How to Rebrand, Build Confidence, and Start that Business with Cass Dimicco
Fashion & Founders The Podcast
Victoria Smith interviews Cass Dimicelle to discuss her transition from a fashion buyer and influencer to the founder of Aureum. The convers
Key takeaways
- Cass Dimicco pivoted Aureum away from jewelry due to frequent Amazon dupes and difficulty maintaining consistent quality in plated items.
- Aureum follows a 'product-to-price' strategy, designing high-quality items first and then setting prices based on the necessary margins for craftsmanship.
Main topics
- Career transitions in fashion
- Brand pivoting and product evolution
Notable quotes
Confidence comes from keeping promises to yourself.
Conclusion
The episode serves as a practical guide for creators looking to transi
Transcript preview
Speaker 2 (0:00) I didn't think I was like worthy enough yet. I was like, I'm not there yet. Finally, it came to a point we were like, all right, like we need to get our act together. We turned into completely different people. And I think that gave us the level up and the confidence to then feel like, okay, then now what's next after that? Like, okay, let's start a business together. If you don't feel like you have that confidence, maybe try channeling into something that can like build your confidence up first. Then maybe you'll feel like, okay, I feel like I'm. have my shit together. Like I'm ready to do this thing that I always said I would be ready to do. I Speaker 1 (0:32) remember when someone said confidence comes from keeping promises to yourself. I was like, exactly. Fashion and Founders is your resource for breaking into fashion, leveling up your career and building a breakthrough business. So let's get into this week's episode. Hi, Cass. Hi. Welcome to the podcast. I'm so excited to chat with you. It was so nice going to your New York Fashion Week event the other day, meeting you in person for the first time. And you mentioned you hadn't done a podcast since really launching bags. Speaker 2 (0:59) Yeah. I haven't spoken about handbags at all yet, which is kind of crazy. It's like been it's we basically are just celebrating the one year anniversary now since launching. And I was Speaker 1 (1:10) reflecting Speaker 2 (1:10) yesterday. I was like. Literally this time last year, I was in my hotel room during Fashion Week, you know, setting everything up behind the business, waiting for it to launch. And I had so much anxiety. I was literally in my hotel, like I didn't leave my Speaker 1 (1:23) hotel room because I was just so stressed being like, I hope this goes well. That was when you first launched the bags. Speaker 2 (1:28) Yeah, that was when we first launched the bags. And it's only been a year and I'm so proud. It's crazy. I feel like it's a really hard category to crack. So the fact that we're doing it is very exciting. Speaker 1 (1:40) And they're beautiful. I loved the zebra one. Yeah. That was my favorite. Yeah, Speaker 2 (1:44) it's really cute. Speaker 1 (1:44) I'm excited. Speaker 2 (1:45) Yeah. Speaker 1 (1:45) Well, before we dive into where the business is now, I would love to start with your career in fashion. You were a buyer at one point. How did that lead you to being a founder? Like, what was that kind of early stage of your career like? Speaker 2 (1:58) Yeah. So I always knew I wanted to be a buyer. It was basically, I knew I wanted to combine fashion and math together. So I thought that was going to be my long-term. career for the rest of my life. And then once I started working, I think I kind of realized that there was more for me out there. There was also a lot of OG influencers. I remember there was an article that came out and it was exposing how much money they made. Speaker 1 (2:23) And I was like, I can do this. I am doing this. Like, this is crazy. Speaker 2 (2:27) And at first I kind of started it because I wanted to have a cooler job in fashion. I was working for a department store and it wasn't the most... fashion forward job but obviously it was very much like amazing experience and I was basically like okay I feel like if I show my outfits online I could hopefully get a better job I really wanted to work for intermix or shopbop or revolve I wanted to be a buyer there so that's how it started and then my outfits kind of started to I was really consistent with it I was working on it every single weekend I was really passionate about it and then it got to a place where I was making more money as a creator than my job. So I ended up quitting my job. And I also was doing a lot of product development for the department store. So I knew I wanted to start a brand. Speaker 1 (3:15) And Speaker 2 (3:15) for some, this is not the only path. Obviously everyone knows you can start a brand without having a following. But even back then, this was like 2017. So nine years ago, crazy. When it was all so new, even back then, I was like, if I started a personal brand, I feel like it's a much easier path to then. launch a brand and have it be successful. So that was always my plan. Like, okay, I'm going to have my personal brand, then eventually launch a brand and it will be a bit more seamless. But then I always tell the story of how at the time when I was, I think I was around two years into being a creator full-time, my husband was