Job Q&A
by Kendra Lott
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Like so many Internet entrepreneurs, Laura Eisman's professional and educational background is multi-faceted. In addition to a bachelor's in communication design from Albany State, she also did coursework in architecture at Pratt. But despite the many hats she has worn -- in magazine graphics, design, art direction and creative direction -- she has always had a keen eye for style. Her panache has served her well in her latest endeavor, Girlshop.com, an ultra-hip site for women's clothing and accessories whose whimsical graphics are as distinct as the independent-designer fashions offered. Eisman launched Girlshop.com in July of 1998, and recently set out to dress the other sex via her newest venture, Guyshop.com.

Monster.com: Was Girlshop your first foray into the dotcom world?

Laura Eisman: No -- I was a creative director at Ivillage for a year, but Girlshop is the first site I've built from the ground up.

LE: In addition to the challenge, I also felt that the 3-D possibilities were interesting. The reason I focused on fashion is because it's really difficult for girls to find clothing from independent designers, and this medium allows people everywhere to see their work.

LE: I know HTML, so I was basically able to build the site myself, and had a friend help me with the harder parts. I started with an off-the-shelf shopping cart program called Shop Site by Icentral, which I was able to customize so that it had a similar appearance to the rest of the site. Also, my partner (and boyfriend), Todd Richter, created this amazing database. These days, Todd takes care of most of the technical aspects of the site.

LE: I consider myself the creative director. My day-to-day focus ranges from deciding what we're offering to working on our advertising campaigns, which currently include both print and local television. I often work very closely with the designers, as well.

LE: Yes -- writing skills. Writing is especially important on the Internet because you can. t feel the clothing. In addition to doing some of the writing, I edit everything, which is why our voice is so consistent. Our tone is really fun and chatty, very girl-to-girl.

LE: Actually, everything that I've done in my life has been really helpful. I have a short attention span in a positive way -- I'm always interested in lots of new things, like photography, painting, architecture, fashion design. These interests have all lent themselves to Girlshop.

LE: When I first got started I thought I would have to hire a salesperson and all these different people, but I found that I can sell my site, and be a buyer, and do marketing, and creative.

LE: We now have a staff of ten, mostly doing order fulfillment. This allows us to really brand our package with our tissue and stickers, and free goodies if we're running a promo. As we get larger, I could see us going to a fulfillment center -- which is ok because that's not my favorite part; but I'm still uneasy about relinquishing these tasks to people who are unfamiliar with our products. With larger sites, a lot of orders that go out are incorrect, and that's something we want to avoid because we pride ourselves on great customer service.

LE: A heightened connection between the Internet and TV. For example, a consumer watching a popular TV show will see what a TV star is wearing, then be able to click on him or her and buy it immediately. Obviously there are a lot of steps in between, but look how quickly Internet retailing has evolved already. It's so exciting to be part of a medium that's constantly defining itself. We'll look back at this when it's in the history books.