In 2006, GlitterStarz started as just a dream . Read this exclusive interview between Liz and Jan to learn more about how their dream turned into a reality. Look for the full length video interview to come in February !

Where did it all begin?

Liz: I’ve been a cheerleader my whole life. I started gymnastics when I was 7, and I was a cheerleader in college at the University of Illinois Chicago. After college, I had a regular job for about 5 mos before I knew it wasn’t for me . I called my mom and told her I wanted to start my own business - You would think your mom would tell you to relax and take a breather, But she said “what do you want to do ? “

I knew right from that moment if I had an idea that my mom would be there to support it.

Jan: I knew because Liz continued her love of cheer all the way through college that it was a good path for her business.

Liz: From the beginning I had a lot of ideas that my mom helped me to implement. To this day I continue to create a vision of where I want to take the business next, and Jan continues to be the bread and butter of our business- making sure the customers are always happy and the orders are getting completed on time.

How has your company grown?

Liz: Our company actually started in the basement of a townhome. We then added some employees who worked from home. Next, we rented a 700 square foot room – like a little playhouse we went to every day. We saw success and now are at 7500 square feet over with over 20 employees. We have created custom uniforms, warmups, and accessories for thousands of teams over the last 10 years.

What have you done differently from other companies over the past 10 years ?

Jan: We listen to the customer and we understand the customer’s orders are very important. They are the foundation of our business, so we keep in contact with them through the entire production process to ensure that they are happy.

Liz: we focus on the longevity of the customer to make sure once the order goes out, the customer comes full circle back to us for their next project. We can’t wait until they contact us again!

What is the overall attitude of your business?

Jan: We all try to keep a very positive attitude. So many people get caught up in the things that are going wrong. At GlitterStarz, we understand that we should balance our day with moments of gratitude and appreciation. It builds up your foundation to be able to deal with any struggles that may come your way. Stay in your happy place and you will have the realization that a bad moment is just a moment – we all live through them, and a little bit of happiness goes a long way.

Liz: We love cheerleading because it is such an active and uplifting sport – we try to stay active and have an uplifting attitude in our business as well. We hope to share this uplifting spirit with our customers so they can “spread the sparkle” throughout their teams and communities.

What are the main factors that determined your business’s success?

Liz: We are incredibly determined and focused. We have been doing this 10 years and its funny to look back 10 years ago – “Making the world sparkle one girl at a time” has always been our slogan, and it’s still true to this day.

We started off doing these by hand-- tutus, and single items at craft fairs . We would sell one item at a time, mostly to moms, aunts, grandmothers who wanted gifts for their daughters, granddaughters, nieces.

Then I met my first dance studio and she asked if I could do her t-shirts; she had 100 students. As soon as we made the sale my mom said : how are we going to do 100 t-shirts, Liz ? -- And we figured it out. We always figure it out.

We set goals every day and we accomplish goals every day. We always want to be bigger and better.

What makes GlitterStarz different?

Jan: We have always loved standing out. We had a unique look to our craft booth even when we first started. We had pink mirrors- candy dishes filled with treats – it was like pink heaven. We bought a pink tent that stood 1 foot higher than all the others. We want to set our company apart from the rest.

Liz: Branding has been important since the beginning. We love to stand out. We made sure we cater to boys too, and we don’t just limit ourselves to cheerleading. Any company or team who might be looking for custom rhinestone gear is welcome here!    

Some people are surprised we have been a mother daughter team for over 10 years. It hasn’t been a rough journey, its been a treasure.

What are Your next steps ?

Liz: We look forward to celebrating our 10th anniversary by providing an exciting new interactive celebration in February, including surprises, discounts, and new product releases !

Together we want to make the world sparkle... one girl at a time!

Feel free to contact us with any custom requests or questions, at customerservice@glitterstarz.com.  

2019 Professional uniform, practicewear, and uniform photography credits: Josh Lusk Photography