Lauren Chan had gotten used to being overlooked by the fashion industry as a plus-size woman. As a magazine editor, the irony of writing about brands that didn’t cater to her size was not lost on her, and she was on the front lines as the social media wave of consumers started demanding more options beyond the current shapeless offerings. So, she quit her job at Glamour to take matters into her own hands.

This past fall, the former model and editor officially launched her contemporary womenswear brand, Henning, boasting high-quality, high-end pieces in sizes 12 through 24, and it’s completely self-funded. The designer line which boasts the message of “fit with a plus-size body in mind” has been incredibly successful with a cult following of women who are championing her every move.

Ahead, the founder and CEO reveals the tough decision to leave her stable job at a major fashion publication to start her own business, the mistakes she’s learned along the way, and the financial advice she’d give to fellow bootstrapping entrepreneurs.

CREATE & CULTIVATE: You took a big career leap and left your job as a fashion editor at Glamour to start your own luxury clothing company called Henning. Why did you decide to make the career shift? What advice do you have for others considering a pivot like yours?

LAUREN CHAN: I started Henning because I spent years as a fashion editor who’d worn everything from a size 12 to a size 20 and I had a hell of a time getting dressed. I was surrounded by designer fashion—whether I was reporting on it or my peers were wearing it—but I never had access to it because of my size. Instead, I wore fast-fashion pieces that made me feel less confident and look less capable. I was sick of being excluded and disadvantaged, as plus-size women have long been made to feel by fashion. So I quit my job to take matters into my own hands, and now Henning makes luxury clothes in sizes 12 to 24. The advice I’d give someone considering a pivot like mine is to make yourself an expert in your field—if you aren’t already—and to make sure the new thing is something you care deeply about.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads and switch gears to find success?

First: don't panic. There is a solution or a pivot to every problem and spiraling into a tornado of anxiety is not the way to find it. Second: get very creative when brainstorming all of the possible answers—the best ones are sometimes the most atypical. Third: sleep on it, if there’s time.

You didn’t take any venture funding for Henning, why did you decide to self-fund your business? What tips can you give to others who are bootstrapping their business?

We didn’t raise big money for a number of reasons, chief of which was that I needed to be laser-focused on my vision and execute it as quickly and as genuinely as possible.

Where do you think is the most important area for a business owner to focus their financial energy? Why? What is your best piece of financial/money advice for new entrepreneurs?

A friend of Henning, who happens to be a venture capitalist, told me that when you don’t have multi-million dollar funding you have to be exceptionally thoughtful about solving problems that you could otherwise throw cash at. I take a lot of pride in fixing early issues with the most thoughtful, sturdiest solutions because they lay the best groundwork for the future of the business. My advice would be to first assess all problems as if you don’t have money.

What do you wish people knew about the fashion industry? What are the biggest misconceptions about what you do? Why?

I wish that consumers understood why fashion is priced the way it is—and what we do to people and the earth when we purchase cheap, fast fashion. I think the biggest misconception about Henning is that we have arbitrarily slapped a high price point on our garments. But in fact, nailing fit, using natural fabrics, paying for ethical labor, and not overproducing are expensive—our retail prices simply reflect those costs. We want our customers to have a product that they can feel good about investing in.

Before the launch of your line, you took to social media and did some crowdsourcing to find out what your customers might want. Why did you take this approach and was it effective? Would you suggest it to others? What did you learn?

Some of my advisors thought I was crazy for launching social media and email programming ahead of Henning’s official launch, but it was important to me to foster a strong community before I was to sell anything to them. I wanted to create a space where people thought, “This founder cares about me,” because I do. I wanted to get input on what was missing from our community’s experience with fashion so that I could create change using all of our voices, not just mine. I couldn’t be prouder of the connections we made pre-launch. One person wrote to me to say they’ve never felt more engaged and respected as a customer—so, mission accomplished.

What's a mistake you made and what did you learn from it? How did you turn it into an opportunity?

Most of the mistakes I made were early on in the garment making process. One particular error was that the arms of the blazers were cut to a common industry standard but they looked too big when I saw the “finished” samples on a few women. After calming down, I decided to turn this into a community moment by telling my Henning audience about it. I asked them for their opinions and arm measurements and they responded with incredible support. I learned that with the Henning community, I never have to feel like I'm facing a problem alone.

What’s a piece of advice you’d give to women starting out in your field? Why?

Talk to people who have done it before. Don’t ask anything you can Google. Admit what you don’t know. Send thank you cards.

You are a great example of being the change you hope to see in the world. When high-end fashion was lacking above size 12, you started your own company to fill that gap but there is still more change needed. What has been the response from your community? What are your hopes for the future? What change are you seeing and what more can be done?

The response from the Henning community has been exceptional! We’ve had many kind comments within our groups and platforms about the brand’s mission, but to me, the best ones are about the products, specifically. Hearing women explain the feeling and effects of wearing a luxury item for the first time makes this all worth it. A recent example: “It is not an exaggeration to say that every person I interacted with commented on how great I looked and more importantly on how confident I was acting. Thank you for recognizing how important our body armor is.” My hope for the future is to give that feeling to every woman who has felt devalued because fashion has told her her size makes her a second class citizen.

What traits do you need to succeed as an entrepreneur or founder in the competitive start-up environment? Why?

Ask me in another five years! But from my perspective now: leadership, level-headedness, resourcefulness, tenacity, creativity, and flexibility.

What do you wish you could go back and tell yourself when you were first launching your business? Why?

Don’t make a judgment on one data point, wait to react until you have an idea of the bigger picture. For me, an example of how that manifests is not allowing myself to be upset about one return when sales for the month have been great.

What is the #1 book you always recommend? Why?

The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor—and I suggest you to listen to the audiobook so that you can hear the author preach.

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 FASHION LIST HERE.