Meet Donna Zalter | Business Owner, Entrepreneur, Founder and President of All Hung Up Hangers

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

Hi Donna, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was 41 years old, and had just had my third child. I wanted to make a lot of money, with the most flexibility, so that I could be around for my kids. But I had had enough staying home and wanted to return to the work force. Real Estate seemed like a natural fit. I am/was Canadian (I am also a US citizen) and I had the AHA moment that the condo market was at an all time low (this was 2008) and the Canadian dollar was at an all time high, why not pursue my contacts in Canada while the buying opportunity was ripe?

I have been a FULL TIME realtor since then…but then…my real estate business took me inside many homes with KILLER closets. This was my second AHA moment. None of the closets that I had walked into had nice, matching hangers. – and I was walking into huge, custom designer closets!

My father owns a hanger manufacturing business. With a little bit of help from him (and a lot of nepotism), I created ALL HUNG UP HANGERS, a luxury hanger line designed specifically with the high end closet in mind.

All hangers are virtually non-breakable, (retail grade), non-slip with notches to hold slim straps and rubberized or flocked shoulders to prevent garments from falling off the hanger.

With many styles and colors to choose from, you can have a slim hanger for your tops, and a coat hanger for your jackets. For more information, please visit www.allhunguphangers.com

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?
All Hung Up Hangers was created by me from the ground up. I saw the hole in the market place and I am attempting to fill it. There are other hanger companies on the market, but none are in my competitive space — a mid to high end price range that provides hangers that are long on quality and style. We own the molds for four of the 6 styles, and the other two styles (my wood ones) were created in conjunction with my boots on the ground in the orient and myself. They are so stylish that they are being featured on the Real Housewives of New Jersey! So exciting!!!

We are becoming the go to hanger company for designers who are finishing their clients closets. We are also doing a great business on Amazon selling our least expensive hangers (plastic thin) to people who are tired of buying the cheap velvet ones that break all the time.

It is NEVER EASY to run a business, and it is even more difficult to start one from scratch. I have made a TON of mistakes, wasted a TON of money, and have thought (but had never wanted to) giving up. Perseverance is the key. I am still not profitable, but since I am self-funded through my real estate sales, I don’t owe anyone money and have the ability and time to learn from and to fix my mistakes.

I want the world to know that All Hung Up Hangers IS NOT your regular hanger company. I put the needs of the customer first. All of our hangers are gentle on your clothes (clips are rubberized, for example) I created a line of thicker hangers for higher end suits and coats that need extra care. But if you have a closet that is tight on space, I thought about that too, and created my thin plastic line. Our hangers will not end up in the land fill because they will never come out of the closet (pun intended).

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I skew older so, here it goes:

I would take them to Brickell City Center by Bright Line and eat at Pub Belly or Casa Tua in Saks. Yum.
If there was a good show playing at the Arscht Center or Broward Center, I would include that in the itinerary. I also would take them down to South Point in Miami Beach (skipping SOBE) and take them to Planta and then a walk along the pathway and pier at South point.

For amazing steaks, I would travel up to Aventura where I would take them to Bourbon Steakhouse by Michael Mina, Before that, I would drag them through Aventura Mall, which is my favorite mall in the world.

Of course, we would spend an evening in Wynwood, viewing the walls., and perhaps grabbing a bite at Michaels Kitchen or KYU. That same morning, I would have taken them to the design district to look at furniture, clothes and architecture and have a late coffee and croissant at Zak the Baker.

I would also take them to Hialeah, just to show them the part of town that no tourist ever goes to. We would grab a sugary Cafe con Leche and guava pastry at an outdoor counter.

As for our beaches, I prefer South Beach for the wide sand and Deerfield Beach for its beach vide and close proximity to restaurants and bathrooms. My third favorite beach is Hollywood Beach. It reminds me of beaches on the Jersey Shore — a bit tacky, but good eats nearby, a great broad walk on which to walk and of course, bathrooms!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely my husband, Eric Finkelberg, and my father, Joseph Zalter, who both have had faith in me and I try to get this business to scale and thrive.

Website: www.allhunguphangers.com

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