After one of his first ventures exposed the wide-eyed 21-year-old to the shadier side of business, replete with dishonesty, broken friendships and inequitable wages, Isaac cut his losses and moved on. He had put his all into something that he believed in, only to watch it all come crashing down around him. Isaac would not be discouraged by the people he trusted but was betrayed by; he chose to learn from the experience, pulling something positive out of a painful situation. Isaac shares this experience and reveals what all starting entrepreneurs should know.

A Short Clip of My Conversation with Jude Gomila
Trouble Viewing? Visit: IntimateMath on YouTube

PROFILE

STATS
Companies Founded:
1. Recurly – August 2009
2. Syncplicity – 2007

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Hometown: Highland Park, IL
Currently Resides: San Francisco, CA
Age: 27
Bachelors of Science: Illinois Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Hobbies/Interests: Photography
Biggest Fear: Working too much instead of enjoying life
Role Models: Eric Ries and Sean Ellis because they share their knowledge with other people and are changing how startups work today
Favorite Musician: Lisa Loeb

Isaac’s: Linkedin | Twitter | Blog

THE CONVERSATION:

Kim Ngo: Thanks for talking with us Issac. Let’s go back. Start by telling us how you got started, not with Recurly, but with your first experience of the tech startup world and entrepreneurship.

Isaac Hall: My first experience with a startup was right out of college. I worked for a computer consulting company, building eCommerce websites.

Before I worked for the startup, a few Microsoft recruiters prospected me for an interview. It seemed pretty cool. But at the same time, I was reading about startups and entrepreneurship, and those topics really resonated with me.

I turned down Microsoft and built this startup with these guys, knowing that I would be working at home with no salary and putting in 100 hours a week. We built a really cool product, an online asset maintenance system for Cisco hardware, fast. It was an interesting experience.

Kim Ngo: Were you a co-founder of this company?

Isaac Hall: I was 21, naïve, and fresh out of college. I thought I was a co-founder.

Nobody tells you as a computer science graduate what you need to watch out for. The two guys I started the company with were in their 30’s and were slick business guys, the kind you should be wary of. They would take me out and get bottle service, so I thought that they were treating me well. I didn’t know what my talents were worth; they took advantage of me and underpaid me, even though I thought we were equals in the company.

Kim Ngo: Did they say that you owned a third of the startup when they first approached you?

Isaac Hall: Yeah, but everything was verbal, nothing was written. I thought I was a co-founder; I just trusted that I was getting a third of the company. At the end of the day, all I had was a very small salary that I was tricked into taking.

Here’s my advice for startup entrepreneurs: if it’s your first time starting a company, get things on paper, get a lawyer, get advice outside of the company, and make sure you have equity or stock options.

Kim Ngo: Tell me about that experience, the moment that you found out “I’m screwed!”

Isaac Hall: I had been with the company for two years, then the two co-founders of the company started suing each other. They had been best friends for 16 years, so this was a major fight. One of them ended up getting kicked out.

After that, one of the other programmers left and things continued to fall apart. I continued to hold things together on the programming side. The two co-founders both wanted me to help them argue their story, so I was hearing two different things.

It was a very weird situation. I started to realize that I had no shares in the company; they each owned 45%, and the investor owned 10%. My salary was half of what they were earning, even though we were supposed to be earning the same amount.

Kim Ngo: Did you cry?

Isaac Hall: Oh, yeah I did. I was really upset.

I was naïve. I didn’t know anything about options or equity, and I thought I owned a third of the company. I sacrificed my time—100 hours a week!—and my own money to help build it.

Kim Ngo: Maybe you didn’t get the stock options and maybe you weren’t officially a co-founder, but the opportunity that they gave you allowed you to further develop your skill set and experience to have even more exciting opportunities in the future.

Isaac Hall: Definitely. I had free reign over the programming and how we built the product, as well as a lot of other things. I also gained a lot of experience working with clients, quickly iterating over product design, and I learned a lot about what not to do.

Subscription billing and recurring payments seem simple enough at face value, but once upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, free trial periods and more are introduced, the process can get pretty hairy. Though highly common, most startups don’t anticipate this predicament until their clients start calling the support line. That’s why Recurly is such a lifesaver for online businesses. Tasks that typically eat up 2-6 months are settled in a single day with no elbow grease from you and no nuisance to your customers. After all, launching an online business is a full-time occupation, and entrepreneurs don’t have the time to press pause for a credit card validation or an invoice. Recurly keeps billing quick and efficient and makes it easy to focus on your growing business so you can leave the number-crunching to the pros. Time is money, and Recurly can save you a great deal on both.

Return Wednesday, May 12th to learn about Isaac’s days before Recurly and the important lessons he learned that every entrepreneur should know.

Aloha Mahalo

IntimateMath visited the Mahalo office and got a feel for what it’s like to be a part of the Mahalo family. Calacanis’s enthusiasm for his project spreads seamlessly to his staff, and he sees to it that they’re well taken care of at the workplace. The Mahalo kitchen has more than just a typical coffee pot and water cooler; a private chef is on staff to provide employees breakfast, lunch, and healthy snacks. Eat a few too many of those snacks?

Jason Calacanis Founder of Mahalo

Mahalo also has an on-site exercise facility to keep the team energized. The office even has a washer and dryer for laundry days and an Xbox to fill any spare time. If the facilities weren’t enough to keep his team happy, Calacanis’s ear is always open to new ideas or friendly conversation with the people who keep Mahalo running. He even ranks his editors’ performances with his own brand of karate belts, ranging from the traditional white through yellow, green, purple, brown and black; a fitting choice for a man who has actually earned a real black belt in Taekwondo. As Mahalo.com continues to grow, Jason Calacanis is proving that a happy team is all the more happy to help you when you need it.

