EP24 Novia Sukijo A Chat with Creative Director & Founder Modest Fashion Brand

In this episode 24  our guest is Novia Sukijo Creative Director , Founder of modest fashion brand 
Imagine you were a kid again, creating outfits for your Barbie dolls, a pure act of creativity and fun. Now, what if that innocent childhood play blossomed into a successful fashion brand? That's the story of Novia  Sukijo , the empowering entrepreneur and visionary behind the renowned brand, Novia Sukijo Novia intertwines humanity, creativity, and education into her designs, all the while championing quality, craftsmanship, and originality in the competition-filled Indonesian fashion industry. 

What does it take to lead a diverse team while managing a successful brand? How do you engage with your team and understand their motivations to foster connection and idea sharing? Step into Novia's shoes as she shares the challenges, rewards, and valuable lessons from managing her team. Not only does she skillfully navigate the world of fashion, but Novia also prioritizes self-care and continually refines her leadership skills. Her commitment to personal growth and giving back to the community shines through every aspect of her work. 

Let's talk about modesty. Often misunderstood, Novia Sukijo is here to change the narrative. She highlights the significance and elegance of modest clothing, encouraging young girls to embrace their individuality. Let's join Novia on her journey as she redefines modesty, highlighting that it can be both elegant and powerful. Get ready to be inspired, to learn, and to redefine fashion with us in this enlightening conversation with Novia Sukijo

Mentions 
Jakata Fashion festival 
Raffles Fashion https://www.instagram.com/rafflesjakarta/

Follow Novia 
https://www.instagram.com/noviasukijofficial/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/novia-sukijo

Listen : to the audio version Apple Spotify .Amazon Music Google Podcasts
Watch and subscribe to my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Thetrailblazersexperience
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Transcript

The trailblazers experience: 0:09

Welcome to another episode of the Trailblazers Experience podcast. Novia hi, how are you?

Novia Sukijo: 0:18

I'm good. How are you?

The trailblazers experience: 0:20

I thought it would be great to introduce you to the audience. Novia is an empowering entrepreneur and opinion leader with seven years of experience in the fashion industry. She is currently running her successful namesake brand, novia Tsukijo, a modest fashion brand that is built on a belief, on powerful soul. So she's creative director and designer of the brand and founder, and she describes herself that she is managing to build a community, offer a network and invest in charitable opportunities and supporting lots of causes. I'm so excited really to talk about your journey, your brand. You are currently wearing your brand for those who are not watching us on YouTube at the moment and just really talking about where you were inspired to even go into fashion, so maybe if you just tell me about your journey and how this all started and what brought you to London, Okay.

Novia Sukijo: 1:21

so I think it's very true that people say how your childhood gonna ship you when you're a grown up. So my father is an architect, my mother is. She does a lot of business, but the last one is the fashion business and I always designed for her. When I was a kid, I didn't buy my Barbie clothes, but I create one. So I do the sewing for my Barbie boots and then I like to draw, I like to design for my mother, and my father say why you do it for your mother, like she already achieved her future, but you haven't. Then just do it for yourself. And I start thinking, yeah, maybe I have to just try to do something that I've been doing for a long time for my brand, like for my, for myself. That's why I started my business quite early. It was when I was 17.

The trailblazers experience: 2:15

That's amazing. I mean at 17,. If I remember what I was doing at 17, I wasn't thinking of being an entrepreneur or starting my own business. You know, we are all creative in some way. But to then say I want to now turn it into a business. So did you have a background? Were you sewing? Were you designing? Talk me through that.

Novia Sukijo: 2:37

Yeah, yeah, so I'll. When I started the business, I was an exchange student in the US. And then I come back to Indonesia and I went to like a short course because I haven't graduated from my school, so I already again living far from my parents because I want to take the fashion school in different cities and then after that I do fashion school and high school at the same time to finish high school and then I went to Raffles Design Institute in Singapore for a fashion design student, fashion design course and now I'm doing my master in fashion entrepreneur. So in that time, when I was doing the fashion design school, we're really doing it from zero. We're really doing it from making the pattern into the actual garment. So, yeah, I was doing fashion design. Now I'm pursuing my study in fashion business.

The trailblazers experience: 3:36

And Raffles Design Institute is that, would you say it's similar to like Saint Martin's here in the UK. Is it a prestigious place where everyone goes if you want to work in that industry?

Novia Sukijo: 3:47

I cannot like discredit some school but like Raffles Design Institute is more into the practicality. Yeah, there's a lot of international students in that school, but Central st martins I see they allow the students to create like crazy ideas, blah blah. But in Raffles Design Institute we really think about how this garment can be actually worn and the craftsmanship of the garment. And, yes, people come to that school for that matters. But just like different approach.

