Meet a Jane: Joanne Litz

Posted on April 6, 2010 - Filed Under Meet a Jane, Success Tips for Jane, Tenacity Jane

Joanne Litz is a clothing designer and owner of Steel Pony (www.steelpony.com and www.shopwearableart.com). The Steel Pony brand offers wearable art from 100% recyclable materials. Their approach to clothing fits a more comfortable style with less distinction between work and play, day and evening. Steel Pony is made for the woman who appreciates individual expression and its silhouettes achieve a natural body consciousness that is playful, yet dynamic.

Each piece is a handmade work of art, produced in the USA. Joanne and her partner, Dennis Wolk, started Project Pony, a program that recycles fabrics and “unwearable” clothing into unique one-of-a-kind items supporting green initiatives and local communities. “We take things that are not saleable and create beautiful works of wearable art that are then sold at various events to benefit a local charity that we feel follows our ideals.” says Joanne. “Our goal is to mentor young designers to think ‘out of the box’ to create things from existing elements creating sustainable clothing that is also artful.”

After setting specific goals when she was in high school, Joanne identified that she wanted to own her own business by the time she reached 30. “I knew by my freshman year in high school that I wanted to design clothing,” said Joanne. “Since an early age I designed and made clothing and sweaters for my dolls. When I was 29, I quit my job as a Design Director and began my entrepreneurial journey.”

The greatest reward Joanne gets from owning her own business is making women smile and look beautiful. “When a customer tells me, for example, that she has breast cancer and she is feeling particularly down, but she has chosen to wear one of my pieces because it cheers her up – that just touches my heart.”

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com, Joanne discovered that she is a Tenacity Jane. “When I read about Tenacity Jane I knew even before I took the test that that was me,” mused Joanne. “It was like it was written for me. I have been in business for 18 years. In the early years, the business grew but I always wanted it to be bigger. The downturn in the economy has taken quite a toll and I worry about the finances. I want to be financially successful. I believe in what I do and enjoy wonderful customers. One of my biggest struggles is exposure, because my strength is in my creativity, not in marketing or self-promoting. So, I work hard and never give up – nose to the grindstone.”

During the start up phase of her business, Joanne was an Accidental Jane. “Even though I had a goal, I really did not have a plan. Everything just happened in an organic way. I loved what I was doing, the business was growing in spite of me.”

Joanne has some hard-earned advice for other Tenacity Janes. “I have probably been a Tenacity Jane for most of the time I have run my business,” said Joanne. You can’t give in to the worry; if you focus on it, it will destroy you. The best advice I can give is to try to live in the moment and enjoy the process. At the end of the day the satisfaction needs to surpass the money. I have learned to work with the challenges. Never give up.”

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