No Need for Coffee Runs; a Fresh Cup of Joe is Just a Run Down the Hall!

Mahalo Kitchen is Stocked with Tasty Treats & a Private Chef to Keep Employees’ Stomachs Full.

Mahalo Team Mixes Work with Play During Free Time with the Office Xbox.

Out of Quarters? Spend Laundry Day at the Office with the On-Site Washer & Dryer

After a colorful collection of “mini startups,” Jude is finally prepared for his biggest yet: HeyZap, a new site that simplifies the connection between flash games and websites. After several blurry months of hard work and nonstop coding, Jude’s newest project has got him more excited than ever. HeyZap is on his mind during every waking moment, not because he is burdened by the thought or worried about whether or not it will succeed, but because he is genuinely thrilled to have built it and excited to see where he can make it go. Jude says that more than anything, the key to success is truly believing in a product and putting everything into it, because if you can’t live and breathe it, then it’s not worth your time. Click here to read more about HeyZap: Finally Plug-in-Playable: HeyZap Makes Flash Gaming Even Easier

A Short Clip of My Conversation with Jude Gomila
Trouble Viewing? Visit: IntimateMath on YouTube

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PROFILE

STATS

Jude Gomila of HeyZap

Companies Founded:
1. HEYZAP – First Proper Valley, VC-Funded Startup – Sept 2008
Fundraised: $650,000
Investors:
Union Square Ventures
Highest Numbers Number of Employees: 8

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Hometown: Harrow, London
Currently Resides: San Francisco, CA
Age: 25
Education: Cambridge University, Engineering
Quality Most Remembered For: Great hair
In 10 Years, I See Myself…: Having one, or two, or even, three startups under my belt
I’m Happiest when…: I’m meeting people, networking, and seeing products launch
I’m Motivated by…: Innovation
Biggest Fear: My Girlfriend (Laughing)
Role Models: Mathematicians, famous physicists, famous engineers, business guys, and any extreme performer in their field.

Jude’s: Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Blog

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THE INTERVIEW – (Full Interview Transcription)

Jude Gomila

Kim Ngo: How crazy are you?

Jude Gomila: How crazy am I? More than you can ever imagine.

Kim Ngo: Explain. Do you think I’m crazy?

Jude Gomila: Slightly. I think a bit of craziness is good, especially in startups because if you make a boring company, you’re probably going to do something that no one cares about. Whereas if you take a slightly unusual route and don’t do what everyone else is doing, people are attracted to that. Things that are different excite people.

Kim Ngo: What is Heyzap? Tell me in the coolest way possible.

Jude Gomila: Heyzap provides tools for connecting the best flash games from the web to the best web sites and allows players to be more social. So, we take a game from Facebook and we put it in the right place on the web.

Kim Ngo: Would you say this market is fairly new?

Jude Gomila: It’s very new. Asia is leading the market, it’s ahead of the US in ways; but the US is also skyrocketing. The market has been getting insane.

Kim Ngo: So how many companies have you founded?

Jude Gomila: Heyzap is my third startup, but it’s my first proper venture capital-funded startup and also my first Silicon Valley-located startup.

I’ve gone through many smaller projects. When you try to create a website, make a product, or experiment with your friends and make things, those are all mini startups in a way. I’ve been making things in my bedroom, experimenting, and messing with websites since I was around nine years old. Each of these experiences helped prepare me for a big startup.

Kim Ngo: At nine years old?

At the HeyZap Office

Jude Gomila: I started messing around with the web when I was about fourteen when the Internet became available to me. My friends and I were messing around, playing with games, and trying to figure different things out. Essentially, we wanted to be creative and find new uses for the web, which weren’t really available at the time.

Kim Ngo: Can you tell us the story? How did it get started?

Jude Gomila: I’ve been making things in my bedroom, working on random hardware and electronic projects. I was really interested in constructing things, engineering and messing around with stuff. I used to take apart electronics just to look at what was inside.

For example, there’s a company in the UK that’s a bit like Costco, I used to go through the catalog and look at all the different products and their pricing, not necessarily because I wanted to buy anything, but because I was interested in how they worked.

I was also into making cash on the playground from buying and selling things. I remember buying some chewing gum in bulk that was super cheap, and then selling each stick for roughly 75 cents. I made about 50 times of the price I bought the gum for. It was small money, but I was like, “Okay, now I can buy things like hardware and whatever I want!”

Another thing I did in primary school was I used a magic 8-ball reader to go around the playground and ask people, “Do you want your future read? It’s 10 cents a go.” It was great because it was a virtual present, like the ones you see in the virtual world today. I could keep doing it over and over again.

Jude Gomila AGAIN.

Kim Ngo: Which university did you go to?

Jude Gomila: I went to Cambridge University and majored in engineering.

I was among pretty good people. I got interested in business during college. Though, I was always interested in making money before university, but the “traditional business process” wasn’t part of my mindset.

In my second year, I participated in a business competition, and we redesigned a process for kidney dialysis. My team was a finalist, and we took fourth place, which was pretty good since most of the people there had PhDs. I think we were the youngest finalists ever. It was encouraging. It was a big competition where the winner took home $75,000.

But I started to see this disconnect between participating in college competitions and just being creative. The competitions weren’t like the real world of business. Even though it was impressive and I started to make contacts, I started to think about funding and the practical aspects of entrepreneurship.

