Today we’d like to introduce you to Deirdre Sours.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in Vienna, Austria in a restaurant. When I was 6 years old, my mother told me “Deirdre, I will never give you pocket money. If you want money, you will have to work for it”. Ok. So, I started to wait on tables in my parents’ restaurant at the age of 6. Ever since that day, I always had money in my bank account. My parents were both very hard workers. I only knew my mother as a very sick woman with a lot of pain, as she suffered from Deformative Rheumatoid Arthritis, and died at the early age of 62 years from Sepsis. She never complained or missed a day of work at the restaurant. I have a very strong work ethic which I attribute to watching my parents work as hard as they did, as well as being taught the principles of self-reliance, independence, and resourcefulness.
I have a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, specializing in International Business, from the University of Miami, and a Master’s Degree in Philosophy, specializing in French and Spanish Linguistics, Literature, and Culture from the University of Vienna, Austria. I speak 5 languages, English, German, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
In 1990, I left Europe and moved to Miami, where I started my corporate career, working for ExxonMobil as a Marketing Executive, and later on for The Weather Channel as Advertising Director.
Although I enjoyed working for these great companies, I always felt caged in and trapped by too many rules, regulations, and corporate red tape. Finally, I decided to launch my own business in 2002, a Holistic Spa and Yoga Studio in Coral Gables called Shakra Relaxation Oasis, catering to all the stressed Coral Gables Executives. I always felt very drawn to providing services to people that would cater to them in a holistic way – physically, mentally, and emotionally.
In 2010, I reconnected with a friend and retired Executive from ExxonMobil, and in 2012, we founded The Jett Group, a private equity venture dedicated for the specific purpose of capitalizing companies of strategic interest in both the Consumer and Industrial Sectors.
Since The Jett Group’s inception, we have invested in several businesses, one of which is Bonito & Co. In 2015, we purchased the international assets of Bonito & Co., a Brazilian brand specializing in the creation of top of the line, chic, and elegant Post-Surgical Compression Garments and Shapewear.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t believe any “good” road or “road worthwhile” is smooth. I learned a long time ago that “bad things” come easy. Good things take a lot of energy, resourcefulness, but most of all, persistence, determination, and tenacity. Patience is not one of my virtues, so I attribute the fact that my patience skills have increased to God, with whom I finally connected in 2006, and who has all and everything to do with me being where I am today.
In business, you have to make it to the finish line, and I believe that way too many entrepreneurs give up too soon. Every day brings challenges, but the secret of life and success is dealing with all these problems and challenges, and to still keep going. There is ALWAYS a way!!!
Please tell us about Bonito & Co.
The first time I laid my eyes and hands on the Bonito & Co. Compression and Shapewear Garments, I fell in love with the brand. I was in Brazil and happened to run into the original founder at an event, who was looking to expand her business outside of Brazil. When visiting the tailoring facility, I was literally blown away by the quality of the fabric, craftsmanship, and attention to detail that went into creating the famous Bonito Compression Garments. Right then and there, I knew that the rest of the world needed these garments. Having had Plastic Surgeries myself, I knew that I had never worn a Post-Op Compression Garment of this caliber and high-end quality ever before. I also loved the fact that this investment would fill my need of catering to people in a holistic way – mentally, physically, and emotionally, as there is nothing worse than being in a vulnerable position right after surgery and suffering in an itchy uncomfortable and painful garment.
After purchasing the international assets of Bonito & Co. in 2015, my team and I launched the E-Commerce Store online, www.bonitoandcompany.com, and the garments started flying off the shelves like hot cakes.
Over the past 3 years, Bonito & Co. has morphed into a globally renowned Brazilian brand specializing in the creation of top of the line, chic, and elegant post-surgical Compression Garments and Shapewear, not only sought after by retail consumers, but also by Plastic Surgery Practices, Centers, as well as Hospitals all over the world, and many celebrities and fashion and beauty icons.
Why Bonito? Bonito & Co. has been around for over 3o years, and therefore, is the oldest medical grade compression garment company in the world. Bonito & Co. is called the “Chanel of Compression Garments” for many reasons, but the answer can actually be summed up in one word: QUALITY. We don’t cut corners in any area. Bonito may not be the least expensive, but being able to convalesce comfortably in a deliciously soft medical grade compression garment without any itching, scratching, pinching, and pulling is simply priceless.
World famous Plastic Surgeons, such as Dr. Ivo Pitanguy’s Clinic (Dr. Pitanguy is the brainchild of the Brazilian Butt Lift) have been using only Bonito & Co garments for many years. In Brazil, should a patient show up with another garment brand, the Doctor’s office will actually call Bonito to have a garment delivered, as they feel that only a Bonito garment can do their surgery justice. Dr. Pitanguy, like several other Surgeons, has helped in designing some of the most famous Bonito garments.
For Bonito, it’s all about the patients, and ensuring they feel great when wearing the garments after their surgeries, and can convalesce properly. The garments are literally handmade (17 pairs of hands work on every garment we sell). We use a unique very high-end fabric blend specially made for us, which results in a very soft and silky feel on your skin, while at the same time providing the proper compression where it’s needed. In order for our garments to feel as comfortable as they do, we implement many “Unique Design Elements” in our garments, resulting in garments that fit your body like a glove or a second skin. The unique blend of the strong and lasting, yet deliciously soft Bonito fabric, which has the most powerful 4-way stretch factor and the highest compression strength in the industry, is more durable and reliable than any other fabric, and will allow your garment to return to its original size and shape every time after the stress is removed.
Bonito garments are never to be machine washed or dried. Placing a dry Bonito garment in the refrigerator for 20-30 min. will reconstitute and recompress the unique and special fibers, ensuring the original compression ratio every time it’s worn.
My team and I spend many days on the phone helping customers who are crying, as they are in pain after surgery, and cannot wear the garment given to them by their surgeon, as it causes them even more pain. Although I feel horrible for these suffering crying ladies at that moment, I know I have done my part in helping them when I receive texts in the middle of the night at 11 pm, thanking me for their Bonito garments, and for finally being able to get some sleep.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
All the hard times and lessons have formed me and made me the person I am today. I will never be done learning new lessons and improving who I am. Every day is a new challenge which I embrace with great anticipation.
I feel like a setback in life, is just a setup for a comeback – and that can be applied to every area of one’s life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bonitoandcompany.com
- Phone: 888-709-0863
- Email: info@bonitoandcompany.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonitoandcompany/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BonitoandCompany/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bonitoandco
- Other: https://pinterest.com/bonitoandco/
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