The trailblazers experience: 4:25

Yeah, but I think that's important too. So I think that's a. You learned about the practicalities of design as well, because, ultimately, unless you're doing horticotour and just for creative space, you want people to wear your product I mean, you're wearing your own product as well and it fits really well. So I think that's really important. So at that point, you go to the design school. When did you know? Okay, this is actually a business, I think I can actually turn this into something. And people are wearing my clothes, orders are being placed. When did that happen for you?

Novia Sukijo: 5:06

So I start my business before actually going to the fashion school. That's the thing. I start my business because I always feel that as a brand is also my journey. It's also, you know, that's where I learned, that's where I grew up. So I always say that Nofya Skidja as a brand and Nofya Skidja as a person they go alongside the site. So I already see this as a business and I always say to myself okay, this may be so early to start a business, but I believe that through fashion I can put everything I can put. Now I have the community, so I put humanity on that. We do creative on that we do. We do a lot of scholarship. So there's education in that. So there's a lot of point that I can grow up through fashion. So I see fashion is a faker to me. I always say the fashion is a faker to me to approach more destination. That's how I see it. So I see it from the beginning.

The trailblazers experience: 6:09

Yeah, and to your point, I mean, you probably learned a lot of your lessons through being an entrepreneur. Like you said, it's not just the creativity, it's the attention to detail, thinking about the visual, the art, the communication, how you're going to market the product. You know all things that, with all intents and purposes, you don't learn. It's lived experience. You learn that actually by doing it, by failing, by understanding where you need to pivot. So respect to you to actually navigating through that. So I'm looking at Instagram. You've got 13,000 followers. That is amazing. So you must have a loyal customer and consumer base and talk to me about what your designs and what your brand represents.

Novia Sukijo: 6:58

Okay, so my fashion brand is Amadas. As you see, it's a modest fashion brand and I always say that my brand is the expression of the powerful soul. It's the soul that we created. So my customer is maybe I'm so young, but my customer actually is not a young people. They're like you know, a mother. They're also like career woman. I mean like young people also bought my clothes, but it's not just young people.

Novia Sukijo: 7:27

If you might be seen about the customer in my Instagram profile. So when I see you know, I mean like we all women, we all feeling struggle, like the last movie Barbie is really like represent, like where they say, so how to be a woman, like how to be the right woman, things like that. So being a woman actually is really how you have a powerful soul. Maybe they say women is weak, physically they're weak, but they are actually not. They're just graceful, if I can say, but they have a very powerful soul. So I always want people who wear my clothes to feel powerful, to feel powerful enough to empower other people, at least to be powerful enough to take care of the family, take care of their self, to take care of the kids, the husband, everyone. They're powerful enough, not just taking care of themselves, but more people.

The trailblazers experience: 8:27

That is such a beautiful ethos and motto to have powerful soul. It's all about self-belief, and you talked about your customer. Did that surprise you that the when you were designing, you were designing for a woman in general, but did it surprise you that it was women from all age groups that actually embraced your collection and your designs?

Novia Sukijo: 8:51

Actually, not because it's my intention, because, okay, we all have the dream, you know, like I want my clothes to be worn by this person, or I want my clothes to be promoting in this platform, things like that. But I intentionally targeting more mature women just because I think that they have income. That's when I started, just on my mind. Okay, I'm this age if I think, very logically, if I want to buy clothes, I will ask my mom. I will not have the money, or maybe I will keep my pocket money for buying clothes. I don't see that coming. So I was like, okay, I will target mature women. They got income, they're more free to have the spending. That's my intention actually.

The trailblazers experience: 9:44

Yeah, yeah. So in terms of the brand, so what does an amazing piece? So, for example, you're wearing something right now. Where can I find your product if I wanted to buy it?

Novia Sukijo: 9:55

So now I focus on Indonesian market and actually until today I didn't sell it directly to the customer. So that's the difference about my business. So our business model is doing the selling through reseller. So you know like we call it here, this rebutor. But like this rebutor might sound like a big retail or wholesalers or like a big boutique.

Novia Sukijo: 10:25

But actually all my customers are women. I mean, the resellers are women, so, if I can say, some of them is the main in their family, because some of them don't have the husband anymore and they have to provide their family. Some of them do have the husband but they still have to provide the family and because the reseller is spread around across Indonesia so they know their area better. And that's how we also build the community. Because there are people from that area, they know their area better. They may be friends with a lot of also their customer and from there we create a lot of like events, small event, small gatherings, and it's build up the family from the resellers. They created the community and becoming family.

