DIRTY, CROWDED, SWEATY: That's how most New Yorkers describe their daily subway commute. Not entrepreneur Lynne Lambert. To her, riding in that metal can as it zooms along and connects straphangers from all walks of life is inspiring. In fact, in 1995, as the voice-over actress was commuting to Manhattan, Lambert was struck with a small-business idea.

"One day, I was going to one of my auditions, riding the subway, and I looked up and saw these subway logos," she said, referring to the big round numbers or letters that identify the New York City subway lines. A circular green 4 or blue A would look fantastic on T-shirts, bags and baseball caps, she thought.

Eleven years later, Lambert's business NYC Subway Line reaps close to $1 million in annual revenues.

As a late-blooming entrepreneur, Lambert credits her career in the entertainment industry with shaping much of her small-business success — and making it easier to withstand a number of setbacks along the way. Lambert, the sexy lady's voice in Amstel Light commercials and Grand Theft Auto II videogames, was in her 40s while on that subway ride. Already, she was dealing with ageism in the voice-over field. Looking to make another living with her creative abilities, she summoned up some go-getter actor instinct and marched into the New York City Transit Museum Store, which sells subway memorabilia.

Lambert asked if they sold subway-inspired fashions (they didn't) and offered her services. "The manager said, 'do a drawing,'" Lambert recalls. After consulting with a graphic-artist friend, Lambert came up with a T-shirt design and, about a year later, got her apparel (officially authorized by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which governs the subway) into the Transit Museum Store.

The next step, Lambert decided, was getting into other stores. Using the same approach, she called up Macy's and managed to get one of the department store's buyers on the phone. Lambert explained the concept, and the buyer encouraged her to stop by.

Shortly thereafter, Lambert's beginner's luck ran out. While Macy's agreed to display her merchandise during the upcoming holiday season, a number of unforeseen snafus happened. First, the buyer that Lambert worked with left the company. Next, about half of the NYC Subway Line merchandise got lost in the Macy's stock room, and didn't make it to the shelves in time for holiday shoppers. Hampered by bad luck and her own inexperience, the debut was a bust. "It was painful," she says.

While disappointed, Lambert — who had already sunk her life's savings into the business — decided to push forward. "As an actor, I was able to concentrate on the good news — the buyers at Macy's got my concept!" she says. "Actors have to be incredibly resilient." Entrepreneurship, she found, was similar.

Regrouping, Lambert got her designs into smaller specialty boutiques, then some big-name shops, such as Virgin Megastores and the Museum of Modern Art's gift store. The street-style fashions have been embraced by the hip-hop community, she's found, and now are sold at places like Dr. Jay's stores. In recent years, she's branched out to design merchandise featuring honky-tonk Coney Island artwork, and maps of London licensed from Z-Guides.

Lambert has also used her connection to the entertainment industry to deliver apparel to wardrobe coordinators for movies and television shows. While sometimes it's been a matter of chance, she's seen her Brooklyn Swoosh t-shirt worn by Uma Thurman in the movie "Prime," and her subway map drawstring backpack in "Take the Lead" with Antonio Banderas. And her products often show up on VH1 and MTV.

Lambert didn't know what she was getting into when diving into the garment industry. At least "I haven't made serious enough mistakes to put myself out of business," she says. She recently persuaded the MTA to finally grant her an exclusive international license, which she plans to use to pursue strategic partners, such as a big manufacturer or distributor.

The company's sales currently fall between $800,000 and $900,000 a year, although Lambert expects that to grow to "tens of millions" within the next five years as her product lines get into more stores, here and abroad. On her wish list: Urban Outfitters, Phat Farm...and Macy's. With a decade of experience behind her, Lambert says she's ready to approach the World's Largest Store for a second shot.

Meanwhile, a "love affair with New York City" continues to drive her business, Lambert says. A great reward is seeing a stranger walking down the street, wearing one of her subway shirts — and telling them it's her design. "It is so exciting! If I can get to them, I will stop them and let them know," she says, then adds with a laugh. "It's an awkward conversation."

All Aboard

Your name: Lynne Lambert
Name of business: Prak Productions, Inc. dba NYC Subway Line, Coney Island Line, London LineZ
Year founded: 1995
Business type (industry): Licensed, wholesale and retail apparel and accessories
Location: Chappaqua, N.Y.
No. of employees: Two (including me)
Web address: nycsubwayline.com, ConeyIslandLine.com, LondonLineZ.com

Where do you look for business advice?(Mentors? Industry or trade groups? Family and friends?)
I have a couple of great mentors, but they are so busy with their own business responsibilities it is not always easy to get advice when I need it. I also consult with trusted vendors who work for bigger companies and with me freelance.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?
It is very different to have an inventory-based business than the service business I had before.

What's the smartest move you've made so far?
To put our web site address on all of our hangtags and labels. This way, our customers can reach out to us to help them find more of our products, either in stores near them, or online.

What is the best business book you've read?
Not much time to read, but "The Tipping Point" and "Blink" (both by Malcolm Gladwell) are on my "to read" list!

What keeps you up at night?
The good: Sometimes as soon as I relax, my mind gets flooded with design ideas. The ugly: Worrying about getting our goods produced on time — particularly with offshore vendors.

And extra credit, please answer: when/where was your last vacation?
Just a few days in Vermont with my son and friends this August. (Of course we had to do back-to-school shopping which becomes business research for me!)