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It's not easy for any entrepreneur to set up shop and develop a marketing plan. But Heather Joie of St. Petersburg has had some hurdles beyond the usual financing, location, and strategy challenges.
At 48, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and the needed surgeries left her with deep insecurity over her femininity. “I'm pretty scarred up and disfigured,” she says.
But in misfortune, she found opportunity. Joie has launched a company called Clothing With a Kiss, to create and market lingerie for survivors of breast cancer. There are an estimated 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.
Joie is starting with an online operation, at clothingwithakiss.com, and hopes to manufacture and distribute the clothing to area boutiques. A sole proprietor, she used about $50,000 in startup funds, and hopes to be able to manage the company without investors. However, if the company takes off and begins to expand, she may need outside capital, says Joie.
For now, the business is based at her Pinellas County home. “My ultimate goal is to have a manufacturing plant in the St. Petersburg area,” she says.
Several days ago, she staged a photo shoot of the lingerie with five models— all breast cancer survivors — at the renovated Hollander Hotel in St. Petersburg. With the revealing designs, mainly nightgowns and underwear, her clothing isn't about hiding or feeling shame, says Joie. “It's all about as a survivor feeling sexy again, getting your passion back, and confidence and self-esteem.”
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