Help is at Hand; an Introduction

Get rich or die trying; the immortal words spat out by the human bullet shield 50 Cent, which every aspiring entrepreneur can relate to.  Whilst nobody wants to literally drop down dead during their quest to become successful, the road to appearing on Cribs and hanging out in Hugh Hefner’s grotto is a long one, full of struggles, self doubt and living off Pot Noodles.  Luckily, guidance and inspiration is about to strike in the form of my exclusive new column for Trespass; whilst I can’t provide you with a better diet, I can offer useful tips, links and inside information for young creatives and aspiring Diddys everywhere, served up with a multitude of Hip Hop platitudes along the way.

But first let me introduce myself and what qualifies me to be giving insights into the world of branding and entrepreneurialism.  I’m Sarah-Jane Adams, fashion editor by day, mogul by night (ok, late afternoon.)  With a degree in fashion PR, I’ve launched two businesses, one a teen fashion magazine, the other a high fashion web design company, and provide my editorial services to a variety of publications, working with international celebrities, top Hollywood photographers and industry leading sites and individuals.

Within this time, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many inspirational and business savvy young professionals working hard to build a name for themselves and promote their talents.  As such, with every instalment of this column, I’ll be including a short case study to showcase these influential twenty somethings, and to let you into the secrets of their success.  Alongside these, I’ll be covering practical advice on pr, branding and how to boost your presence and exposure, whatever stage your business or career is at.  Lesson one, shameless self promotion: to find full details on myself and my current projects, drop by at sarahjaneadams.com, and check in with me every fortnight right here on Trespass for more Entreprediva goodness.

Be your own brand: spotlight on Paul Griffiths, 21, Babycakes Clothing

During an interview with the uber styled legend, Paul Griffiths once declared to me, “I am the God of the Clothing world.”  With (literally) millions of fans, (Google him to witness the stalking first hand), the most popular Myspace page in the UK, and an online fashion empire that has recently seen the opening of its first bricks and mortar store, it’s not easy to disagree.  With scene brand Babycakes, Paul encapsulates the power of online celebrity, taking the internet fame cultivated during his teens to become the front man of a line which now sells out within hours of restocking.  No one can argue that the brand is as much about Paul as the teen friendly designs it produces; modelling the merchandise, posting tales of his rockstar-esque adventures, and making celebrity like appearances at packed out events, Paul’s visibility as pin-up and entrepreneur in equal measure are paramount.  Throw in a large dose of self assurance, (“If your parents added together earn more than I do at my age, then I’ll take my pants off on webcam”) and Paul Griffiths stands as the King of self made young money; expect to be worshipping at the alter of Babycakes very soon.