ENTER OUR CONTEST AND WIN

Wink Intimates is having a contest! Best 9to5 outfit!

Send us a picture of you in your favorite outfit with your 9to5 Bra, if you're not too shy, send us the picture of the outfit before you had the 9to5 Bra, along with your comment. We will review all pictures sent in and will ship a free 9to5 Bra including Free Shipping to anywhere in North America to the best use of the 9to5 Bra.

Please include your picture, your email address and send it to andrea@winkintimates.com

Contest ends January 31, 2012.

Here is an example of one of my favorite dresses, with the 9to5.

Wink Intimates Moves to The US

Time to take the Wink Intimates brand to the US. Wink Intimtes has a new distributor in the US. This will allow us to fulfill orders faster and more efficiently. As well as facilitate a very simple return and exchange system for our US cutomers.

Since the Oprah magazine article came out in February we have been crazy busy. Of course we expected that, what we hadn't anticipated was the number of US orders. What Oprah says goes... thank you Oprah and Adam Glassman.

We have worked through the logistics and the benefits of having a distributor in the US are many.

We look forward to a great relationship with our new distributor and continued growth for Wink Intimates.

Oprah and Busty Women

Thank you Oprah and Adam Glassman!

Its been 3 weeks since the March issue of Oprah magazine hit the shelves. The impact was immediate. As a Canadian company we've been happy to have had lots of support from Canadian customers since we launched. We hadn't really reached the US market. Thanks to the article in Oprah magazine we are definitely on the radar of the American consumer.

We are thrilled to have sent product to all across North America including Hawaii and Alaska. We've had calls from the UK and the Netherlands. Oprah's audience is far are wide and when Oprah speaks people listen.

I'm not sure how you thank someone for that type of support, a thank you note seems inadequate. We've received so much business as a direct result of the article. Its not just the numbers, its the seal of approval that we will have for years to come. An editorial piece by Adam Glassman - Oprah's Creative Director. It was direct and to the point.

Thank you Adam!

The Good the Bad and the Not So Pretty

A couple of months ago I was asked to speak at the Women for Women event called the Good the Bad and the Not So Pretty. I was asked to speak about my experiences as a female entrepreneur on a panel with 2 very successful business women, Jane Cayley and Cynthia Richards. I was honoured to have been asked. The event was held at the Gardener Museum Cafe, which was a lovely venue and the room itself was beautiful. Floor to ceiling windows with views of the city. The event put on by Soberman Chartered Accountants was so well thought out and organized I was very impressed.

I'm not really nervous about public speaking, but just before it started I do get a case of nervousness, an adrenalin that sweeps through my body. The same feeling just before I walked onto the set of the Dragons' Den to face the dragons. These were no dragons they were lovely supportive, inquisitive women. The energy in the room was like none I had experienced. The event was an event for women, close to 200 of them. They were there to hear our stories, to be inspired by us to find out what its really like to be an entrepreneur. As they said the good the bad and the not so pretty.

When you speak about yourself and your life its amazing the things you realize about your self. Firstly I don't think of it often, but the reality is that I started this business in the worst economic times that has been experienced since the great depression. A new product, a bra, an online business, a business completely new to me. And when asked by a member of the audience if I thought I was a risk taker, I quickly answered "no, I'm not a risk taker" Jane, one of the panelists, a psychologist quickly spoke up and said she felt I was a risk taker, to stand up to the Dragon's and push back on national television, to stand before a room of successful women and speak showed that I was a risk taker.

It got me thinking about a couple of things. The economy in which this business started. It got me thinking about standing in front of the Dragons, and although I feel the fear, it hasn't stopped me from doing things. I don't purposely stand in harms way and look away, I don't take chances by skydiving or bungee jumping, but I guess in some peoples opinion I am very much a risk taker.

But is it a risk when you really believe in what you are doing?

Also asked what is the one piece of advise you would give to someone considering starting a business. My answer is believe in yourself. If you believe in yourself the fear diminishes, it doesn't go away entirely, but there's just a hint of it there, enough to keep you out of harms way. What stops women from starting their own business I was asked. My first thought is fear. Fear of losing a guaranteed income, fear of losing benefits and financial stability and security. Fear of risk, it is a risk, there is no guarantee you will succeed. So believing in yourself in my opinion is the only way you could ever do it. If you don't believe that you have the ability to make a success of it, you would never try it, you can't stop believing in yourself for a moment, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. You've got to be tough.

The event was a great success and afterward there was quite a crowd of women who gathered to ask me questions and wanted to talk about the risks and how I got started. We chatted for quite a while, what stood out to me was that this group of women whom I never met before and probably won't again, would be so supportive and even more than that they were inspired by what I had said. They said they felt stronger to go on and tackle the things in their life that they hadn't tackled.

The ability to motivate others was a remarkable feeling. Kind letters, emails and phone calls from women I had never met before was flattering but very encouraging for me as well.

One last comment, I was asked how do you define success. As an afterthought, being asked to speak to such a wonderful group of women will be one of the moments that define success for me.

What's the Hidden Message for Wink Intimates?

Have you ever wondered why something could happen this way? Is there a hidden message? The story about my lost bras and lost opportunity for the Oprah Show is definitely one of those times when you can't say "something better will happen as a result of this" Whats bigger? What's better than the Oprah show for a business like Wink Intimates. To be on a "must have" list on the Oprah show is a dream come true. As a result of this missed opportunity, I'm forced to ask, is there some deeper meaning to this? Is there a lesson to be learned?