like, let's start a brand. And I was like, Yeah, it was really him who pushed me. I have to give him the credit because I didn't think I was big enough. Like I didn't think I was like worthy enough yet. I was like, I'm not there yet. Like I had like a great community, but it was smaller. And I knew they really trusted my opinion, but I didn't think that, I don't know. I felt like all the girls who had brands had like a million plus followers. Like they were really big. So that was what I thought was the. barrier to entry of like I needed a mass following to be able to do it. But we ended up just trying it out and going for it. And I'm so happy we did. And the brand has obviously evolved so many different times and turned into something completely different now. But that's how it kind of all started. And Speaker 1 (4:40) I feel like that career path is starting to become more common where you have a corporate fashion job. But you have that entrepreneurial spirit and it's like, I'm going to go start my own platform and be a creator. And then they start a brand. Speaker 2 (4:50) And Speaker 1 (4:50) I like to say that the people who listen to the podcast are future guests because I think they're following that same path and they really look up to people like you. Speaker 2 (4:59) So Speaker 1 (5:00) how was that transition? Because it's kind of scary to quit your job and like invest in yourself. I think like that comes with a lot of doubt and then to invest in a business. Speaker 2 (5:11) So Speaker 1 (5:11) you kind of said like your husband really pushed you and you saw you're already making more money. But did you have any moments of like, I shouldn't have done that? Speaker 2 (5:20) No, not really. I Speaker 1 (5:21) gave this Speaker 2 (5:22) advice to someone who is now doing very, very well, like even better than me, who she was talking to me about how she was like, I'm quitting my job. And I could always go back and, you know, but I feel like I should just do it. And I'm like, no, no, no, no. We're not going to have any of those thoughts. Like I didn't have a single day where I was like, I'm going to go back or I can maybe go back. I was like, I'm going to make this happen. You know, I just had blinders on of just like full confidence in myself. And I never thought I would ever go back ever. I was like, I will work for myself for the rest of my life. I will figure it out and I will. this is going to be successful. So I think you kind of have to have that like totally Delulu brain, which I'm really good at having. And I think that's how you give yourself that push and that confidence. I also think I was young. I think I was 26. So I think that's not like super young, but it was an age where I was, didn't have any major responsibilities, you know? So I think I just kind of went for it. But I also think that You have to be able to take those risks in order to get to the next level. And I also have to give my dad props because he was also like, he was so pumped for me to be quitting my job. Like he was like, this is it. This is going to be your moment that you're going to quit and like your life is going to change and you're going to, like he was very supportive. And I think a lot of parents, maybe especially at that time where an influencer was so new, would not have been supportive. Like when I met my husband for the first time, like he had never met an influencer, you know, like he was like, what do you do? He was so confused. I had, cause I had quit my job a week before I met him. No Speaker 1 (7:11) way. And he Speaker 2 (7:11) was like introducing me to one of his like, um, guy friends who like works in fashion was like this girl's looking for a job I was like no no I'm not looking for a job I have I'm making more money doing this online than I am at my job and all of his friends were like so fascinated by me and my friends and the influencer world and they were just like I found it so interesting and then for Orium with the brand Speaker 1 (7:35) we Speaker 2 (7:37) We kind of were just like, let's try it, you know, and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. We didn't invest that much money into it. You know, we maybe it was around 10, 20 grand. It wasn't a crazy amount of money. I feel like I want to encourage people that there is ways to start a brand without a lot of money. You don't need to raise like we've never raised for Orium. Everything is self-funded. You can kind of just see how it goes, see if you have product market fit, but you don't need to feel like you have to. make it this giant thing. Like just take those little baby steps, you know? Speaker 1 (8:09) That's great. You had such a support system who is rooting for you. Speaker 2 (8:12) Yeah. I think that anyone listening, I think that even if you don't have that support system around you, the greatest gift you could give yourself is to just believe in yourself and like work on yourself. I always tell the story too about how before Matt and I took the leap to start Orium, we wanted to just kind of be better. people. Like we were partying all the time. We were, you know, living our best life in our 20s. And then finally it came to a point we Speaker 1 (8:40) were like, all right, like we Speaker 2 (8:41) need to get our act together. And we started working out and journaling