The dynamic duo Thessy Kouzoukas and Yiota Karalouka are the faces and master minds behind the phenomenal brand Sabo Skirt. Childhood friends that saw a niche in the market and drove their brand through social media (to become one of the the ‘Top 100 Instagram Users’) is a wild success story, backed by passion, hard work and dedication. With a following closing almost a million across the big four social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest) is nothing short of an amazing achievement for this talented duo. The ACN chatted with Thessy and Yiota about the importance of universal knowledge in business.
1. Why is it important that woman succeed in business?
It is extremely important for women to succeed in their fields of business in order to change the misconceptions that women cannot do what men can do. Successful women break the norm of traditional masculine leadership and at the end of the day, successful women are becoming feminine role models that have been lacking from women’s lives for decades.
2. Do women bring to business something men don’t?
We believe that while men and women can perform equally as well as each other, they develop completely different skill sets, opinions and ideals as they are brought up from children. This allows women to bring different ideas and input to a business.
3. What motivates you to succeed?
We are motivated to succeed by positive feedback from our customers and followers. There is nothing that we want more than to provide our customers with what makes them happy.
4. What advice do you have for women hesitant about their own abilities?
We are believers of ‘knowledge is power’ and that you can never stop learning. If women are unsure of their current abilities to fulfil their aspirations, we would encourage them to enrol in a course or degree that is suited to their goals. This is a sure way to boost confidence and skills that are needed.
5. Do women do enough to help other women in business?
Based on our own experience, we would have to say that women are not as helpful in business as they are in other aspects of life. We feel that this is due to the small number of successful business women in comparison to men, which subsequently results in a competitive nature amongst women. Ideally, we would love to see a change in the business environment where women empower each other.
6. What top tip would you give to a woman trying to get ahead?
Stay focused on your goals and feel confident that you are just as capable to complete a job as any other person.
7. In your field do you see a culture-change taking place?
We have noticed a massive culture-change within the fashion industry, with bloggers now having an influence over trends and designers like never seen before. Although blogging as a phenomenon only kicked off around 4 years ago, bloggers are now an imperative role in the fashion industry. We view this as a major power shift.