Michelle Fields, owner of contemporary clothing company Michelle New York, is all about her business. That’s why the entrepreneur made it a point to tap into the power of ESSENCE Festival by being a vendor. Here, Fields talks about the ups and downs of running her own company, special ESSENCE Festival moments (including dressing Angela Bassett!), her secret to success and more!
My Festival success story is…
I have lots of Festival success stories, so it’s hard to chose one, but if I had to chose just one it would have to be meeting and dressing one of my all-time favorite actresses Angela Bassett a couple of years ago.
My favorite ESSENCE Festival moment…
Was the first time I arrived at my booth and saw women lined up, waiting to purchase my dresses—it was a magical feeling.
Providing a service to my community makes me…
Feel connected with them. It makes me feel alive, needed, and like a contributing member.
What I hope happens at this year’s ESSENCE Festival is…
The same that happens every year, but even better — a huge turnout of amazing and exciting people that contribute to the beauty that is ESSENCE.
The best business advice I ever received was…
“Know my customer, know what my customer wants and deliver with impact.”
Running my own business is…
Exciting, rewarding, fun, challenging, demanding, and an incredible ride.
The people of New Orleans are…
Absolutely amazing. They’re warm, loving, fun, open and incredibly welcoming.
After visiting my ESSENCE Festival booth, you should…
Upload images of you at ESSENCE, wearing Michelle New York to Facebook and Instagram.
During ESSENCE Festival I was able to meet people who…
Inspired me, challenged me, and helped me to not only be a more effective designer/entrepreneur but also a better person.
The secret to my success is…
Organization, disciplined work ethic and never-ending persistence.
People trust my brand because…
Integrity, reliability and quality.
In business you should never be afraid to…
Fail because failure is experience. The more experience you get, the sharper you become.
I measure my success at ESSENCE Festival by…
How many lives I had the ability to touch through beautiful garments.
Anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps should…
First, be a people person. Second, commit to mastery. Third, be extremely passionate about what you do.
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