Meet The Genius Who Made It Possible to Zip Up Your Own Dress

Natalie Catania is the founder of Ms. Dress Up, a #notablewoman and an entrepreneur. Catania designed The Zipper Pull, a product borne out of difficulty getting one’s own dress zipped up the back.

Catania wondered why getting dressed depended on someone being available to do up the zipper. A few months later, she was watching a diving show and saw how easily the divers zipped up their wet suits with one swift pull of a strap. This sparked the idea and the Zipper Pull was born.

natalie-catania-joe-fresh-ms-dressup

Do you know where you got your drive from?
I have always had a passion to create and invent. I constantly come up with new ideas that I want to test. I believe my drive comes from wanting to see my ideas come to life.

How do you stay self-motivated?
I stay self-motivated by my desire to continue to grow. I set goals for myself and no matter how unattainable they seem, I try to reach them. I love to inspire others to follow their passions as well.

What would you say is your preferred way to network?
I absolutely love to meet people in person. I try to learn as much as I can about them and see what we have in common and how we can help each other.

How would you describe your process for deepening relationships?
I believe that relationships should be genuine. I think that you can always find a common goal or interest with anyone you meet. I try to find that while taking the time to get to know someone.

What are your preferred tools for keeping organized?
I love to use my planner. I am the type of person who needs to write down lists (and then lists of those lists). I also really enjoy Dropbox and Google Docs/Drive.

What is your favourite way to market your product or services?
My favourite way to market the Zipper Pull is in person. I love to interact with my customers and learn about what their needs are. I love to show them my passion for our product, how it works and how it has helped me in my life. I also know that I can reach a larger market online and I am still searching for the right digital marketer to help me maximize this potential.


Who has been your mentor in helping you find success?
I have had many mentors in my life, my very first mentors were my Mom and Dad. They made me believe that I could do anything I worked hard for. As I grew older, I found many people who were willing to help guide me. Jessica Jensen has been a mentor for me in my journey creating Ms. Dress Up, as well as the team behind the Joe Fresh Centre for Fashion Innovation. I owe all of these people a great deal of gratitude.


What social issue does your organization raise funds and/or awareness for?
We are huge advocates for women’s empowerment and independence.

How and where do you continue to learn?
I really believe that learning is something that never ends. I learn something new every day by talking to people, taking courses (I’m actually taking a digital marketing course right now), and researching subjects that interest me.

Do you have a fitness ritual that you live by?
I absolutely love to be outdoors in nature, especially hiking through a park or the woods. It gets me active and also gives me peace of mind.

How do you feed your soul?
I love to hang out with my friends. They are the ones who can make me laugh until I cry, and when I cry, they make me laugh.

How would you describe the eating ritual that makes you feel most powerful?
I wouldn’t say that I have an eating ritual. I am constantly out and about with my business, so I love to go to restaurants that offer nutritious foods and juices to make me feel strong and energized. I also really enjoy coffee.

What type of content do you find most compelling on Instagram?
I love all of the beautiful artwork. My favourite artist on Instagram is Jamie Lee Reardin. Her work is very feminine and also very unique.

What lifestyle brand would you say shares your values most?
I would definitely say SPANX. I value the empowerment of women they exemplify through their initiatives and charitable work.

Who is your favourite artist?
Oscar-Claude Monet

What is your favourite meal?
Definitely Indian food. It’s so spicy and flavourful.

What is your favourite sport to watch?
I love to watch the ballet. Not sure if that is considered a sport, but it should be. I took ballet until I was sixteen and loved it. My mother would take me to watch the ballet when I was younger and I was mesmerized by the power and beauty of dance along with the vibrancy of the costumes.

Where is your favourite place to unwind?
Definitely at the beach or at the cottage. Anywhere that I can be near a lake or an ocean is the best.

RSVP to Notable Life x Joe Fresh Summer Collection Party and meet Natalie Catania here.

joe-fresh-invite-rsvp

Joe Fresh x Notable Life invite you to a #NotableLifeFirstLook event full of shopping, cocktails and music to introduce the their Summer Collection and kick off the season of Notable Life summer parties! Enjoy 25% off regular priced apparel and an exclusive collaborative hat with purchase. Gift bags distributed to the first 200 people that make a purchase!

RSVP HERE.