Female Founders: Artemis Doupa of maake On the Five Things You Need To Do To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview with Doug Noll

‘Done is better than Perfect’, and ‘Consistency beats originality’. This is something that has taken me a while to accept, and I think it’s mainly due to my character, as I’m a perfectionist. I have learned the hard way that delaying doing something in the name of perfection or originality has costly effects — in marketing, in the way a business is run and even from a leadership perspective.

As a part of our series about Women Founders, we had the pleasure of interviewing Artemis Doupa.

Artemis Doupa is CEO & Founder at maake.com and maakeAcademy. A creative entrepreneur, bestselling author, profit guide and adventurous marketer based in London, Artemis specialises in one-to-one coaching of visionary fashion and interior designers who want to grow their business and have an impact in their market while still doing what they love. Her aim is to help creatives learn to balance the responsibilities of a thriving business whilst still making time for designing and their craft.

Artemis is an expert in digital fabric printing and over the past 15 years has worked with more than

10,000 brands including ASOS, Dior and Alexander McQueen.

Artemis’s new book, Design & Grow, is all about how creative entrepreneurs can reach their business potential, grow profits and get their design time back at the same time.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I am originally from Greece, received my early education in Switzerland and when it came to higher education, I studied architecture in London. I have been fortunate to travel frequently and it’s something I still enjoy, especially taking the opportunity to visit Greece as often as I can.

I explored several career avenues before settling into something I love. In 2016 I leant into my interest in fashion and textiles, founding maake (formerly known as Fashion Formula), what is now, one of the UK’s leading digital textile printing companies. Personally, I am knowledgeable in eight different kinds of digital fabric printing and have worked with multiple incredible brands and businesses over the last decade or so.

As well as having my own company in the textile industry, I have a passion for helping other creative entrepreneurs find their own success. Through my coaching company, maake Academy, I work with founders of various backgrounds to help them grow their businesses, continue making a profit and still preserve time for the craft that they love and originally inspired them to start their own business. I have a signature method that gives entrepreneurs the tools to make time for their own creative pursuits whilst also building a fast-growing, long-lasting, successful brand. The method covers everything from implementing systems, building a team, perfecting operations, having the right mindset for growth, getting marketing right and also prioritising sustainability. I work through all of these elements with my clients to help them iron out any issues that might be holding them back from their true potential.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

​​One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had since I began leading my company happened early on, during a critical marketing campaign. We had just managed to gather the money needed to start up and all was in place. We had a small team to begin with and we were all very excited and positive that everything would go well. Our marketing approach was based on previous experiences in that particular market and a lot of competitor analysis, and even though it was all well-prepared, once the campaigns went out and the sales came in, we soon figured that something wasn’t working.

We were focusing so much on what the ideal offer would be and were using hypothetical data, that we were blinded to how the market had evolved and what it actually needed.

So things were not going well: the sales team were missing their targets and morale was low. It became apparent that while each department was working diligently on their tasks, there was a lack of cohesive communication and little alignment between the market and ourselves. As we were a small team, staff had multiple tasks and little patience to communicate in-depth.

I decided to intervene by organising a two-day offsite workshop where everyone could work together and understand the marketing approach from others’ perspectives. During this workshop, we collected true data and interviewed many customers. We finally aligned on a pitch within our team and shared a unique moment of unity. This completely transformed our way of approaching our marketing and how the team members were involved. It was a stark reminder of the importance of open communication, the way each member viewed marketing and the importance of marketing for the company’s future and their own.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When we were first setting up our textile factory, I had invested in a high-end colour matching machine. This machine was supposed to be state-of-the-art, able to perfectly match any colour swatch we fed it for our fabric printing process. Excited, we set up some colour profiles and were ready to go.

What seemed like a very large order came through at the time and I wanted to check it out myself together with Alexander Wills, the company’s other co-founder, as we were keen to get it perfect.

To our surprise, instead of the expected muted, earthy tones the client had ordered, the roll of fabric printed in the most vibrant, psychedelic colours — neon greens, bright pinks and electric blues! It was as if our textile factory had suddenly turned into a discotheque from the ‘70s! That would have been amazing if it was what the client wanted!

We frantically checked the machine, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. It turned out that the staff member running the machine had selected the wrong printing setting and the whole job had become a ‘rainbow riot’.

The ‘mistake’ was hilariously human… The machine, in all its high-tech glory, was faithfully reproducing the colours of different fabrics settings!

