Today we’d like to introduce you to Lara Kercinik.
Lara, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
A few years ago my husband was feeling frustrated about his wardrobe. He is a Creative Marketing Executive and wanted to up his game and his style for work. I knew a friend who sold clothing for a custom menswear brand and did some research on them. I ended up stumbling across a Forbes article about the brand and it spoke to me. I knew right away that it was something I’d like to try. My youngest of three sons was over a year old and I wanted to pursue something of my own that still kept my schedule flexible and empowered me to grow my own business.
Plus, I’d always had this thing with menswear – I loved to shop for the men in my life.
I started with my immediate network and found that a lot of men not only loved the convenience – but that they loved the quality, fit and style options. I started getting texts from clients that they couldn’t get over the number of compliments they were getting at work and at social events. This felt super rewarding and soon I felt like I was really honing a craft. Each client is unique in style, fit and need – I started to feel like a consultant who really understood menswear and how to make the right fit and style adjustments for each individual client.
Currently I have over 160 clients to our Chicagoland team. Together we are excited to help men look their best and bring a new level of style, service and fit to their wardrobes. J.Hilburn has grown exponentially in many markets across the country and it’s very exciting to be part of that growth in Chicago. I feel extremely lucky to have a job that’s entrepreneurial, creative, exciting, and stems from an amazing brand that operates with incredible integrity and support for their stylists.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Overall I’ve been very fortunate in how quickly my business has grown. There are weeks when it feels hard to juggle three kids and work – but having a super supportive husband has been key to my success. Sales is a process and does not bring overnight success or wealth. But over time the build of clientele does become easier. The more I get to know my brand the easier it is to sell it. And again, the flexibility I have to either push or pull back is of my own choosing. I can decide if I want to work super hard in one month so I can focus on family or travel or whatever the next month. Having this flexibility has made my work/life balance very manageable and I think that’s the biggest challenge many people face.
Independent Personal Menswear Stylist for J.Hilburn – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As a stylist for J.Hilburn I feel pretty lucky to be selling and working with the best fabrics in menswear. Our shirting and suiting fabrics are sourced from the best mills in the world without the mark up. A custom shirt ranges from $99-$185 and suiting from $550-$950 which is pretty amazing considering items are made to your measurements. This season is particularly exciting because they’ve launched numerous casual custom options too. I hear men say all the time – ‘I never wear a suit anymore so there’s no need for me to invest in my wardrobe’ – but we truly have options for every event ranging from a backyard BBQ to your own formal black tie wedding. And fit is literally everything. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a jeans and a sweater or wearing a tuxedo – it should fit you impeccably well.
Menswear in general is expensive and this means it’s best when it’s versatile. I love to help create wardrobes for men that they won’t grow tired of, will wear all the time and suits made with their personal style. I love to promote versatility and sophistication for every client no matter his budget.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Grit is a trendy word right now thanks to author/psychologist, Angela Lee Duckworth. Her work tests the power of passion and perseverance and states that success is most often had by people who have the most grit. Those people can fail repeatedly and keep going. The don’t give up easily. They aren’t unhinged by challenges and they work very hard. I think it’s fascinating that some of the most successful people aren’t those with the highest levels of aptitude for their craft – they are the people who simply wanted the success the most.
This conversation isn’t just happening in education and business – but also in parenting. And so I feel strongly that if I’m teaching my kids the importance of working hard, and failing, and learning to get up and keep going that I need to be doing the same. I’d love to say that I’ve always been that way – but in my 20s in particular I struggled with getting back up again. It felt easier to quit and look for something different. Many of us are looking for instant gratification and a fast flight to the top. But, I’ve learned that consistency and patience are key to maintaining a path or strong footing towards success. I want my kids to see that my list of clients didn’t happen overnight, that I still make mistakes and that in those challenges I come to strengthen my skill.
I want to work with people who are generally positive and passionate and not just about work – about all sorts of things. Goal-oriented is a term that gets tossed around all the time – but people who set goals achieve goals which means they’re driven. I also like to be around people who want to collaborate. We all have strengths and weaknesses and working alongside people that you like and respect and who are doers is powerful. I want to be part of that.
Contact Info:
- Address: Based out of Barrington, IL
- Website: www.larakercinik.jhilburn.com
- Phone: 312-550-6707
- Email: lara.kercinik@jhilburnpartner.com
- Instagram: @larakercinik
- Other: LinkedIn – Lara Kercinik
Image Credit:
Photo 1: the handsome husband I get to dress – Alan Kercinik
The little men I get to dress – Jack (8) Reid (6) Cal (4) (not J.hilburn for kids though!;)
Photo 2: a group of men from my family wearing their J.Hilburn shirts, sweaters, jeans, shoes etc. I can style head to toe – casual to formal.
Photo 3: I styled and dressed groom, Dan Getz, in his Navy Revenge Tuxedo for his wedding in October 2016.
Photo 4: One of my favorite clients – my Dad – who represents one of my favorite group of clients. Men over 65 love the custom fit and style options J.Hilburn offers – truly for men of all ages.
Photo 5: My husband sporting J.Hilburn on a day he brought our sons to the office. They wanted to dress up and dress cool like Dad.
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