Since being selected as one of BusinessWeeks Top 25 Entrepreneurs Under 25 for 2008, Esoterik has been getting quite a bit of recognition! Some of this recognition is coming from unexpected places….like Slovakia!
Peter Fritz is co-owner and editor in chief of MilliardCity.com, an online publication focusing on luxury and catering to successful individuals in the Czech Republic. Peter was reading BusinessWeek when our company caught his eye. He contacted us with a request to conduct and interview and present Esoterik on his website. It was an unexpected surprise that we gladly agreed to. Stacey and I are honored to be featured on such a high-end, luxury-focused website.
Check out the interview –> Mladí a talentovaní
Since most of you probably a little rusty in your Slovak, here is the translated interview
Dear Mike, Dear Stacey, first of all, let me congratulate you for your great success. I have read that you are finalists in Business Week 2008 Top 25 Entrepreneurs under 25.
1. How did you achieve this result? What were the requirements to be in this ranking?
In order to be eligible for the contest two criteria had to be met: You had to be a business owner and 25 years of age or younger. We were nominated by friends & customers and then selected from hundreds of other entrepreneurs from across the nation. A panel of three high-profile business executives: Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson, BusinessWeek contributor and Duke University executive-in-residence Vivek Wadhwa, and the Kauffman Foundation’s Bo Fishback then hand picked the most impressive top 25 as finalists.
2. Well, you are in the Top 25 Entrepreneurs under 25 by Business Week. Do you feel some satisfaction for this success?
Yes, we are very honored to be recognized by Businessweek among the ranks of America’s most innovative and promising young entrepreneurs. We have been inspired by the start-up stories of the previous Top 25 Under 25 finalists. Ever since starting Esoterik in 2006, it has been a goal of ours to make this distinguished list. It is even more exciting to be selected by one of our personal and business idols, Sir Richard Branson.
3. Do you feel some pressure at this time?
There is undoubtedly some degree of pressure after becoming a finalist because it has opened several doors for Esoterik. We don’t really look at it as pressure, but rather a challenge to capitalize on new opportunities. Overall it has acted as an enormous source of motivation for us.
4. You are a very interesting example of the “AMERICAN DREAM”. Two students from Colorado develop the creative idea for the Esoterik brand in December 2006. After two years of work, you are on list of Top 25 Entrepreneurs under 25. Many “young” people are looking for their success, they are dreaming their dreams. Many of them are not able to find right direction. What fact do you consider for most important in your career – to achieve the DREAM?
We believe that in order to achieve your dreams it is important to set goals, stay focused and motivated, and most of all be passionate. No dream can be achieved without having a set of clearly defined long and short term goals. We set goals and tend to them unfailingly and unflinchingly every day. The mind is extremely powerful and we believe that the physical world is a reflection of internal thoughts. We stay focused by monitoring our conscious and unconscious thoughts and using them to be as proactive as possible. In order to stay motivated we create vision boards. These are basically collages of quotes and magazine cutouts that represent the lifestyle we are working toward. Finally, when you are passionate about what you do, work feels more like a hobby.
5. You represent Esoterik as a chameleon – changing and expanding. Can you give an example within your business?
Our goal is to develop Esoterik into a lifestyle brand; we are not just another t-shirt company. We will soon be offering sports coats as well as hats, stilettos, men’s dress shoes, belts, and women’s dresses that will set a new precedent for aesthetically wicked clothes We also plan on liberating people from their mundane, “lets play it safe” jeans. We will be offering jeans that will shatter perceptions of cutting-edge fashion. These jeans will look like victims of collateral damage, as if shrapnel from a hand grenade has ruthlessly decimated a once “good” pair of jeans. Dye and bleach will torment the fibers into a proper interpretation of haute.
6. What kind of target group do you wish to address?
We are targeting guys and girls on a global scale who have a distinct style and like to stand out. Esoterik’s ideal customer is a fashion conscious individual who lives an active lifestyle and is involved in the social scene. We are targeting people who want clothing that mixes luxury with attitude.
7. I have visited your website and I can write that you offer a very interesting collection. I think that the Esoterik brand will appeal to independent and successful people. Are you prepared for this situation?
Yes we are prepared for it; its what we are striving for. We are building Esoterik with the desire to create a lifestyle brand that appeals to the world’s most independent and successful people. We welcome the challenge.
8. Have you thought about an exclusive line within the Esoterik brand?
Absolutely. We are already in the process of developing exclusive lines for both guys and girls within the Esoterik brand. These collections will include limited quantity and one-of-a-kind products that will be highly customized and handmade. These products will be geared toward individuals who are more concerned with the quality and uniqueness than theprice tag.
9. An off topic question: we are a luxury portal with an interest in the luxury lifestyle. What is your definition of luxury?
The luxury lifestyle to us is summed up in the very name of our company…Esoterik (adj): meant for and understood by a select few. Luxury means living without compromise. It is a lifestyle, a product, an experience of unparalleled quality that is reserved only for the elite.
10. In your free time, how do you relax?
We are both very active people and spend a lot of our free time doing activities that we enjoy such as working out, traveling, windsurfing, snowmobiling, and playing tennis among others. We relax by reading books, watching movies, listening to and playing music, and hanging out with friends and family.
