1. Ms. Stackler, tell us about your success with your business partner when you both create a company worth over $23 millions? What is your key to your financial & business success?
San Martin Bridals was started in 1982. It was an amazing time in the Wedding Gown business.
Up until that time, wedding gowns were a very special garment that transported a woman to a new life. It is sort of a magic carpet that took a woman from one life to another. The gowns were very special and considered heirlooms in many families. I had worked for the then largest bridal gown manufacturer for many years; I had a powerful mentor who taught me the marketing end of the business.
At that time, you had mostly a first-time bride and it was imperative to capture her with advertising. The Bridal Magazines ruled the roost. Remember this was way before the internet and computers. After leaving Alfred Angelo, I was at odds with what I wanted to do next. I was a single mother with two daughters. Through a friend who was advertising director of Brides Magazine, I was introduced to my soon to be business partner, Twyla Martin. She was then producing Wedding Shows at the Anaheim Convention Center in LA. We clicked and started an advertising company for other manufacturers in the industry. We were unique because of Twyla’s husbands’ connections to Broadway and Hollywood. Through him, we were able to get.
Sandy Stackler & San Martin Bridal as seen in Forbes Magazine
Soap Stars to model the dresses. We were also able to get the best celebrity photographer, Harry Langdon, to photograph the ads at the Beverly Hills Hotel. We photographed a soap star in a pink gown lying on the green lawn of the Beverly Hills hotel, and the orders came flying in. We sold glamour!
When the other manufacturers could not deliver the dresses on time we decided to do it ourselves. We heard that there were factories in Taiwan making bridal gowns. So, we pooled our resources, $5,000. I got on a plane, found factories made samples. When they arrived they were great. We did a Dog and Pony show for the then Santa Monica Bank, got a loan, and the rest is history. By the time the business was closed in 1996, the industry had changed. Now the Wedding gowns have become a commodity, off rack. It is no longer the special ritual garment that changed women’s lives.
2. Ms. Stackler how do you feel about aging?
I feel very lucky to have reached this age of 80 with relatively few serious conditions. I have always been a “cock-eyed” optimist to quote South Pacific. I have the unique spirit that enables me to close doors behind me and look to the future with curiosity. I live gratefully. Each day is an adventure. I enjoy learning. To quote Ghandi…Live as if you will die tomorrow…learn as if you will live forever. Aging is a gift. I never really thought about aging until I reached a fork in the road age wise when I realized that my mind and body were not in sync. When I looked in the mirror, I did not recognize the person I saw. In our youth-obsessed culture, the drive to look young is particularly difficult for women. I am considered an “elder” by most even though I do not see myself that way. Some years ago I became a Certified Senior Advisor. My mission has become to change the stereotype of how society perceives aging and how people accept the aging process.
Aging is indeed challenging, and it requires our strongest inner core to come forward to survive and thrive. It is also a great time for spiritual, emotional, and psychological growth. It is a time when we can contribute our wisdom to society and change peoples’ lives.
3. Ms. Stackler, tell us about your commitment to healthy lifestyle by sleeping 8 hours a day? How an ordinary day does looks like for Sandy Stackler from the moment you woke up in the morning to going to bed at night?
When I was younger, we were not committed to a healthy lifestyle. It was popular to smoke and to drink when I was in college. Even though I attended summer camp when I was young, I never became an athlete. It just wasn’t the norm for women. I really became a health warrior when I was about 30. At that time aerobic studios were popular and I became a fanatic. I was always concerned with my weight and so I began to study and learn about health and healing. I read many books and attended seminars about diet and health. It became my hobby and avocation. I have tried many different ways of exercising and eating. I am always open to change and learning the new paradigms about food and health.
I have never been a breakfast eater…I much prefers lunch. So, I now do intermittent fasting. It is about 16 hours fast and 8 hour eating time. I use grass fed meat, eggs and chicken and organic produce. I follow a low carb diet.
I exercise at least 4 times a week for about 1 hour. I participate in many activities and I am on a few fund-raising boards. My husband and I are very enthusiastic theater and movie goers. We lead a very active lifestyle.
BIOGRAPHY:
Sandy Stackler known as “The Grandma Moses of Public Speaking” is a Senior Advisor and Advocate, Business and Personal Coach, and motivational speaker. She is business entrepreneur with wealth of experience as a business owner. She co-owned a wedding gown manufacturing company that was written up in The Forbes Magazine, Entrepreneurial Woman, USA Today and Success Magazine. The company was also included in a book called “The Wizards” and grew to be worth over $23 million.
She lived and worked in Europe and Asia for many years. She is a visionary with a global view that influences her work and ideology.
She attended Parson’s School of Design, Antioch College, and a Master’s Program with Buckminster Fuller. She is the co-author of “THE SECRET TO A FABULOUS WEDDING: How To Be Relaxed and Radiant Bride”.
Sandy believes that people can continue to grow, learn and contribute at any age and stage of their life. She is happily married with her husband Ronald Stackler. She resides in Malibu.