Young Guns Reloaded: Wedding Bells, Babies and Business
In the last three years, Ariane Goldman has gone through two of life’s most thrilling moments: First, she got married. Then, she had a baby. But unlike most people consumed with the excitement and terror that goes along with such life-changing experiences, Goldman saw business opportunities. When she was looking for bridesmaid dresses, she wasn’t impressed. “There were dresses that were just going to be a one-stop shop. You would wear at the wedding, spend $300, and never wear again,” she explained. “So I wanted to create something that my girlfriends could wear again and feel beautiful in and style their own way because we all have our own individual style.” So she started two birds, a company that sells a simple but elegant bridesmaid dress that can be transformed into more than 15 different styles. But Goldman didn’t stop there. After gaining international success with two birds, which is projecting around $3 million in sales in 2012, she decided to hone in on the maternity industry with a second business called HATCH--for moms-to-be looking to stay chic during their pregnancy and after. “When I was pregnant, I noticed that there was a similar void in the market for things that I can invest in," she said. HATCH, which is only six weeks old, sells about a dozen pieces that can be transformed from stylish maternity to non-maternity looks. Goldman says starting her second business, which she is now selling online, is a testament to how exciting it is to be a small business owner. “The key to any of this is confidence….” she said. “It’s really about trying not to have fear, and I think the reason why I started Hatch is because I’ve learned so much from two birds. If you build it, not to be cliché, but if you build it, they will come. And so I am into building things now.”