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Behind the Dreamers
We are talking to the achievers, the creators, the magic makers, and the dreamers. These are our friends. These are your friends. And they are living the extraordinary.
Behind the Dreamers
Behind the Seams: The Evolution of a Fashion Business Genius
What do you wear when you want to feel your best? Sarah Jones Thomas, a seasoned fashion entrepreneur, and former fashion illustration professor, offers a unique perspective on this question, sharing her personal journey and her unique business model in the fashion industry. From her mother's life-altering advice to "dress how you want to feel," Sarah's love for fashion evolved from a childhood passion into an impressive career, all inspired by her father's entrepreneurial spirit.
Imagine walking into a store where every piece of clothing is tailored just for you, right down to the last detail. This is the kind of unparalleled shopping experience Sarah creates for her clients, offering personalized services like tailored measurements and style consultations. And when life presented new challenges, Sarah's business acumen shone brightly as she transitioned to a direct-to-consumer model, a move that proved crucial during the global pandemic.
With two decades of experience, Sarah shares her insights into the trials and triumphs of being a fashion entrepreneur. From constantly adapting to market demands to striving to reduce waste, Sarah's innovative approach is inspiring and enlightening. So join us as we explore her website, look forward to her upcoming events, and learn to live extraordinarily through Sarah's wise words. This episode is not just for fashion enthusiasts but for anyone who is eager to learn about entrepreneurship and personal growth.
These are our friends. These are your friends. AND they are living the extraordinary.
For a transcript of this episode, go to www.behindthedreamers.com.
Welcome to another episode of Behind the Dreamers. I'm Jennifer Loading and we are talking to the achievers, the creators, the magic makers and the dreamers. These are our friends, these are your friends and they are living the extraordinary Well. I'm so excited about my guest today. She's an accomplished public speaker, a former fashion illustration professor with an impressive background encompassing over two decades in the fashion industry. Her expertise shines through her profound understanding of the communication potential embedded I love this with clothing choices. So I am so excited to chat with her today. But before we get we get her on the show, I do want to do a quick shout out to our sponsors.
Speaker 1:So today's episode is brought to you by Walt Mills Photography. If you are a creator needing post production consultation or promotion, walt is your guy. Whether short film, youtube films, photography work or a new headshot, he can help you find a solution to match your needs. To learn more about Walt and his work, you're going to want to go to photosbywaltcom. All right, so exciting. This is going to be so much fun. So, as the CEO and founder of Status Design Studio in Sarah Jones Custom Collections, sarah Jones Thomas is more than a fashion designer. She's a visionary. Her dedication to her craft is evident in her innovative approach to custom clothing, a genre where she's recognized as a trailblazer. Having enjoyed success with her ready to wear collection, which graced the shelves of over 50 specialty boutiques nationwide, sarah's focus has shifted toward providing direct to consumer offerings. Her line is tailored to the modern woman who aspires to effortlessly I love this exude a polished appearance in every situation. So, sarah, welcome to the show. I'm so excited to have you here today and you look amazing, by the way.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, jennifer. That's so sweet of you to say I'm excited to be here, Love your show, so thank you for having me on.
Speaker 1:It's going to be so much fun. So and I know we just funny story because you know, the day I met you, it was like all these people we have like all these mutual connections and you know I'm going here and I'm going there and everybody's like you need to talk to this Sarah and you got to talk to this Sarah and I keep seeing your stuff and finally we just got connected in the right place at the right time and I'm like there she is. That's the person that I needed to meet. So I'm excited to have you here today and talk about your journey and what you've got going on. And so I want to open this up and just tell us a little bit about what you like, how you came, how this came about for you, like, what you got going on here.
Speaker 2:Well, it depends on the long version of the short version. The short version is I've always loved everything about the fashion industry. I was a tall, lanky kid.
Speaker 1:I was like oh modeling that'll be good.
Speaker 2:So I'm like maybe 26 max and but I've always loved clothing and apparel and it's just always been super fun for me because I feel like it's costuming, it's who do I want to be, what do I want to look like? And you know, I've always kind of recognized. My mother told me early on and this was kind of the mantra I grew up with was dress how you want to feel. If you're having a bad day, do not roll out in sweatpants. And you know, you know, put on a skirt, put on some lipstick, something is much better all day for someone to say, oh, you look so cute or oh, I love that shade of lipstick, then say are you okay? Do you feel well Like, are you ill, like it's, and that really stuck with me, just seeing it as a tool, seeing it as the cause and effect and different things like that. But I always loved the apparel industry and just how things are designed and the way fabric stripes and different things like that. And so I did a study fashion design in college. That was the direction I took and really enjoyed it.
