We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Deborah Godfrey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Deborah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

To begin, I come from a family of entrepreneurs and true go getters. I’ve always wanted to start a business, I just needed to find my true passion within the business realm.

In the midst of the Covid19 pandemic I had time to brainstorm, research and reflect. My love for fashion and creativity came into play. I decided to start the brand, ‘The Vanity Code’. I wanted a brand name that had an impactful meaning. A brand that would truly be one of one. The word ‘Vanity’ is defined as excessive pride in or admiration of ones own appearance & achievements.

I started off by creating an instagram page with an introduction to the brand. I posted polls on my instagram story in order to see what potential customers would purchase.

With a $100 investment for my business start up, I decided on brand colors and an overall aesthetic. From there I made business card and logo design mockups. Ordered about 250 business cards from vistaprint. Through the results of the polls, I decided to start by selling unisex sun glasses. I started with 8 pairs, selling them at a rate of $15. Selling through my instagram page giving customers the options of pickups, drop offs & shipping. I sold out within that first week.

I then successfully created my own website after a month of researching and tweaking. Launching the website on my birthday September 23rd, 2020 with a variety of merchandise.

Though, I started as a online boutique I wanted to transition into strictly selling my branded designs. I tested out numerous vendors and manufacturers, invested time and money, until I found the right one. I launched my first branded clothing collection in July of 2021. A collection with unisex graphic t-shirts, two piece lounge wear sets & a body con dress.

Deborah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am the creative director & designer of The Vanity Code. I design and develop clothing collections. I style, create graphics, promotions, and campaigns for my brand.

I have always had a love for fashion and creativity. I decided to start the brand, ‘The Vanity Code’ in the midst of the Covid19 pandemic. A brand that takes excessive pride & admiration in ones own appearance.

I am most proud of how I develop ideas and bring them to life.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I believe networking has been the most effective strategy for growing my clientele. Simply having a conversation with individuals has lead to great opportunities. Between pop up events, work, and school, i’ve been given numerous opportunities to self promote my brand. Taking the leap of faith by putting myself, my brand and creativity out there. Word of mouth and rapport is essential for a flourishing business.

Social media is another effective strategy of growing my clientele. Social media has given me a platform with a wide range of users all around the globe. An opportunity to showcase my work and talents to any and everyone.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I started my social media presence by creating an instagram page with an introduction to the brand. The first post on my page was an image stating “You Gotta Start From Somewhere”. The caption on the post gave an introduction to my brand, brand meaning and what was in stored. I also posted polls on my instagram story in order to see what potential customers would purchase.

Now having inventory, I continuously come up with creative ways to display my merchandise through photos, videos, etc. I also post questions and polls to get interactions with my audience. More key points are being & remaining consistent. Staying up to date with trends. Understanding how the social media algorithm works on each platform. Understanding and finding your niche with your business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thevanitycode.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thevanitycode?igshid=MmIzYWVlNDQ5Yg==
• Other: all platforms: @thevanitycode