Meet Cora Spearman | Founder & Designer of Hawaii’s first product based B Corporation Coradorables.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cora Spearman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cora, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Besides deciding to work for myself the most essential decision that contributed to my success was marrying my husband, Christopher Kalanialii Chang. Chris has shown me unconditional love. We met when in was in my mid-twenties. We met at work at the radio station where I was, for the first and only time in my life, fired. That made me vow to never work for someone else again. Chris was by my side through that transition and disappointment and many others. To have someone not judge you when you fail or fall but instead encourages you and lifts you up is a gamechanger. Chris and I decided to open our retail stores together, where we traveled the world sourcing unique products until I was diagnosed with head, neck, and brain cancer. Cancer changed me mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially. It left me with literally half of a face and bankrupt. When I say that my husband never looked at me differently and filled me with love and confidence to not only slay cancer but to rebuild my face, my faith, and my brand, he is truly my right-hand man. When you look in the mirror and you no longer look like yourself and your face is deformed it takes a lot of resolve to face yourself and each day with confidence. When you have a partner that only speaks to you with loving words and looks at you with loving eyes your world shifts. You see the world differently because you know what unconditional love is. You have received true love so you are able to love and do what you love. Love not based on looks or what you can do for each other but just pouring in to one another helping each to become the best version of yourselves. Through trials and triumphs, Chris is by my side, rooting me on and supporting me as best as he can and I him.. We have been blessed with two daughters together that motivate and inspire us daily. Chris left his 35-year career in radio to come on board full-time and help us to build the family brands we are building today. To be blessed with a supportive partner who you pray for each other and you are vested in your mutual success gives you a wind beneath your wings that is inexplicable. We share the ups and the downs, though because of our encouragement and faith in God and each other, we never stay down long. In Japanese, there is a saying, fall seven times, stand up eight. Chris and I were married on the magical date of 08-08-08, and we are still standing strong together. Marrying my husband was the single most important decision I made that contributed to my success.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
A

Starting a brand while battling head/neck and brain cancer and enduring a medical bankruptcy that lasted over seven years would have been challenging for anyone. This is just a part of my story and the challenges that I have faced while starting this brand. But I didn’t give up. Instead, I sold my handmade products in hospital waiting rooms while waiting for appointments.
My entrepreneurial journey, compared to a dance, often felt like a cha-cha, two steps forward and two steps back. Initially, I was ignored by showrooms and buyers. I often felt discouraged with no leads or money, but I refused to quit. I went to high school and college in Japan, and I had connections there still. Serendipitously, the state was offering trade missions to Japan. So, I applied and started to export to Japan, where we began to see success. Our success in Japan caught the attention of the VP of the new Saks 5th Avenue in Waikiki, where they gave us our first pop-up shop in their store where we again had success and was starting to get momentum, and then COVID hit the world.
Post-COVID, the world has been forever changed, and with the killing of George Floyd and the emergence of Black Lives Matter, the extreme darkness began to show some light at the of a very long tunnel. Then, bam, my baby brother was hit by an SUV and died instantly. Two years later, my other younger brother died unexpectedly of a heart attack, dropping dead in front of my four-year-old niece, devastating our family yet again. My entrepreneurial journey has been far from easy, but I persevered and proved that determination and hard work can help overcome even the toughest of obstacles. Those no longer with me on this earth are now what I like to think are Guardian angels I know by name. With all I have been through, I work and create like tomorrow isn’t promised because it isn’t. I set out to make each day count and to leave the world better than how we found it. This is why being a certified B corporation matters so much to me. To use business as a force to do good in the world is a noble challenge. In my spare time, advocating and lobbying on Capital Hill for small businesses with the National Retail Federation gives me purpose, as do my daughters. The 17 SDGs, as outlined by the United Nations, give me consistent missions and ideals to advocate for and uphold. We are not just making clothing. We are leading a revolution of true sustainability, sharing what we are learning on our journey with others. We are grateful to have been chosen by our partners at LVMH as a Curator of Style.
We look forward to what fantastic goodness this partnership will foster. We are excited about our upcoming collaboration with Peanuts and what flavor we will bring to such an iconic brand. We are excited to be Hawaii’s first and only product based certified B Corporation and all the good we will continue to do in our community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have to stay with the bestie who is a commercial and film producer in Venice Beach. We would head to Hart House in Hollywood to get a bite. We would hit up the LA Fashion District where we would have to stop at the Black Design Collective where I am a member. Later that evening we would hit Soho House West Hollywood for a business meeting and cocktails. The next day MocA and then get dressed for dinner at Gucci Osteria, Then another dinner at Heritage and another at Kali because we are foodies.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to my husband Chris Kalani Chang, our daughters Izzabelle and Zoe and the best mentor I could pray for Keith Ogata who started off as my SCORE mentor and is now the president of our advisory board and considered family.

Website: https://coradorables.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coradorables/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cora-spearman-2519005

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Coradorables

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coradorables

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@coradorablesHI808?si=tWdS-FGU-LCt-UJB

Other: Tiktok : https://www.tiktok.com/@coraspearmanhawaii?_t=8gyxC9zb2XW&_r=1 Pinterest: https://pin.it/6MjwNi5 Coradorables

Image Credits
Blake Abes April Ameilia Photograohy Zoe Chang Izzabelle Chang