Four years into a career in the fashion cupboard, Alexandra Van Houtte had a eureka moment.

Drained by the routine of researching endless runways, the then-assistant masterminded TAGWALK – aggregating Fashion Month by locations, brands, seasons, fabrics and trends, based on pillars of simplicity and rapidity.

Alexandra would be the first to concede that ditching a day job to dive into a life of entrepreneurialism doesn’t come without its challenges – and so, we met with the woman herself to learn what it takes to push forward, fearlessly, and achieve.

If you have a brainwave, you have to jump on it.
Don’t ask yourself too many questions. Jump, and the net will appear! Failure doesn’t matter; the worst-case scenario is that you fail, and you learn, and then you start again.”

Believe in your ideas.
“The energy of a person is really important; you need to believe in your idea completely. Often, we’ll have these great concepts but then only half believe in the reality of them. With TAGWALK, I was so focused on getting my idea out that I didn’t give myself a chance to think about it or disbelieve it. Remember that in the time you waste going back and forth, somebody else may do it instead of you. I approached the project like a bull – I was consistently so focused, and I didn’t really think of anything else.”

Be selective with where you look for advice.
“Tune out from the unwelcome noise and opinions of others. In my experience, seeking advice from a whole host of people and getting conflicting feedback really didn’t help me… It actually slowed the process considerably! I’d suggest taking advice from a core handful of people – say, five friends and/or family members at the most – that you really trust and value, and consider them your advisers for honest feedback.”

If you’re not making mistakes, you’re doing something wrong.
“As trite as it may sound, nothing is ever perfect! It can be hard to take criticism when you’re so focused and can’t personally fault your own labour of love – but criticism is a requisite. It needs to be sought outside of your core group, from those who aren’t just going to tell you you’re doing something right for the sake of it.”

Rejection is part of the process.
"I hate rejection. Don’t we all? Entrepreneurialism is all a learning curve though, and I’m realizing that the answer is to find a balance; try to maintain your emotional attachment to the project, without being too sensitive to rejection or critique."

Feel inspired. Click here to discover TAGWALK.