http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2022/10/171-coppola-creations.html

#171 Blog Post - Thursday, 27 October 2022

Posted by Denny Hatch

A Divinely Inspired Divine Catalog

Guided by a Tiny Voice Deep Inside

The Beginnings

Born to a Jewish mother and an Italian father, Coppola had twouncles in the garment business who manufactured high-end women's coats andsuits and a third uncle who sold fabric. As a girl, she spent hours watchingthe designers at work, the cutters, the fitters and the models.

At age 17, she was the best-dressed secretary in the purchasingdepartment at Revlon, making $73 a week and wearing $500 suits and dresses—allgiven to her at cost by her uncles.

At age 21, she went to work for Fabergé as assistant director ofadvertising and promotion and was put in charge of buying all printproduction—from brochures to shipping boxes. In a succession of promotions, Coppolawent on to become a brand manager, director of marketing for the XanaduDivision and, finally, at the ripe old age of 28, creative director.

Two years later, she moved to San Francisco where she was hired asvice president and creative director for Holiday Magic, a company that soldhealth and beauty aids direct to consumers.

On Her Own

Figuring she had learned everything needed to run a business,Coppola started her own skincare company, Secrets of the Earth.

"At big corporations, other people ran the business and copedwith the finances," she says. "I got my MBA at Secrets of Earth. Ilearned how not to run a company." She adds ruefully, "It didn't makeit."

After taking a year off, Coppola decided the best kind of businesswas one with no inventory. So she started an advertising agency and quicklylanded a number of big-name accounts including Levi's, Jordache men's swimwear,and Celine and Galanos perfumes. After 16 years, she had socked away a stash ofcash.

"Working under constant deadlines in a business where otherpeople, such as clients, make decisions and change everything wasdebilitating," she says. "I was burned out, so I simply closed upshop and spent the next five years getting to know myself and trying to figureout what to do with the rest of my life."

Divine Serendipity

At a social gathering in San Francisco, the wife of the dean ofGrace Cathedral asked Coppola to volunteer some time to help generate revenuefor the church gift shop. Since she lived two blocks from the cathedral, sheagreed and thought no more about it.

Late one evening, Coppola was walking by Grace Cathedral and glancedup. One of the stained glass windows was lighted from behind, the colorsglittering like jewels against the inky night sky. It suddenly hit her that thewindow would make a fabulous silk scarf.

"It was a little voice deep within me," she says. "Iwasn't thinking about starting a new business. I had not even been to the giftshop to see what they were selling. I feel I was divinely inspired. It was thefirst of a series of small miracles in my life."

The next day she called the dean's wife who loved the idea at once.Coppola called a contact, someone whom she knew had made a scarf for the cityof San Francisco. The photograph was taken and as she was watching thestrike-off—the first raw silk print of the scarf—that same little voice toldher she could do the same thing for sacred sites of all religions around theworld. She crafted a business plan and booked a trip to Europe to look at stainedglass windows and artworks.

One window she wanted to include in the burgeoning collection wasthe Southern Rose Window of Notre Dame de Paris. Designed in 1260 and known forthe radiant pink and crimson tones developed in Paris' famous glass workshops,the window depicts Christ of the Apocalypse, the Twelve Apostles, 24 Martyrsand Martyr Virgins with angels completing the design's outer edge. Coppolacalled the French consulate in San Francisco, the French embassy in Washington,even the French government in France and got a runaround. France was onlyinterested in promoting French products abroad, not the other way around, shewas told.

"But Notre Dame makes money on it from sales in thecathedral," she explained, "and gets a royalty on every scarf sold.Can't you help me?"

"Pas du tout," was the response. "Not at all."

Coppola recounts her next moves: A couple of weeks before she was toleave on the trip, she got an e-mail from an old friend who was coming to town,a man she had not seen in three years. It turned out his godmother worked inthe mayor's office in Paris. Two days later Coppola was in touch with the rightperson at Notre Dame.

"A week before I was leaving, I was invited to a party in myapartment building. I was too busy getting ready for the trip, but somethingtold me to go. I went and saw some people, had a bite to eat and started toleave."

But the little voice inside of her told her to go back into theparty. In the living room was one empty seat, which she took. A woman turned toher and said, "You should be talking to Alvin."

Seems that Alvin had spent five years living in Como, Italy, and wasgood friends with a retired silk designer who agreed to see Coppola. He woundup designing her first nine scarves.

When she got to London, Coppola went to see the merchandiser atWestminster Abby. "What you propose will never work here," he toldher. "We sell trinkets to tourists. Go to St. Paul's. They have greatmosaics on the ceiling that would be perfect for what you have in mind."

Coppola arrived at St. Paul's five minutes before closing. She metthe buyer and breathlessly explained her proposition. He said to come back at10 a.m. the following day. She did; he signed up.

On a second trip around the world, Coppola signed the contracts andgave orders to her suppliers in Korea, Japan and China. Her business was on itsway.

Download the Exquisite

Coppola Creations Catalog

https://www.coppolacreations.com

• You are immediately offered FreePriority Shipping and a 10% discount for joining the list.

• Click on what you would like to see:SCARVES - WALL HANGINGS - TABLE OVERLAYS - TIES & POCKET SQUARES - PILLOWS- HANGERS - BY MUSEUM - BY LOCATION.

• The illustrations are gorgeous.

• You'll find a concise history of themuseum or sacred site where the original artwork is found and info on theartist so you can dazzle people who ask what the design is.

• Finally, the prices are right for these masterpieces of hand-screen printed 100% Silk Twill with Hand-rolled hem. They range from $35 to $125 for scarves. $74.99 to $125 for wall hangings. (This in contrast to up-up-market Hermes scarves that can run as high as $3,000 or more.)

AngelaCoppola's Deeply Personal Summation of Her Career

"Wehope that the Sacred Art we have chosen to bring you will inspire you. Part ofthe beauty of owning these gorgeous silks is to use them to create a SacredSpace in the home that is conducive to prayer and contemplation. As you can seefrom our website, these silks can also be worn in a variety of ways. The box ofeach silk comes with the history of the Sacred Art and the sacred site fromwhich it was inspired.

?

"As I have traveled the world to visit these Sacred Sites, Ihave been moved not only by their extraordinary visual beauty, but by thebeauty of the heartfelt messages I have heard over and over again from those Imet. People throughout the world express a common desire for connection withGod – including the qualities of world peace, love, understanding, kindness,service, and love for humanity. The desire to be a reflection of all thatChrist stands for is a universal need shared by all humanity. This is truly the“Christian Way.”

P.S. A Fascinating Opportunity WhenYou Google "Angela Coppola":

Takeawaysto Consider

• Many folks—when they are kids—knowintuitively what they want to do when they grow up.

• Others — myself and Angel Coppola,for example — stumble into our life's work.

• Denny Hatch stumbled into hisfuture.  To find how he achieved oh-so-minorfame and oh-so-modest fortune as an expert in junk mail, check out his story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ww8a-8hyio&t=48s

•The saddest sacks in the workplace are the folks who have been suckered into rackingup six figures in student loan debt, graduate from top business schools and ongraduation you ask, "What do you want to do?"  A not uncommon reply: "Oh, gee, I don'treally know. I think maybe I'd like to start some kind of business... "

•  The most fascinating people in the world arethose who are driven and engaged and passionate about what they do.

•"If you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life." —MarkTwain or maybe Ray Bradbury or possibly Confucius

•  “Ifyou follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has beenthere all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be livingis the one you are living.  —JosephCampbell 

• If you hear a tiny voice from somewhere deep inside you, don't ignore it! Listen carefully!

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