The trailblazers experience: 11:19

Yeah, that's very common in Asia and even in Africa, where there'll be a designer. It's all then started by women, word of mouth. There are certain designs that are made, and then you know people ask, oh, who made that for you? And then the designer name is then thrown out there and that's how it's built and grown. So really amazing. So talk to me about how many collections you do a year, or is it really very bespoke, very small, because I can see on your Instagram page and your business page as well, it's really curated, very intentional, as you said. In terms of what you're doing right now, I guess what are you planning now for the future as well? Would be interesting to know.

Novia Sukijo: 12:09

So, answering the first question, how many collections that I create in a year, I also don't know. I lost track on that because so, beside the fashion brand, I also the show director for a fashion show that we created. So, yeah, sometimes we also go to, you know, like Jakarta Fashion Week, jakarta Mauds Fashion Week, but we also have our own show. It's because I just like the flexibility. Okay, so the concept of the show is called Fashion XC. I name it just because I thought of fashion galaxy. Fashion XC so it's the galaxy of fashion. There's like people who are fashion, people who wear fashion, and that's the fashion where our clothes launch.

Novia Sukijo: 12:58

So, as I mentioned before that, I see fashion as a vehicle to you know, like to gather a lot of people and to go to a tour, a lot of other destination. So before the actual fashion XC, we have the road to fashion XC. And the road to fashion XC we will choose like around 8 to 10 city across Indonesia. So there's like a road show. So maybe okay, if I say 8 to 10 road to fashion XC, including the one main fashion XC, so it's 11 collection just for the show in one year. So basically it's every month, right, and then I have, like tomorrow is Indonesian Independence Day, so we have Independence Day's collection, we have, you know it for our big day it collection and then sometime there is a multiple fashion show from the government that I have to represent my small city, so I also created that collection. So basically, a lot.

The trailblazers experience: 14:04

That's beautiful, I mean. So you've basically just looked at it. You've thought of the whole ecosystem in terms of who your customer is. You know the empowerment and making modest clothing for the powerful soul, but now also coming full circle with saying I actually now want to have a road show, and that's brilliant. I mean, you're definitely passionate about what you do, passionate about, you know, the Indonesian market and the customer there. What next? Where do you see this all going? Because I think your future is so bright. The fact that you've started it at 17. So you're, you know, early 20s now. I mean, that is, what challenges do you think you have had and how is that helping you now navigate, maybe, the next steps of what you're looking to do?

Novia Sukijo: 14:58

Challenge. There's a lot. There's a lot of challenge, but if it's in the past, it's not a challenge anymore, it's a lesson, right, yeah, but the challenge that I'm facing right now is the fact that a lot of brands coming. It's not that I don't want to compete. I want to compete in healthy way, you know. So if they really have thought about their DNA, they really talk about their design.

Novia Sukijo: 15:27

I really happy to see how fashion industry in Indonesia has been growth, that they just knockoffing others designer design and one of those also plagiarism my design, and that the sad part is not that I don't have idea to move forward. It's more about I want my customer to still see the value on my product and I want them to feel the exclusivity when they're wearing my product, because I really thought deeply about how they're gonna feel, because, again, I want them to feel powerful, to feel confidence to. You know, walk on this earth with their heads up, you know, like the women that are capable, things like that. But when they're already being skeptical of their buying power of like, is this thing actually worth it? If they're already being skeptical about their buying power and also my product, I becoming a little bit worried about about that. So yeah, one of the challenge is that that's a lot of people who make clothes that just make clothes without really consider about the quality and things like that yeah, not no, via.

The trailblazers experience: 16:51

You just need to stay true to you as who you are, so your storytelling, your, your brand, the emotion behind it, the quality of the product that you, the craftsmanship. You need to just stay true because ultimately, yes, you know, counterfeiting and plagium is the biggest form of flattery, but I do, of course, it is disheartening when you see, you know, a knockoff of a product that you put time and effort to. But people who are generally searching for authentic, great product things that will stand the test of time, they will still come to you and that's why you need to keep on with your community you know about, about yourself, your brand, what you stand for, I think is is really important.

Novia Sukijo: 17:35

So it's, it's a challenge in a way, but you need to keep on being consistent with that, I think is really important yeah, and but actually also this challenge somehow becoming also the advantage, because I was recently basically just yesterday was talking with my resellers about how they feel about all of all of these plagiarism is it impacting their selling special specifically in that areas? And they said somehow yeah, because maybe some customer are not really aware if the product that they bought is actually the original or not. But in other side, the customer who actually understand, they feel proud because they know that the clothes that they are wearing is the original and it's like the first one and they feel they feel more proud about it that is true.

