#bethegirl interview with Cassandra Murdock, founder of The Imprint

What happens when you find yourself out of a job, with no idea about what you were going to do or how but had an idea coupled with unwavering determination to make it happen? You #bethegirl and go for it! That's exactly what Cassandra Murdock did when she started The Imprint. We spoke with Cassandra about her starting point, what it's like to go through a re-brand and how the environment, price tag and range functionality are top priorities and always will be for our latest #bethegirl interview.

Hi Cassanda, welcome to our #bethegirl interview series! So excited to find out all about The Imprint and your business journey. Let's get straight into it....

Tell us all about The Imprint, how your business came about and the inspiration behind it? The Imprint was born in February 2018 from basically nothing but an idea and a $5000 loan from my mother. To be completely honest, I was fired from my job and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing (I still don’t) or how I was going to do it, all I know is I had an idea and I was determined to see it come to life. I have always wanted to work for myself and I was lucky enough to finally be in a position where I was able to focus completely on building The Imprint with the support of my now ex-boyfriend and family. This is where I was able to completely focus on purchasing stock, equipment and preparing for my first launch on 30th April 2018 which if I do say so myself, was completely rushed and looking back now, I would have done it completely different but I am extremely grateful for the knowledge and experience I gained and to still be standing here now 16 months later.

"I had absolutely no idea what I was doing or how I was going to do it, all I know is I had an idea and I was determined to see it come to life."

You recently went through a re-brand, what was that process like and how did you feel at the end of it all? The process wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be to be honest and there was a few hiccups along the way which is always expected in the business world however they did rock me a bit. How do I feel? I am SO happy and I am so thankful to Kylie at Say So Creative for supporting me through my re-brand. Kylie and her team helped me create the website and managed to bring my ideas and visions to life in just two short weeks. When I first started out, I had done everything myself and even built the entire website myself so I do think The Imprint is now in the best possible position it can be to continue growing and become the brand I have always envisioned.

What are your top pieces that you currently offer? We currently offer a range of different leather products and will be releasing more soon however, I would have to say our TOP three would be our phone cases, tassel key rings and pouches. I am absolutely in love with our phone cases, I have every single colour and they are so strong and durable, I have actually left my phone on the roof of my car by accident and it was still there when I pulled over.

"I honestly ask myself “what would I pay for this?” and while there are many costs that are involved with running a business, I believe having an affordable quality item will always prevail."

Your mission is to bring quality items without the high end price tag, with environmental and ethical safety in mind. Tell us more about these brand drivers and the importance of these in the design and manufacture process? When I design a product, I think to myself, how will this affect the environment? Am I taking away from something? The answer is no. I may use genuine leather which is already an extremely touchy subject however, I do not use leather that has been sourced directly to kill or harmed in anyway. I do not use leather that has been treated with Mercury or dyed with chemicals in anyway. Leather can be a natural material and I do make sure to keep this in mind when designing a new product. As for the price tag, I honestly ask myself “what would I pay for this?” and while there are many costs that are involved with running a business, I believe having an affordable quality item will always prevail.

Fave piece you are loving right now and why? I am LOVING our new Card Holder, it is such a staple piece to have in your wallet, pouch or handbag as it fits in all three. It saves me from taking my whole wallet out on a night out and I can easily fit it into my back pocket when I am at the shops so I am hands free. It also fits cash and cards so you don’t have to carry anything chunky around. It has honestly been a life saver in my everyday life, I don’t think I could live without it now.

Most valuable business advice you have heard or been given?

“YOU DO YOU BOO” and “BACK YOURSELF”

These are two of my absolute favourite sayings in both life and especially in the business world. If there was any advice I could give anyone starting out, it would be to be prepared, stay true to yourself and to STOP comparing yourself to other people. I know it is easier said than done however, it is so important to stay true to yourself because there will be temptations and there will be people who don’t have your best interests at heart. The only person you can trust in any industry is yourself and by staying true to myself and believing in myself, I was able to push through some of the hardest days and obstacles of my career and life so far. Balance is another thing I cannot stress enough, working on a new business can be very stressful, time consuming and frustrating. To be completely real with you, it can damage both friendships and relationships and it can completely change you as a person so I really cannot stress enough to anyone starting out, take the time out if you need it, focus on your health if you need it, take a day off if you need, focus on the people around if you need it because life still happens around you and without YOU there is no business, there is no brand. You do you boo.

Thank you so much for sharing your business journey and your honest and real take on the business world and remaining true to yourself Cassandra! We are so on board with women believing in themselves and we should all try and avoid the 'comparison trap'. Follow The Imprint on Instagram and check out the website to shop the range!

TDP x
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