Women Who Inspire: MILLENNY
I am a firm believer that when one woman succeeds, we all succeed. No matter your industry, women need to look out for one another and lift each other up. In honor of this, I am kicking off a new series on my blog called”Women Who Inspire.” Each month, I’ll be highlighting new women-owned and run business that are breaking down barriers and following their passions.
WOMEN WHO INSPIRE: MILLENNY
Yulia and Olya are the founders of MILLENNY (MLNY), a brand that understands the needs of the modern day busy woman and provides luxury bags for a fuss-free lifestyle. From their backpacks and crossbody bags to work totes and laptop bags, it’s easy to see why MLNY is quickly becoming popular among go-getters and jet setters worldwide.
“Created for the female force that’s driving us forward and changing what it means to be a woman in the 21st century, MILLENNY supports the female go-getter, the entrepreneur and the bold and brave woman worldwide.” – MLNY
I am excited to share my interview with Olya and Yulia below to kick off this “Women Who Inspire” series.
Olya & Yulia
Erica: First off, congratulations on celebrating ONE YEAR since launching MILLENNY! I’m sure it’s sometimes hard to believe a year has flown by. I’d love to start off by learning a little bit more about MILLENNY and how it came to be.
MLNY: Thank you so much. It’s been an incredible and exciting year! But before that, there was a year of putting things together and preparing for the launch. That’s when MILLENNY was technically born for us – about two years ago. We first joined forces to start a company Bags Business Limited that was focused on producing bags for other brands. Since we both had experience in production, developing and design it made perfect sense at that time.
Our business required us to move quite a lot between the office, factories, markets, and airports while having our laptops and other work essentials on us at all times. That’s when we realized we were missing a proper work bag. We wanted a bag that isn’t just a style statement, but a purpose-driven piece that would work hard and support our everyday.
So we decided to take matters in our own hands and created the first 3-in-1 BRERA Work Tote.
Erica: When you think about MILLENNY, what are you most proud of?
MLNY: Apart from all the amazing women that we’ve met so far, probably of each other. We’ve been friends for over 10 years now, and seeing one another grow into an amazing business partner that you can always trust and rely on is priceless. We’ll be honest, it wasn’t easy to go from friendship to partnership, but we are definitely proud of how far we’ve come and how much we’ve learned during our journey together. Most of the time we forget to stop and appreciate all that we have achieved because we are so focused on going forward and doing more.
Erica: MILLENNY is a member of both Female Entrepreneurs Worldwide and Female Founders Collective. Why do you think it is important to support other women on their entrepreneurial journey?
MLNY: We believe when women join forces there is nothing they cannot do! When you surround yourself with a like-minded community you can learn from it; help, motivate and inspire one another and sometimes you even get that little push to do things that you wouldn’t do on your own. Just like snowflakes, which are nature’s the most fragile thing when by itself but how strong they get when they stick together
Erica: How do you stay inspired when things get tough?
MLNY: For us, one of the best ways to stay inspired is to travel the world and meet new people. Going somewhere where you have never been before, experiencing new cultures and meeting someone different always motivates and gives you a new perspective on things. Obviously, we can’t travel as often, so whenever we stay in the city we find that doing some kind of outdoor activity really helps to restore and replenish your energy levels. Another great way to find inspiration is to get out of your “comfort zone” and do something new or something you’ve always wanted to try but never did. And keeping a positive state of mind does wonders.
Erica: What is something you would like the readers to know about MILLENNY?
MLNY: Our small team of two wants to make a big difference in the way women carry essentials on their commute to work and when traveling. We want to provide that additional support when it comes to those everyday items that take us from point A to point B.
Our lives need to be fuss-free, and our clothing and accessories need to reflect this. Not just stylish, but working hard to provide us with the support we need to achieve our goals. Hence we don’t like to follow trends; we rather surround ourselves with timeless pieces. We believe that everything in our life should have a purpose and that things should be simple and practical.
On a personal note, we are voracious book readers who are always eager to learn something new. We are a combination of a perfectionist and risk taker, and live by Marie Forleo’s quote “Everything is Figure-Out-Able”.
We are a combination of a perfectionist and risk taker and live by Marie Forleo’s quote, “Everything is Figure-Out-Able.”
Erica: We each have a different way of defining success. What does success mean to you?
MLNY: To be honest, it’s hard to say. The word “success” feels a bit like an end goal, and we believe there is always room for improvement. In each stage of our lives, business or personal, there are different types of success. Finishing your to-do list, starting a new venture, moving to a new stage in life, making your first sale, celebrating the first anniversary, … So, defining just one would be impossible. You could find small success in every day!
One thing for sure, we feel the most fulfilled when we see our customers happy and know that MILLENNY changed their day for the better!
Learn more about MILLENNY
Website: www.millenny.com // Facebook // Instagram