The trailblazers experience: 18:39

You've talked about how you are all about charity. Talk to me about some of the charity endeavors that you have been involved in and why do they matter to you okay.

Novia Sukijo: 18:51

So in in the business, we also there is some textile university like textile college in Indonesia where our company give the scholarship for them, and because it's textile, it's a fashion, fashion school, you know. So what we taught is that the development that they're doing and what we're doing, it should, it's, it's aligned because we, we are both in fashion and they're like the next generation, and also I want my community to fill the devil development that we are doing, not just in this generation but for the next generation. So that's why we support the education for fashion and also we some of them are my team they start with the internship and they just continue even after the internship, and I don't care if they're not great with yet or if they don't have, you know, like the bachelor, things like that. If they're capable on doing what, what the company requires after the internship, they just continue doing and it's helped help for them to. You know, like when they're doing the master project, they need some amount of money to create the products.

Novia Sukijo: 20:04

And also, because we have the photo studio, some of them take their school project photo in our studio and that's totally fine. I told them if there is, you know, like upcoming show and you really hectic. You can stay there in the office and also working on your working on your project, but as long as you, you know, like being professional, I'm fine. So, yeah, we give scholarship and they joining their part of my team and yeah, so that's one of the charity that we are doing and what's the name of the, the charity as well.

The trailblazers experience: 20:40

Is it worth name dropping?

Novia Sukijo: 20:41

we'll put it in the notes as well for people to know it's not like a name name, there's like no name name, but it's you empowering people within your organization, basically yeah, and also because, you know, in Muslim we believe that Friday is the holy, holy day for us.

Novia Sukijo: 21:01

It's like a good day to do, like to help people. So every Friday the community will, you know like, give free food to people. It's all every Friday. So, from the main company will distribute the amount of money to the resellers and each resellers in the area will work together with the community in that area to organize the. We call it like a blessing Friday. We call it a blessing Friday, so they will do that. And if there is, you know like sometimes there is a earthquake in some area and then all that community is actually really gathering and we will come to the area to you know, like to help people. So it's not, it's not some charity that legal like we do the document legalize, nothing like that, but it's more about how the community is actually do something great for go back to the community. So it's from the community, go back to the community. But we just gather people through our brands. Maybe that's how we say it yeah, yeah.

The trailblazers experience: 22:10

So really about giving back and just the cultural and religious aspect of why it's important as well. That is so brilliant. How big is your team? I mean, you've talked about a team. How big is the team?

Novia Sukijo: 22:24

that team because we are also a production house, so maybe it's around so production house, there's no fixed number, because this the sim streets, will you know like will be in around, so around hundreds or in over overall with the sim streets, but, like the creative team, I believe it's about 20s because some of them work from home so sometimes I lost count, I didn't see them in the office. Yeah, so it's around 20s for the creative team and the rest is in the production house that is amazing.

The trailblazers experience: 23:00

You know. Young entrepreneur, young designer, you're managing a team. What are some of the lessons you've you've learned from that? You know value everyone.

Novia Sukijo: 23:15

I really, because I work with people from different age. Most of them is older than me, of course right, because we want competence people to be in our company, although some of them is also younger than me, but in my age I need to understand how 40 years old people think and I need to understand how a manager thing I really need to juggle to understand to. You know like to communicate better. So one day I actually created a Google form which said like asking I send it to all my team and the question was like what do you respect about your working partner? What make you, what figure you angry? What you like or you don't like about the working environment? I mean, like understand their communication style. So I really learn about people. And also in my community there are a lot of people. There are a lot of people in the community. There are a lot of people in the company itself, so I really learn about the variety of people's minds what did you learn about yourself through that engagement survey?

The trailblazers experience: 24:31

What did you learn?

Novia Sukijo: 24:33

I learned that I'm a person who love to learn. I learn about it so much because I know that I don't have the like. There's no mandatory for me to understand my team. I pay them if I want to say like, heartily, it's like that. But I want to learn about them. You know, I want to create the harmonious, I want to create the sense of connections.

