In conversation with Halima Jarrodi CEO/Founder: This is HER.
This is HER was born out of the desire to provide female professionals with high-quality workwear that embraces their authentic femininity. Their mission is to make female professionals feel comfortable with who they are as women, by creating essentials tailored to their femininity.
Halima Jarrodi, founder of This is HER, wanted to change what we as women wear to work so, she took matters into her own hands to establish a new standard in the workplace. This is HER was founded upon the idea of empowering women to be true to themselves and bring authentic femininity to the workplace.
With thanks to Maru Winnacker for the introduction.
What's your professional title and what does it entail?
In my pre- This is HER life I was a Strategy Consultant advising corporates on strategic issues, helping with market entry, growth and restructuring strategies. Now I am the founder of This is HER and this entails basically doing everything. There is nothing within business operations I haven’t done so far…
What's your story, what sparked your interest in this field?
I started off in the Automotive sector and then moved into Strategy Consulting. I have a business/economics background and spent 10 years studying, working and living around the world, from California to Dubai, Johannesburg to London, Paris to Tel Aviv. After a PhD in Paris where I reconnected with myself, my desire to do something meaningful and in alignment with who I am, I finally moved to Berlin to start This is HER.
What sparked my interest were my own experiences, how I felt while working hard to make a successful career for myself. While working I realised how work wear follows antiquated ideas of how women should dress masculine to be taken seriously, so that they are stripped off their femininity. I knew I loved fashion and saw a huge opportunity to marry my business experiences and one of my biggest passions.
What's your biggest entrepreneurial challenge?
Finding the balance I guess and focusing on one thing at a time. Plus definitely being patient and understanding that Rome wasn’t built in a day.
What do you do for encouragement or to keep you motivated?
Style my blazers with different outfits in front of the mirror to adore them ??, read through customer messages and writing in my journal, reminding myself of why I started in the first place.
How do you balance business, family/friends and your wellbeing?
Right now that is rather difficult and I don’t always manage to balance it well. I am working on it.
What mantra do you live by?
“Respond to every call that excites your spirit!” (RUMI)
What advice would you give to other female entrepreneurs/small business owners?
Find the one thing that ignites you. The one thing you would ditch your favourite friends for, the one thing that makes you happy … if you found it, create a business out of it.
If you could travel in time what advice would you give your 20 year old self?
Two things:
? Fear is an illusion.
? If you have to change to fit in, it’s not your place so you have to create your place.
#exclusiveinterview #femalefounders #femaleempowerment #thinkoutsidethebox #fempreneur #divinefemininity #fashion #thisisher #femaleprofessionals #femaletailoring
For more information and to order see https://thisisher.style and follow her over on instagram.