Monir Jalili
President of InstantFigure
What inspired you to start your business?
I have been in the apparel business for over 38 years.
What challenges have you faced as a woman entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?
The constant changes in marketing. I have been educating myself in changing the direction of marketing our product line.
What advice would you give to other women entrepreneurs?
Stay focused on what you believe in, and never give up!
What three traits define you?
Personality, passion and my work ethic.
What women inspire you?
My mother and my daughter.
How has being a WBENC-Certified WBE helped your business?
The ability to support other women-owned business, and having other women supporting my brand.
What do you see as the coolest or most important trend in your industry?
How the fashion trends come back every 10 years; and the ability to work with new colors and designs all the time.
As a business owner, what keeps you up at night?
Finical matters and how to grow my business.
What do you love about being a business owner?
Making decision without having to ask anyone else.
What’s the hardest part about being a business owner?
Thinking of how I can grow the business with such a limited resource of qualified people and available funds.
How do you define success?
When each year my company has grown and I have been able to employ more and more people, and give back to my community.
What’s your favorite career moment?
When I sold my first company after 25 years to one of the largest catalog companies in U.S.
If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?
Volunteer.
What’s the best way to start your day?
Smile.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A lawyer.
How do you unwind after a long workday?
I go for walk and listen to music.
What do you like about your workspace?
Working with my second family of employees, interacting with them, and our customers.
Fill in the blank:
When I face a challenge, I... sit back and come up with a solution.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself…I should spend more time with my mother, kids and grandchildren.
The one thing I couldn’t live without is… my faith.
By this time next year, I will be… launching a new product line.
Instantfigure
InstantFigure is a Women Owned world- renowned apparel company offering the ultimate women and men compression slimming shapewear, as well as stylish fashion of tops, bottoms, swimwear and accessories and much more.