Novia Sukijo: 25:04

Sometimes I just go for them, like, what are you doing in office? Okay, I will come and bring some food. And or if maybe they're bored, I will be like, finish that first and then let's go to cafe, let's go. You know, like, let's go. Or if I know someone in my team is having a hard time, maybe in the family or outside the job, I would be like, okay, let's get, let's get some fabric outside the office, but we end up at in the mall. It's not good to happen, but sometimes we just need a human touch. You know, sometimes we just need a human touch and maybe that's just a hard day for her or for him. So I would be like, okay, let's buy fabric, let's go out, and then outside we just eat, we just drink coffee, or we just, you know, like, give her or him some, some breaks. So I really learned that. Oh, I actually love to learn and I really like to gather the harmonious you know, like among human yeah, it's.

The trailblazers experience: 26:11

It's really about engaging with your teams and understanding what makes them tick, you know, depending on the age groups and what matters to them. And do you know, do you know what it's through those conversations they call them in the tearoom conversations, the lunch conversations that you actually learn about ideas that they may have on how to improve things, or things that you know? If it was a general meeting, they probably wouldn't divulge that information to you. But when you're one to one in a normal setting, you know, just having a coffee or a drink or lunch or celebrating something that's personal to them, you actually learn more. So you're already taking on things that companies should be embracing. It's about people. It's about your attitude, it's about character. You know emotion, and that will take you further too. How is it managing a business here that is in Indonesia? So your currently, what are you currently doing now, and what actually brought you to the, to the UK?

Novia Sukijo: 27:13

my master's study. Yes, for my master's study, and uh, yeah. So for the first six months I literally woke up at two every day just to catch up with my you know, like, with my working hour in Indonesia, because we have six hours different and the office hours start at eight, so I have to walk up at two. So each morning I have to walk up at two, turn on my iPad, give feedback, give briefing, give you know, we have some meeting, how to start a day, blah, blah, blah. And I have to sleep with my phone. Actually, like I'm holding my phone, like this, like so at two I will be sitting down, give the briefing, and then I'm like I cannot, so I just in bed with my phone. So everything is right. I like reply, if they're, you know, like asking for a photo shoot, an appointment, things, like all the appointment. I would like to walk up, reply and go back to sleep. That's how because I still try to, you know, find the formulation to manage.

Novia Sukijo: 28:17

But after that I learned also in my school and I also talked to my you know the lecture about the situations, and I learned about trusting them before. It's not that I didn't trust them, but I feel like I have to work. If I didn't do, I feel like I'm not a leader, I just feel like I'm the boss. You know, like to ask this, ask that and don't really involve in that. I feel bad. But after some thoughts, reading books, talking to my lecture mentors is actually we are managing the team. So that's that's, that's actually the leader. It's how you manage the team that actually they're already capable. They're capable on doing their things. You know, like I didn't do graphic school, they did. I didn't do photographer, like photograph is called, they did. So they have a lot of knowledge, more than me, and my job is to make all their knowledge to become synchronized, to become harmonious and we create something better with that.

Novia Sukijo: 29:38

So I'm start to, you know, like giving them the trust. I'm like I, you know how I play the game and you learn about me too. So next time I'm not awake from my sleep now, like awake from forever, but if one day I will be busy, you know what to do I'm trying to. You know, like giving comment to my teams and the first time they complain, because usually they don't have to think, they just need to do because I'm the, you know, like the mind master, in that I know what to do. I think about every details each day, what they have to do. But now I'm starting to giving them the confidence that actually your idea is also not not bad, not not even not bad. It's maybe better than my idea too. So, like I'm giving them the confidence to you know, like, sometimes take the command and if you really cannot solve this problem, I'm always here, but I'm just trying to, you know, delegate so that we call off the legacy. That's what I'm doing that is brilliant.

The trailblazers experience: 30:48

You're doing what some people never learn in their 40s or 50s. I mean, hire a team that have got all the competencies. They will be better than you and they should have more skill set. And you should be able to delegate, because as you build your empire which is what you're doing really you have to have the bandwidth to say, like you said, we've got experts in these fields, and giving them the voice to be able to propose and give suggestions and actually say well, I think these are the pros of cons of us going in this direction. It's very empowering, isn't it, when you finally realize, oh, I can take a step back, still have the helicopter view as the founder and creative director, but it's empowering, isn't it, to let go yeah, yeah, and then I also see them grew up.

Novia Sukijo: 31:38

So I always tell them if you found a situation or if you find a problem, you tell me, tell me with the solution. I always say that because I'm here and you are there. I always told them. I always always say to them you're, you're my eyes, you're my eyes, you're my hands. There, you see things. You report to me with a professional matter, so it's not complaining. So I always tell them I'm very open to listen to you, to your description, to your solution, not to your complaint, because that's when I, when I let them to complain, that's mean I'm not a good leader. But I, when I make them to come to me with a solution, I feel that they also grow. So we all grow together. It's not just me who growing, but we both. We all grow together and I feel happy to see them growing up it's brilliant.

