP3 players and other audio enabled lifestyle products.” They target consumers who associate with sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, and mountain biking, so they’ve been able to build a really strong brand identity that has fueled some serious growth. Skullcandy was founded in 2003, and they made the Inc. 5000 this year with 354% three-year growth to $160.6 million in annual revenue. In fact, the growth has been so great that Skullcandy had an IPO earlier this year.

Get It Through Your Skull

Obviously a big part of Skullcandy’s brand is style–a really big part. Just look through their headphone selection. It seems that the focus is more about what your headphones say about you than what they actually sound like. There’s nothing wrong with that–it’s obviously working for Skullcandy. Oddly enough, finding information on Skullcandy the company isn’t all that easy. They don’t seem to have an About page, so their Wikipedia entry is worth looking at. You may also want to check out Skullcandy’s Investor Relations page, as it also has some really useful information. Unfortunately, the trend of not providing much information continues to Skullcandy’s Jobs page. They don’t post specific positions and only ask that you “submit a resume and cover letter to careers@skullcandy.com.” They are a publicly traded company with $160 million in revenue that has been growing at an insane rate. It’s time for them to get a little more serious about hiring people. If you’re into the intersection of action sports, music, and fashion, then Skullcandy would be a perfect fit, so don’t let their lack of job postings hold you back.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any Skullcandy products?

Dynomighty Design

Willy Franzen — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:54:54 +0000

I’ve repeatedly tried to thin down my wallet, but I keep ending up like George Costanza and sitting with a tilt (and it’s not because of all the money). I can’t wait for the day when my phone entirely replaces my wallet, but until then I’ll need to find another solution. I may have found it with the Mighty Wallet from Dynomighty Design (though I’m not sure that I’m ready for another wallet transition). The company was “established in 2002″ in New York, NY and “seeks to create a vibrant array of products to complement and accentuate the modern urban lifestyle with the designs of Terrence Kelleman.” It started with magnetic bracelets, but it seems that the Mighty Wallet has really caused the company to explode. Dynomighty Design was named to the Inc. 5000 with 416% three-year growth to $2.2 million in revenue.

Fatter Wallet or Skinnier Wallet

What makes the Mighty Wallet so cool isn’t its slimness–it’s the fact that it’s made out of Tyvek. That means it’s light, eco-friendly, tear-resistant, and water-resistant. It also comes in all kind of cool designs. And it’s not just wallets, Dynomighty Design offers a wide range of cool products. If you’re digging the products, check out this video on how a simple idea became a multi-million dollar business:

It’s a pretty cool story, huh? If you like what Dynomighty Design is all about and want to show off your Dynomight, then you should consider a job with them. They don’t post specific positions, but they do have a Jobs section on their Contact page. They say that they “accept any applications from individuals with a strong work ethic, a persistent initiative to grow and a desire to continually learn,” so e-mail them at jobs@dynomighty.com if you fit the bill.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you have a Mighty Wallet?

One Click Ventures

Willy Franzen — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:38:00 +0000

The thing that I love most about the Inc. 5000 is the diversity of the companies. While there are definitely some strong themes throughout the list, there are companies doing all kinds of things in all kinds of places–and succeeding. One of the biggest themes on the list is that online marketing is offering massive opportunity to new companies. One Click Ventures is a Greenwood, IN based company that is big on Internet marketing. Unlike many of the other companies on the list, they do the marketing for themselves, not for clients. One Click Ventures runs a number of e-commerce properties including ABC Neckties, Affordable Scarves, Handbag Heaven, Inexpensive Watches, Reading Glasses Shopper, TravelProducts.com, Socks4Life, and Sunglass Warehouse. Each of these sites is in a very competitive niche, so it should be no surprise that One Click Ventures claims to have a distinct competitive advantage with their “marketing engine” that “consists of a diverse team of subject matter experts, including SEO, PPC, email marketing, social media, affiliate marketing, conversion optimization and content development.”

