Young entrepreneur Miranda Haston inspired students in the first ASPIRE Lecture in Global Entrepreneurship Week with the story of founding her plus-size swimwear business, Girl Got Curves.
From her inspiration – a love of bikinis and frustration at not finding ones she liked in her size – to hosting a catwalk show during London Fashion Week, Miranda’s passion and determination was evident in every step of her journey.
An honest account of the ups and downs of starting a business by someone with no business experience, Miranda explained the process of creating her first bikini – from feeling overwhelmed at her first trade show in Paris to visiting her potential manufacturers in Wales, saying, ‘I thought, at least we’ll have a nice weekend in Wales’.
Through her story, Miranda brought home to students fundamental lessons about starting a business and entrepreneurship such as the importance of having a clear mission, of being open to learning from others, ethical practice and resilience.
She also opened up about the strain of starting a business and the impact on her mental health, highlighting the importance of the support she received from Kent-based charity, The Kent Foundation, in bringing her into contact with other young entrepreneurs and providing support to develop her business.
Now, about to go into her second year of trading, Miranda is looking to expand her product line and create new ‘real-life’ experiences for plus-sized women. Her message to would-be entrepreneurs is clear, you can do it too.
Inspired by Miranda’s start-up journey? Why not join the Business Start-Up Journey or contact ASPIRE: ASPIRE@kent.ac.uk
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