Founder@ Interview
Interview with Edna Konadu
“If you have had a consistent dream or vision in your mind for a really long time, I want to advise that you start to act on it...” – Edna Konadu
Today we feature Edna Konadu, the founder at AM:PM London. We hear their story in their own words, their successes, their challenges and their insights.
Let’s start by getting to know you. Can you please tell us a little bit about you and what you do?
My name is Edna and I am the founder and designer for AM:PM London – a premium footwear brand specialising in nude heels for Women of all skin tones. AM:PM focuses on diversity, design & quality to promote luxury, inclusive footwear for Women worldwide.
A great introduction and start to this interview. Can you please tell us, how did you start, from what age, and what made you decide to change direction and start?
I was 23 when I realised I wanted to become a business owner and merge into the footwear industry – by this time I was working for an online fashion brand. I made a conscious effort to learn as much as I could from my day job about what goes on behind the scenes of running a fashion business whilst doing my own research on the footwear industry.
Filled with so much knowledge (and some crucial learning experiences from previous failed business attempts), I self-funded AM:PM London at the age of 24 after I realised there was no job in the world that would make me truly happy unless I worked for myself on something I was passionate about. I also really wanted to set myself apart and go into a niche that hadn’t really been tapped into before.
Thank you for that insight. So can you tell us…What does your business do and where is your company based?
AM:PM London footwear was birthed from wanting to prove that heels can be good quality and modern without compromising on comfort, by focusing on refined designs for Ladies of Luxury. All designs are original, available in various shades of nude and created with our customers in mind. AM:PM focuses on deluxe details that instantly elevates any outfit. With comfort and style embedded in the unique designs, you can confidently glide in heels from AM to PM.
AM:PM is based in London, all shoes are ready to wear with complimentary, luxury packaging as well as free shipping on all orders within the UK. AM:PM London is also available for express shipping worldwide. All collections are released one style at a time in the full shade range to offer our customers with more options (and the ability to collect as many shoes as you love!). We also proudly support the importance of slow fashion and are gearing towards becoming more and more sustainable i.e. producing shoes of high quality in limited quantities.
What’s the story behind your success? What led to your aha moment? how did you get to where you are now?
Well, I believe my genuine love for business came from my parents. They are successful business owners in 2 different industries and I had always worked with them during my summers whilst subconsciously wanting my own career in business. Before my success with AM:PM London, I had a few failed business attempts, one which included a partnership but I never felt like giving up. My friends were amazing in supporting me however, my parents weren’t completely behind the idea of me starting a business, especially since it was in the complete opposite direction of what I graduated in. I knew I had a lot to prove but mainly to myself, so I used almost all of my income to start up AM:PM London which was planning out great until a little thing called Covid-19 hit.
I had an ‘aha!’ moment after realising how much I had procrastinated in the past and had to seriously ask myself ‘if not now, when?’. My finances were shaky and I knew I was risking a lot but after a long time debating, I finally decided to go for it and launched my business in July 2020 (during the peak of the pandemic) which surprisingly became an instant success on social media. After seeing the growth, everyone (including people I didn’t know) was in full support and more and more resources became available to me. I still work a full-time job today alongside running AM:PM London but my work ethic and skills gained in previous workplaces keeps me on top of everything.
Thank you for sharing that. What’s been your life’s biggest lesson so far?
I have experienced so many ups and downs, some prior to launching AM:PM London which didn’t bother me as much as it wouldn’t effect my customers but have and still do face many hurdles until this day. One of the ups of course were the first 2 days of launching, AM:PM gained a great deal of exposure and growth potential. Another up is being self-funded I thought I would lose a lot but I was actually able to use the capital to reinvest instead of seeking a loan or investment – I know this is one of the main reasons a lot of people don’t start their businesses.
The challenges I have faced so far are many, one being the manufacturing process. Having an overseas manufacturer during a pandemic can be very stressful. There is a language barrier, time difference which only allows for a small window of communication, not being able to visit factories etc. I have managed to build great relationships with my manufacturers (thank God for technology!) and continue to work on this.