Learning about business is very different in the UK than the in US.

Kim Ngo: How so?

Jude Gomila: Well, there weren’t role models to look at around our community. There was really just one guy, Michael Smith, who created Moshi Monsters. He did firebox.com, which is a big UK gift site, and he was quite a bit older than us. He was one of the few guys that made it seem possible that you could be very successful as an entrepreneur in the UK.

Kim Ngo: Why do you think it’s different in the UK?

Jude with Max Ventilla of Aardvark

Jude Gomila: There are several reasons. Obviously, there are more funding opportunities because there are so many venture capital firms here. Other companies like Facebook, Yahoo and Google are here, so you can make deals quickly. And the skills to make it all happen are here: you’ve got people with the right mindset and training. The right people, funding, companies, and deals are all here.

Even the pure logistics of having a meeting are so much simpler in Silicon Valley. There are many different startups close to our office. We can just jump across the street for a meeting. In London, it’s a 30 to 45 minute commute for a meeting.

Kim Ngo: Who’s your favorite VC?

Jude Gomila:Union Square Ventures has been really good to us. They’ve been giving us a lot of great advice. Albert Wenger is an amazing guy. He’s one of the few investors with a computer science degree. Albert brings a lot of context – not just on business side, but also on the technical side as well.

Kim Ngo: I hear the relationship with a VC is really important.

Jude Gomila: Yes! They can make you or break you. You have to report back to your VC every day or every week, and they have the ability to get involved with what you’re buying, who you’re recruiting, and the direction of the company. If a VC tries to restrict you in too many ways, you end up being non-entrepreneurial.

It’s much better for VCs to provide contacts to you when you need them and steer you towards the right market. Often, they will solve specific problems if you need help, but the most important thing is that they are there when you need them and that they keep track of you and make sure that you’re going in the right direction.

Kim Ngo: It sounds like entrepreneurs don’t look for micro managers; they look for investors who support them when they need it. Let’s get back to your story. What happened after college?

Jude Doing His Thing!

Jude Gomila: After I graduated, I set up a business with two other guys from Cambridge.

We tried a few different things, like a strategic consulting company because we had a lot of specialists in that. That paid the bills, but it wasn’t scalable.

Another thing we tried, which is quite funny, is an egg packaging company. And everyone takes the piss out of me for this one, but it was still an experiment in entrepreneurship. The profit margin was very slim, and I learned that you have to go into a business that has a decent margin. There were some hard lessons learned that you couldn’t learn from a textbook. Selling to farmers was the hardest thing in the world. But I learned not to get into a stagnant market. To make a profit, it is essential to get into a market which will innovate quickly, because that speed will allow your business to move fast as well.

Kim Ngo: What did you after that?

Jude Gomila: I tried to develop an electronics brand for electronic photo frames marketed to premium stores. We led the spec and captured the best part of the market. We came in at the highest priced point and were making good margins. But, I realized that it’s difficult to compete with the large manufacturers, like Philips and Kodak, without a lot of funding. We literally started out with one of two frames, sold it on eBay, then doubled and re-doubled our money, which went back into making more frames.

The cool thing was that we had real products which got into the Hi-Fi Expo. Our product was in Harrods and Selfridges – the most prestigious stores in Europe and the rest of the world – and our brand was getting out there. That was back in 2007, right after graduating from the university. I did about a million dollars turnover over the projects.

Kim Ngo: How old were you?

Jude Gomila: I think I was 22. Then I spotted an opportunity to sell Nintendo Wiis from Europe to the UK. During Christmas time, the UK completely ran out of stock. I had seen this coming and bought stock from Europe and retrofitted the machines.

Kim Ngo: So you were one of those guys selling the Wii game for 3 times the price. Why did you decide to come to the US?

Jude Gomila: Well, I was searching for my next project, and I was interested in virtual goods because it was a hot market— it still is. I learned all the fundamentals about products from my previous experiences with hardware. I decided to come over to the US and work for ClickPass to help them strategize. Soon after, the company sold. At that point, Immad Akhund, one of the cofounders exited; he was a long-term friend of 10 years.

In the summer 2008, Immad Akhund and I started thinking about ideas. We settled upon the idea of Heyzap around September. Then we coded like crazy to get the whole thing ready to launch in January 2009.

Kim Ngo: So just you and him coded?

Jude with Chris Bader and Paul Graham

Jude Gomila: He did back end and I did front end. We got in the Y-Combinator program from January to March. It was good being in a group of mutual hackers, coders, and business people. The network and lessons we learned, like how to launch a startup, were really interesting.

We coded so much that we actually missed meals.

Kim Ngo: Sounds too familiar. Did you lose weight?

Jude Gomila: I don’t remember. It’s a bit of a blur. I lost track of time and can’t really remember. We launched in January and were in the batch as the first guys to launch, I think.

Kim Ngo: What do you mean “in the batch.” Were there competitors?

Jude Gomila: There weren’t competitors. There were 15 companies that are in the program’s batch, twice a year. Everyone creates their own startup and pitches it in on demo day in March. On demo day, all the investors come in to look at all the company proposals and ideas. It’s a great way to find the right investors and get funding.

We knew that demo day was coming up and wanted to be prepared for the funding round. We got some traction from launching, and lots of people installed our widget. Then we started doing our funding round. We got oversubscribed for the round and talked to Union Square Ventures. There were other great angel investors as well. After that, we recruited CTO James Smith and started building our own team. HeyZap has 10 employees now as of March 2010.

Jude Gomila (Right)

Kim Ngo: Were you really passionate about packaging?

