演員兼企業(yè)家杰西卡?阿爾芭談名人融資
????2011年,著名女演員杰西卡?阿爾芭參與創(chuàng)辦了誠(chéng)實(shí)公司(The Honest Company),專(zhuān)門(mén)生產(chǎn)環(huán)保的嬰兒用品和家庭用品。3年后的今天,這家公司剛剛宣布融資7,000萬(wàn)美元,公司估值約為10億美元,并計(jì)劃上市。阿爾芭曾被評(píng)為2012年《財(cái)富》(Fortune)最具影響力的女創(chuàng)業(yè)家(Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs)。她對(duì)《財(cái)富》雜志講述了她創(chuàng)建誠(chéng)實(shí)公司的心路歷程,以及如何以名人的身份向風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資家融資。 ????以下為經(jīng)過(guò)編輯的訪談內(nèi)容摘錄: ????在創(chuàng)建這家公司的時(shí)候,你希望實(shí)現(xiàn)怎樣的目標(biāo)? ????我當(dāng)時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)一個(gè)亟待解決的問(wèn)題,但市場(chǎng)上卻沒(méi)有公司關(guān)注,而這件事卻有著重要的意義。那就是為消費(fèi)者提供安全、健康無(wú)毒的產(chǎn)品。我的朋友現(xiàn)在都到了結(jié)婚生子的年齡,但很多人卻很難懷孕。因?yàn)榍鍧嵱闷分泻写罅康暮蔂柮筛蓴_物,以及其他影響荷爾蒙分泌的東西。人們不希望得病,同時(shí)還希望買(mǎi)到既便宜、又美觀而且實(shí)用的產(chǎn)品,但很難買(mǎi)到,這就像連鎖反應(yīng)。 ????有沒(méi)有想到自己的想法會(huì)成長(zhǎng)為一個(gè)價(jià)值10億美元的品牌? ????我其實(shí)并沒(méi)有從金錢(qián)的角度來(lái)衡量它。我的目標(biāo)是將這種理念盡可能地傳導(dǎo)給全世界更多的人,重新定義家庭用品品牌。對(duì)于公司未來(lái)發(fā)展的可能性,我當(dāng)初并沒(méi)有任何價(jià)值目標(biāo)或限制。 ????你認(rèn)為,即將進(jìn)行的IPO完成后,你在公司內(nèi)的角色會(huì)發(fā)生怎樣的變化? ????我依舊會(huì)親自參與公司運(yùn)營(yíng),我還是會(huì)進(jìn)行微觀管理,而且我對(duì)細(xì)節(jié)的關(guān)注甚至有一點(diǎn)過(guò)分。細(xì)節(jié)讓我們獨(dú)樹(shù)一幟,而我又是一個(gè)對(duì)細(xì)節(jié)一絲不茍的人。這讓我們感到與眾不同。只要我還在使用公司的產(chǎn)品,我就會(huì)參與市場(chǎng)營(yíng)銷(xiāo)、包裝和設(shè)計(jì)。我沒(méi)有感覺(jué)在公司的角色發(fā)生了任何變化,不過(guò)我想我不會(huì)再親自參與產(chǎn)品包裝。最初,我們會(huì)自己包裝產(chǎn)品并進(jìn)行初期產(chǎn)品測(cè)試,測(cè)試的方法就是在一個(gè)停車(chē)場(chǎng)里亂扔,看包裝會(huì)不會(huì)碎。現(xiàn)在我們有專(zhuān)人通過(guò)正規(guī)的方式做這些事情。(大笑) ????你覺(jué)得,當(dāng)你出去為誠(chéng)實(shí)公司融資時(shí),你的名人身份有益還是有害? ????我會(huì)以一位媽媽和一名消費(fèi)者的身份,與風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資家磋商。對(duì)于產(chǎn)品成分和有毒化學(xué)物,我也有一定的了解。我可以深入談?wù)撨@個(gè)話題,而且我還有兩個(gè)孩子。我們是一家生活方式品牌,目標(biāo)客戶(hù)正是與我一樣的消費(fèi)者。我是80后媽媽。所以,我去和風(fēng)投談?wù)撐覀兊钠放坪彤a(chǎn)品,是講得通的。許多風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資者都是已婚男士,他們會(huì)說(shuō):“我妻子的情況和你的完全一樣?!蓖ㄟ^(guò)交談,他們都能聯(lián)想到消費(fèi)者的需求和渴望、市場(chǎng)現(xiàn)狀,以及一個(gè)真正能夠吸引現(xiàn)代女性的品牌。 |
????Actress Jessica Alba co-founded The Honest Company in 2011, to make eco-friendly baby and home products. Three years later, the company just announced $70 millionin new funding at nearly a $1 billion valuation, and is looking toward an initial public offering. Alba, one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in 2012, spoke with Fortune about Honest Co. and what it’s like to raise money from venture capitalists as a celebrity. ????Edited excerpts: ????What goal did you set out to accomplish when you founded the company? ????I really found a problem that needed to be addressed and no one was out there doing it, but it makes so much sense. It makes sense to have safe, healthy non-toxic products. All my friends were at an age where they were thinking about starting a family and a lot of them had a difficult time getting pregnant. There are a lot of hormone disruptors in cleaning products and things that are off-putting to your hormones. Then it was like this ripple effect of people not wanting to be sick and wanting inexpensive products that looked good and worked well. ????Did you ever think your idea would grow into a brand worth nearly $1 billion? ????I really didn’t put a dollar amount to it. My goal was to reach as many people globally [as possible] and really redefine the idea of a family brand. I didn’t have any values or limitations on the possibility of what that was. ????How do you think your role at the company would change after a potential IPO? ????I am still quite hands-on and I still micro-manage probably a little too much. The details are what set us apart and me being meticulous about the details matters. It makes us feel different to everyone else out there. As long as I am the customer, I am going to be involved in marketing, packaging and design. I don’t see my role changing a whole lot, but I guess I won’t be packing boxes anymore. In the beginning, we were packing our own boxes and doing initial product tests by throwing them around in a parking lot to see if they would break. Now we have people to do those things properly. (Laughs) ????Do you think your celebrity status helped you or hurt you when you went out to raise funds for Honest Co.? ????When I go into rooms and talk to venture capitalists, I approach it really as a mom and as a consumer. I have a decent amount of knowledge on ingredients and toxic chemicals. I can dive deep on it and I have the day-to-day of having two kids. We are a lifestyle brand that is catering to customers like me. I am the millennial mom. It makes sense when I am in the room talking about the brand and the product. A lot of [venture capitalists] are men and have wives and they say, “My wife does the exactly the same thing.” They can all relate to the needs and desires and what was out there and having a brand that really spoke to me as a modern woman. |
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