In a world made up of people who dream about doing things, who watch things happen, or who take action themselves, Ariel Fox is a person who acts. You may have read about Ariel in CosmoGIRL!, Jump, The Washington Post, YM, Ms. magazine, or on MTV's Web site. Ariel is not your average 18 year old. She is the founder of her own business, Sticker Sisters. In April of 1996, at age 13, Ariel tried to find stickers that would reflect the Girl Power! she had inside. She was unable to find any such stickers so she started her own company. Ariel used her computer to make four designs, which she printed out on sticker paper. Those first designs-"Girl Power," "Girls Can Do Anything," "Punk Rock Isn't Just For Your Boyfriend," and "Visit Our Power Room"-still remain popular. Sneaking into her mom's office after hours, Ariel made up a flyer announcing these stickers and sent it out to about 30 people. Most of those on the first mailing list were zine authors. They ordered stickers and spread the word about Sticker Sisters through flyers in their mailings, blurbs in their zines, and word of mouth among their friends. From the beginning, Ariel promised to keep her products affordable so that girls of all backgrounds could buy them; anyone with a quarter can enjoy a Sticker Sisters product. Based on the amazing response to Sticker Sisters' first mailing, a post office box, voicemail box, and fax machine were set up to respond to the requests. Sticker Sisters developed a Web site and a mailing list of girls and women who care about them from all 50 States and 15 countries including Brazil, Italy, Australia, and China. Now in its fifth edition, the Sticker Sisters catalog has 19 designs and 6 different types of products including stickers, buttons, shoelaces, magnets, posters, and patches. It has been sent out to over 4,000 people. Now Ariel is a freshman at the University of Southern California where she studies television/film production. She continues to run her business with the help of her mom and a few friends. |