One Click to a New Job

When I came across One Click Ventures, I knew their name sounded familiar. It was because one of my friends from Cornell works there now, and he just sent me an e-mail about some of their job openings. That coupled with One Click Ventures’ fast growth really got me interested. The Inc. 5000 has them at #542 with 619% three-year growth to $3.4 million in annual revenue. A big driver of that growth has been acquisitions. One Click Ventures finds online properties that they think can benefit significantly from their online marketing capabilities. In other words they’re able to significantly increase the value of a site just by acquiring it and getting it up and running in their system. It sounds fascinating, and I’ve heard great things from my friend. If you’re interested in what One Click Ventures is doing, head over to their Careers page and take a look at their open positions. Right now they’re looking for a Marketing and SEO Specialist, a Marketing Analyst, a Graphic Designer, and a Junior PHP Developer. If you’re interested, feel free to apply on your own or e-mail me at willy@onedayonejob.com and I’ll make an intro for you to my friend.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about One Click Ventures?

Apparel Media

Willy Franzen — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:00:58 +0000

A lot of people hate all of the advertising in sports. They get irritated by NASCAR cars, billboards in center field, and logos on jerseys. I kind of think it’s cool that sports teams are maximizing their revenue potential. But if I ever saw ads on the Yankees’ uniforms… well that will never happen… right? Advertising on sports apparel has actually been happening for a long time. Local business have been sponsoring teams and plastering their names on jerseys forever. Apparel Media is a Chicago, IL based company that is working to forever change the custom apparel and sports marketing industries at the same time. By working out deals with national advertisers and local custom apparel print shops, Apparel Media is able to give teams access to significantly discounted (20-80% off) merchandise.

Be a Running/Kicking/Throwing Advertisement

The idea of using advertising to subsidize uniform purchases isn’t anything new. What’s new is the way Apparel Media is doing it. Not only are they linking up local teams with national advertisers, but they’ve built an infrastructure that enables them to create these links through the local custom apparel print shops that teams would typically go to get their jerseys. This is an interesting choice, because I could easily see Apparel Media’s trying to do all of the printing and delivery themselves. What’s also cool about Apparel Media is that they enable advertisers to get the exact kind of targeting that they want. If you want to reach ultimate frisbee players in Des Moines with your brand, IA, Apparel Media can help you do that. Or you can get your brand on thousands of little league jerseys. The opportunities are pretty much endless. Additionally, Apparel Media is building out an analytics platform so that advertisers can measure the success of their campaigns. If you’re excited about what Apparel Media is doing, check out their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for people in UI Design/Development, Program Management, and Account Management. This looks like an amazing opportunity to get in early on something that could be really big.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Apparel Media?

New Balance

Willy Franzen — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:39:50 +0000

I’m not big on shoes during the summer. I try to wear flip flops as much as I can, and most of the exercise that I get is from beach volleyball where wearing shoes looks about as dorky as you can get. When I do go to the gym, I typically wear my Vibram Five Fingers (which you may also consider dorky looking). So I have no idea why New Balance popped into my head–I don’t even own a pair of New Balance shoes. In case you don’t know, New Balance is a Boston, MA based company that “began as an arch support company in the early 1900′s, developed into a specialized shoe manufacturer in the 1970′s, and has grown to become a leading global athletic products company.” They also own some other brands that you may be familiar with including Aravon, Brine, Dunham, PF Flyers, and Warrior.

Work Life Balance

I don’t know when New Balance got so big, but their “worldwide sales have increased from $210 million in 1991 to $1.64 billion in 2008.” That sounds like a long period of sustained growth. What’s also cool is that they have 5 New England factories, which makes them the “only athletic shoe manufacturer still making shoes in the US.” It’s only 25% of their shoes, but it’s still impressive. It’s pretty cool to see a business like New Balance that has been around for over a century, yet continues to find new ways to grow in a principled way. If you think the New Balance shoe would fit, then check out their Careers page. While most of the jobs that they have posted are in Retail, there are a few positions that seem like good fits for new grads who want to work at corporate. These include CAD Designer, Product Data Specialist – SRT & Merchandising, Trim Coordinator (New York, NY), and Product Developer – DryDock Footwear.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you wear New Balances?

