Fantastic Female – Claire Rodrigues Lee from Neon Army

November 16, 2023

Fantastic Females, Fashion

No Comments

448

Fantastic Female – Claire Rodrigues Lee from Neon Army

Meet Claire Rodrigues Lee, a married mother of two, international songwriter, and the visionary founder of the fashion accessories brand Neon Army. Claire’s inspiring journey began at 34 when she emerged from a challenging relationship, rebuilding her life from scratch. Empowered by love, parental support, and the transformative principles of ‘The Secret,’ Claire overcame fear and pursued her passion for music.

Radiating positivity, Claire secured a chance with a music publisher, leading to hit records across the globe. The pandemic shifted her role from songwriter to full-time mom and teacher, sparking the birth of Neon Army. Fueled by her struggle to find unique, affordable fashion during lockdown, Claire crafted one-of-a-kind pieces. Recognizing a shared desire for exciting and representative fashion, Neon Army was born in December 2021.

Claire’s brand is infused with personal significance; the number 222, a constant in her journey since 34, symbolizes Neon Army’s birth on 22.2.22. With a mission to create vibrant, unique accessories and convey a powerful message, Neon Army encourages individuals to embrace their uniqueness, believe in their dreams, and manifest their visions. Claire’s story is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the boundless possibilities that come with unwavering belief in oneself.

1. Can you share your journey of starting your own business while being a mother?

I love being a mum and my children are my priority but being a mum didn’t stop me from being me. I’m still the same girl who has dreams and ambitions and I realise how challenging that becomes once you have a family.

It’s not always easy to commit to things if you can’t arrange childcare and you only have short windows in your day where you can work around school drop off, pick up, homework, dinner and bath time. I’ve been guilty of being on my laptop or phone late into the night once the children go to bed and it can catch up with you over time.

As a creative, I’m someone who needs an outlet for my creative energy which is how Neon Army began.

Prior to having my children, I was riding on the wave of songwriting success, accumulating over 20 number 1 hits worldwide specialising in the K-pop, J-pop and C-Pop market. I was dipping in and out of songwriting through having both my children but then it came to a sudden halt when covid hit.

Suddenly stuck behind 4 walls and my whole life was planning meals and activities all day, every day in Groundhog Day. Though no work was coming in, I had a home studio and was able to work on new material if I wanted to but there was no inspiration or fire inside of me because I was exhausted.

Like the rest of the world, I turned to online shopping for something to do but realised there was nothing I loved, different or exciting within a reasonable price bracket.

I decided to close my laptop and turned to my wardrobe to see how I could upcycle what I already had. By using paints and trimmings, I started to inject new life into my clothes and accessories.

As a huge advocate for the laws of attraction, I could see a pattern emerging of this influence over my designs and when lockdown measures began to lift, people would comment on my creations. This became a lightbulb moment for me. Maybe there’s more to this?

I started drawing designs and making notes on my phone, then researched manufacturers who could bring my drawings to life, the name Neon Army just appeared in my mind and made so much sense for so many reasons. Suddenly the fire was back inside me and I knew this was a journey I had to see through.

2. What challenges have you faced as a mother in the business world, and how did you overcome them?

Challenges are working around the children. I haven’t faced any negativity because I’m a mum. I think people tend to embrace it, respect it and understand it.

I have a supportive husband and fantastic parents and in laws, but they can’t always help when I need so I can only arrange things in advance to make sure the children are taken care of. I can’t just be somewhere at the click of a finger.

3. How do you balance the demands of running a successful venture with your role as a mother?

I always make sure when the children are home, I’m present and in the moment with them. I admit, it’s not always easy when an important email comes in and I feel the need to respond. The children understand that mummy works and sometimes, they need to just give me a little bit of time for a call or an email or to walk to the post office with me to ship orders.

I only had one important team meeting throughout the whole Summer and explained to the children, mummy just needs half an hour for this call, it’s important to me and then I’m all yours, all day. My son decided he would cry outside my door for the entire call.

Sometimes it feels lonely, sometimes I’m exhausted but for anything good in life, I think you need to endure the challenges to make you appreciate the rewards even more.

4. What strategies or tips have you used to effectively manage your time and prioritize both your family and your business?

When my children are home, they are the priority. During the school holidays, I make it work. So long as the children are happy then I am too.

I think it’s healthy for children to see that both parents are ambitious and hardworking, so it instils that ethic in them. Also, as I mentioned earlier, having a great family support system means I can host pop up shops and have meetings. I realise I’m very fortunate for that as not everyone does.

5. Have you encountered any biases or stereotypes as a mother in the business world, and how have you dealt with them?

I haven’t encountered any of the above. I’ve actually had incredible support from Fenwick Brent Cross as they respect that I can only host pop up shops when I have cover for the children and they allow me to choose when I host there which is wonderful.

My husband Ryan also encourages me, so I think having that support system at home really helps.

6. How has being a mother positively impacted your business and your overall perspective on success?

I hope to show my daughter that life doesn’t have to stop when you have children. That it’s okay to be a mum and a businesswoman at the same time and you don’t need to feel guilty for it.

Neon Army is all about positivity and our products have positive affirmations on them. As a mum, I’m always affirming my children and reminding them of how special they are and that they can do or achieve anything in life if they put their mind to it.

Neon Army is accessible to all, and I hope to spread that message loud and clear throughout the products.

My view on success is this, I’m already successful. I didn’t allow fear to hold me back from starting this business and the fact that I’m running all aspects of the business by myself is an achievement. I’ve learned so much, things I never thought were possible, but I made them possible and it’s okay to be proud of yourself. If you don’t back yourself, no one else will. We define success. Success doesn’t define us.

7. What advice would you give to other mothers who aspire to start their own businesses or pursue entrepreneurial ventures?

I have a motto. There is no failure in not succeeding. Only failure in not trying. Believe in yourself and listen to your gut. It won’t let you down.