Empowering Women, One Bag at a Time

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in fashion bags but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Elif Akaydin, creative director, and founder of Patent of Heart, located in New York, NY, USA.

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

Patent of Heart is a fashion accessory brand on a mission to raise awareness on women's education and empowerment. We collaborate with women artisans all over the world to create our collections & a percentage of each sale is donated to an organization that provides education to young women in east Turkey.

Tell us about yourself

I'm originally from Istanbul; I have moved to the USA for my college degree in 1994 and became an American citizen in 2012. As a young girl, I was fortunate enough to be raised by my parents and grandmother, who ingrained in me the importance of finding my independent voice through formal education. Unfortunately, not every young girl was as fortunate as I was in the country in I was born. With this in mind, I've always known my purpose was to give back to those young women.

After working and gaining experience in every layer of the fashion world, in 2014, I launched my Fashion Accessory Brand Patent of Heart with a very personal mission to empower women for a better future. We are an all-female team, and we are putting out hearts on our work to make a difference in young women's lives. This makes me motivates me every day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I created a community of women with whom I share a great deal of sense of social responsibility.

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

As you & readers might know, every day is another challenge. The hardest, I believe, is to reach out to bigger audiences to talk about our mission. This requires a bigger marketing team to help in PR.

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

Be authentic with your work and words "Fear is not an option" Diane Von Furstenberg - Sustainable business practices.

There are millions of young women out in the world who need opportunities to receive a proper education to secure their future. I like to raise awareness on this issue; when women unite, we can make a change. I am inviting everyone to shop consciously. Thank you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.patentofheart.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Patentofheart
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patentofheart/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/patentofheart
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elif-akaydin-6139693/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.