Continued interactions with existing entrepreneurs are one of the best strategies for students to nurture an entrepreneurial spirit. For this practical exercise, I visited a Baltimore-based fashion designer called Jody Davis Designs. The organization is owned by Ms. Jody Davis, who also performs the functions of a program director for her growing enterprise (“About Jody Davis”). In 2017, The Baltimore Sun recognized Jody Davis Designs as the Best of Baltimore” in fashion design.

During our visit, we had the opportunity to interview Davis who told us that she has been in the fashion design business for more than 25 years. Currently, the native Baltimore woman’s firm offers a wide range of designs that target professional women, business owners, media personalities, and celebrities. When asked about her best former employer, Davis reported that she has never worked with any company. As Eppes indicates, Davis’ love for fashion design was so intense that immediately after her high school, the young lady decided to join the fashion design industry to pursue her passion. Davis believes that her firm is the most exciting company with which she has worked. However, she admitted her enterprise almost collapsed shortly after its establishment in September 2009 because they failed to consider the competition trends. Having learned from the experience, Davis now advises upcoming entrepreneurs to be careful about the market and focus on innovative differentiation strategies to make products unique. She also believes that being part of an incubator has been her best strategy to get access to business partners.

In sum, this activity provided me with an opportunity to learn several lessons, which I believe will be critical to my success as a future entrepreneur. First, I had the chance to interview a successful entrepreneur whose ideas inspired my vision, enthusiasm, and problem-solving skills that are vital to entrepreneurial achievements. Moreover, from the exercise, I discovered that my local city, Baltimore, still offers incredible investment opportunities, especially in the fashion design sector. Therefore, business-savvy people like myself can step up and reach their goals rather than being afraid of taking risks.

References

“About Jody Davis.” Jody Davis, https://jodydavisdesign.com/. Accessed 07 March 2019.

Eppes, Jasmine. “Baltimore’s Most Successful Female Entrepreneurs.” Culture trip, www.theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/maryland/articles/baltimores-most-successful-female-entrepreneurs/