This incident brought a lot of laughter to our otherwise stressful day and taught us a valuable lesson — always double-check your inputs, no matter how advanced your technology might be. And perhaps, more importantly, even in the face of mistakes, there’s always room for a good laugh and a splash of unexpected colour!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Absolutely, I would be very surprised if any successful entrepreneur or anyone in general doesn’t have at least one mentor in their life. I was fortunate to have mentors that expanded my vision and helped me think bigger even than I did, and that’s saying a lot considering I don’t hold back on high achievement goals. Bouncing ideas around and having a think tank of specialists and mentors gave me the ability to expand my views and achieve goals that otherwise might not have been possible.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

I believe that stereotypes have come a long way, but nevertheless, this sadly hasn’t been reflected in all industries and in all peoples’ minds. There is still this idea that men are somehow more capable, and I say that based on the funding distribution. There is a great book by David Horne exploring this topic called ‘Women Founders’, which is very interesting and shows that some men are out there fighting and shining a light on these issues and trying to help women navigate them.

Something that stayed with me until this day was when I was appointed CEO of maake and I had a woman come over and say, “Are you sure you are up for this with two small children? Wouldn’t you rather be home? This is a big responsibility”. I felt so betrayed by my own gender. As if it’s one or the other…

There is no doubt that taking on bigger roles might affect your personal balance, but discouraging someone based on them having children and ignoring their skill or abilities was a wake-up call for me and made me see that this injustice is not only coming from men. The lack of female role models is also feeding into this backward thinking and holding women back, because they might not find the support, even in their own environment, never mind in the market. Women who step out and take the risk are increasing, but maybe not at the rate we would hope. I am fortunate to work with mainly women entrepreneurs; a good 85% of the brands I work with are founded by females and I love that part of the job. I also make it my goal to show them that being a woman, or a mum is not something that should stop you, but rather should empower you.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

Education and supporting entrepreneurial related studies in both genders would be a great start. For those already out there, funding is a crucial one, equality at the workplace and promotional positions. There is a massive gap that needs to be filled, it has been addressed and we are all sitting in on all these debates, but actions are limited and sometimes overshadowed.

On a personal front, I would say women should consider their own needs and personal goals. We are wired to nurture and care for others, and many women were taught that they should, or many naturally do, put their family’s needs first. But there is a balance and this needs to be addressed when a woman wants to go out there and take a risk on an idea, found a company and give it a real shot. Another aspect is teaching our sons that women are as capable and should be respected and valued for their entrepreneurial spirit equally to men. They are the next generation and it’s up to us to help them understand what gender equality is.

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder, but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

Leadership skills can be evident in all genders and the fact that there is still a generic assumption that men are, by gender, stronger founders than women is still difficult to digest. Likely there is a slight shift on the support towards women and a few studies are starting to show what women have been advocating towards our gender.

I want to start with the most obvious, which is a diverse perspective: having women joining the entrepreneurial journey will lead to further innovation. Women can bring a fresh, unique perspective and offer creative problem-solving solutions that weren’t previously explored.

Another reason I have that is a very strong one, is womens’ understanding of the market. Women make a significant percentage of purchasing decisions in many markets. This can give a great insight and a competitive edge. You hear stories of men wanting to buy boats and houses and in the end a deal often falls apart when their wives disagree. I have seen marketing campaigns that have changed their whole marketing strategy to include benefits, ones that are designed to consider their perspective in high value items that otherwise seem to be designed for men.

Women are by nature designed to be resilient and empathetic and are very adaptable. Due to the natural demands of motherhood, our bodies and minds are designed that way. These qualities were proven through studies such as the S&P Global report which highlighted them, particularly during Covid, where leaders dealt with the situation in different ways. Additionally, I have read several times now how women in business are showing a great interest in diversity and sustainability. This is not to say that men aren’t being involved in these matters, but it’s been noted that women are more likely to focus on environmental, social and governance factors.

These are just some of the reasons why I would encourage women to follow the entrepreneurial journey. I am fortunate to work in a niche industry that has many women in those roles. I see all the wonderful and innovative ways they approach challenges. This gives me a lot of hope that soon female leadership will become a wider phenomenon, and that there will be a common understanding that women in entrepreneurship create a more inclusive, equitable and prosperous business landscape for all.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?

Where to start? I have heard a lot of these myths over the years and the most paralysing one is that “you need to have it all figured out”. Especially as I’m a perfectionist, it is hard to let go of this notion. But having everything figured out is not only unrealistic but it is also a little pointless. Businesses by nature are like evolving organisms. They change and pivot throughout time. The market evolves, the trends change and a strong leader is able to adapt and innovate.

