Why Having No Experience Can Help You in Business with Ariel Kaye, Founder of Parachute

Ariel Kaye is the Founder and CEO of Parachute, a
direct-to-consumer home essentials brand.


After spending a decade in advertising and brand development,
Ariel was yearning to do something more. She always considered
herself a home and interior design enthusiast, describing herself
as a super consumer of home goods, but she struggled to find a
single brand that was affordable, high quality, and easy to shop.
That’s when she saw a gap in the market and knew she had the
perfect skills to create the company she was looking for.


She took some money out of her savings and booked a one-way
ticket to Europe in search of a factory. After bombarding 15
factories, she learned about craftsmanship when it came to
bedding and sheets, got pricing, and came back home, ready to
disrupt the industry. She spent around a year developing the
brand, raising small amounts from friends and family, and then
launched Parachute in January 2014.


In our conversation, we talk about Ariel’s “aha” moment when she
realized she had to leave her successful career to start her
company, the benefits that come with being a first-time
entrepreneur in an industry where you have zero experience, how
she built a strong foundation with her customers and brand from
day 1, and so much more.


In this episode, we’ll talk to Ariel about: 


* How her parents supported Ariel to pursue her entrepreneurial
dreams. [2:40]


* The common thread of storytelling and connection in her
advertising career that carried over into Parachute. [3:58]


* The moment Ariel realized that she had to leave her job in
order to start a company. [5:25]


* Hear more about the early days of Parachute and what Ariel’s
initial steps were. [7:37]


* What her experience of finding a factory and learning about
supply chains was like. [10:23]


* How she funded the first year of her business using loans from
friends and family. [14:01]


* Ariel shares some of the tools and resources that helped her as
a solo founder. [16:25]


* The benefits of finding a community of entrepreneurs that are
still connected to the stage of the journey that you are
currently in. [17:49]


* Where Ariel believes her resilience comes from; using
challenges as fuel for the fire. [18:54]


* Ariel’s advice for entrepreneurs raising capital: take every
opportunity to pitch your business and receive feedback. [20:58]


* Find out how her passion and conviction as a founder helped her
get her first yes. [23:36]


* What Ariel wishes she knew about capital when she started her
fundraising process. [25:07]


* How she created brand awareness by leaning on public relations
for the launch. [27:18]


* What self-care looks like for Ariel and why she promotes the
value of taking breaks. [29:07]


* Why Ariel says that there is no such thing as perfection; it’s
all about momentum. [32:13]


* Some of the biggest growth inflection and hiring challenges
Ariel has encountered along the way and how she overcame them.
[35:44]


* Which superpower she is most proud of: trusting her gut and her
intuition. [37:19]


* Ariel’s definition of wealth: health and happiness. [38:20]


Follow Ariel:


* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arielkaye/


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parachutehome/ 


* Website: https://www.parachutehome.com/


Follow Yasmin:


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/


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