INTERVIEW

ERIN | SIDIA

Erin Kleinberg, the CEO of Sidia the brand. 

1. What made you decide to start this business

The idea of SIDIA had been brewing for a long time. I had a clothing line many moons ago and was itching to get back into something similar- but somewhat more elevated and utilizing all of the business learnings I've had thus far. This past March, the world really flipped in a way I couldn’t ever imagine. My grandmother, Sidia, passed away after a long battle with cancer, and a week after that - the world literally shut down from COVID-19.

The timing of launching this brand felt right for a lot of reasons: I needed a way to cope with my grief around the loss of Sidia, and what better way to do so then to live her legacy through storytelling; her tale of being a Holocaust survivor and immigrant building a life for herself in Canada, and the stories of so many other women (that have either never been told, or need to be retold) to help future generations live our fullest lives.

This is all the while creating products that felt natural for the time we were in - comfortable, chic, and confident pieces that allowed for effortless living in a time that is anything but.

2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years

As a 40-year-old woman! Mom of a 10-year-old! I will be running SIDIA which will have blossomed into a full-on lifestyle brand with multiple categories, the most disruptive collaborations, and continuing to change women’s lives by offering them the beauty of simplicity, ease, and support.

3. What is your favourite and least favourite part of the job

Along with creating amazing products, one of the highlights of my job is working with my team. The team to me is everything. My creativity flourishes when I am surrounded by brilliant folks collaborating on what could be the next big ad campaign or the next style for SIDIA that could be worn by women everywhere. At the end of the day that is the majority of the reason, I do what I do! My least favourite? Not having enough hours in the day! Between being an entrepreneur to two businesses and a mom to two kids, there is never really enough time for me. It's a work in progress though!

4. What is your biggest challenge

Turning my brain off. It runs wild at all times, but my body and heart, and soul need rest and downtime. I'm carefully crafting this balance each day.

5. Advice for someone wanting to start their own business

Fake it till you make it sometimes. Know what you are doing and why you are doing it – your USP, the void in the market, and then eat, sleep, breathe, live your project, cause if you aren’t going to pimp it out, who will? Know that it takes a village. The day you plant the seed is not the day you enjoy the fruit. Embrace the failures and take the opportunity in every crisis. Celebrate the wins! Listen to your teammates and work together to change the world. Think Big, but start small. In due time, you’ll get there!

I used to live by the mantra of wanting overnight successes, and there was a time where this came true for me to an extent, but now I’m caught up in the process of slow growth, laying the foundational groundwork for the success to come, putting in the time, and cherishing the value of letting things marinate.

Check out Sidia the brand on instagram