Building a Team Starts With You: Interview with Zara Terez Tisch, founder of TEREZ

I recently went one-on-one with Zara Terez Tisch, founder of TEREZ.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Zara: I ask myself this question on a daily basis.  I think the biggest lesson (I am going to call it) throughout my career is learning to not be afraid of change, and knowing when team members have outgrown their roles or their roles have outgrown them.  For many years I would never want to get rid of anyone on our team, even if they were not pulling their weight and instead of addressing it head-on, I would put a band-aid on it.  Band-aid for the most part would be hiring other people to overcompensate for others for the fear of letting them go - that was a big setback for me.

Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas? 

Zara: I was very young and ambitious.  I was working through a very dark and traumatic time in my life and wanted to create something that would make me feel happy and worth something. I started with leather handbags with fun interiors after I found myself in a leather shop in the West Village.  I thought I could help bring back the garment center in NYC (an industry that my father was in until manufacturing moved overseas).  So I had a mission to do and make good - and to get out there and DO.

Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea? 

Zara: I was very lucky to have parents who were an incredible support system and who were honest. I am very vocal about that.  If you are looking to test your business idea, go to the people in your life who you trust and who will be brutally honest with you.  Put together how much it will cost for a small test and walk through what it looks like if you do not get any of that back.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?

Zara: The fashion industry never stops.  One day you are "in" and the next day you are "out."  It's a constant game of trying to prove that you are good enough, especially for fashion brands like ours that like to create new collections seasonally - so, as a brand, we need to stay nimble and continue to focus on the areas of your business that are working - that's how you continue to grow. 

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips? 

Zara: In person events. We love coming up with creative ways to engage with our clients and customers IRL, whether it be an event at our headquarters, an ice skating rink, an NBA stadium...you name it.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams? 

Zara: Building a team starts with you: your values, your vision.  Build a team with people who truly want to be there and grow with you.  

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Zara: One word: team! Understand that the most important part of your company is your team.  Invest in your team.  Genuinely care about your team and their well-being. Surround yourself with leaders from other brands/ not necessarily the same industry - but someone you can talk to openly without competition

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Zara: Learn on someone else's dime. I didn't take this advice because I was young and stubborn - but it was the right advice.

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share? 

Zara: We are thrilled to be creating a category of sportswear through our third MLB collection this upcoming spring, and letting the industry know that women’s sports fans are here.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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