Fashion Designers, Are You Using Community Mentorship to Grow Your Business?

fashion business

I’d like to tell you a little story.

About two years ago I was happily running my business, working hard every single day and watching it slowly grow. I’m not gonna lie, I loved it. It felt so incredible to build something from nothing; something that was actually helping other people reach their own goals and dreams.

It was a lot of hard work, constantly trying to figure out the things I needed to know, Googling til my fingers bled. It was draining, but in that way that means you’re accomplishing something awesome. I was proud of the work I was doing, even if growth took time, I didn’t care.

To be honest with you, I could have continued on this path forever. Happy in my oblivious little world of building a lifestyle business.

But then something happened. On a whim, I joined an online group of service-based entrepreneurs. I thought to myself, “Oh, why not try it. I probably don’t need it, but who knows.”

At first I didn’t do much with my membership. I went about my business, literally, as I had before. Then one day about two months after joining, I was banging my skull against the proverbial wall  in my cozy, but lonely, home office trying desperately to figure out something in my business that was completely holding me back from moving forward. I was so uncertain of what to do that I sat there paralyzed and kind of dizzy (which was probably from all the head banging).

And then my brain whispered in my ear, “Try asking that group you joined.”

I imagine you know what I’m going to say next, “Boom, my problem was solved!”

Well, no. Not exactly. I had neglected this group, never introducing myself or offering help to others, so while my question did eventually get answered and my problem solved, it took time.

But that little exercise taught me something. Having a connection to people who get what I’m gong through, in my case running an online service-based business rather than a product-based business or brick and mortar store, is really damn important.

Why am I telling you this story?

Because finding your people is the single most important thing you can do as a business owner if you really want to grow and thrive.

Since the time of this story, my time of enlightenment shall we say, I have made my involvement in this group a priority. I’ve offered help when I could, given my opinion even when I wasn’t an expert on the topic, provided feedback to fellow entrepreneurs who just need to hear what someone else thinks of a situation, and shared my experiences and stories for others to learn from.

And most of all, I’ve watched my business skyrocket.

Since finding my people and feeling like I’m part of a group who gets me and my struggles and triumphs, I’ve become part of a club. I’ve felt comfortable with sharing and asking for help. I’ve managed to learn so much from the other members. It’s truly community mentorship!

And that slow-growing sweet little business I had two years ago has started to accelerate in ways I hadn’t anticipated. And to be honest, sometimes I didn’t even realize it was happening. I look back now and remember how much I didn’t know that I didn’t know!  I feel more confident, more focused, and more driven than I have ever in past.

So here’s the thing.

If you’re reading this thinking about how much you want that too; how much you want to have your own group and feel more confident as a business owner, and how much you would absolutely love to find your people, then I hope you’ll join us in the StartUp FASHION Community.

I created the StartUp FASHION Community so that you, darling designer, could experience the same kind of joy, confidence, and success that I have experienced since finding my people. Join the Community and Find Your People Right Now!

Lots of love and encouragement,

P.S. The Community opened today for one week. We’ll be closing the doors September 25th, 11:59pm ET. So if you want in, join us now! 

Nicole Giordano

Nicole is the founder of StartUp FASHION, an online resource and community supporting for independent designers around the world with building their businesses. A deep love for the craft of fashion paired with an adamant belief that success is defined by the individual, led her to found StartUp FASHION, where she helps independent designers and makers screw the traditional fashion business rules, create their own paths, and build businesses they truly love. More than anything else, she’s in the business of encouragement and works every day to remind makers and designers that they have something special to offer the world and that they can, in fact, do this thing!

2 comments
  1. kelley

    HI Nicole,
    I stumbled across your blog and I am glad I did! I find it fascinating. I’m hoping you can assist me with an issue. I am a startup design co. I am going through one company to take my designs from concept to production. My only issue is that I don’t have any pricing to compare theirs to. For example, what is the average cost to source fabric, design a simple dress, etc. How can I ensure I am getting the best ‘bang’ for my hard earn buck!
    Thanks,

    • Nicole Giordano

      Hi Kelley,
      Well, honestly your best bet is to shop around and compare. There’s no “average” cost because of the variation in things like type of fabric, kinds of trim, details of the garment, etc. So if you’re not sure that the quote you’ve received is fair, I would suggest getting quotes from others. 🙂

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