The trailblazers experience: 32:44

You talked about mentorship. How important is that to you and how has that been a guiding force for you as a businesswoman, as an entrepreneur?

Novia Sukijo: 32:55

yeah, actually I don't have like one mentor. So when I said about mentorship, is I talk, so I'm not scared. You know, like to us, to people who are more competent than me, to you know, like telling them this situation and if you have time, how do you see this problem in your feet, like if this situation happened to you, what usually you're gonna do and I didn't just swallow it from everyone, but I'm trying to see how other leaders solve some problems, how other leaders handle some situation, if I can say like that. So it's not like a mentor-mentor, but I always ask a suggestion and I always ask for you know, like what you're going to do in this situation, and I always learn to see how people actually solve their problem.

The trailblazers experience: 33:55

It's very inspirational and I think the reason why I touch on mentorship is we need to demystify what it actually means and also for people to understand what is it you're trying to get out of a situation. So it might be you have 10 people who you admire in your industry, in a different sector, in the community, who you just reach out to. I mean, everybody's got a phone right. There is no excuse now for you to reach out to someone who's inspiring you in a different country or territory and, you know, be courteous, cordial and ask the question, saying you know I really value your opinion or your expertise. Would you mind just helping with X, y and Z? And you'll be surprised. Actually, most people respond. They're happy to share and provide insights and guide, and I think it's that thing, like you said, about community and giving back.

The trailblazers experience: 34:51

You know it resonates with a lot of people and it's a good message, I think, to put out for young women that if you're struggling or if you think that there's something that you don't know, ask what's the worst that can happen. The person will say, well, I don't have time but I can point you in this direction, or they'll be open to a call and a chat and then at that point, you need to have all your questions and notes in there, so I think that's a very good approach. Some people thrive from having one person, a mentor advisor, that they can call on, but other people just thrive from engaging and opening themselves up to a community of women or men that they can reach out in the industry to, so I think that's that's a good thing, that you've described how you approach it as well. So the 2023 we're halfway through it. What is next for you? What are you planning? What's happening in the next six months?

Novia Sukijo: 35:50

Okay, this is maybe the question that, not the question, the answer that I also myself surprised that I have this thought. But for the half of my master I always say, okay, I will go back to Indonesia, I will go back to just this day I submit my dissertation. The next day I will be flying. That's what I said.

Novia Sukijo: 36:14

This last second, like the last few minutes, I thought maybe I want to try to working with someone else, as I said to you that I really want to learn how leaders actually command their teams. You know like I want to because I grew up with this business. I always in my own territorial. You know like I always in my own authority. I'm like all that happens is according to my command. But I want to actually experience.

Novia Sukijo: 36:51

You know like to work out of my authority, to work in someone else leadership, to feel someone else leadership and to understand, if a leader do that to the team, what the team going to feel, although I really, you know like digging information about my teams, how they feel about my leadership, things like that.

Novia Sukijo: 37:13

And if they feel I'm growing, I always ask them do you feel I grow? I'm growing, I always ask them that it. And if they feel like I'm growing. At least you know that I'm growing. I know I'm not a perfect leader, and I mean I mean who does but at least my team knows that I'm trying and I improving myself. So from there, I also really want to, you know, understand how it's it to be in other, other people's team, other people's command and feeling. If it's me, then what's something good maybe I will apply into my leadership, and if something is hurtful and something is harsh to me, okay, maybe I wouldn't do that, you know. So I really want to push myself to learn from the experience, and also the experience of being someone else team and being under someone else leadership, because I want to be a better leader.

The trailblazers experience: 38:05

I look forward to catching up with you on that one in the future because it's so interesting. I always admire entrepreneurs and business owners and founders, because the truth is you probably possess a lot more skill sets than people who've ran organizations. You know, you've described how you are delegating, problem solving, communicating, your managing teams, you're making decisions, you've got a high level of emotional intelligence. So a lot of the traits are already there, and I guess what you're saying is you want to see if it needs a bit more refinement, a bit more molding. So I think, yeah, very interesting way of looking at it as well. Have you ever considered or thought about having maybe someone to advise you or to say alongside you, because that might be an option as well?

Novia Sukijo: 38:59

Mentor or in.

