After selling her previous fashion brand, Nicki Hoyne launched her first collection of crossbody camera bags in October 2020 and she followed in 2021 with her footwear collection. Nicki has a wealth of experience in both the footwear and accessories industry, being nominated for multiple awards. That’s why she’s the perfect guest to join Nicole on this episode of Start Scale Succeed to share with you her knowledge through her life story.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Nicki thought that her launch in October 2020 couldn’t have been a worse time, but the opposite was true as people were looking for feel good inspiring stories. They naturally wanted to know about this Irish, sustainable, female led brand.
• Before the brand launched, Nicki spent 6 months posting mood boards as part of her brand storytelling journey and secretly hiding her shoes in the background of Instagram posts.
• Nicki Hoyne is the name of the brand because the brand is Nicki Hoyne, it has her passion and personality in its DNA. As a founder this allows you to just let the brand be an extension of your personality and that helps sell the story.
• One of the things Nicki found the hardest was the design drawings, this is why she likes to surround herself with people who are talented at what they do. She brought in someone who she can explain the designs to and they make the technical drawings.
• Nicki Hoyne is handmade in Spain by master craftspeople. All materials are sourced as close as possible to the factory. Their factories are Leather Working Group (LWG) certified and their recycled materials are certified Global Recycled Standard.
• Nicki’s biggest pieces of advice are that nobody cares what you’re doing, just go for it, got for it today! Why are you waiting? Get that plan together, get that budget together and start 6 months before you need to.

 

BEST MOMENTS

‘If you lived your life backwards it would all make perfect sense’

‘It’s all about timing selling a business’

‘I would love to work with other people, I’m working alone so much of the time’

‘Surround yourself with people who are better than you at the things you’re bad at’

‘What I’d say to anyone is to aim beyond where you think you should’

 

EPISODE RESOURCES

Nicki Hoyne

Nicki Hoyne (@nickihoynecollection) • Instagram photos and videos

Nicki Hoyne (@nickihoyne) • Instagram photos and videos

 

ABOUT THE GUEST

Nicki Hoyne launched her first collection of crossbody camera bags in October 2020. She followed in 2021 with her footwear collection.

Nicki is nominated as “One To Watch” at the Drapers Sustainability Awards 2023. She has been nominated as an Image Businesswoman Of The Year in 2023 & 2022. She won Irish Design Institute’s Rising Star 2021 and Runner Up in the Design & Craft Council Of Ireland (DCCI)’s Irish Business Design Challenge 2021. Nicki Hoyne has been stocked at Brown Thomas CREATE in Dublin and in Los Angeles, New York & London.

Nicki previously founded award winning online accessories store, My Shining Armour in 2014. It shipped to over 40 countries and appeared in Vogue, Cosmopolitan & Grazia.  She is a TedxTalk speaker and had her own successful podcast, The Hero Podcast sharing inspiring stories.

Nicki is passionate about creating meaningful fashion accessories that are fun, unique and comfortable. She wants to inspire you to celebrate and cherish fashion, not just consume it and throw it away.  She created her collection to bring you fun, quality designs with a conscience. We celebrate individuality, vibrancy and a passion for well made, slow fashion products. She hopes to one day have a fully sustainable fashion brand.

ABOUT THE HOST

Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years working for companies such as Primark, M&S, Debenhams and Asda, sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line.

Nicole now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and small to medium sized business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses as The Buyer And Retail Coach (TM)

Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme: thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist

 

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