Jude Gomila: Yeah, is that sad?

Kim Ngo: No, I’m just wondering, “How?”

Jude Gomila: Once you see the unique selling points of the product, you can get passionate about the product and the market. You have to be passionate about what you are doing! When you employ people, as well, if you aren’t passionate, you don’t show any form of leadership or help your company culture. If you start to let things go, your company will start drifting.

Kim Ngo: Do you think building a company has hurt you from going out and living your life? Do you have a girlfriend? How does she feel about your busy work schedule?

Jude Gomila: Yes, building a company has been a lot of work. Yes I have a girlfriend. What I learned is that you need to be efficient with your time. You are trying to spend 100 hours a week on your company, but you also need to spend time with your girlfriend. You got to be super efficient and drop everything that is a waste of time. It’s smart to have a personal assistant.

You got to cut down all the time that is wasted on the little things. In the beginning of my startup career, I used to reply to and get involved in everything. Now I can’t do that. There’s a point you reach when you have to let the little things go.

Kim Ngo: Good answer. Are you afraid of anything?

Jude Gomila: I think you can’t be afraid of failure. If you try your best and it doesn’t work out, you have to try again. You need to know when to pull out, and you need to know when to keep going. If you discover that you went into a bad market, you got to switch markets. If you have the wrong team, then you got to switch teams.

It’s like the Vegas slot machines. There are 40 fruit symbols, and you are trying to hit the right ones for big payouts. You test all these different dials and variables. From your mistakes and experience, you know that these dials should be on certain settings, but you haven’t tested out all the other settings. If you line all them up correctly, you will be successful, but you won’t know until you make those mistakes and are experienced enough to know what variables lead to success.

Kim Ngo: What would you say was your toughest experience in all of this?

Jude (RT) = Best Energy Ever! No Doubt!!!! - Kim Ngo

Jude Gomila: Getting a visa was a lot of work. It was very distracting as well, because I was trying to build a company while messing around with legal work.

Getting funding is hard too. We were on the road, speaking to different investors. All the time spent pitching is time divested from building the company. Pitching doesn’t automatically lead to getting money, users, and traffic growth. As for funding, we’ve raised during the hardest time during the recession. It was hard, because no one was investing and some investors didn’t even have money.

Kim Ngo: What do you think are the three top qualities that an entrepreneur needs to be successful?

Jude Gomila: The most important quality would be persistence. It is the most important variable. Intelligence is actually at the bottom of the list. You need to take calculated risks by knowing the difference between the risks that come from important things where there is or isn’t any gain. Being frugal and not wasting money is also very important. Intelligence helps, but it can slow you down as well. Sometimes you just need to take action and know when you have to strategically move out and try the next thing.

Kim Ngo: What do you think is more likely going to happen to Heyzap? Do you think you will have an exit plan or do you think you’ll be able to build a profitable business?

Jude Gomila: You should always have an exit plan. You need to have an exit plan, and you need to know which companies can buy you. You need to know how far you want to go; we want to go as far as possible with Heyzap.

Kim Ngo: If you could give one piece of advice for future entrepreneurs, what would it be?

Jude Gomila: For consumer products: GO LIVE. Launch it. Be aggressive from day one, even if you don’t have a name. This is a common problem that often leads to failure, so many people come to me with an app that they built but haven’t launched.

Get out there quickly. You just have to get out there and test things like what the market wants. Listen to your customers, but you have to get it out there first.

Kim Ngo: Just do it. Thanks Jude. I enjoyed our conversation. Good luck with all your future endeavors!

Instead of allocating all of their resources to game development, HeyZap founders Immad Akhund and Jude Gomila decided to try their hand at cataloging the most popular games into a simple user-friendly widget that can be plugged into any site. By easing the game-embedding process and giving users an API option that allows for seamless integration (i.e. customizable borders, size, color scheme), HeyZap is on its way to becoming the YouTube of casual gaming. But instead of being a destination site that gaming junkies would regularly visit for their daily dose, HeyZap intends for most of its visitors to access its games through other sites that have embedded its games.

Facebook pages, tweets, and blogs are just some of the venues that HeyZap is plugging into, but nonsocial networking sites like lifestyles pages and hobby sites are some of the big game that HeyZap is fishing for. Looking to increase the traffic on your site? Embedding casual flash games with HeyZap increases both the number of visitors and the amount of time they spend on your site. Many of the viral games catalogued on HeyZap include those published by big names of the industry, but that doesn’t mean that the little guy is counted out. Publishing games is just as easy for independent developers, and HeyZap cuts them in on their fair share of the profits. HeyZap’s approach toward casual gaming lets developers, both big and small, make their games more public, viral, and most importantly, profitable.

With over 30,000 games catalogued in embeddable widgets, HeyZap is uniting the thousands of flash games scattered throughout the web into a single, cleanly wrapped package, complete with instructions for dummies.

Return Wednesday, April 14th to meet the young energetic HeyZap co-founder Jude Gomila in a one-to-one interview!!

He has been called a social game guru, an innovator, and a douchebag (by the 77 members of the “Blake Commagere is a douchebag” Facebook group , most of whom are his friends, resentful of their inboxes being spammed with Vampires and Zombies invitations). Outside of social gaming apps, however, he has been called a smart, carefree guy, who is just as adventurous as he is spontaneous. His wildly fun personality comes through his work and keeps his projects entertaining. Always keenly observant of what does and doesn’t work with his market audience, Blake tends to obsess meticulously over how to improve whatever it is that he’s working with, which has proven time and time again to pay off. It took eleven days to make the first working version of Vampires and Zombies, and only a few short years to accomplish everything he’s done thus far. The only question left for Blake is: What’s next?

