GZ: What was the scariest part of starting your own company?
HM: The money.
GZ: What are you most proud of?
HM: That Jogbra has allowed a lot of different ages and sizes of girls and women to participate in sports and exercise. The Washington Post wrote that the Jogbra was as important as Title IV in getting more girls involved in sports.
GZ: What were you like as a young girl, and how did it help or hinder you from creating Jogbra?
HM: I was very insecure, meaning that I had a lot to prove (to myself and to my father), and very ambitious, and very focused, and had a lot of energy. This allowed me to focus totally on my business with the huge desire that's necessary to start your own business.
GZ: What was your education and work experience prior to starting Jogbra?
HM: I received a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design and an Master of Fine Art from New York University in costume design. I was an assistant costume designer and an assistant professor.
Find out what advise Hinda has for girls who want to start their own business...
GZ: What advice do you have for girls who want to have their own businesses?
HM: You have to have a HUGE desire that goes beyond making money. It has to have intrinsic value for you as well. It's a lot of work.
GZ: What mistakes did you learn the most from?
HM: How much time do you have? I tried to manufacture something in Hong Kong. I didn't know the rules of the game. When I needed something to be ready, it wasn't. When you go into a new situation you have to know the rules to be successful.
GZ: I heard that the first Jogbra was created by sewing two jockstraps together; does it feel weird to have created something for girls and women that came from a male thing?
HM: It doesn't feel weird, because you don't judge when you are creative. You have to get rid of all ideas of what should be and go with your intuition.