The trailblazers experience: 39:01

No. So there's some instances where, instead of you actually going to work for another organization, you can actually or another leader, you can reach out to someone, say, look, this is my business, I've been running it for a few years and actually I'd like you to be an advisor in my business. And they have experience. So they're not a mentor, they're actively involved in some way in your business, but they have the experience and the bandwidth, so that might be an option for you as well.

Novia Sukijo: 39:28

About it. Actually, it's not me reaching to someone, but someone want me to hire him to be in the business. Yes, yes.

The trailblazers experience: 39:39

Yeah.

Novia Sukijo: 39:40

Yeah, Now I remember about it. It's a few months back Now. I remember he was like yeah, please consider me to become part of your team. I will be your like the business advisor, like consultant.

The trailblazers experience: 39:54

Yeah, but I need to find what works for you. I think it's like you said you've got brand and business values. It's not just finding someone who has the experience, but is also aligned with what matters to you. That's really important because ultimately, that will be the gel that holds the relationship together and builds it moving forward. So that's interesting. You came here looking to just do your masters and be like right, submit the dissertation and be on my way. Life is interesting, isn't it? You're evolving, you're growing, so there are different things that matter to you. You described to me in the conversation that your day starts at 2am, obviously because of the different time zones and managing the teams, and then you come back to your UK life and do other things as well. How do you take care of you? What do you do outside of your business? Or is this your baby, your everything, your passion, self-care. Is that a thing for you at?

Novia Sukijo: 40:58

all. I don't see this work situation as not my refreshing. I don't know if it sounds so naive, but I'm happy. Sometimes after the meeting we just stop randomly with my teams giving small talks, jokes. That's also already happy. But outside of that outside going to school and working and cleaning, cooking, blah, blah, blah I only go to the workout. That's the thing that I really consider as my breathtaking moment. That's all.

Novia Sukijo: 41:40

So I try reformer pilates, boxing, swimming, everything that my body possibility possible can do, I just try. So that one day I do boxing and I was really extra and the coach say, oh, you're very good in pushing your limits. I was like, no, I'm stressed, so I'm like punching it really hard. And he was like, oh, you're really good in pushing your limits. I was like I'm not pushing my limits. I was like letting out my emotion, offloading yeah, and I just feel happy. Sometimes I just uh-huh, I cannot wait for my reformer at six. I cannot see myself so happy looking forward for my workout. But after I value it as a moment of myself, like a moment of thinking about myself, then I start to be happy going out for workout.

The trailblazers experience: 42:42

You're speaking to the converted. I'm the same. I'm very passionate about my job, my career, what I do. I really love it, I thrive of it. I'm always thinking what's next, what connections can I make? How can I help the business? What challenges are we going through? But also I need my gym time. I need to go lift some weights, lift something heavy, you know, do a burpee or two, run. It's just, I thrive of it. It's like you said, it's like that outlet, that release, but at the same time it's good for your body. My dad always says you're going to rest or retire when you die.

The trailblazers experience: 43:18

So live life, live it to the fullest and it's amazing. You found something that you're passionate about. Basically, you're doing something your business which you would probably do for free, Even if you are not being paid or making money off of it. You'd probably do it for free because you're passionate about it. It's something that you've always loved and it's sort of evolved into, you know, having a team and helping the community. It's really good. But yeah, I love the fact that you say you love Reforma, Pilates and boxing.

Novia Sukijo: 43:54

Yeah, so it's every kind of yeah, also learning to do weightlifting too.

The trailblazers experience: 44:00

Yeah, I love it. Go girl, go girl. Are there designers that inspire you? So which designers have sort of been the catalyst? They may be old on you. Who are your top three?

Novia Sukijo: 44:16

Maybe you will be disappointed, but my friends say that I'm a big fan of myself. So when I was in degree, we need to, you know, like create some booklets about the designer that inspire us like moving forward, who we look forward, things like that I was like I don't know, like I don't have anyone that I'm looking forward in terms of designers, and my friends say, no wonder, because you're just a big fan of yourself, that's hot.

The trailblazers experience: 44:53

I mean, do you know what? Maybe that's the success. You have to be so obsessed with yourself and confident as a designer that you believe your clothes are what people need. That's you are your biggest inspiration. To be fair, I'm probably happy that you've said that, because otherwise, where does the creativity come from? You know, you are the brand, you embody the brand in everything that you do, and the women that wear it as well. I think that's interesting, so I love that. Oh, my goodness, I thought you were going to say, oh, I've got a list of three or four, you know, and this is what matters. But no, you're very honest. I love it. Matter of fact, blunt, yeah, if we were to talk about lessons learned over the years, so we're coming up down now to trailblazer, take away tips of things, knowledge that you'd like to empower, to some young girl out there who is probably thinking I want to start my own business, I don't know what to do. What are some lessons that you would give to them?

