I always describe Natali Chanany as a little woman with a BIG personality, and of those who’ve met her, I think few would disagree!
Given that we first met at iCUE, a junior enterprise at the University of Edinburgh, I’m not surprised that her interest in entrepeneurism and passion for startups led her to become involved in Scottish startup Van Der. This online fashion startup launched at the end of November 2010 and caught my attention as a result of some marketing activity powered by this wk’s 60 Second interviewee.
Name: Natali Chanany
Your role: Press and Social Media Marketing for Van Der
How old is Van Der? Just under a year.
What’s the next big challenge that Van Der has to overcome? We’re about to release Spring/Summer 2011 and are finalizing our Autumn/Winter collection, so I think our next challenge is to expand!
What’s the personal dream? Happiness.
What’s the professional dream? To be happy with what I am doing, and to take pride in it.
What is your experience of the Edinburgh startup scene? There are a ton of great ideas that people have, even every day just talking to people, I think there is an environment that encompasses a lot of passion and motivation.
How do you celebrate milestones or awards? Where is the champagne? (and ice cream)
What top 2 marketing tips would you offer to startups / which 2 have you found to be most effective? Be persistent- there is a lot of noise out there so to be heard you may have to knock more than once. And the second thing, especially in marketing is make sure you have a few people you can bounce ideas around with – it is definitely not a one man job.
Your favourite ‘skint’ meal? My friend, Jeff Soares, homemade dinners.
How much support is there at university for students who wish to become entrepreneurs? I think there seems to be a few awards, scholarships, clubs etc dedicated to it, but personally they are all too scattered around.
Should graduates work for others before trying their hand at entrepreneurship? This is a great question, I’ve wondered this a lot myself. I think if you have a good idea, you are young and probably don’t have that many responsibilities to others at this point, so if you have a good idea, then definitely go work for yourself, that is an experience. But it comes down to personal preferences, I just think once you are older it is harder to leave a steady income to go do what you want.
What’s your guilty pleasure? Oreo cereal – recipe, take a handful of Oreos, crumble them in a bowl, add milk. Enjoy.
Name a quirky fact about yourself: I’m about to get my third passport.
Give the choice, would you prefer …
i) Truth or Dare? Truth.
ii) Carrot or Stick? Carrot
iii) Tea or Coffee- Coffee for breakfast, tea at night.
To find out more about Van Der – http://www.facebook.com/vandermode
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