Karen D. Fultz-Robinson
Owner & CEO of ObservaMé®
What inspired you to start your business?
The need to solve a problem while running. I am a runner and during a training run for an impending marathon, I tired of placing my watch over my sleeve or tugging at my sleeve to see my watch without stopping my run. I decided that a need existed in the fashion space and then started my own drawings and designs.
What challenges have you faced as a woman entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?
Challenges include developing brand exposure in the public domain. Finding the need to constantly explain my endeavor to convince the listener of the seriousness and legitimacy of the company and its capabilities.
What advice would you give to other women entrepreneurs?
Gosh, there is so much to say when it comes to starting a company from the ground up (i.e. marketing, budgeting, mentors, education, confidentiality, trust circle, etc), I will start with: put your financial house in order before stepping out on your own. You want to minimize the stressors that you WILL encounter on your upward journey. Eliminate your concern about how your household expenses will be maintained while you pursue an entrepreneurial career. Pay down or pay off credit cards or variable personal expenses and develop a list of “needs” and “wants”. Prepare to focus on what you “need” when it comes to spending money in order to remain focused on your ultimate goal “to make your business a success”.
What three traits define you?
Determination, Discipline, and resilience.
What women inspire you?
My mom, Sarah Blakely, Maya Angelou, Justice Sotomayor, Wanda Morris, and the list goes on.
As a business owner, what keeps you up at night?
How to push the company to the next level….how to create clientele, how to attract retailers, buyers and wholesalers. How to make the company a household name. This is constantly on my mind.
What are the biggest obstacles you see for young female entrepreneurs?
The biggest obstacle for young and old is themselves. We tend to stand in our own way and believe the chatter and white noise that most times says that we need to work with others because we cannot do it by ourselves.
What do you love about being a business owner?
The freedom to be the captain of my own destiny.
What’s the hardest part about being a business owner?
Being the captain of my own destiny.
How do you define success?
Success is when the public knows the brand and has confidence in its quality.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
For this entrepreneur journey: you cannot serve two masters. You must focus 100% on the company in order to make it a success.
What’s your favorite career moment?
I experience my favorite moment everyday: Driving up to the shop and seeing the company’s name on the door. That is a symbol that makes the company tangible and a true reality.
What’s the best way to start your day?
Exercise, for me going for a run opens my mind to new ideas and allows me to think clearly. Set goals and intentions for your day. You want to feel like a success each day. Setting daily (realistic and attainable) goals will help you feel like a winner each day. That boost in your confidence is critical when dealing with the challenges found in developing a brand and company.
Fill in the blank:
When I face a challenge, I… pray and meditate.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself… listen more and talk less.
The one thing I couldn’t live without is… my freedom.
By this time next year, I will be… even more successful as a clothing designer.
To get my creative juices flowing, I… RUN and drink coffee.
ObservaMé®
ObservaMé® is a manufacturer and distributor of sustainable athletic and athleisure apparel for men and women. ObservaMé®'s signature design is the patent pending watch opening feature in its long sleeve garments.