Novia Sukijo: 46:07

Okay, so this lesson is not originally from me, so I cannot discredit the owner of the lessons. It's from my father. So that day I was only maybe 17 or 18, and then they are after the exchange, then they're abroad and I have to command my mom's team for her fashion show. And she is abroad, only me there. And then it was outdoor and then heavily, heavily raining, no one come. And then I already feel nervous because I'm just a little kid taking care of a fashion show and my mom's a different level of designer. So everyone there is, you know, like celebrity designers and I was just a little kid, and then it's raining, so my mental really break down. So I was, I call my father, is raining, maybe I will just go home, maybe no one come, no one really see the show. Blah, blah, blah. And my father says if it's, even if it's only one or zero guests that come, you have your house, you must go on.

Novia Sukijo: 47:10

Yeah, you have your standards. So from that I apply that to almost every aspect in my life, no matter how bad, no matter how hurtful the response from the people, you have your own standards because sometimes, oh, she's bad, she's doing bad to me. I might do the same things, and it's fair because she's bad to me. You're not a bad person. You just getting hurt from someone and that shouldn't create you to become like her, because you know how hurtful is it to be treating like that. So I apply that in almost every aspect in my life, that I have my own standard on doing things. So that should define me. I need to know where I stand.

The trailblazers experience: 47:56

That's a good one. That's a very good first one. I think we live in a society where people say, oh, only when I have 100 customers, or only when I have a thousand. That's when I'll focus on the branding and everything else that you're supposed to concentrate on when you're a business owner the quality, the service. But actually you should from day one. Whatever you're doing, even if the customer is just yourself or if it's customer number one or client number one, everything should be perfection, because how do you scale from low quality and low service? You only scale from perfection. So that's a very good lesson. I love that one.

Novia Sukijo: 48:41

If we talk about like entrepreneur, really know your standards. And also this this apply in when we have a fashion show and there's not many guests come. Meanwhile we already spent so much for the show because you know things like that. And then my mom was really sad and I say there only maybe half of the people that usually come to our show, but they still have the value. You know like doesn't mean that they're in small amount. Then it also impact the quality of how we value our customer. So don't be you know like in business it's always you know like wave. Sometimes we're on top and the next day you just what is happening, why no one buy my clothes today, things like that. But it's just, you know, a matter of overcoming overcoming things.

The trailblazers experience: 49:34

So growth is growth is not linear. The ups and downs. You've talked a lot about your family, your team. Would you say that the relationships between your team and your family, they are your close circle. That is sort of what keeps you going.

Novia Sukijo: 49:52

What keeps me going? Yes, Because you know my team. They're not just providing themselves, they're also providing their family. So, whatever you know, like next step, as the leader that I took, it's also impacting them, you know. So I want to be a better person because, so, because that's more life that are valuable in every of my steps. That's why I want to be better, I want to learn to be better and, yeah, so my team, my family, I mean what else? What else I do besides working and studying nothing, and also my community, of course.

The trailblazers experience: 50:36

Yeah, this has been such an amazing, empowering conversation. I am inspired by you. You know, you're younger than me, but you're wise beyond your years. You are the definition of a hustler in terms of you know, saying I'm going to build a business, I'm going to be all about my brand, my product, but my community.

The trailblazers experience: 50:59

Modest clothing is important as well. You know, we live, unfortunately, in a world where the majority of what we're seeing is a different way of dressing, and there is elegance, sexiness in being modest. It shows power, it shows strength, and you're doing all of that. You are that girl. You are that girl and it's important, it's important for us to be and it's important, it's important for us to have. This is this is why I love, you know, this podcast, having the conversations with you know people there's a young girl who's going to listen to this and watch it and say she looks like me, she has a similar journey as me, and look at what she's doing, and I think that's that's really important. So you might have a few people reaching out to you afterwards in your DMs asking questions and then you can pay it forward. So I really thank you for your time.

Novia Sukijo: 51:51

Thank you.

The trailblazers experience: 51:52

And I also look forward to you know seeing what you do next. And, yeah, always, always on the watch.

Novia Sukijo: 52:01

Thank you, good luck for you too, and hopefully I can hear a lot of inspiring story from your podcast.

The trailblazers experience: 52:09

Thank you. So this has been once again, the Trailblazers Experience podcast, available on all streaming platforms and on YouTube, and we look forward to your comments, your likes, your shares. Tell another woman about the podcast. Is all all I can say. Thank you so much.