This story appears in the
March 2005 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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In 1999, after a divorce, Jaye Hersh needed a way to earn money
to pay college tuition for her two children. Her solution was
Intuition, a Los Angeles clothing store with a knack
for attracting celebrities.
Hersh, 48, leveraged her connections early on to grow the
business. Using her Rolodex of Hollywood names--some were parents
of her son's friends; others came from her sister, who planned
Jessica Simpson's nuptials--she started throwing in-home
shopping parties for the likes of Heather Locklear and Denzel
Washington's wife. In 2001, she opened her boutique, which drew
famous clients such as Drew Barrymore and Kate Hudson and got
publicity from InStyle, The Wall Street Journal and
more.
Hersh is a pro at spotting "something everyone will
want." Last year, after seeing a teen wearing Minnetonka
moccasins, she sold 1,200 pairs by getting celebs to sport them,
too. Her knack for creating trends has helped her reach annual
sales of $5 million.