Motivation and Handbags
Hello everyone! My name is Nick Hopeck and I am a senior advertising major on the art direction track. This semester, I had the opportunity to work with the owner of a startup handbag company here, in Philadelphia.
Sherrill Mosee, the owner of MinkeeBlue handbags, started her business in 2014 because she wanted to solve a problem. She noticed that many women, including herself, were carrying multiple bags to and from work. Her mission was to find a way to free up their hands. She created an all-in-one organization bag that can fit your lunchbox, laptop, makeup, and shoes. Her bags come with a removable divider that helps you separate and organize all of your items.
Her success has inspired many people to start their own businesses and from that she decided to launch a web series called, StartUP by Faith. The new entrepreneurial web series, which will be launched in May, highlights women entrepreneurs in Philadelphia. These women had an idea and turned it into a business. The purpose is to help motivate people with a dream, to get up and do it. The series helps to show that anyone can start a business if he/she finds the determination in himself/herself to succeed.
This semester, I got the chance to work on a few special projects. I focused on her social media for MinkeeBlue. I took pictures of the bags and created advertisement posts that would be used on multiple platforms. I also got the chance to learn about the design and manufacturing process of her bags by helping her conceptualize and sketch her next line.
My main focus, however, was StartUP by Faith. Through the web series, I got the chance to network with a handful of amazing women entrepreneurs in Philadelphia. I was in charge of researching and scheduling the entrepreneurs, along with compiling possible interview questions to be asked. On days we were filming, I was in charge of making sure Sherrill’s vision was being executed, along with taking pictures for social media and website use. When we weren’t filming, I updated social media platforms frequently and worked on creating an effective and usable website.
Having the opportunity to work at a small startup, gave me the chance to learn about business as a whole. I got the chance to work on things with which I am familiar, along with getting to explore new roles I wouldn’t have done otherwise. I feel like this experience has made me a versatile employee and has given me a better understanding on how a business runs and operates. This experience has shown me to try new things and go into them with confidence and an openmind. I am very thankful for this experience because it has not only helped my education, but also my career.
