As Ab Fab’s Patsy would say, you can never have enough shoes – and Daniella Morris, founder of women’s footwear brand Linzi, is one woman who would enthusiastically agree.
Today, Linzi is a global operation, but Daniella has watched her family’s brand – founded by her self-starter father – grow from local roots in the bustling market stalls of east London’s Romford.
Part of that journey saw Linzi join SilkFred’s community of independent brands. In this installment of How Brands Grow, SF CEO Emma Watkinson chats to Daniella about how to carve out a brand presence, her day-to-day motivators, and the challenges of building a family business from scratch.
Daniella began working for Linzi in 2016, but her family’s business ventures formed the backdrop to her early life, giving her a love of all things fashion and footwear. Her maternal grandparents ran market stalls for decades before her father – who left school with one GCSE in mechanics – began developing Linzi in the early noughties. Initially called Shoe Crazy, the brand offered everything from statement boots to heels and flats, and developed a reputation for quality footwear at affordable prices.
After graduating from university with a degree in business and marketing, Daniella initially planned to “do her own thing” and step away from the family business. But her passion for Linzi, combined with a desire to help develop the brand’s digital presence, changed her mind. It wasn’t long before she began working alongside her parents at the company.
Using her marketing skills to help Linzi flourish online, Daniella has worked hard to grow the brand’s presence on social media and beyond. The ride hasn’t always been easy and comes with definite “pressures” which, combined with Daniella’s inability to truly “switch off”, can sometimes prove tricky. Focusing on the “many pros” and maintaining a positive mindset is her strategy.
Long term, Daniella hopes to see the brand’s footwear line develop as the business continues its international expansion. Loving what she does, while making it harder to set the boundaries between work and life, clearly comes with the benefit of making all those business wins (big or small) feel deeply personal. Daniella is all set to walk Linzi into exciting new territories, one step at a time.