When founders are desperate to have it all planned out for 5–10 (or however many) years, they end up anxious, as so many things change that their original vision might not even be plausible anymore. As an example, since we started maake.com, we had to contend with both the unexpected Brexit referendum in 2016 and subsequent prolonged exit, and then COVID, along with the current energy crisis — none of these we could have foreseen or planned for when we started. It goes without saying that planning is essential but having everything figured out before you start is unrealistic and is a myth.

Other misconceptions are that you need to work 24/7 and not have a life. That is probably what my generation and anyone before me might have been more inclined to believe. But, I have found in recent years that the younger generation is under the impression that being a founder, making money and being successful is just one selfie away. I’ve had conversations with young entrepreneurs that have pivoted so far from the 24/7 work/life concept to one where they believe that founding a company, working a few hours a day and hiring a couple of staff members will suffice.

There are others who believe “you need to do it alone”, “you have to take big risks” or “you are too old”, but the myth I want to finish with is a very important one. A lot of people are discouraged because they fear failure. Our educational systems, our families and society has created a drive for success, and failure is considered a big downfall. There is a stigma, a social judgement, and that has resulted in a very discouraging environment.

We have seen studies where only one in four businesses make it for more than three years, and that is a scary prospect. The belief that ‘failure is the end’ is what has prevented many from taking that journey and what has stopped others after their first failure. The fact of the matter is that a business is a business, and it is not a reflection of one person. There can be many factors that contribute to why a business fails or succeeds, and one of them will be the founder. Many successful entrepreneurs view failure as a learning opportunity, and it’s always inspiring to have these founders speak publicly of their struggles, showing and dismissing this myth that failure is the end.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

In my opinion, not everyone is cut out to be a founder. The entrepreneurial journey is a tough one. You need resilience and a degree of risk tolerance. One of the most crucial skills I would say is self-drive. Not everyone has the ability to wake up knowing that all odds are against them and still have the mindset to go out there and make the most of it. And there are days like that, more than any entrepreneur would like to admit, and these are the moments that differentiate the leaders. Those with visions beyond personal gain and the ability to communicate this vision to others — those are the people with a true entrepreneurial gift. Of course, I cannot exclude creativity, which is necessary for innovation, as well as adaptability/flexibility, which is necessary for following the market, customer needs or changes in technology.

Not having this type of skill set will lead to many setbacks that one might not be able to overcome. This is why sometimes having two or more co-founders is a practical solution, as one can have a strong set of skills that another might not. It is difficult for someone to have them all at the same intensity, and for me, vision, leadership, creativity, and resilience would rank at the top.

There is no doubt that being a founder is very stressful. You not only have to worry about your own life, but also the lives of your employees. You are to some extent responsible for many factors of others’ lives, such as their salary, working environment and a lot more. When things are good, it’s great and everyone wishes they were in your shoes, but when things get tough, not everyone considers the hassle to be worth it. Therefore, if someone is happy to go to work, do what they love and switch off at the end of the day, possibly being a founder is not their ideal job.

I am in no way saying that having a ‘regular job’ is not stressful, however at the end of the day it is someone else’s business, and your personal stakes are not so high. So, for those who enjoy a regular salary and a stable environment with limited surprises, I would say being a founder is probably not the right path.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1 . ‘Done is better than Perfect’, and ‘Consistency beats originality’. This is something that has taken me a while to accept, and I think it’s mainly due to my character, as I’m a perfectionist. I have learned the hard way that delaying doing something in the name of perfection or originality has costly effects — in marketing, in the way a business is run and even from a leadership perspective.

2 . Cash flow is key. This might seem like an obvious one, but it is a bit of a trap. Everyone who is starting up has a very passionate view of where the money will come from, and they believe in their revenue prospects. When this revenue is reached, there is a disconnect from the understanding of the cash flow, the revenue and the profit. I have seen many start-ups fail or really struggle to get through that point because of the lack of understanding of the financial distinctions and effectively knowing where the money comes from and where it goes.

3 . The Importance of a strong company culture. Everyone talks of teams and hiring, and I consider it a crucial part of the business, but I wish I knew then what I know now regarding the difference a strong company culture can make to a business. It is something we work on daily to improve and I believe that if it has been set intentionally since the beginning, it can greatly benefit a business.

4 . Just because you ‘can’ do something, doesn’t mean you should. This is something that is truly a life lesson for me. Letting go and accepting that some things shouldn’t be done by you, even though you might be better than the person doing them, is crucial. If someone can do a job 90% as well as you, then let them do it. I had a very hard time and still do when it comes to delegating parts of the job that I excel at, but I realise now that it might not be an efficient way to spend my time. As a business grows you always need to keep what you love doing, but ultimately an entrepreneur’s true love is their vision, and that is what should be cultivated, leaving behind other jobs/tasks that you might have had to do at an earlier stage of the journey.

