Today we’d like to introduce you to Karin Tala.
Hi Karin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
After I graduated high school and I was about seventeen years old, I began working in the business of clothing. My parents were experts in the business, especially dealing with retail. My mom had noticed that I took interest in the industry, so she guided me, teaching me the integral parts of the business. Sadly, my parent’s business wasn’t doing too well by the time I entered the field myself, so I didn’t get to take the simple road of working with my parents. Instead, I had to become an agent and take a much harder route than the traditional route that my parents initially took. This, however, motivated me to jump straight into it so that I could pave the way for my parents. I wanted to help them and relieve their stress. I was also motivated to start taking care of myself. I changed my lifestyle and quickly adapted. I committed to my career, and I refused to take any time off to travel or enjoys nights out as a typical young adult.
Now that I look back, I can say that one aspect to my success is due to meeting new people every day. The time that I put into my career resulted in many useful connections. Networking is extremely vital for success in this industry, and I was on a mission. As I worked with more people and started getting deals, I put money aside to save up. I wanted to prove to people that I was serious about my job, and I would make sure they are taken care of if they put a little trust in me.
Putting money aside to save gave me more confidence and options to expand or take risks. After a while, I realized that I wanted to be a wholesale buyer instead of only working as an agent. I knew that I was good at it, and I wanted to be able to work with bigger profit margins. I always kept my eyes open for new opportunities and ongoing projects with specific companies to allow me to expand and grow. I never let myself get comfortable. That motivation and hustle led me to my success today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This industry is extremely difficult, with an immense number of bumpy roads. Whether it’s on the wholesale or retail side of the industry, there are new obstacles every day. The hardest part for me personally has been opening up FCKDUPGENERATION. I had no idea how much extra work it would require, but I loved the challenge and knew it was my calling. Of course, there are a lot of risks. For example, I can end up with a lot of inventory of a style that doesn’t sell right away. However, I have a good eye and years of experience, so I am confident that it won’t be an issue. I am confident in my efforts and passion, so I am willing to take the risk. I am happy that FCKDUPGENERATION pulled me out of my comfort zone. There are days that I think to myself, what am I doing? Some days I wonder if I made the right choice, but when I think about the people loving the clothes and sending me photos, messages, and emails, I’m reminded of why I started this. I am so thankful and ready to take things to the next level, no matter how difficult the road ahead will be.
As you know, we’re big fans of FCKD UP GENERATION. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
My main line of work is wholesale, specifically trendy merchandise at a low cost. That entails reselling clothing in bulk. I look for companies that need to get rid of their merchandise because they either cut too much or need space for new merchandise. I have become skilled at supplying trendy merchandise for people who can afford it, and I have been able to work with many off-price retail stores all throughout Mexico. Being in the industry of off-priced clothing hasn’t always been simple, though. I am not always treated the best. Many individuals treated me poorly, were aggressive towards me, and took great opportunities away from me.
However, those situations became a blessing for me that allowed me to become stronger, and I learned how to work with aggressive people. The ups and downs are all part of my journey that I am grateful for. My newfound strength helped me to push through COVID, a time where there was a large shortage in merchandise. Amid the mayhem, I slowly realized that my passion laid elsewhere. I began thinking during a slow time for my career and a time when I needed more income. I decided, why not follow my passion? About two years ago, I threw my life into a new company called FCKDUPGENERATION. I am working towards making trendy retail pieces that cover social messages while makes individuals feel confident, all at an affordable cost. I realized that styling is something that I love to do. My friends are always raiding my closet, and I love styling them. I realized that clothing is my true passion and I needed to expand more in this field. I thought, why not take a chance and open an online space for my friends, as well as the next generation.
FCKEDUPGENERATION has a small showroom in Los Angeles, California for appointments only where you can buy exclusive pieces and be personally styled by me. Every few months, I do a drop with exclusive pieces to FCKDUPGENERATION online, and you have a certain time to buy those pieces. You have to follow the page to see when the next drop is. I have a very different eye for fashion, and I like to have a lot of fun with it. Women don’t always think of wearing the items I offer them, but in the end, the they love finding different styles. That’s exactly why I love my job. Being able to style others and become more creative in fashion is something that I’m very passionate about.
I learned pretty early on in my career that my mistakes were important learning curves and taking risks was necessary. I am proud that I can now style so many others at such an affordable rate. In return for my hard work, I could take care of myself and take some of the pressure off my family. I am honored to have the opportunity for people to trust my brand.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Everyone knows that success is something you earn through hard work, but what you don’t learn in school is that success means undergoing a lot of trial and error to discover what works. Sometime that can take years to do, but the reward is there if you’re patient enough. For me, success was something I learned through different struggles and obstacles that I had to overcome. However, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today if it weren’t for those rainy days. I don’t measure success in in a monetary form. Someone can have money and still be unsuccessful in their business. To me, success is accomplishing a goal or dream and going through whatever you have to in order to reach the end goal while doing something that you love. That is the true form of success. It’s not about the amount of money. Instead, it’s about following whatever passion you may have. I may not have the most popular brand, but I see working on my brand and getting my messages out through clothing as a success.
Contact Info:
- Website: FCKDUPGENERATION.COM
- Instagram: @FCKDUPGENERATION
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FckdUpGeneration
