Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Elliot.
Hi Lisa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began my career many years ago in retail at Saks Fifth Ave. and Barneys NY in Ca. I then moved to New York in the 90’s to expand and did PR for Patrick Cox and Wholesalesfor Richard Tyler. I moved back to Los Angeles and worked in-house for Michelle Mason and at a PR Company. Here I met my future business partner and we began our own Company in 2001 branding and producing shows for designers. I decided to get my own office and opened a Press Co. in Silverlake, Ca. Several of the designers wanted me to do sales as well. So, I expanded and hired more people and was doing both the press and sales for about 6 lines. We grew and I hired employees and decided to focus more on sales. I moved downtown LA and opened a showroom: eM Productions in the Cooper Building. Briefly after this we expanded to New York and opened a showroom here and represented over 14 brands including Mara Hoffman, Rebecca Minkoff, Iro, Zadig & Voltaire, Cotton Citizen and more. During Covid I closed the showrooms and focus more on strategic sales for brands and consulting and writing business plans under my Company www.litupbrand.com I also published 3 books and a course on the foundations and strategy of building a brand. In 2022 I began a market focusing on more sustainable brands in vintage, antiques, upcycled and art: Ojai Design x Vintage and will be expanding this concept.
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?
It has not always been a smooth road. There were many challenges along the way from growing quickly and having the proper team in place. The largest struggle was finding good people to work with that had integrity and accountablity. The other struggle with the showroom was that we were great at building lines, strategy and sales but certain lines went in-house after their sales were built. Some lines could not keep up with sales and did not ship everything that was on orders.
As you know, we’re big fans of Lit Up Brand. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Lit Up Brand is a consulting Company that helps support the growth of a brand whether one is starting a new one or restructuring one. I also have books on Amazon: How to Build a Brand and a course on Udemy. I specialize in the foundation of what lights one up, their core values, mission, demographic, strengths and weaknesses, and their unique voice. After this is clear, I focus on strategy for growth in sales, marketing, operations, and financials.
I am known for taking risks and having a vision knowing what makes a brand stand out and how to clarify and update this.
My services include one on one business coaching and knowledge from my books and courses: information found on www.litupbrand.com or contact me at [email protected]
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I like that Ojai is calm, peaceful and cultured. It has choices whether you want to go on a nature hike, or to a music venue.
The weekends are busy with people visiting and more traffic. I don’t love this, but I know the back roads to get around this.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.litupbrand.com
- Instagram: litupbrand
- Facebook: Litupbrand
Image Credits
Lane Pittard
