Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Yulia Drummond, CEO and Creator of Voda Swim, located in Las Vegas, NV, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Voda Swim’s signature Envy Push Up® swimsuit top is engineered to visually increase bust size by one to two cup sizes and to provide amazing cleavage, lift, and support in a swimsuit top. In addition, the unique material used in Voda Swim bathing suits limits water absorption, helping the tops to retain their extraordinary fit, even when wet. Every Envy Push Up® top looks like a regular triangle swimsuit top, so nobody knows the secret pushup padded magic hidden inside of each top. Additionally, all swimsuit tops feature no underwire and are very comfortable to wear. Voda Swim customers are sexy and confident women ages 16 to 60 years old that love to enjoy the sun, the beach, the pool, and the fun.
Tell us about yourself
I am an international print model and designer, and Voda Swim is my brainchild. Inspired by my inability to find a bikini that flattered my small bust, me and my husband Dustin created a bikini to make the most of even the smallest assets. My passion for design, creative self-expression, and Dustin’s love for building and growing a business were the driving force to turn Voda Swim into a worldwide brand. My daily motivation is very easy to find. I’m inspired not by “What” I do but by “Why” I do it. My “Why” and inspiration are found in helping women feel sexy and confident at the beach and by the pool.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Perseverance and unwillingness to give up during the first two years of starting Voda Swim. Designing the first “perfect pushup” sample and development took close to one year, but every day I woke up with a passion and drive to create a swimsuit top with a fantastic pushup effect that would accentuate my bust in a swimsuit top. Once the product was designed and brought to the market, Dustin and I worked 16-hour days to market and sell the swimsuits. We were deeply in debt, with all the credit cards maxed out, exhausted, and close to calling it quits, when the business took off and was featured that year in a Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition and many TV shows.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Making difficult decisions and being OK with making mistakes. As a business owner, you must call the shots every day, but you also have to be OK with making mistakes and being gentle with yourself when those mistakes happen.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Read the book “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield. That book helped me and Dustin get through some of the most difficult times in our lives, and it helped us stay optimistic.
- Surround yourself with a positive support group that is there to help and guide you whenever you need help.
- Find your niche: find something that makes you or your product unique and different and what makes you stand out from everybody else.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.vodaswim.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VodaSwim
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vodaswim/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vodaswim
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voda-swim/
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.
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