PHOTO CREDIT: JADE HILDRETH

Jade Hildreth is the CEO and co-founder of the fashion brand, Dancing Leopard. Dancing Leopard is best known for its bold use of colour and statement prints. They create clothing designed to make women feel confident. Aside from this, Dancing Leopard is also focused on giving back to communities. They’ve worked with many charities, including Women For Women International and Happy Hippie Cats Ibiza more recently.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I’m originally from Nottingham in England. However, I’ve always loved travelling and this passion has taken me around the world. Ibiza was always one of my favourite places to visit and this is where I’ve ended up. I’ve now lived in Ibiza for 4 years and it’s where I run my business from.

What inspired you to start your business?

While and my co-founder, Jack, were travelling, we visited the Hippie markets in Goa, and the fabric markets in Delhi, India. We were so inspired by the gorgeous colours and prints and knew that we wanted to design prints and clothing of our own.

Where is your business based?

Although Jack is based in Ibiza, along with our studio team, our business is mainly remote. Most of the team is spread across England and one of us is in Bali!

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

While we were in India, we began working with a local family-run factory to create our prints and designs. Once we’d designed our clothes, we began selling them on market stalls in London, before heading to Ibiza and selling them on the beach. Eventually, we were noticed by several Ibiza boutiques who agreed to stock our clothing.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Social media has also played a huge part in raising awareness about Dancing Leopard. As we’ve grown our social following, naturally we’ve grown our PR and this is where our greatest awareness comes from.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

As a business owner, you’re always coming up against new challenges. For example, creating a successful website and recruiting a team from scratch. I’ve had to learn so much on the job, however, every challenge we’ve overcome has made our business stronger.

How do you stay focused?

I think having a good routine is key to staying focused day-to-day - for me, this means yoga and breathwork in the mornings, and regular power walks throughout the day. However, when I’m planning out new collections, I like to go away to a remote location in nature and completely throw myself into work with no distractions. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

One of the best things about Dancing Leopard is that our clothes stand out from the crowd. We don’t follow fashion trends, we create timeless styles featuring hand-drawn prints that are completely unique.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Social media has definitely been a very beneficial tool for us. We’ve also seen a lot of success following collaborations with celebrities and influencers. Other than that, we love getting out and meeting our customers, through pop-up shops and festival pitches.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Although overnight success has its benefits, slow and steady is a great way to grow. For us, slow growth meant we could build the business our way - without the need for investors. 

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favourite book is Tim Ferris Tools of Titans - so many great tips in there for entrepreneurs to stay focused and resilient. 

My favourite app is…. the Wim Hof App! I use this every morning and it helps me stay committed to my breathwork routine, which in turn helps me start the day in a calm way - before the inevitable craziness begins. 

My favourite blog is the Dancing Leopard blog, of course!

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

We use Monday.com to collaborate as a business. It’s a great way to stay on top of workloads and connect with each other. 

Who is your business role model? Why?

I have so many friends and family who are entrepreneurs that it’s hard to choose just one. However, it really inspires me to be around people who are so passionate about what they do and have a lot of self-belief.

How do you balance work and life?

It’s definitely hard at times but I do think it’s really important to make time for yourself. It's essential to take time to unwind and reset after a long week. For me, that means Self-care Sundays - turn that phone onto an airplane and focus on nourishing yourself - whatever that looks like for you.

What’s your favourite way to decompress?

I love Saunas, freezing cold baths (aka Wim Hof!), hanging upside down, dancing (of course!) walking in nature, and always yoga.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

We have lots of plans over the next six months, including a couple of campaigns where we hope to raise awareness (and money) for different charities. We’re also focusing on our summer collection and thinking about ways that we can be more sustainable as a business.

How can our readers connect with you?

Instagram: @dancingleopard

Facebook: Dancing Leopard

Twitter: Dancing Leopard

Website: https://www.dancingleopard.co.uk