Why I’m opening up SMG ?
I am a firm believer that the best way to learn is through experience. Since I was a child I’ve had this spark that lights up with an idea and a desire to manifest it to reality. I believe this is something you are born with. If you’re an entrepreneur, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
I thought about being a nine to fiver; joining the rat care. I tried. I learned. It just wasn’t for me.
I have an undying passion to do what I love and create. I also love to encourage others to do the same.
It’s true if you do what you love, you will never have to work a day in your life.
I’ve had the opportunity to learn and grow from my successes and my failures in business. I’ve had two successful media acclaimed companies which hit the milestone where expanding would mean greater returns. This pace was far to time consuming, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and I had no personal life. I now believe that true success in life is being able to keep a balance.
The warning signs
I’ve learned that business is really the best course on self awareness and personal development. The more you understand yourself and listen to your needs the better you will be at what you do. It’s been an incredible 13 year journey working in the fashion industry. Over the years I’ve learnt a lot about myself. I’ve learned that I use both sides of my brain. I’ve learned to follow my intuition. I’ve learned that giving without expectation always comes full circle in one form or another. I’ve learned that I love helping others succeed. I’ve learned that I have a skill managing production and product development. I’ve learned that all garments are made by hand regardless if they were made in a factory.
I’ve also learned that you can’t run a business alone. It’s okay to ask for help.
The bottom line is you can’t do everything yourself. The fashion industry is much too fast paced and deadlines overlap. The faster you move product the faster you generate revenue. Where do you want to keep your focus? 5% of my time was spent on design, 50% on manufacturing, logistics & product development, 15% customer service, 20% on running the business and 5% on sales and the other 5% was my personal life. I relied completely on my reps and there was little time to implement a marketing plan. Imagine what life would be like if I spent my time focused on just design, sales, running the business & my life?
So whats next?
I’ve tried this twice now. And from experience I know that if you don’t have a clear focus on what your role is. Burnt out is inevitable. My passion is in ethical overseas manufacturing. I have experience under my belt so I know what the ingredients are to running a successful apparel business. I’m grateful for the experiences that I have and believe that everything happens for a reason. If I didn’t fall sick, I wouldn’t have realized that my ultimate passion is to help others to keep the momentum of producing product season after season. I want to be a part of your team and see a successful company grow.
Source My Garment is a bridge with overseas factories, that focuses on sustainability and socially compliance. We are here to help.
Have you felt this way in your business? Or thought about either closing it down or going all out and starting a new fashion label? I’d love to know about it. Leave a comment below and let me know!