Fashion Startup Zady’s 8 Tips To A Silky Smooth Investment Meeting

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FORBES AUGUST 12, 2013 | READ THE ORIGINAL POST

Our team recently had the opportunity to chat with Zady Founders Soraya Darabi and Maxine Bédat. The pair met over a decade ago while growing up together in Minnesota. After college, Soraya quickly made a name for herself in the startup scene gaining accolades and cover features with large publications like Fast Company, Inc. and AdAge. At the same time, Maxine was carving a niche for herself in international law and began building The Bootstrap Project, which would soon become the impetus to a venture together.

Seizing the opportunity to champion conscious consumerism in a world where fast fashion dominates, Soraya and Maxine became the female powerhouse behind Zady. Launching August 27, Zady is the world’s premier online destination that sells impeccably crafted goods, but is also inventing new standards for sustainable design and production.

With the world clamoring over the reveal of Soraya’s new ethical fashion startup, even more excitement grew after learning of Zady’s $1.35M first round of seed funding. “Last year, out of all the startups that pitched to U.S. angel investors, only 16% were women-led, and, from that 16%, 25% secured funding,” shares Natalia Oberti Noguera, Founder & CEO of the Pipeline Fellowship, an angel investing bootcamp for women. It’s not enough to pitch–you have to close the deal. Wondering how Soraya and Maxine have been so successful in raising capital? Here are their eight tips to a silky smooth investment meeting:

1. Have a strong vision and know how to communicate its relatedness to the world.
2. Believe that your business is a game changer and is everything the market wants and more.
3. Be confident in yourself and your team.
4. Practice, practice, practice. Practice your pitch in front of friends, in front of the mirror, record yourself and play it back so you know what to improve.
5. Memorize your key selling points and avoid “ums” and “likes.” They’re distracting and disempower you.
6. Do your research. Know the ins and outs of your potential investors.
7. Leave your quirky habits at the door. No hair twirling or pacing.
8. Look sharp. Dress the part.

Maxine and Soraya also add that VC firms are typically risk averse so you better come prepared with why your venture is a winning investment. Here is what they shared about Zady.

Maxine: “Zady is a brand born online with digital savvy and unique product offerings. We have the strongest team imaginable to execute on the mission we embarked on. Investors invest in teams first. Many of our investors felt strongly that we were combining the world of style and organic product, with a digital backbone, at the right time.”

Soraya: “Zady is at the forefront of a conscious consumerism movement which is redefining the vision for shopping. We are bringing fashion back to the time when items were made by true artists who utilized high-quality fabrics with the intention of creating clothing that would withstand time, seasons, and trends.”

Zady will serve as an alternative for those seeking timeless style with a conscious stamp of approval. Ethics will no longer be questioned, but rather, the craftsmanship and process will be held highest, fostering a new respect for the industry. The rise in fashion tech is exciting for many reasons, but for one, it’s become a catalyst for the rise of women led enterprise. Soraya and Maxine are paving the road for young female entrepreneurs and mobilizing the confidence to raise the capital required to fund female led ventures.

Here’s how Zady is putting its funding to work in preparation for launch: The two have been visiting factories, workshops and also attending trade shows to personally vet new brands. They’ve also been meeting with experts from the buying, merchandising and operations worlds to help prepare for the first few months of carrying inventory and creating their first video to help introduce the brand on August 27th.

To learn more tips on securing investment funds for your venture, visit Stephanie Burns, Founder of Chic CEO, along with Natalia Oberti Noguera, Fran Maier and Leslie Errington during their eye-opening SxSW V2V panel on The Impact of Angel Investing.