IntimateMath will be spotlighting Blake Commagere and following him as he works on his next upcoming project, which he will not disclose until it is ready to go public. What he will disclose with IntimateMath is his daily life, work routine, and some tips for building creative social games. This profile will reveal another side of Blake, different from the Zombified one that we already know, that will expose not only his witty personality and humor, but his driving motivation and influences as well. His “next big thing” is a secret for now, but join us as it unfolds and tune into IntimateMath for the latest Commagere updates.

Now, let’s meet Blake!
Trouble Viewing? Visit: IntimateMath on YouTube

Without a fashion degree or any prior experience in the fashion industry, Kim dove head first into the scene, figuring out the details on her own and soaking up all the knowledge she could while her fashion line was developing.

Yumi Kim is more than just another trendy label. Kim Phan shares her closet with the mission to make women everywhere feel beautiful and confident — effortlessly in her hip, fun, and flirty designs. Click here to read more about Yumi Kim: Founder of Yumi Kim Launches Her Fashion Line and Life Online

IntimateMath sits down with Kim Phan to learn about the sacrifices she’s made, the opportunities she’s seized, the dream she never lost sight of, and how she persevered to build her own brand from the ground up.

A Short Clip of My Conversation with Kim Phan from YumiKim
Trouble Viewing? Visit: IntimateMath on YouTube

PROFILE

Kim Phan of Yumi Kim with Yumi (Yes, that's Yumi to the RT)

Companies Founded:
1. Yumi Kim, Founded in 2005
Funding: $50,000
Investors: Self-funded

Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Currently Resides: New York City, New York
Education: San Diego State University, Economics, 2001
Hobbies/Interests: Traveling and eating.
Quality Most Remembered for: Being real and honest. I’m a straight shooter.
In 10 Years…: I see myself doing what I do now. I’m very passionate about what I do. And I would love to see Yumi Kim grow bigger as a lifestyle brand.
Proudest Moment: When I received my first big order from Nordstrom.
I’m Motivated by…: My parents’ sacrifice. They came here from Vietnam with virtually nothing, all so that I had a chance at a better life. I want to make them proud and let them know that their sacrifice wasn’t for nothing.
Favorite Quote: “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” — Confucius
Role Models: My Mom, Hunynh.

Kim Phan’s: Yumi Kim | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

THE MORE PERSONAL INTERVIEW – (Full Interview Transcription)

Kim P. & Kim N. Wearing Yumi Kim

Kim Ngo: Hi Kim. Thanks for meeting with IntimateMath. Tell us about Yumi Kim. What’s the mission, and how did you get started?

Kim Phan: I started Yumi Kim in 2005 while playing with the idea of starting a line. While conceptualizing Yumi Kim, I found part of myself and realized I had a fascination with colors and prints. I started working with silk fabrics. And in the last five years, Yumi Kim went from a line with cute t-shirts with little embellishments to a full-fledged collection of dresses, jumpers, shirts, jackets, and skirts, constructed with beautiful silk fabrics and prints.

I hope that Yumi Kim makes women aware that they can be fashionable and beautiful, all while being comfortable in any situation they may encounter. My line encompasses pieces perfect for dates, work, special events and everyday wear.

I use a lot of bright prints and bold colors in my designs. When you’re wearing Yumi Kim, you’re wearing a statement piece. I want women to feel sophisticated and pretty, like all eyes are on them when they enter a room.

Kim Ngo: Did you get outside funding to start Yumi Kim? How much money did you have when you started and how did you get it?

Kim Phan in New York with Her Stylish Top & Boots

Kim Phan: I had no outside funding. I started with fifty thousand dollars. I was very lucky in getting this money. In 2005, I bought an apartment in the Upper West Side. At that time, New York real estate was hot, and I was able to get a line of credit against my mortgage. I was also approved for a small business loan.

Kim Ngo: So one day you just woke up and said, I’m going to start a fashion line with no degree or training in fashion? How does someone create a line without going to a fashion design school?

Kim Phan: I’ve been making my own clothes since I was very young, and once I realized that fashion was my true calling, I decided that I would design a very small line with only a few prints and bodies to get a feel for the industry. The response was extraordinary, and I gradually built up my line to where I am at today. It’s an ongoing learning process for me.

In 2002, I moved to New York with a dream to go into fashion, but I didn’t know what I was going to exactly do. I just knew I wanted to work in fashion. I thought I was going to work in marketing or be a publicist for a fashion company.

Kim Phan of Yumi Kim, Calvin Tran of Calvin Tran & Michelle Nguyen of Yumi Kim

I interviewed with many companies and received a number of job offers, but I realized that I couldn’t be fashionable with a salary of $20,000 a year. So my objective changed from wanting to work in fashion to needing to pay the bills.

One day, I was eating dinner by myself, and I sat next to this guy who happened to work for the president of a big music company. We instantly clicked, and he told me, “You know what? You seem like a really cool girl. My boss is looking for another assistant. Come in for an interview.” I came into the company’s office, and the president gave me the job.

I didn’t want to go into the music industry, but the opportunity was just too great to pass up. I went home that night saying to myself, “If you don’t take this opportunity, you’re always going to live the rest of your life wondering what could have been.” So, I accepted the position.

