0:00:12.710,0:00:14.310 Thank you guys so much. 0:00:14.310,0:00:16.610 My name is Nellie Partow. 0:00:16.830,0:00:20.785 I'm a fashion designer,[br]based out of New York City. 0:00:21.703,0:00:26.313 I'm here today to talk a little bit[br]about the journey of life, 0:00:26.313,0:00:30.609 and share a little bit about [br]my experiences in a creative field, 0:00:30.609,0:00:34.059 and a little bit about some experiences[br]I've had in my life, 0:00:34.059,0:00:36.658 and hopefully can give you guys 0:00:36.658,0:00:39.360 some insight onto what I've learned. 0:00:39.360,0:00:41.742 I do have a couple of questions[br]for the audience, 0:00:41.754,0:00:44.028 if I can get a raise of hands -- 0:00:44.028,0:00:47.753 How many people[br]are currently living their dream? 0:00:49.222,0:00:50.951 That's impressive. 0:00:51.473,0:00:53.093 That's amazing. 0:00:53.093,0:00:56.076 And how many people[br]are working towards a dream? 0:00:56.429,0:00:58.563 OK, incredible, me too. 0:00:59.193,0:01:03.133 Well, I'd like to share a little bit[br]about my dream, 0:01:03.133,0:01:08.115 and how I became working[br]in the field of the fashion industry. 0:01:08.115,0:01:10.897 I was really young, I was 8 years old. 0:01:10.897,0:01:14.959 I was fortunate to know[br]exactly what I wanted to pursue 0:01:15.649,0:01:18.843 and fell in love with design, 0:01:18.843,0:01:22.709 and the creativity behind it,[br]the craft that goes into it, 0:01:23.369,0:01:26.116 and all the details and the elements 0:01:26.116,0:01:29.305 that really define[br]being a fashion designer. 0:01:30.063,0:01:33.977 So I made sure that I pursued [br]absolutely everything I could 0:01:33.977,0:01:36.757 to make this dream come true. 0:01:36.757,0:01:39.393 And knowing that I wanted[br]to start my own label, 0:01:39.393,0:01:41.607 I made sure I went to business school, 0:01:41.607,0:01:44.881 and got a degree in business management 0:01:44.881,0:01:49.452 in order to know how to run[br]and operate my own company. 0:01:50.413,0:01:53.275 After graduating from business school, 0:01:53.275,0:01:57.250 I ended up going to[br]Parsons School of Design in New York. 0:01:57.250,0:01:59.396 And while I was at Parsons, 0:01:59.396,0:02:03.794 I was fortunate to have the experience[br]to work at Donna Karan. 0:02:03.794,0:02:06.180 And upon graduation,[br] 0:02:06.180,0:02:10.128 I landed my first position[br]designing for Calvin Klein. 0:02:11.062,0:02:14.002 And after Calvin Klein, I was fortunate 0:02:14.002,0:02:17.290 and had the opportunity[br]to work with John Varvatos. 0:02:17.290,0:02:21.526 And after about 10 years[br]of design experience in the industry, 0:02:21.526,0:02:25.324 I decided to take the plunge[br]and start my own company. 0:02:25.324,0:02:28.477 It was an incredible experience. 0:02:28.860,0:02:32.833 So about little over 3 years ago now,[br]I started my own label. 0:02:33.736,0:02:38.806 And I have an interesting hobby[br]that I had along this journey. 0:02:39.724,0:02:42.725 I'm also a competitive boxer. 0:02:42.725,0:02:47.304 And a little bit about that story,[br]because people find it quite interesting. 0:02:47.304,0:02:51.250 I was fifteen years old[br]and always loved sports. 0:02:51.250,0:02:54.122 But wanted to be athletic -- 0:02:54.122,0:02:56.077 didn't like going to the gym. 0:02:56.077,0:02:58.683 So, I walked pass a boxing gym 0:02:58.683,0:03:02.251 and thought this could be [br]an interesting workout. 0:03:02.251,0:03:06.023 I didn't know that I was walking [br]into Team USA's doors. 0:03:07.033,0:03:10.491 And the head trainer [br]pulled me aside there and said, 0:03:10.491,0:03:12.717 within a month of training there,[br]he said, 0:03:12.717,0:03:16.017 "You have what it takes to be a fighter." 