and we just discovered the whole like wellness boom started to kind of happen, you know, at this time. And we turned into completely different people. And I think that gave us the level up and the confidence to then feel like, okay, then now what's next after that? Like, okay, let's start a business together. I think If you don't feel like you have that confidence, maybe try to put your energy into taking better care of yourself or making your house clean every day. I don't know. Whatever it is. Channeling into something that can build your confidence up first. Then maybe once you build that confidence, you'll feel like, okay, I feel like I have my shit together. I'm ready to do this thing that I always said I would be ready to do. Speaker 1 (9:30) I remember when someone said confidence comes from keeping promises to yourself. I was like, exactly. Yeah, I know. That's Speaker 2 (9:37) a Speaker 1 (9:37) hard one. Speaker 2 (9:37) I don't even do I'm not even that great at it. Like I go through and not everyone is perfect, right? Like I think I'm really happy I had that period of my life where I went all in on like self development, because even though I'm not. not operating at that level of consistency of doing like 20 things in the morning anymore. I can still revisit it when I feel myself falling off track, you know, like September reset. It's kind of the same idea. Like I'm like, I know, okay, I'm not feeling that mentally great right now. Like when I get home, maybe I should like write in my journal again in the morning for like a week and see if it puts me back on track. Like it doesn't have to be this rigid thing where you're like. consistently doing the exact same thing every day. Like I have a problem with consistency. I'm like a little all over the place. So just having those tools to visit when I feel like I need it is really helpful. Speaker 1 (10:31) This is actually something I was excited to ask you about because I remember listening to you on Grace Beverly's podcast and you mentioned this like get your shit together moment. And like you said, September for me is that moment. Like I have, what is it? Four months left of the year. It's the last quarter. Like, how do I end so strong? You mentioned some things that you did. Speaker 2 (10:52) I Speaker 1 (10:53) wonder if we can even just make like a short, quick little playbook for someone listening who's like, maybe I'm about to quit my job. Maybe I'm about to go all in on my content and like believe in myself, start that brand of like, what did you do at that stage that like made the biggest impact? Speaker 2 (11:09) I would say. There's a lot of things. So I'm going to list a lot of things and don't feel like you need to do all of them. Just pick the ones that or try all of them and then, you know, sit with yourself and figure out like which one feels good and feels like it's really helping you. I've done a lot of things over the years because I really do struggle with sometimes with focusing and like with I'm very driven, but I'm also very like relaxed. So I need a lot of tools. So I would say the five minute journal, like the gratitude journal. That's very helpful. Do you know what that is? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I feel like everyone kind of knows what it is, but sometimes I'll post it and people will be like, what is that? Speaker 1 (11:45) And you can just do that on your own journal. Like you don't need to buy. Yeah. You don't need to buy that. You can even Speaker 2 (11:49) put into chat GBT. Like I actually put into chat the other day, give me a workbook of things, something I should fill out to like do a little bit of self-reflection for the rest of the year. Speaker 1 (12:02) Yeah. It Speaker 2 (12:03) could be something as simple as that. But so I would say the journal. I would say working out is a big one for me. If I don't start my morning, you know, moving my body and like doing something, meditating is a great one. I think going for walks, listening to a podcast is another great one. I've also talked about how I have this recording. I actually need to update it. I'm like due for an update. It's two years old now. I recorded an audio of myself. saying affirmations of like what I needed to hear for myself and then put it over meditation music. And sometimes when I'm like getting ready, I'll listen to it in the morning. And the great thing about that is it could be so personal, like make it really specific of just like whatever it is you feel like you need to hear. I would be like, people want to wear my brand. Like I have great intentions. Like whatever really speaks to you, you can then. put it in your own words. But that also comes from like listening to a lot of meditations where you're like, I kind of don't want to hear someone else. I kind of want to hear like my specific things. And I also used to put like affirmations in my five-minute journal. Like I would write them down and have it in the cover. And then I would just read them in the morning. Like after I did my pages, I would read, you know, like the things that I felt like I needed to Speaker 1 (13:25) hear. But it's Speaker 2 (13:26) just like trial and error. And I also think I still love like a good vision board. Speaker 1 (13:30) Yeah. You Speaker 2 (13:30) know, like I think it's