Kim Phan, Yumi Kim & Nam Vo, Makeup NV

I still wanted to work in fashion, but I believe that everything happens for a reason. If an opportunity presents itself, you should run with it because you might develop a passion for whatever you stumble upon. But if you don’t find your passion, the experience, itself, is always great, and hopefully, you will learn something valuable.

In my case, I learned something valuable working two years at that music company. Although I made a lot of money at the young age of 22, I didn’t love my job. I woke up every day not looking forward to going to work. I learned that no matter how much money I make, if I wake up not loving what I do then nothing really matters.

Kim Phan Being Kim Phan

I’m glad I learned the lesson that money was not more important than my passion at a young age. I put in two years of my time in the music industry, and now, I am back into fashion. Fashion is why I originally moved to New York City with confidence regardless of my financial situation.

Kim Ngo: Where do you find your inspiration for your designs?

Kim Phan: I like to travel a lot and visit the local vendors at flea markets to see the fabric textures and different colors they use.

One of my favorite places to go is Asia. When you go to flea market in Asia, you’ll find a variety of things such as artwork, fabric, and even, cute little souvenirs. I get inspired by what I see at these markets. When I visited Thailand, the rich colors combinations amazed me. I also went to Malaysia recently and fell in love with Indonesian embroidering.

I use what I see in my travels to help inspire me in putting together a collection.

Calvin Tran of Calvin Tran working w/Kim Phan of Yumi Kim

Kim Ngo: What would you say was your toughest experience in building Yumi Kim?

Kim Phan: Figuring things out on my own was the toughest. There is no manual that can teach you everything about managing your own line.

For example, to become a real brand, you have to move into mass chain retailers like department stores: Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, and etc.

When you play with the big guys, there are thick contracts and lots of rules. I’m not a big company, and I didn’t have someone to guide me along the way. If one tiny rule is broken, the retail company will send a chargeback. If you, as a vendor, don’t tag a shirt right, don’t box your items correctly, and don’t ship the package in the right way, the retail company will charge you for every single item. You can lose thousands of dollars for the tiniest mistakes. The lesson I learned is do your homework well. Read everything.

Kim Ngo: Can you break it down step-by-step of what a new designer needs to work successfully with a big department store?

Yumi Kim Exclusively for W Hotels

Kim Phan:
1. Get a showroom and a sales team that represents your line to buyers. You’re a designer who needs to be out there designing and being creative. You have to have a sales rep that has relationships with key people in the fashion industry. Networking is very important.

2. Know a production company that is able to produce on a mass level.

3. Get funding. You might have a factory and access to manufacturers, but how are you going to finance 2,000 pieces of apparel?

4. Get the team to make sure that when the goods are ready, they are tagged and all the buyers’ guidelines and rules are followed.

5. Know your customers. Department store customers are different from specialty shop customers. Understand what those types of customers are and cater to each one.

THE INTERVIEW – (Full Interview Transcription)

Kim Ngo: Where do you think the contemporary fashion industry is going right now?

Yumi Kim

Kim Phan: With the recession, the industry has changed a lot. The recession has made everybody in contemporary and luxury fashion and anyone that’s selling apparel over $20 sit back and think: “How am I going to get someone to buy this dress?” Right now, anyone who is producing a product better make a darn good product — something that convinces consumers that it is worth spending their money.

Kim Ngo: Fashion designers usually hit a trend peak then slowly decline in popularity. Do you feel that applies to Yumi Kim?

Kim Phan: Well, right now I’m more of a downtown New York brand. I am still small and figuring out where I want to take Yumi Kim. Do I want to keep it small? I never know what’s going to happen. Tomorrow, I may get a ton of press. Then I may get approached by some big garment company, like Jones of New York or Liz Claiborne, that says, “Hey, we want to make you bigger.”

That’s part of business; you just have to go with the flow and figure out what’s right along the way. You never know. Life is crazy. I might fall in love tomorrow and say I don’t want to be in the fashion industry anymore. You just take life one day at a time. As long as I’m happy doing what I do, then I want to continue Yumi Kim.

Kim Ngo: I understand that you also leverage the internet really well to get your brand out there. Can you tell us about that?

Kim Phan: My brother works in the web industry. For years, he’s been telling me that I need to get an online shop, start a blog, push Twitter, and do more to establish an online presence.

Most designers are very private about their lives, but I realized that people not only want to know you as a designer but also as a person. When they’re buying a shirt or dress, these customers are curious about who the designer is. What is she all about? Where does she find her inspiration? I started my blog to answer these questions. I wanted to open my world to my customers. I wanted them to get a glimpse of the life of Kim Phan, the designer of Yumi Kim. My blog is real; I’m a regular person. I want to share my passion and the details of living in one of the most amazing cities in the world.

www.IHeartYumiKim.com

Kim Ngo: Do you get a lot of traffic on your blog?

Kim Phan: There’s a decent amount of traffic, but most visitors are part of my loyal fanbase. I don’t want a million users who don’t care about me; I’d rather have a hundred visitors who say, “I love this girl. I love her designs. I love her life.”

Kim Ngo: How does your blog, which features your exciting New York life and traveling experiences, communicate Yumi Kim as a lifestyle brand?

Nam Vo, Kim Phan & Kim Ngo

Kim Phan: I love keeping my loyal customers up to date on what I’m up to! A lot of my blog entries show the process I go through to design my collection, such as my visits to our warehouse and factory in Asia, our shows, and my inspiration. Also, I think the blog helps my readers relate to me and motivates them to follow their dreams and take a chance like I did.

Kim Ngo: Tell us about the online shop, Yumi Kim.

Kim Phan: This past year I launched YumiKim.com; it took about a year. I was a little hesitant at first because you can’t click a button and instantly create an online shop.

