For Ahriana Edwards, 24, her decision to start a business grew from her frustration at being denied a fashion option many young women take for granted. “Growing up, I developed a love of fashion,” she explained. “I was especially inspired by the business attire on those Law & Order shows my mom and I would always watch. I wanted to be that corporate boss woman in the room.”
True to her vision, Edwards embraced that sensibility when she started her career as a young marketing and sales professional. While working at companies like Toyota and Facebook, she adopted that “boss” look with sharp two-piece dress suits and power accessories. But she could never find the high-fashion shoes to complete the ensemble. Retailer after retailer, the fashionable options tapped out at size seven. Edwards is a size nine.
“I’ve always worn an extended shoe size since middle school,” she continues. “I found it extremely challenging to show up as my whole self in these corporate spaces without the right shoes to complement my outfit. And that’s what led me to create Vaila Shoes.”
Launched in 2021, when Edwards was just 21, Vaila Shoes is a modern footwear brand for what the Gen Z founder calls “big steppers” – women with extended shoe sizes (nine to 14) looking for stylish fashion choices in their footwear. The aim was to offer this underserved consumer base a spectrum of seasonal dress shoe collections for the workplace and after-hours. “The big steppers run in my family. We all shared the same story of feeling shy in stores trying to find our size, of not feeling feminine enough. I wanted to take that feminine power back.”
Simply put, Edwards started the company because she “felt like somebody had to do it.”
She has applied this entrepreneurial model to follow her path to developing shrewd money management skills and long-term wealth accumulation.
Edwards has confidence that the ability to snare select customers who share her same frustration with footwear limitations will also enable her to build a profitable business and advance her personal finance agenda.
The impact of Vaila was almost immediate. Her sisterhood of “big steppers” felt seen and responded with their dollars and brand loyalty. Within a year, the company had landed a lucrative deal with a major department store chain, and the company has seen continued growth ever since.
As a young entrepreneur fortunate to find early success, Edwards benefitted from the self-awareness to realize that a good idea and ready audience—while essential—will only take a fledgling business so far. Smart money management and a sound financial strategy were priorities from the beginning.
“I was first introduced to money management as a child,” she maintains. “I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur. In middle school, I sold candy and those silly band bracelets, and I got a feel for cash flow, what it meant to buy inventory upfront, and why you need to save what you earn to make back your investment.”
Those skills served her well in the early days of the company. Her success at various pitch competitions brought in $80,000, which enabled Vaila to get off the ground despite the company having no inventory or even a design on paper. Vaila Shoes was just a concept that sparked a demand for a product that still needed to be created. Wasting little time, she used that prize money to build inventory and finance a marketing plan. The cash carried the company through its critical first year.
“In the beginning, financial projections were always the big headache when creating our business plans. Many entrepreneurs say that, but it helps you home in on every dollar spent and how it works for you. That’s especially important in a product-based business where cash flow can be high at one point and fall off, and you have to rely on selling through to make something shake.”
Helping her through the headaches was her three-point support team consisting of an accountant, a bookkeeper, and her attorney.
“You definitely need a financial team to help figure out how much you’re spending, how the money is adding up, and exactly what you need to start the next month. As entrepreneurs, we have to run the business and the day-to-day operations. Sometimes, especially at the beginning, you can’t be as hands-on with the capital as you need to be.”
And don’t forget legal support: “You have to make sure you have your trademark and protect your baby by all means necessary because, in business, it’s all for grabs.”
Another critical concern was insurance. The meticulous entrepreneur carefully put general liability, product, and freight policies in place before shipping a single pair of shoes. “I ship a lot of my products from overseas into the U.S., and with shipping, you want to make sure you’re covered from the sea to the land to your front door. I also make sure to have a little extra coverage to protect against the unexpected.”
With three years of growth and experience behind her, Edwards is more confident in her business acumen and practices. And her goals for the company go beyond immediate business demands. At only 24, she is engaged in long-term thinking about her business legacy. “I want to have something to pass down. I am always thinking about ways to grow revenue to the point where I can exit the company and leave something behind for the next generation. I don’t want Vaila Shoes to leave when I leave.”
Viewing her youth as an advantage, Edwards has time to dream, plan, and execute. She is also focused on gaining more knowledge and guidance on such vital matters as personal finance and insurance planning, portfolio building, and tax management. Her advice to other GenZers is not to let age or limited experience hold them back.
“Being young in business can come with some obstacles. I mean, you’re growing, you’re learning. You’re entering into industries where others may know more than you do. But age won’t mean anything if you keep going and have the right team in your corner. Don’t feel like your age is a barrier to entering these spaces because you absolutely deserve a seat.”
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