One of the things we love most about interviewing entrepreneurs is finding out how the unlikely paths they take on their journey lead them to unexpected business opportunities and ideas. Eliana’s journey has taken her through many different career paths, but where she finally landed was starting her own fashion brand, which in the past year has already seen amazing success. Here is her startup story:

Hi Eliana! What is Ifill Official and who is the brand for?

Ifill is a womenswear brand that creates unique pieces for everyday life and events, for the woman whose day is full of different commitments.

Tell us about your background before you began the business. What motivated you to change direction?

I finished college 5 years ago and took several gap years where I tried tons of things: I managed a toy store, was a nanny, lived abroad twice, started translating a TV show (going on 3 years) and let my fashion education sit through all of this. In 2017, a friend advised me to “just sew”, and that turned into a year old brand that has been financially independent for 5 months already.

What has been your proudest moment in business so far?

Making a profit and multiplying its investment less than a year in, and having it legally registered.

What’s the biggest lesson you have learned since starting your business?

That mindset plays a HUGE role in my productivity and outcomes, and that life is not separate from business: my moments of personal struggle have affected my company both in positive and negative ways.

How do you stay organised? Any tips or tools?

Organization is natural for me. I tend to write a lot of lists, keep track of all the money and activities, as well as goals and achievements.

Would you say you have a healthy work life balance?

Yes. Working for myself has allowed me to set my own priorities and live according to them. I love the flexible schedule and how it lets me do life without even having a watch. One thing I am looking to try is training in the afternoon and working in the morning (the opposite of what I do now) to see which works best. I would like to compete in fitness, so I’m trying to nail down my habits to allow this.

What do you have planned for Ifill and what are the next steps toward your goal?

My main goal right now is for my company to fully support me, as I currently rely on a paycheck from my translating job. And to accomplish this, I’m currently out looking for allies to sell my clothes, both online and off. Another goal is to be able to invest in help, such as accountants, seamstresses, etc., to help everything run more smoothly.

You can check out Ifill Official’s website at ifillofficial.com, and follow Eliana’s journey on Instagram at @ifillofficial. If you were inspired by Eliana’s story and would like to support her, she just started a campaign to attend Aruba Fashion Week 2018! Anything purchased on her shop now goes straight to paying the fee, and you can also help her reach her goal at the GoFundMe page here.