Yumi Kim

An online shop requires you to build a backend process. You also have to have a team that manages and monitors the online shop. That’s like having another store. At first, I didn’t know if I was ready to build it because I didn’t know if I was ready to manage a fast growing business in addition to the offline business.

Also, I had to invest more time and money into opening an online shop. I wasn’t sure how good the ROI was going to be. However, I launched the site along with a big promotion with DailyCandy, and I was amazed by the power of the Internet. I remember that on the first day we received 5,200 orders.

Kim Ngo: Tell us about how you use Twitter.

Kim Phan: I signed up with Twitter and started building followers. I imagine my followers to be a loyal group of Yumi Kim fans who want to know when Yumi Kim has a sale, what’s going on, news about sample sales, and when there are new arrivals in the stores.

I noticed that when I announced a sample sale or an online sale, I could automatically see the results.

Yumi Kim Flagship Store

Kim Ngo: Between www.YumiKimShop.com and the Yumi Kim flagship store in New York City, which one do you think will be the most successful?

Kim Phan: I think the biggest will be my online shop which has been in operation for six months. Every time someone shops, we know exactly where he/she is from. I was like, “How did this girl from Alaska hear about Yumi Kim?” The cool thing is that I started to recognize names of returning loyal customers.

Kim Ngo: If you had to give one piece of advice to aspiring founders, what would be?

Kim Phan: My one advice is to not give up. And fight the fight.

Kim Ngo: Thanks Kim of Yumi Kim.

Yumi Kim is a hip clothing line full of flirty, colorful prints and fun, quirky designs that have been spotted in fashion magazines like Vogue, Cosmo, InStyle and Lucky — and sported by celebrities like the Hilton sisters, Kim Kardashian and Rihanna. Unlike most fashionable success stories, what sets Kim apart from other designers is her active use on her Twitter account and her intimate blog, where she shares all the details of her colorful life as a fashion designer, a business woman and a real person who is in the process of living her dream.

Kim Phan, Founder & Designer of Yumi Kim

Kim’s fashion line lets her open her wardrobe to the world, while her blog lets her open her heart. Follow Kim to industry events, fashion shows, and then back home to spend time with family and friends at a local café. Once you’ve gotten to know Kim through her blog, it’s hard to imagine that this warm and down-to-earth young woman is the same big name that dresses the stars.

Come back Wednesday, March 17th to get even more personal with the friendliest face in fashion, Kim Phan… and find out how she created a name for herself in the fashion world without a fashion degree or a plan.

With Sean’s new position at MySpace and a baby on the way, the growing Percival family is still managing to stay on top of the LA tech scene and enjoy the success of their first major project. While many couples might think it is impossible to share every waking moment together, especially those grueling workdays, Sean and Laurie agree that the joy of creating something with one another is a unique connection that few couples ever get to share. The key to making it work? Open communication and a strong sense of mutual respect for each other. The “Tweethearts,” as some have come to call the power couple, look back fondly on the process of creating lalawag and watching it grow, and still get excited to think about its potential to continue on this upward journey. For Sean and Laurie, it’s all about putting passion into your creation, and it doesn’t hurt to have the one who loves you by your side to cheer you on along the way.

THE INTERVIEW – (Full Interview Transcription)

Brangelina, who? This is Laurie and Sean Percival

Kim Ngo: So, tell us, how did you guys meet?

Sean Percival: We met through a friend. One night I was literally dragged out to Hollywood and thrown into a whole new word. I was lucky to meet Laurie that night, and as cheesy as it sounds, it was actually one of those love at first sight moments.

Kim Ngo: Sean, how did you go from being a janitor to a web designer?

Sean Percival: Over 10 years ago, I worked as a janitor. One of the offices I happened to clean belonged to Vegas.com and that is where I got my first introduction to a startup. It was a night shift, but these guys were still cranking away and having a blast in the process. I knew it was for me, so I did whatever I could to get there. I eventually found a better job doing tech support for companies like Adobe and Logitech. I stayed at work late at night (sometimes all night) to use their computers and broadband connections. It was in those late nights where I learned what it took to create a website. I made some of the most awful sites, real crimes against humanity, but I learned a few things and eventually found full-time work building websites for companies.

Kim Ngo: Is lalawag something you guys mutually created? How did you guys come up with the idea? What obstacles did you guys face?

The lalawag Home Office

Sean Percival: Lalawag is something I initially created. Laurie,as always, was there to support my crazy idea. At the time, Valleywag was closing down and the Los Angeles tech community had started to develop. It seemed like the perfect timing to start something like lalawag.

So one night while drinking, I loudly called former Valleywag writer Alaska Miller and pitched the idea. He didn’t think it was horrible and that was all the confirmation I needed. The next weekend I built the site and launched it soon after. After running the site for a few months, I turned it over to Laurie.

Kim Ngo: What were your expectations when you started the site? Did you guys ever expect the site to be as popular as it is?

Sean Percival: I didn’t have many expectations when I started lalawag. I wanted to capture some of the spirit of tech in Los Angeles, and I’m just happy I’ve done that to some degree. I’m still shocked when people come up to me and tell me how much they love the site.

LOVE AT FIRST SITE

Kim Ngo: Does working together ever cause a strain on your relationship? If so, how do you guys deal with those problems? If not, let us in on your secret!

Sean Percival: Of course it does. We are both stubborn Virgos and often bump heads over the direction of lalawag. I wouldn’t say it puts a strain on our relationship, though. Actually, I look back at some of our debates over lalawag with fond memories. Laurie is basically brilliant so I love the back and forth and eventual compromise we typically make.