Complex Media Network

Willy Franzen — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:22:09 +0000

I like to consider myself an “influential 20-something male consumer,” but maybe I’m wrong. I don’t read Complex.com or visit any of the sites in the Complex Media Network, and they say that they are “the premier online destination for the most influential 20-something male consumers.” They’re getting nearly a million unique visitors a day across their network, so they’re certainly influential, and I have to think their audience is too. Complex, which is based in New York, NY caters to an audience that is “driven by style, sports, music, games, gear and girls,” and they’re experts at creating content for and delivering advertising to this audience. Complex.com is their main property, but the network extends to dozens of sites that zero in on niches within the niches.

It’s Complex

I had heard about Complex before from some internship postings that I came across, but I only really took another look at them after a reader e-mailed me to tell me that he had landed an internship with Complex Media Network. After taking a closer look, I realized that Complex has done something really impressive. They took a magazine (which always has two covers–one male celebrity and one female celebrity) that was started in Mark Ecko in 2002 and used it to launch a much larger network. By getting publishers who cover similar topics to join they’re network, they’re able to sell advertising on a much larger scale while still staying true to their target demographic. Here are some case studies to give you a better idea of how Complex Media actually leverages their network. If you’re a true “influential 20-something male consumer” or you want work in a business that focuses them, check out jobs at Complex Media Network. While they don’t have any positions posted for new grads, I’ve heard that both applying through their General Inquiries form and tweeting at Complex employees can deliver good results.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you read Complex?

Curbed Network

Willy Franzen — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:43:46 +0000

There’s a lot more to getting a job than being able to provide for essential needs like food, clothing, and shelter, but that’s a pretty big part of it–especially when you’re just starting out. It won’t take a lot in terms of wages to be able to pay for your basic expenses, but chances are that you’ll want to enjoy what you eat, what you wear, and where you live. If you’re all about that, then you should be reading the blogs from Curbed Network. They provide essential reads on how to get maximum enjoyment out of your essential needs. They’re based in New York, NY, and they run the blogs Curbed (real estate), Eater (food), Racked (clothes, style, and fashion), and the completely non-essential Gridskipper (travel). They don’t have a blog about air yet, but I hear that’s coming. The Curbed Network properties are very clearly built for yuppies with disposable incomes (what we all aspire to be, right?). 87% of the Curbed Network audience has a college degree, and 46% of them have a household income over $100k. Those are great stats for selling ads, which is what a business like Curbed Network is built on.

Kick Yourself to the Curbed

The best way to get a better feel for Curbed Network is pretty obvious–start reading their blogs. You’ll also want to check out the About pages for Curbed, Eater, Racked, and Gridskipper. You’ll get a rundown of how their audiences differ, who their advertisers are, what’s being said about them, and more. If you really want to dig into the stats on the Curbed Network audience, take a look at the Curbed Network Media Kit. It’s intended for potential advertisers, but you should learn a ton about them. Two stats that really stood out to me were that they get over 2 million monthly unique visitors and have over 170,000 e-mail subscribers. That’s quite a reach. If you’re digging what Curbed Network is all about, visit their Jobs page, which is centralized for all of the properties. They have a bunch of cool positions posted right now including Account Executive, Marketing & Events Coordinator, Designer, and a number of Editorial positions. Remember that a lot of Curbed Network’s properties are focused on locales, so there are job opportunities in these locales in addition to the ones located in NYC.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you read any of the Curbed Network blogs?

Salmon Cove

Willy Franzen — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:21:24 +0000

I love salmon (especially fly fishing for them). I also love Cornell Hockey. And I can get pretty excited about clothing if it matches my style. That’s why I was extremely interested when I heard about a clothing line called Salmon Cove that was launched by two former Cornell hockey players (Ryan Vesce and Ben Wallace) in 2008. I never ended up buying anything, but I occasionally checked back in to see how they were doing. Recently I noticed that I was seeing a lot of Salmon Cove ads targeted to me on Facebook, so I visited their website to see what was new. The company is now based in Chicago, IL (just around the corner from me), and it has relaunched with new owner/leadership. The brand and style are still the same–preppy–but they’ve certainly added a Midwestern flair with shirt names like The Macinac Button Down and The Harbor Springs Button Down. If I had to compare them to anything, it’d probably be Vineyard Vines, but Salmon Cove definitely has their own style (and an awesome fish logo on all of their clothing).

