All Day Alba is captivated by beautiful and strong female superhero figures, as they reflect the passion for female leadership.
‘’It is truly amazing that they save the world while wearing high heels and with the power of their sheer beauty! ‘’
All Day Alba fashionwear is designed to enable confidence from the moment of getting dressed to the end of a long and busy day. The secret to relaxed confidence. No more compromises. Discover endless opportunities, effortless, spontaneous.
‘’We believe that doing good to yourself and others, feels powerful. We welcome you to fearlessly express who you are in every situation!’’
Meet Rachel Katzin, 45 years old, Founder and CEO of All Day Alba Inc. an elegant female activewear brand that sells high quality, design activewear, and believes in empowering women through sports. Rachel Katzin is originally Italian, a martial arts instructor who speaks five languages due to her international background living in six different countries, including the US.
We sat down with Rachel Katzin to try to find out more about her journey.
Can you introduce yourself, your position and your brand?
Hi, I am Rachel, co-founder, and CEO of All Day Alba, Inc. I was born and raised in Milan, Italy where I lived until the age of 19. After that, I lived, studied, and worked in six different countries. I have a first degree in translation and an MBA. I speak five languages and am a martial arts instructor.
What do you sell and who are your customers? Feel free to include your brand values here too.
We sell fashion-forward activewear that is designed to dress women for their day, from the office to lunch, to a drink with friends, to errands, and finally to the gym. Unlike other activewear brands, we take women from their day to the gym and not the other way around. Think about it: your time is split into daily activities (most of the day) and workout (one or two hours a day). What should your clothes accommodate first?
What drove you to set up your brand?
I worked in hi-tech for many years and after my second child was born my husband was diagnosed with cancer. After two difficult years at the end of which he fully recovered, I understood that hi-tech was not my dream and wanted to create my own business. After my daughter Alba was born, I decided to start my brand and call it after my daughter.
What goes into the design process of your collections?
Every little detail! We don’t leave anything to the case. We put the effort into the design of our styles, the zippers, the zipper pullers, and even the threads. We turn each element into a touch of elegance.
What should we look for in a great piece of activewear?
Quality, style, and comfort. This is, in our opinion, the perfect formula.
What inspired you to become a martial arts instructor?
Since I was a child I was attracted by female super-heroes. I didn’t miss one episode of wonder woman or the bionic woman. I wanted to be strong and beautiful like them. When my karate instructor told me I would be a great instructor, I decided to go for it.
Do you think anyone can do the sport martial arts?
Absolutely yes! In our karate classes, we train with 16-year-olds as well as with 70-year-olds! There are even karate classes for vision-impaired people and handicapped people. Karate is really for everyone!
How do you balance work and life?
It’s not easy, but I love my family and my job so much that I find the way, even when I am really tired. When I feel too tired I take some time off. It could be an hour, a day, or even a week. Whatever it takes to regain forces.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
You have to really believe in what you want to achieve because it’s not always easy and a sense of discouragement can take over sometimes. Networking and speaking to experienced people is also crucial to learn and get inspired.
How do you stay motivated?
I speak to people, all the time. When you share your concerns and worries with people you respect and trust, you always get good advice and it often helps to put things into proportion. Making mistakes does not mean failure, as long as we learn from them and try to improve. The path is not always easy, for anyone. If we learn to accept it we will always find the motivation to go on.
Share us some tips for women who are in doubt of leaving their secure job and starting their own business.
Taking abrupt steps can be scary and not necessarily the right thing to do. My suggestion (and this is the way I did it) is to gradually integrate your dream into your life and once it becomes tangible and concrete make the big step. It’s important to take steps with confidence and this can only be done once you feel ready.
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