On Laurie's Desk at lalalwag

Laurie Percival: Fortunately lalawag was not the first time we worked together; we actually had an ecommerce site that Sean built and then turned over to me. We have always had amazing communication with each other and through that first website, we learned how each of us handles business situations and how we could compromise or make decisions that would be best for where we wanted to take it. Working with family or friends is always hard, but if you respect the other person’s opinions and realize that you are working towards a common goal, it can be really fun too.

Kim Ngo: According to the site, as well as Sean’s blog, you guys are always at events and in meetings. How do you find time for each other?

Sean Percival: Recently we’ve scaled back the amount of events we personally attend. We try to make it to the big events, but it’s just not possible to make everything. With my new job at MySpace and a baby on the way, some open bars will just have to be missed. Although thanks to the LA tech community’s over-sharing, we can still read all about the events via Twitter.

Kim Ngo: With your new role as the Director of Content Socialization with MySpace, and a baby on the way, how is the future of lalawag looking?

Sean Percival: Busy! Laurie manages to take care of lalawag and we’ve started to expand our writer roster so she can focus on the baby more. Lalawag is and always has been a great pleasure for us. I imagine and hope it’ll live on and continue to grow as Los Angeles tech also continues to.

Kim Ngo: Laurie, what’s it like being married to a “web micro-celebrity,” as you call Sean in your blog?

Laurie Working

Laurie Percival: Oh wow, you found that. When I wrote that it was kind of my own personal joke. I was new to the tech scene and it very much seemed like Sean was a celebrity. Anytime we would go to events, people would continuously come up to say “Hi,” and anytime I met someone new and they saw my last name was Percival, they would say “Oh, you must be Sean’s wife.” Once Sean turned lalawag over to me, I was finally able to gain some of my own identity in the scene. Being married to Sean is awesome, I am very lucky to be with such a smart, talented and loving man.

Kim Ngo: How is it being a well-known, married couple on the tech scene? Do you guys ever feel the pressure to live up to your title as The Tweethearts?

Sean Percival: Yes and no. It’s not too difficult because we still genuinely like each other. I do get concerned some may feel we have the perfect relationship and everything is all rainbows and unicorns. Of course, we go through the same challenges as any couple. Of course, we’re less likely to broadcast those moments online.

Laurie Percival: It’s a lot of fun. I get to spend more time with Sean, and we can have conversations about things that are going on in the community or with tech in general. Most couples have one spouse that is not involved in tech, so it must be hard for them to relate something happening that they feel is important. Try explaining Twitter to someone who has never used it!

I never feel pressure to live up to anyone’s opinion of us, we have our ups and downs like any couple, we just don’t broadcast them in public. We also do a good job of communicating with each other. If something is bothering me or Sean we talk about it and come to a resolution.

Kim Ngo: Would you say that working together on lalawag has strengthened your relationship?

Sean Percival: I’d be interested to hear Laurie’s answer first, but I’ll go ahead and say yes. For one, it has made me a million times prouder of Laurie. She took over the site with no experience managing a blog. The fact that she has done such an amazing job is totally hot, no? Some guys get turned on by skimpy outfits, but I don’t mind a woman who can handle WordPress. Okay seriously though, I love that we’ve created something together. Few things we do together can ever really compare to that.

Laurie Percival: I’ve never looked at it that way. Lalawag is just another chapter in our relationship, something that we have put our hearts into and have grown together. Our relationship is solid and will continue to evolve and strengthen, regardless of what obstacle we are currently tackling. Overall, I am sure that some of the challenges we faced did help us to get through situations we may not have otherwise. It did make me proud of Sean—he always has great ideas—and to see this one become a reality with such support from the community behind it was great.

Kim Ngo: Last question, so many of us look to find that one special partner, can both of you give us some advice and tips on finding that special someone?

Sean Percival: It’s cliché, but I always say, “… to find the one for you, don’t look.” I say that because it worked for me, and I’m pretty sure if you’re looking too hard, you’ll probably miss it. I also always recommend to find that person organically somewhere way outside of your comfort zone. Break out from your circle of friends, or business circles, and see what else is out there! I also have this personal theory that the grocery store is the ULTIMATE place to meet someone new. Look there!

Laurie Percival: My advice would be to forget about whether or not you like the same movies or music—things in common are honestly not that important. The perfect partner is one that “gets” you. After that, nothing else matters. Though make sure you agree on religion and politics—those two subjects can cause issues no therapist can fix. Go out and mingle, try to meet someone new every time you are out. I don’t think you’re going to meet the love of your life sitting on your couch.

Kim Ngo: Thank you for sharing your story with us – Sean and Laurie! It was very interesting and entertaining. And of course, heartfelt.

Not only is it filled with useful information about upcoming events and real tech news, lalawag is a great site to just wander around and click away for the sake of pure amusement. It’s news with an edge delivered by the kind of people who speak their minds that you’d like to invite to your dinner party. Articles are insightful and intelligent with a witty flavor that makes for a rollicking good read. For me, what started as research for this article turned into several sidetracked hours of perusing through lalawag before I remembered that I was supposed to be working, not playing. Sean and Laurie have created the ideal vehicle to explore every corner of the LA tech world and wrap it all up in intelligent and colorful articles, videos, pictures, and more. Whether it’s event info, tech facts or a good laugh, lalawag should be your destination for all of the above.

Return Wednesday, March 10th to read about Sean & Laurie Percival and their labor of love.