The biggest lesson I have learned so far is to note down every single piece of constructive criticism or problem I have had in business, no matter how small it is and review them on a monthly basis to see if they are quick fixes or something I can plan towards improving on in future. This was a big step for me since I tend to get overwhelmed with the workload so I decided to change my approach and not take everything personally.
I wish I had allowed for more time in terms of possible hiccups and delays in production when wanting to release new designs according to the desired timescales.
If you were to go back in time, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
If I had a chance, I would definitely tell my younger self to stop sitting on great ideas and start already! I wasted so many years believing I couldn’t do it because I wasn’t experienced enough. But I have learned that the whirlwind being a business owner takes you through is something that nobody can be prepared for. It’s all about having the right attitude, believing in yourself and being resilient.
I would also tell myself to ignore the people who didn’t believe in me instead of trying to convince them to see my way. I tried too hard to get others to see my vision, forgetting that it was MY vision and the fire that was sparked within me was for good reason. There are far too many people in this world with great ideas but lack the confidence to execute them and I’m so glad I did but I would encourage my younger self to start earlier and surround myself with the right people to motivate me so I didn’t always feel like I was doing it alone.
We’re nearly halfway through our interview so it’s a great time to ask how does your business run. What three tools make your business run better?
My main 3 business tools at the moment are Preview App, Whatsapp Business and Google Analytics.
I always had the Preview App and would use it for my personal Instagram page when wanting to plan my posts ahead of time. My brand is really focused on aesthetics and the Preview helps in becoming a visual aid, being able to connect the AM:PM Instagram page and plan posts/captions ahead of time to see what suits best.
Whatapp Business has helped a lot when it comes to separating my Business from my Personal. Once I got myself a business line I immediately downloaded this app and used it to communicate with my manufacturers/suppliers with ease including sending pictures/videos/internet calls. Before this, I had one phone for everything and I didn’t have any real balance or social life as I kept accidentally ignoring personal messages and calls.
I’m still wrapping my head around Google analytics, with the help of some geniuses but it really is the most insightful tool in analysing and understanding my customers behaviours, what I can do more of, what works well etc.
Without these 3 tools, AM:PM London wouldn’t be able to operate at the front or back-end! I’m still very open to exploring the use of new business tools, especially ones that will allow me to connect with other in my field as sadly the new laws won’t really allow for events where I can network anymore.
What do you know now that you wished you had known before?
I wish I had allowed for more time in terms of possible hiccups and delays in production when wanting to release new designs according to the desired timescales.
What has been your greatest or proudest achievement or moment?
My greatest achievement to date is being able to have the platform to speak on the hardships of starting a business (like this one). As much as I am grateful for my brand’s success, I am also keen to be a respected person in the business world and hopefully my words can truly help and add value to someone’s thoughts on starting their own business.
What future life goals do you want to achieve and why?
I would love to make my mark by becoming the ‘First Black Woman to’ do something that’s never been done before! I want to expand my business as much as possible and would love to employ as many disadvantaged people as possible (i.e. from my homeland Ghana, Africa) on all levels. That would truly satisfy me as I know there are so many people in the world that have so much talent but lack opportunity.
To finish our inspire questions…”We believe that sharing inspiring words can inspire others.” If there was one positive thing you would say to someone to inspire and empower them what would it be and why?
If you have had a consistent dream or vision in your mind for a really long time, I want to advise that you start to act on it. Whether you are spiritual or not you have to believe that what is on your mind will probably never go away until you achieve it because that is subconsciously what will make you feel most fulfilled in life. So please, do not hesitate to execute something, build resilience for everyone that won’t always see it your way and start thinking like you are already successful. Let the hard work speak for itself and keep pushing for more. There are no limits in this world.
“Thank you it has been great learning more about your founder story and AM:PM London”
To learn more about AM:PM London Visit https://www.ampmlondon.com/
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