It’s May: Let’s talk shop!

Hello May!

May is a memorable month for me for many things, one of those is that two (2) years ago on May 20^th 2015 I decided to open my etsy shop. Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/amshinaapparel

With the encouragement of my friends and family I took a leap of faith and started my own handmade sewing business. While it didn’t officially became a business until January 2016, the quest started that May 20th, 2015.

Let’s be real, business was never a part of my plans and I am very much working out those lovely details that make entrepreneurship a journey. 🙂

I am learning daily as an entrepreneur. I am super blessed and grateful to be artistic but also administrative, phew!!….working on the business management part, is not that easy when you are the manager for everything and the manufacturer! 🙂 Every now and then I question things and get hard on myself for the things I don’t know. I guess that’s natural.

 Thank God for books, blogs and videos. I greatly appreciate those that have gone before me and those that have been doing this for years that generously share their work. Learning has been a blessing. I try to engage in learning something new about my sewing and running a business every month. Whether it’s to get a new book, find a new blog to read or try a new technique.

The first year was trial and error, a combination of many ‘why questions’ and me being really scared as I entered this unchartered territory. If there was ever a moment in my life that I felt I was an imposter, this sure was that moment.” Oh my, why am I sewing for others? Can I really do this”, “I didn’t study fashion?, ” I am a project manager? These were some of my road block questions. I still wrestle with them at times but I don’t camp with those thoughts too long for it to hinder my next step. I realize early on that answering these very questions would determine everything.  They would determine my “keep going factor”.

The keep going factor

There is a friend of mine who doesn’t know how big an encouragement her words are to me. She always says, “I don’t know how you do it but you keep going it”. The “keep going factor” is my mantra indeed.  I know I am not a quitter so even when I make mistakes I believe if I keep doing it long enough I will get it right. Think about it this way, it’s only when we reach a road block that we question how far we have come and contemplate turning back. For me, because I have come this far, I have no choice but to press on in hopes that the road blocks will be moved.  You see, it’s naive to think this was going to be easy; the best of the best are tested right? So who am I? Well that just means I will be tested too. The high and low points will happen in my business. Even though at times the low points seem many and the high few and far, I am happy with where I am at. I figure once I stay in the race long enough, continue to be faithful, continue to serve my clients, continue to be true to my gifts, the chances are I will finish it!

So I am staying the course everyone! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Staying in my own lane and carving out my handmade business experience the way it leads.

Thank you all for literally coming alongside me with your continued encouragement and support in different ways. The thing about races is that you need supporters, even when you are intrinsically motivated. None of this would be possible without YOU!

Stay tune this month as I highlight those key learnings in my entrepreneurial venture with my sewing.

Bless

UtavZ