Kathryn Mc Carron helps women feel confident, sexy and cool through with her luxury knitwear line
Kathryn helps women feel confident, sexy and cool through with her luxury knitwear line.
Kathryn McCarron is a luxury knitwear line. We understand how to dress a woman, making her feel confident, sexy and cool. We understand the busy lives of a modern day woman. Juggling a business, marriage and a baby myself, I know a few secrets to looking pulled together in a snap. While our pieces are not inexpensive, you literally can live in them in almost all situations. Perfect for looking chic while traveling, a spontaneous lunchdate after the gym, or going out for a night on the town. We promise we’ll make you feel pulled together, chic and elevated by wearing one of our signature cashmere wraps, baby alpaca cardigans or long sleeved silk gowns.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur? Is having your own business something you always wanted?
I was working for big designers in New York and on paper I made it. I was working on the 40th floor on Madison Ave at 25 years old in the highest paced fashion city in the world. But after doing New York Fashion Week the year before and seeing my collection come to life and walk down the runway, I had never felt so happy and proud of anything I ever did before. I really just followed my heart and dove right in. The owner of Chobani yogurt said it perfectly, he said “I didn’t know how to swim, I just jumped in and learned the swimming from there.” And that’s really what I did. I knew I was good at designing, that I was sure of. And I knew how to make women feel beautiful, but everything else, I just had to figure out as I went.
Do you have a fixed work routine? Is it important to have one? Any tips for our readers?
Absolutely! I’m not one of those people that can work from home. I would literally be in my pjs and watching Oprah all day. I get up in the morning, spend time with my daughter and my husband, go for a run and go into my studio every day. I look over my to -do list and calendar and I always know what my objectives are for that day and work hard to accomplish them. As a newer mom (my daughter is 13 months), I find that I have to be even more efficient now so that I can pick my daughter up at a decent time and have that work-home balance as well. That makes me feel the best when I have that balance.
What do you think is the biggest obstacle for female founders? How can we overcome it?
I think being taken serious as a businesswomen. Since NYFW, I was always more or less taken serious as a designer, but doing business is different and you have to be more serious about it, a bit tougher I guess. I think that’s always a challenge for women.
What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
Many! But I would say I’ve sacrificed a lot of fun social events, vacations, and extracurricular activities. There just wasn’t enough hours in the day for me to do it all. Now that the business has been up and running for awhile, I can grab a cocktail or have a lunch with a friend or a colleague, or plan a getaway with my family, but it’s still limited. Im always working a bit.
How far are you willing to go to succeed?
As far as it takes without sacrificing my family, health, morals or integrity.
Was it difficult get capital/investors?
We are completely self funded. While that definitely has not always been easy, we have not found the right match to join with us and we are very proud to have full control.
What is one thing you find to be true that most people would disagree with?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe in hard work, believing in yourself and grit/persistence. Of course you have to have a good product before any of those. But if you keep doing the first 3 over and over again, it’s impossible to not succeed.
What are some pros and cons of having (OR not having) entrepreneurial parents?
My dad has his own business and I think it gave me a quiet confidence in doing that myself. I always liked that he was the boss.
What is your biggest dream? Why? Describe your biggest vision for your business.
For Kathryn McCarron to be a household name. I want to touch a part of as many people’s lives as a can and hopefully make their lives a little dreamier.