There is a mourning period when you lose something, and a lost opportunity requires the same, I haven't been Suzy Sunshine since this big fiasco. I'm working on getting my mojo back, and its creeping back but I'm still not quite there.

Perhaps if I hadn't spent hours on hold with Fed Ex and Canada Post this week, things would be different today. Even more shocking was the call this morning from Fed Ex saying they won't release the package back to me that was headed to Chicago to the Oprah show until they receive payment for the return.

I'm sill dealing with the aftermath and I have to whether I want to or not. I have a package with 32 9to5 Bras and Shapes sitting in customs in Memphis that Fed Ex won't release back to me. I've been bounced back and forth from Canada Post to Fed Ex this week. Such a waste of time, but in order to get a refund for the shipping and get my package back, this is what needed to be done.

So back to the lesson, what is the hidden message. The only thing I can come up with is that we aren't in control of everything, we can't be. Sure I could have jumped on a place and flew the parcel to Chicago and had someone take the other to New York. But don't we have a system in place for that? Can't we trust in the system. Is it really feasible to spend a day and thousands of dollars to hand deliver a package. Of course hindsight is 20/20 and now I can say, yes I should have done that, yes it would have been worth it. But I didn't know it would get lost, I didn't know there would be terrorists planting bombs going to Chicago at the same time. So much beyond my control, so you really can't control everything. Our sensible selves knows and understand that, but the warrior thinks we can.

I try not to set myself up for disappointment, I don't count my chickens till they've hatched, but this chicken was in labour, this chicken was about to drop the golden egg. It was disappointing and at the same time, knowing that I'm on their radar at the Oprah show is more than I ever expected.

So onward and upward. I didn't come this far being a quitter. On go the boxing gloves and Monday morning I'm ready for anything that comes my way!

Wink Intimates partners with The Shopping Channel

I'm thrilled to announce that Wink Intimates products will be available on the Shopping Channel.

Its amazing how things work out, it was over a year ago I first went to an open call for the Shopping Channel.

Now a year later Wink Intimates 9to5 Bra, 9to5 Shape and Lacie boy shorts will be avaible at both Winkintimates.com and TheShoppingChannel.com

Alot of interesting things happening at Wink Intimates.

I hope to have some exciting announcements soon.

This fall again, there is no shortage of great dresses and shirts that need the 9to5 Bra. Cleavage is great, but typically not from 9to5.

We have a new manufacture and the product quality is fabulous! I'm so proud of the products. We have all products available in black and white, which have been most popular. Trying to keep it simple and offer what people want.

We will add some additional sizes, just working on that now. Look forward to seeing DD E and EE in the near future and the addition of 40 band size.

Shopping - Give it your Best Shot!

Most women love to shop, some not so much. The question is why is it a great experience for some women and others loathe it?

A few things I've noticed when I'm shopping. I never did it with intent, but I guess I did it to feel my best, and isn't that what we want? To feel good.

First of all when I go shopping I try to look good when I'm heading out the door. If I go out looking raggedy then anything I try on is an improvement and its easy to make purchase mistakes. On the other hand if you show up to shop looking good, then anything you try on should look at least as good as you already look or better. You've just raised the standard from the starting blocks.

When you're trying on clothes here are a few things that will make the experience better. Wear shoes that will look good with the type of clothes your trying on, if your trying on evening dresses then flip flops will make the whole outfit a flop. A little heel just makes everything look better and you feel better about the overall look.

If your trying on dresses, please take off the knee socks. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I've seen it, women trying on dreses in the winter with wool knee socks. Who could look decent in a dress with knee socks, if you're trying to fail you will. If you truly want success dress the part, even when you shop.

If you wear a little make up, touch up your lipstick, brush your hair, make yourself look great before you look in the mirror and step out under the bright lights and often unforgiving mirrors.

I like to shop in stores that have mirrors that flatter, not mirrors that make you wonder, am I coming down with the flu, I look terrible?

It all seems so simple, but the reality is, I've shopped with many women who don't do the basics to make the experience as good as it can be.

It doesnt' matter whether your a size 4 or a size 14, find clothes that flatter. I used to think if I tried something on and it didn't look good, that it was me. I've changed my mind, if I try on something and it looks awful, I think, its a bad design or it just wasn't designed for a figure like mine. I've taken the blame off myself and carry on to the next outfit to find a design that works for my body.

Colour is huge too, know what looks good on you and do your best not to stray away from what you know works for you. If the colour looks great, you'll wear it more and feel great wearing it.

Last by not least, undergarments are key. You need to wear or bring the appropriate undergarment to your shopping extravaganza. If you think you might need strapless bring it. Otherwise you'll take home the dress and realize that even with the strapless bra, its a flop. Panty lines are meant not to be seen. Make sure you wear panties that won't show VPL visible panty lines. Whether its a thong, a boy short or a full panty, they are all available in no VPL fabrics and designs.

Shopping can make us feel great or feel terrible, try your best to make the experience one that makes you feel good about yourself. Lets face it, whether we like it or not, we have to shop, we have to find outfits for events, or just day to day living, so live it up and have fun with it!