0:03:16.017,0:03:18.867 And I thought it was crazy,[br]I knew my mom would kill me, 0:03:18.867,0:03:22.709 and I said, "No way,[br]I don't even want to get hit in the face. 0:03:22.709,0:03:25.631 That just does not sound[br]interesting to me at all." 0:03:25.631,0:03:28.643 And he said OK.[br]We went to some live fights. 0:03:28.643,0:03:30.433 He took me to some live fights. 0:03:30.433,0:03:32.429 It's as if he knew what he was doing, 0:03:32.429,0:03:34.625 I completely fell in love with the sport. 0:03:34.625,0:03:36.663 And so within a couple of months, 0:03:36.663,0:03:40.314 I was in the ring[br]in Compton in Los Angeles 0:03:41.280,0:03:44.454 with my parents watching,[br]and I started fighting. 0:03:44.643,0:03:46.682 It was a hobby of mine 0:03:47.201,0:03:51.474 that I have continuously lived[br]throughout my design career. 0:03:52.296,0:03:55.408 And one defining moment for me[br]was in 2007, 0:03:56.286,0:03:58.715 I fought in Madison Square Garden 0:03:58.715,0:04:01.462 for the New York Daily News 0:04:02.167,0:04:04.939 Golden Gloves Championship Title. 0:04:04.939,0:04:08.313 That was an incredible [br]defining moment for me. 0:04:08.313,0:04:10.102 I'll never forget. 0:04:10.102,0:04:13.443 I was getting my hand wrapped;[br]I was extremely nervous -- 0:04:13.443,0:04:16.244 pretty much on the same page[br]as I am right now. 0:04:16.244,0:04:19.660 And my heart was pounding,[br]I was getting excited, 0:04:19.660,0:04:21.695 and I was trying to get my head 0:04:21.695,0:04:23.787 in the mind frame[br]of getting into the ring. 0:04:23.787,0:04:25.803 My trainer was wrapping my hands. 0:04:25.803,0:04:30.328 And this is something that I had done[br]many fights before. 0:04:30.515,0:04:33.925 And he pulled me on the side[br]before we walked out and he said, 0:04:33.925,0:04:36.695 "I just want you to know one thing: 0:04:36.695,0:04:41.619 win, lose, none of this matters,[br]unless you are genuinely having fun." 0:04:41.619,0:04:45.713 When I wallked out into the ring,[br]it was an incredible moment for me. 0:04:45.723,0:04:48.301 I won the title that night, 0:04:48.301,0:04:51.869 but I walked away[br]with a far more enriching lesson. 0:04:54.779,0:04:58.562 I realized that it's not about winning[br]a title 0:04:59.179,0:05:03.366 or making it in this career[br]that I've dreamed about for so long. 0:05:03.571,0:05:06.678 It's really about the measure of joy[br]that we have along the way 0:05:06.678,0:05:08.748 throughout this entire process. 0:05:08.748,0:05:12.437 I think as human beings[br]we get so caught up 0:05:12.437,0:05:14.926 in trying to get to these end points, 0:05:14.926,0:05:18.139 whether it's with our career,[br]or with finances, 0:05:18.139,0:05:21.375 or with personal goals[br]that we put on ourselves, 0:05:21.375,0:05:24.718 and we tend to forget to enjoy the process 0:05:24.718,0:05:28.841 and to really live [br]and to not constanly measure ourselves 0:05:29.301,0:05:32.061 by where we are at [br]and where we want to be. 0:05:32.061,0:05:36.068 So I think the true creative process[br]and the true beauty of life 0:05:36.068,0:05:39.282 is really being able [br]to enjoy these moments. 0:05:39.504,0:05:43.454 So I hope that on some way[br]I'm able to send that message 0:05:44.540,0:05:49.001 that I know all know,[br]but so easily forget, including myself. 0:05:50.269,0:05:52.737 And I hope that that helps. 0:05:53.483,0:05:55.759 Now I'm going to ask somebody[br]from the audience 0:05:55.759,0:05:58.055 to come up so we can do[br]three rounds of sparring. 0:05:58.055,0:06:00.613 So I need a volunteer.[br](Laughter) 0:06:00.613,0:06:02.203 I'm just kidding. 0:06:02.203,0:06:03.743 Thank you guys so much. 0:06:03.743,0:06:06.939 I really appreciate you taking the time[br]to listen to me today. 0:06:06.939,0:06:08.339 I appreciate it. 0:06:08.339,0:06:10.039 (Applause)