3 top tips for building a thriving brand, from an activist-turned-entrepreneur.
Plus, a peek into the life of this Forbes 30 under 30 Founder
Meet Cynthia Salim, Founder & CEO of Citizen’s Mark.
She’s on a mission to empower professional women. Blending her passion for sustainability with an opportunity she saw in the market, she is transforming the clothing industry for women who work.
Read on to get the inside scoop on her journey.
BONUS: There’s a special offer at the end — limited time only.
Let’s get personal. Who are you beyond Founder & CEO of a successful company?
I identify as a third culture kid, which means I grew up across cultures. I moved to LA from Indonesia when I was 5, then spent an awkward three years between the ages of 8 and 11 in Indonesia again as an “invisible migrant.”
It has really shaped how I process the world around me. I rarely see anything as an absolute truth, which I think is helpful in entrepreneurship.
Did you major in Entrepreneurship?
I didn’t! I was wary of the private sector as an activist, but then Dr. Choi from Loyola Marymount University invited me to take his Social Entrepreneurship class. There, I realized my skill-set could be a better fit for entrepreneurship (I love to think from scratch, build things, and move quickly). My mentor Dr. Fred Kiesner (Grampa Fred) was also instrumental in guiding me through getting a Rotary scholarship to study Global Ethics in London.
I think LMU’s focus on integrating social justice across disciplines helps create that “education of the whole person” we strive for.
So then what sparked the creation of Citizen’s Mark?
I had gotten my dream job at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland doing policy advocacy and realized how hard it was for women to dress to look “credible” in a professional setting. A lot of the fashion industry is geared towards making women look cute, sexy (which is fine) and everything else except credible and competent. What does that even look like? I think the industry is slowly defining that.
When I got a job at a big management consulting firm, this problem became even more salient. So much of our time was spent figuring out where to find shirts that don’t untuck, and blazers that don’t have jingling sleeve buttons.
I launched Citizen’s Mark in New York with just one product, a super well-tailored blazer, and it made headlines.
What have been your major milestones since then?
Our signature blazer got tons of press, including a spot on Business Insider’s annual “Insider Picks” list on the best products they saw come across their desk that year, and an award at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin.
Then, we won a WeWork Creator Award, which was a milestone that allowed us to invest in more challenging product development.
And of course being named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 was a great honor!
Why was your recent product development challenging?
After our blazer, we set out to make a blouse. But we couldn’t find anything that was sustainable, luxurious, and washable. Silk generally needs dry-cleaning, and the rest is polyester, which is plastic and really unsustainable.
It’s crazy to think that there isn’t a fabric like this already for professional women. So, we went on an 8-month journey to create Better Than Silk, a machine-washable eco-silk blouse fabric that will rival a silk blouse. It just launched on Kickstarter, and I think it’s going to be a game-changer.
Those are huge accomplishments! What’s been at the core of making Citizen’s Mark a thriving brand?
Excellent speed vs. quality balance. When you’re building a new product and brand, this is really crucial. Our Creative Director and I have complementary perspectives on this, and the tug-of-war between speed and quality puts us in that sweet spot where we can run, but not trip.
Being an entrepreneur undoubtedly comes with stress. Do you have a daily mantra, ritual, habit, or routine that keeps you in a good mindset?
I have many, but one of my new funny ones is “When you witness an emergency scene, remember that you are EMT, not a random passerby.” There are so many things that can go wrong when you’re creating something new, especially when you’re dealing with physical products. When something happens, you have to remember that a) this is your job and b) you are a professional at this. Keep calm.
What’s your grand vision for Citizen’s Mark?
I’d like Citizen’s Mark to be one of the few brands that manages to achieve scale and maintain mission integrity. I’d love to partner with a major distributor like Stitch Fix and get Citizen’s Mark in the hands of women who have been looking for it.
Given all of your success, what are your top 3 tips for building a sustainable product?
Be Thorough
It’s about how you build it, not just the impact of the end product. How is it made, who makes it, and are those things sustainable?
Ensure Demand
People have to want it enough to pay for it. Is the model demand-based or charity-based?
Ensure Quality
It has to be better than the rest. People won’t consistently “vote against themselves,” so sustainable products must deliver superior quality, service, and function than their mainstream counterparts.
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