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Tory Burch may now be a household name, but only ten years ago she was another new designer trying to make it in New York City. Burch spoke in-depth with Biz Journals about her success, and touched upon taking time off of work to have a child and how she built a global business while parenting three boys under the age of five and three teenage stepdaughters.
"It wasn't about a specific amount of time I wanted to take off," she says. "It was that I really wanted to be there during the infant and baby stages. I came up with the idea of the company and had been working on it throughout. We worked out of my apartment for the first two years." She also discusses how she managed to build her business while still staying involved in her childrens' lives. "It was a lot about getting the children set and getting on the phone with Asia, working with my design team, working on fabrics and the design of the store, working on the concept of the culture, what might be the branding," she says. "It was a bit of everything."
Clearly, one tip budding entrepreneurs can take from Burch is the power of discretion. When asked about how staying 'scrappy' is a part of her business plan, she refuses to elaborate much, but does say that she's kept the company debt-free by staying lean and not spending on things like advertising and fancy offices.
· Exclusive: Tory Burch on life 'perpetually' out of her comfort zone — and why big risks pay big dividends [BizJournals]
· Tory Burch Helps Your Sorority Sister Embrace Wearable Tech [Racked]
· The Burch Girls Strip Down the Family Prep With Trademark [Racked]