Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kristine Locker, Founder of LOCKER, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

LOCKER is a Chrome extension and social shopping platform that allows users to browse, save, share and recommend their favorites from thousands of brand websites all in one place. Not only is LOCKER the perfect name for a virtual wish list, but it is also my last name! What I think makes LOCKER the most special is that it is a platform built by the target user. I created the platform from my own experiences and needs, allowing me to build to serve a community that I know so well. Our community and the content our users generate is our lifeblood - our users make collections for all occasions, from holiday and birthday wish lists to home decor and seasonal wants. These community-generated collections are what bring users back to the platform daily.

Tell us about yourself

Growing up, my mom called me "Imelda" after Imelda Marcos. For anyone not familiar with Imelda Marcos, Imelda was the First Lady of the Philippines for over 20 years. In 1986, her husband, Ferdinand Marcos, was forced from office, and he and Imelda fled the country. Protestors stormed their palace, and in Imelda's closet, they found over 2,700 pairs of shoes. The moral of that story is that I have always loved fashion. Not just for myself, but I have also always been the go-to for fashion advice for my friends and family. I have styled many friends for their birthday outfits, college formals, engagement photos, parties, and many other occasions. The requests usually look something like this: "I need a new x clothing item for x event! Can you please help me!?" I then start searching online, multiple browser tabs open, comparing pieces from multiple websites, compiling the links, and sending off an email with the links to the pieces I picked. During this process, and also when shopping for myself online, I realized there was no centralized place to save my favorites or my recommendations for others. I searched tirelessly for a solution, and when I couldn't find one, I knew I had to build it myself.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I am most proud of my ability to build this tech company without any prior tech or startup experience. I entered my startup journey as green as they come, but I have been resourceful and worked hard to teach myself as much about the landscape as possible. Each day of this journey comes with a new challenge that I learn through and tackle before the day is over.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest part is that the work is never done. As hard as you work, there never seem to be enough hours in the day to get it all done. Since starting my own company, and especially since starting to work from home, I struggle to create boundaries around work - there is always an email that needs to be answered, a TikTok that needs to be made, a social calendar that needs to be followed, a user I should reach out to, a book to be read and the list goes on.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Surround yourself with the right people from the beginning. This is something I wish I had known to do earlier. I thought I needed to establish the business before anyone would be interested in hearing what I had to say, but I wish I had started building my community and network earlier.
  2. Don't be afraid to ask questions. When we're starting a company, we feel like we should know the answers to certain things, so we feel embarrassed asking questions. There is really no such thing as a stupid question and asking questions gets you where you are going faster.
  3. Take care of your mental health. Being a founder is the hardest thing you will ever do. It is truly a rollercoaster ride; some days, you will be riding such a high, and on others, you will feel the lowest of lows. In the beginning, you, the founder, are the company, so make sure you are taking care of yourself.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.wantlocker.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wantlocker/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinelocker/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.