Speaker 2:Really enjoyed my senior I guess my senior year at UNT. I went to school in California and at UNT they had these series of different. It was like a scholarship competition, and then we also had our end of year, you know, the class thing, and I got awards in both of those and everything. And that was really the first time that I was like, oh you know, because again my classmates were full of everybody wants to be a fashion designer. All of these people did. So that was the first time that I felt encouraged, like maybe I'm going in the right direction, maybe other people like what I'm doing too.
Speaker 2:So that was very not to get into too many of the details, but for that and then it's. You know, it's been a wild ride. My dad was an entrepreneur and so I think, even though you know I saw kind of some of the struggles of that, it didn't seem like a specific deterrent, I think you know wasn't? I didn't grow up with parents that were the nine to five this is what you do, I, you know it was always seemed a little bit outside the box for that. So I do feel like that helped me pursue what I wanted to do and not all the people that told me I should be an engineer. You know, it was like that sounds really boring and things like that, so it's so it's been really a great. That's kind of how I got started, you know, on top of not being able to find clothes that fit me as a as a high schooler and stuff, and like maybe I need to learn how to make pants, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. Well, and you said a couple things that I think are really interesting, because my background I was in Mary Kay. I was in leadership for a very, very long time, so I was with that organization for like 22 plus years and one of the things you know, we always talked about was image, like how you show up and present yourself and so much into even like how you answer the phone, like if you're feeling bad, you don't want to be answering the phone, and so I think there's so much truth in that. You know what you said very early on, early on, about what your mom said about you know don't dress. You know like how you're feeling, right, because if you're feeling, you know, in a bad space and you come out dressing in a bad space, you're going to feel that way all day long, right? So there's so much behind the power of that, and so you know, I think that's so true, and and I remember working with my team all the time, you know, and telling them that you get up and you get dressed. Even if you're working from your office, you get up, you put your clothes on, because if you're sitting in your shorts or in your pajamas and you're trying to carry business. You're just not going to be in the right space to do that. So I think that that's an awesome thing that your mom talked to you about.
Speaker 1:I love the hearing that. I think that is so awesome and and I think too, you know, with you saying you know kind of stepping out of the box with your parents being entrepreneurs because I also grew up with entrepreneur parents and I think we just sort of kind of think differently sometimes, we see things differently. And you know, and as a young child, I always talk about, like you know, I wasn't doing fashion, I did like playing with my fashion plates, but you know, that was probably the limits of that with my Barbies. But I had kind of that entrepreneurial spirit as a child too and was, you know, thinking as a very young child, me, I was mowing yards and like thinking of ways to make money and how I was going to create manifest things. So I think that's awesome that you've been able to carry, you know, that, all of that that you've learned over to what you're doing today.
Speaker 2:Thank you, yeah, and I love it.
Speaker 2:I think right now we're in a really interesting space society-wise, you know kind of post-COVID, all these things that I find.
Speaker 2:I mean I've talked about authenticity in how you present yourself a lot, especially with women, business owners, different things, and kind of the power and the tools of that. But even more recently I heard somebody talking about how, basically, they were addressing that whole fake it till you make it concept and what they were talking about, which I really thought was an interesting way to put it. They said build the person you want to be. You know, build that like think about where you want to go and what you want to do, and then it's like well, what are the building blocks to get there? How do you develop yourself into that person that would be in that role, that would get that job, that would be, you know what I mean. So where it's like there's a lot of pressure to where you don't have to be, you know, the CEO of a multi-billion dollar firm, right now, you know whatever your, whatever your goals are, but start looking at what that takes and how do I turn myself into that person, how do I develop myself into that person?
Speaker 2:And you know, I told you I mentioned a lot about wardrobe being like a tool, especially for entrepreneurs, women, business owners, anybody.
