Lillian VERNON

Founding Chairman of the Lillian Vernon Catalogs and www.lillianvernon.com

It wasn’t just the wisdom that my father imparted to me, it was the way he lived his life that left an indelible impression. He was my mentor, my role model, and my inspiration. I owe a large part of my success as an entrepreneur to his belief in my talent and abilities.

My father took pride in owning his own business from the time I was a little girl growing up in Germany, when he was a successful entrepreneur. He had the insight to move our family to the United States just before the onset of World War II—a move that ultimately saved our lives. With little money, few contacts, and limited knowledge of the English language, he started a small leather-goods manufacturing company in Manhattan and made a good living. Unlike other men of his generation, he welcomed having women work by his side and he didn’t believe that a woman should stay home if she wanted to work. My mother assisted him in his factory all day, and when I was old enough, he asked me to help. My father sensed that I had a flair for fashion and he knew I loved to browse through the many interesting shops that lined the streets of New York City. He was developing a line of leather accessories for young women like me so he sent me on shopping excursions in search of new designs. The leather bags and belts I chose became best-sellers. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my father was nurturing my talent for merchandising. Thus the seed was planted for what was to become my mail-order entrepreneurial venture several years later.

In 1951, when I placed my first ad in Seventeen magazine for a personalized handbag and belt, it was my father’s encouragement that inspired me, despite the doubts of others. I was newly married and expecting my first child, and my husband couldn’t understand why I wasn’t content being a wife and mother. Although my mother worked, she felt that I should devote myself solely to my family and concentrate on raising my child. I was growing apart from my friends, who were traditional stay-at-home housewives, since we had little in common. Through it all, my father’s faith in me never faltered.

My father told me I had talent and a good idea for starting a business and I should never let anything get in the way of fulfilling my dream, or I would regret it for the rest of my life. It didn’t matter to him that I was a woman about to give birth. He believed I had to be happy, and if that meant starting a company so I could put my skills and energy to good use, then I should do it. My father also warned me that starting a business as a woman would be difficult, but I would learn and grow stronger each day. Giving up wasn’t an option because he knew I wasn’t a quitter.

I made a pact with myself never to disappoint him. His advice and support are among the reasons my life has been blessed with success and good fortune.

So don’t let challenges, setbacks, or detractors defeat or discourage you. If you believe in yourself and think positively, you will succeed!

Believe in yourself