Swim into the Cove

Salmon Cove is just starting their relaunch, so there isn’t a ton of information out there about them yet; however, they’ve already done some cool stuff in terms of sponsorships. They are the Official Dry Land Sponsor of the Canadian Yachting Association, and they also have PGA and LPGA players whom they sponsor. They may also be a sponsor of an Icelandic soccer team called Stjarnan that does an awesome salmon-themed goal celebration. The best way to keep up with what’s going on at Salmon Cove is to read their blog called The Current. The other option is to get a job with them. Right now their Jobs page shows a few open positions including Business Development Associate, Sales Associate (Part-time, remote), and a few internships. Check the positions out and see if you can snag one.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own anything from Salmon Cove?

Ahkun

Willy Franzen — Sun, 15 May 2011 14:08:43 +0000

The last century or so has been all about mass produced goods. Everybody wants what everyone else has. If all your friends had a Chinpokomon, then you’d want one too. That’s starting to change. More and more people are interested in handcrafted, bespoke goods. Consumerism is changing, albeit slowly. Additionally, more and more people are looking to do good when they make purchases. Whether it’s wearing a Livestrong bracelet or TOMS Shoes, people like showing off their inner “do gooder.” Ahkun is a New York, NY based non-profit that serves the intersection of these two consumer trends. They “work with entrepreneurs who have received microloans” by connecting “them to the global marketplace–creating sustainable businesses and closing the gap between microfinance lenders and borrowers, consumers and producers.” In other words, Ahkun allows you to buy handmade goods from people who are doing their part to grow developing economies.

Ahkun Means Thank You

It’s cool enough to get a hand knitted scarf or hand sewn dress made by some hipster in Brooklyn, but it’s even cooler to get a scarf made by a woman who is helping to build her community in Cambodia. Even in a most selfish act like buying something for yourself, you can do good because of the power of Ahkun. They’re a very new non-profit, and they’re only in the early stages of working with entrepreneurs who have been funded through Kiva, but there’s a ton of promise here. They’re not explicitly hiring full-time, but most early stage non-profits aren’t. They do have unpaid internships posted on Idealist in Outreach and Partnerships, Strategy and Marketing, and Development and Fundraising. Maybe you can start a conversation with them about a bigger, more permanent role. You’d have to be able to offer a lot of value early on, but it’s worth a shot.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you buy something from Ahkun?

Trunk Club

Willy Franzen — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:34:10 +0000

I think I went almost 3 years after graduating from college without buying any new clothes. I had a decent enough wardrobe, I didn’t need work clothes because I started my own company, and I wanted to save as much money as I could so that I could keep my company going. Then I featured Gilt Groupe and Bonobos , which both had some exciting opportunities for new grads. After looking at their job opportunities, I discovered their referral programs which allowed me to score a bunch of clothing for free. I’ve certainly become more fashion conscious as I’ve spent my referral credits, but I still have trouble deciding what looks good on me. I know there are plenty of other guys who have this problem whether they’re looking for something to wear to an interview or a night out on the town. Trunk Club is a Chicago, IL based company (their office is two blocks from mine) that aims to solve this problem by making style decisions for their customers. You tell them a little about yourself (or come in for a fitting session), and they’ll send you a “trunk” full of clothes that they’ve picked out for you. It works like a hotel mini-bar, you keep what you want and send back what you don’t (with free shipping both ways). You obviously only get charged for what you keep.

Join the Club

Trunk Club is led by Brian Spaly, who was also a Co-Founder at Bonobos (but has since moved on). He’s obviously committed to helping men take the pain out of shopping, and so far it looks like he’s been a part of two big successes. Trunk Club seems to be growing well, and has been getting a ton of press attention. Though their business works the same way as a retail store–they stock a variety of brands and sell them at a markup, they’ve adapted the model to build a unique sales channel. Why send someone a catalog or an e-mail blast when you can actually send them hand-selected clothes to try on? It really is a retail experience in your home. If you like what Trunk Club is doing, then you should check out their Jobs page. They have a number of opportunities that could be suitable for new grads including Style Expert/Sales Representative, Product Associate, Fulfillment Associate, Front-end Web Developer, and Application Developer. Just make sure you wear something cool to your interview.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you try Trunk Club?