5 . Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle, not just a job. I left this for last, as it’s the key to everything. This choice is a lifestyle choice and even the size of your company will determine the type of lifestyle you will have. And I am not talking about the money; I am talking about the effect it has on a personal level. There is no switching off. The vision is always there — the ideas, the problem solving, the innovation is part of every day and night. Once you reach a level of success that allows you to take holidays and enjoy the fruits of your efforts, you will still be in an ecstatic state of ideas and optimisations.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

I have been working on a project called maakeLess fabric waste — we are attempting to gain official charity status for this. It aims at enabling companies to give fabric a second life and become more sustainable at a minimal cost. It involves helping decrease landfill waste and training designers to have a mindset of using their patterns efficiently so that they reduce cut-offs and make the most of any fabric that is left over.

The idea is to enable as many factories, artists and designers to have this common goal. Our maake factory gives hundreds of kilos of leftover fabric away monthly to universities, schools, craft studios and designers. This started because we were frustrated when we saw so many cut-offs and pieces of wasted fabric in the factory being thrown away. What also prompted us was the fact that in the UK, approximately 200,000 tonnes of textile waste is produced each year. Studies have shown that every person in the UK produces 3.1kg of this waste. From that, only 0.3 kg is recycled, and 0.4 kg is reused. Thanks to fast fashion, 1.7 kg of fashion clothing waste per person ends up in landfills.

I am personally a great supporter of the Global Goals, and we use the B1G1 Business For Good platform in all our businesses to consistently give financial support. However, I haven’t stopped there. We advocate the importance of sustainability to all the businesses we work with at maakeAcademy. We also explain the best and most economical ways for brands to be part of a positive change and make an impact in the world. At maake, we are slowly trying to swap our fabric range to more sustainable materials, and we use environmentally friendly printing machinery. Additionally, our vision was always to promote slow fashion and print on-demand. Get what you need when you need it. Creating quality clothes instead of fast fashion items and reducing stock holding and waste.

I believe that making an impact in the world and using one’s success in any way one can is a constant journey, and it’s something that I am looking forward to expanding and increasing as much as possible.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

There are many movements out there. You see it from individuals standing in front of The House of Parliament with plastic around their necks and a banner, as well as large corporations who create organised platforms, movements and charities — and yet the problems remain. It somehow all feels a little disconnected. We are all marching towards the same goals and yet we have moved into our own circles. A Global Collaboration is what I would suggest. Recognising that we are all in it together, an international collaboration among governments, organisations, and individuals, sharing knowledge, resources and best practices with actionable plans, and not just theories. There is a lot about giving money and helping that way, but the fact of the matter is that people are also willing to give material or their time, and often all of these efforts are dismissed due to lack of coordination and organisation.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

I’m honoured to have the opportunity to answer this question. I’ve long admired many individuals who have made significant impacts in their respective fields, but as I can only pick one, my choice would be Tory Burch.

Tory is a woman who has not only established herself as a remarkable entrepreneur, fashion designer, and philanthropist, but she has also utilised her success to fuel her most passionate cause — supporting and empowering women. I appreciate her values, her tenacity, and most importantly, her mission to invest in the power of women.

As someone who aligns with Tory Burch’s belief in the immense potential of women and their crucial role in shaping the world, I would relish the opportunity to learn from her experiences and insights. I strongly believe that her journey, her successes, and even her failures, if she has any, hold invaluable lessons for all women out there who aspire to break barriers, build businesses, and contribute to a world where gender is no longer a determinant of one’s chances of success.

Her mission, in my opinion, in a larger context, goes beyond just women and entrepreneurship. By investing in women, she is helping to build a more balanced, diverse, and ultimately prosperous society. The inclusion of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and voices is vital to innovation. By empowering women, we are ensuring a more vibrant and inclusive community of thinkers, leaders, and innovators.

Having a conversation with Tory Burch would not only be a source of inspiration and motivation but also a great opportunity to discuss ways to further advance the cause of women’s empowerment and entrepreneurial success. This conversation would be an avenue to explore new ideas, build bridges, and identify pathways to effect even more significant change in our society.

So, if by any chance Tory Burch is reading this, I would be beyond delighted to share a meal and engage in enriching discourse about our shared belief in the power and potential of women.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA was born nearly blind, crippled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms any angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long terms incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been deeply moved by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn the skills of peace may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won a number of awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen with Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this link to learn more and apply.