Cricket Lee Takes On The Fashion Industry is about how one intrepid entrepreneur can have an impact on an entire messed up problem that resists change in an established industry.
For entrepreneurs with a big ambition, Ms. Lee’s story holds lots of lessons. For one thing, raw persistence can open doors. Even without name recognition, Ms. Lee has landed meetings with major players in the apparel world, from Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to Diane Von Furstenberg’s marketing director.
“She’s like a dog with a bone,” says Marshal Cohen, a retail analyst at market-research company NPD Group and a longtime booster of Ms. Lee’s work.
Strategic planning has also been crucial for Ms. Lee. She made sure to do lots of homework before pitching her idea, and she recruited heavyweight allies — such as Mr. Cohen — to help her sell it. Moreover, she wasn’t afraid to abandon key parts of her plan when they weren’t working.
At the same time, Ms. Lee’s story is a cautionary tale. Entrepreneurs who want to change the world have to be as patient as they are ambitious — and they have to be prepared to take lots of knocks along the way. After six years and $3.5 million in money from investors — mostly friends — Ms. Lee has carved out just a small niche in the fashion world. And she has endured lots of rejections and frustrating close calls. Last year, for instance, a major apparel chain agreed to use Fitlogic in several pant lines at a new string of stores. But the weak economy put the retailer’s plans on hold.
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