103: Building A Brand Without Fear With Sage Aubrey

On today’s podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sage Aubrey, Designer and Founder of Sage Aubrey Handbags. Generally in her industry - the luxury industry - brands are known for intimidating women and a lot of women don’t know why they’re made to feel like this when they walk into a designer store. Before being in this industry, Sage didn’t understand this either - but she knew she didn’t love the vibe. She didn’t feel like she fit in the luxury industry, but this was where her passion was and so she was determined to change it. She knew she wanted to build a community for women where they could grow their confidence and feel supported - this is the story of how she did just that, despite all odds against her.In 2009, Sage moved to Malaysia with her husband when he received a job offer here. She ended up sitting on a panel that advocated and raised money for women and girls without a voice who were victims of sex-trafficking, child brides, and those suffering from many other forms of brutality. These circumstances changed her opinions on the way she now lives her life in America. She is now fully aware of the opportunities and privileges we have here and whenever she feels like things are getting too difficult to push forward, the stories of the young women she fought and continues to fight for - stick with her to remind her how fortunate she is. Sage believes that the more success we can create over here, the more opportunities we can create for women who don’t have a voice. Her driving force and main purpose of Sage Aubrey is to be able to build a company that is able to sustain and fund all of her efforts for women who need help the most. She shares this profound statement, “No matter what creative space we’re in, it’s important to know that we can carry a lot of weight in social change.”The most successful form of selling to people is intimidation, and the more insecure or vulnerable you feel, the quicker you will purchase because you feel like you have to prove yourself. Luxury brands know that they dominate the market place, so they know no matter how they make you feel, you will come back. However, we are the people who are the consumers and we are the ones with the money spending it on their products, so it is us who have the power to decide if we want to be made to feel that way and support a brand or not. She was ready to be the one to change this sigma because she believes that women deserve to be marketed to in a more ethical and restful manner.Her solution to shifting this experience was to create luxury quality items and offer a personalized, welcoming shopping experience so that women feel like the icons that they are - not the brands that they wear. Her passion surrounds the idea of creating a community where people have reframed the way they look at women when they see them wearing a designer bag. When someone is wearing a Sage Aubrey bag, she wants this to spark connection instead of animosity in knowing that that person supports a movement in this industry. Women are most powerful when we’re building community - and this is when we find success. This is why approachability is so important on the journey of success.It was the moment she decided to lay everything on the line and start talking about everything that makes her uncomfortable in this industry that she felt fearless and so proud of. She chose no to be intimidated by other brands or designers telling her she would fail, and instead, she took a stand and used her voice. She loves being a rebel and a disruptor in the industry because it’s important to remember that, “well-behaved women rarely make history.” How to get in touch with Sage:Instagram: @thesageaubreyWebsite: www.sageaubrey.com