Speaker 2:It's a really great communication tool to show your authenticity. So where, when everything you're saying as this is what I can provide as a business, this is what I can do for you, this is who I am and what I do and what I stand for, if everything that they're seeing is congruent and in line with what you're saying, then it makes sense, you know, then it's like well, yes, of course you can do that for me, of course I will trust you with this, whatever it is, because it may. Their subconscious isn't fighting it, you know, as opposed to when they said all the right things, they did all the right stuff. But I don't know, I think I'm going to go with this guy over here. Just something I don't know, you know, and that's when people talk about, like vibes and energy and all the things that congruency is. Really your subconscious mind cannot not be evaluating the person they're talking to, and so that's again just another example of how powerful a tool it can be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is so true and you're right because you know it's, it's. I had somebody come up and tell me one day on my show that are actually. I saw this person at a networking event and he said it was funny. So one of the things I like about you is that you're the same on your show. Off the show I'm pretty congruent all the way across. Like it's like what you see is what you get with me.
Speaker 1:I'm pretty raw and honest about things, but I think you're you're right about the clothing, because I just had this conversation with somebody the other day. I was talking about how you know, sometimes like I'll wear a dress with my converse and I always have to be a little bit, a little nonconforming. You know what I mean about the things and the approaches that I do, and I think and that is in my personality too is that I'm a little bit nonconforming. And so I think it's so true what you say, that all the pieces really have to line up, because if you're saying one thing but you're projecting a different image and showing up differently, it confuses people and they don't really know what to do with that. So I agree with you on that completely.
Speaker 2:So absolutely, and it's as simple as when you think about I mean different professions, different people, but especially when you are the more independent or free thinking or you know, like an entrepreneur, your whole what you're doing is you're telling people why am I different from these things that are available in large scale with large companies, like what makes me different? And I know, even as a young designer, and different things. When I would get dressed, I would always want, like I wanted something to seem creative or interesting. You know, not pink hair and spike boots, like not all the way to any specific genre, like I'm joining some sort of group or click, but just a little thing about me, to where, when people had not yet talked to me, heard me anything, something was saying, oh, that person looks interesting or creative, but in a positive way and still a business appropriate way.
Speaker 2:And I love what you said about the converse of the little things. If you have a podcast and you're like let's talk about the people that really go for it and are really out there, but I look exactly like everybody else and I really want to fit in with my wardrobe and be very like not standing out, like wanting to blend in. Well, what does that say? Like you said, that's not Karen Gruen. It's like, yeah, she looks like every other person I have met. She has a podcast about being different. I don't know you know it's.
Speaker 1:Does that make you know so?
Speaker 2:I love that you see, that that you're mindful of. You know this is me and this is how your personality comes across, and that's exactly the point is that I feel like people can use that tool as if you're building a personal brand, an actual brand. You know, whatever your business, your personal things, but even just you know the layperson, anybody having little things that are uniquely you to where, when people see you, it's like oh, that's such a Jennifer look, that's oh, that's you know. To where you're not like oh, why are you wearing something different? You know you're dressed up in somebody else's outfit, like you're in somebody else's thing, so I think that's really interesting.
Speaker 1:Well, by the way, I do love your stuff and it's gorgeous. I've looked in some of it, so it's very I like it. I like it. I'm gonna say that I wanna come check it out when you have like, when you're either on the 25th or whatever. When you have your stuff, I wanna come see some of it. So I love it.
Speaker 1:But you're right, I do think we all have to have our own little thing that is our thing, our own little brand that makes us unique. Because, you're right, in a business where we're being dominated by people that are doing the same things as us, it's easy to get washed in, right? And you wanna be different, you wanna stand out and you want people to know you for who you are. And that's why I said you know in the beginning that everybody kept telling me about this Sarah Jones. Who's this Sarah Jones girl? I've gotta find her because I keep hearing her name. It keeps coming on my desk, you see, because you are making an impression on these people about your trailblazing. You're doing something different and that's what you wanna do. You wanna stand out. So congratulations. It's an awesome thing. I love it.
Speaker 1:I had a question, I was gonna ask you and then I just totally lost my mind Like what I do this sometimes we get onto these conversations in the podcast and that's why I love it is that we can do that. We don't have to have a professional script and record this scripted and everything. We can just be free-spirited on this show. So I love it. Okay, so you're an entrepreneur. I do have a question. Tell us what this experience is like For the woman. Say, she's coming to check out your clothing line, maybe for the first time, and I know you tailor this, you make it specific to fit them. So what's this experience like for them?
