Bridal designer Hayley Page’s career path hasn’t always been a smooth one.
Page, 39, told CNBC Make It that she has been designing wedding dresses since she was young and launched her eponymous bridal line with her former employer, bridal house JLM Couture, in 2011.
Her career took a turn in 2021 when she lost her professional name and ownership of her intellectual property during a four-year legal battle with JLM Couture.
After JLM Couture filed for bankruptcy last year, Page was able to buy back the rights to her name, intellectual property and social media accounts in a settlement agreement.
She has since relaunched her bridal brand and founded A Girl You Might Know Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping other creators learn about and protect their legal rights.
While working in the creative industry may seem glamorous, Page has some “unsexy” advice for young artists. “You have to invest in learning the basics of business and how to protect yourself.”
What she learned about business
A big lesson Page learned from her experience, she says, is that “there’s a lot of patience you really have to have on the business side” before jumping into a new venture.
One of Page’s favorite pieces of advice was that once you have an idea, you should “get out there and do it” and “figure it out as you go.”
She says she understands that feeling. People often get caught up in the details of perfectionism, which can prevent them from pursuing their goals.
But after learning from the legal battle, Page is now advocating a more cautious approach.
Before launching a business venture, forming a partnership or signing a contract, “you need to take a breath to really make sure you’re stepping forward on the right foot,” Page says.
“You can’t go out there and not have a trademark, not have a copyright, not form an LLC, be held liable, and enter into partnerships with no contracts or improper contracts,” she continues.
After regaining ownership of his name and trademark, Page spent several months forming an LLC to ensure his creative rights were protected before relaunching his brand.
Once a precedent is set, Page said, it’s much harder to “go back and fight for things.”
her approach to leadership
Rebranding taught Paige a lot about the kind of boss she wanted to be, she says.
“I always want people to enjoy working with me, because I feel like they’ll do their best work when they’re passionate about it, and they feel treated with respect and recognized,” she says.
Integrity is an important aspect of her leadership philosophy. Page says starting over gave him the opportunity to build a brand on “moral fundamentals.”
This time, they are focusing on building healthy partnerships. Paige is currently working with Australian-based bridal company Maddy Lane Bridal Group, which serves as the exclusive manufacturing, distribution and sales partner for her new bridal line.
Page feels she still has a lot to learn — “Even after starting a small business and nonprofit, there’s still so much I don’t know,” she says — but she’s focused on honing her “creative and strategic governance” skills.
“Everything you do needs to be methodical, strategic, and well thought out,” Page says.
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