We chat to Simon & Yetta Rawadi of Slyletica – a company that offers a complete end-to-end solution for anyone wanting to start or grow their fashion label.
What inspired you to start Slyletica?
Yetta: We had started our own activewear line and we realised how hard it was – we had designers, factories, marketing and none of them understood each other. We tried to find an agency but there was no one to help us. We had friends who had the same dilemma and they would ask Simon and I for help. That’s when we realised that we could actually have a business around this. We had entrepreneurs and influencers asking us for help. No one had done it before so we would be in new territory, but we took a leap of faith – and Slyletica was born!
Tell us about your careers and backgrounds.
Yetta: I’m actually a software engineer and Simon had a career property sales. Early on we figured out that we needed to use our strengths. I was really good at operations and Simon was really good at face-to-face sales. The Slyletica model was built around our strengths, and I think that’s really important for anyone building a business – make sure you know what you are good at and focus on that!
Describe a typical workday for you.
Simon: I wake up at 5:30am and plan my day ahead. This time is super important for me to get into the right mindset and think about the bigger picture. We have an 18 month old at home so when she wakes up, it’s pretty much go, go, go from there. We get into the office around 9:30 and meet with our teams. Then we have client meetings until around 2 or 3. This is really about helping our clients’ brands succeed. Yetta spends her day in Product development and I do Brand development. I try to get a workout in around 5:30am and then we head home to spend time with the little one before she goes to bed. Yetta and I will get some work done later in the evening. It’s a hustle but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a business?
Simon: Get ready to step outside of your comfort zone and take risks. We pivoted many times during the last 4 years and it hasn’t always been easy. Especially in the fashion industry and working in ecommerce which moves so fast. But we do what is necessary for the business to grow and thrive. Our customers expect more from us and it’s our job to make sure we deliver.
What’s next for you, and Slyletica?
Simon: We have lots planned for Slyletica. We really want to build the business of our dreams and that means we have to stay focused on global domination. Scaling a business has its own set of challenges but we’re motivated by our dreams and our customers’ dreams.