Speaker 2:Well, I love that you call it an experience, because that is exactly what we want it to be. We want it to be experiential, we want it to be fun. It's definitely part of our brand and we want people to feel special and that you know excited that they are getting custom items made specifically for them. So we make a collection. So the first step is usually, if they're in town, they would come in person and again we have samples and collections, different things they can look at as a starting point, and usually we will start kind of with style, what they have in mind. You know what kind of pieces they're looking for, you know, or are they looking for more business? Are they looking for evening, you know? And then we may have had that conversation before they come sometimes too, but basically start looking at styles. They start telling me kind of what they like, what they don't like, different things like that, and then, whether we start with that or not, at some point we will take their measurements and we'll create like a client profile for them to where I have all of their measurements that I would need to make pretty much anything, especially like sometimes I'll have clients that fly in from out of town because they really want, you know, to get started. But then once I have all those measurements, then they can like oh yeah, I want either this jacket in another color or I love that, just make it fit me. And we do everything from. They see the collection, I love that, make it fit my proportions. We want the short side to start here, the long side to end here, things like that. Or also I love that.
Speaker 2:What other sleeve options are there? Maybe it doesn't have a sleeve and they want one. Maybe like can you do it sleeveless? Can we have a ruch sleeve, long sleeve? Maybe they want the sleeve just to hit at a certain place. I've had a number of ladies pick up coats or jackets and say, like I've never had a jacket with the sleeve, the correct length. You know whether they had like longer arms and usual or shorter arms. You know all these things that can sometimes be cumbersome to have altered and so and that's really fun for me that it fits their body style. You know when we talk about how fitted, do you want this, do you want it? You know because different things, they might want it really fitted, they might want it more. You know body skimming or looser. You know all the different styles, so each piece will go over the details of. You know where you want the sleeves to hit, where you want the jacket. So that's the customization, personalization part of it. And then everything is cut and sewn here in Dallas. So I do all the patterns and cut the samples. Small production, you know anything, that is, these the custom pieces, and then all my sewn contractors are here in Dallas.
Speaker 2:So, depending on what it is and if the fabric's in stock or if we have to order, because sometimes you might say like, well, what colors does this come in? And we might have these five colors in stock, but it, you know, may be available in five more colors. So we can always order additional colors that we may not have if they're interested in that, and you know. And then, depending on what it is, most of the time we have kind of a three to four week turnaround. I had a client that flew in and ordered a rather large collect. I was like it'll be four to six weeks because, again, just the volume of pieces and things like that, and some and we are waiting on some fabrics are actually supposed to arrive today or tomorrow.
Speaker 2:That for that order so things like that. So it kind of depends, but overall we want it to be a really fun experience. I always have champagne on hand, you know, so I'm like water, coffee, champagne what do you want? But and that is a personal shopping appointment. We also have started doing these monthly shopping happy hours, which is a great, fun social way for people to come see what I do, what kind of styles, see other people engaging with the clothes too, and I always encourage people to invite friends, because it's a women have a lot of fun shopping with their friend.
Speaker 2:And especially people that know them well, because they'll be like, oh, oh, my gosh, that's so you like, you need that. Or or even people that are trying to push their wardrobe in a different direction, like I need more of this. Like, yes, let's start building this into my wardrobe in different looks. So it's really fun. So we call them champagne in the name of the month. So, like champagne, august is on the 30th this year we have one in September. In September we have an Australian stylist coming or doing kind of a thumbnail event.
Speaker 2:Sorry to get into events early, but a lot of really fun things. And just to say we don't have to wait till the end my website always at the very bottom when you go to the homepage. If you scroll down to the very bottom, it'll show all our upcoming events. So if you miss these they can always go just check and it's been really fun and really engaging and I've loved having the monthly events has been really great to be. It's a lot less pressure on me to pick the perfect day of the week, time of the month. You know which, who's out of town, what other events are going on. Oh, you can't come this month, no problem, we'll see you next month, or you know, whatever it makes it a lot more carefree, which again effortlessly put together.
Speaker 2:Shopping shouldn't be a chore. It should be fun getting your wardrobe together. And so that's that's we always. At every step of the way, we want it to feel very comfortable, low pressure and pampering and, like you said, an experience.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, it's good. I think that's right. I want to check one of those out. But you were so right. I think shopping should be good, it should be an experience, and I think too the idea that you're setting those dates, I think for a couple of reasons one because you get that consistency right, like you know, when this is not the event, you know one to expect it. But also you made a good point that I think just from being from like a selling and a booking perspective, that you can't please everybody, right. So it is much easier when you just set the date and say this is the date that I'm doing the event and you let people know so they can show up. They can't, they make the next one. So I think I would say, from the selling perspective, that's like Good.
Speaker 2:And the great thing too, they range. I mean, sometimes they kind of average about 35 people, but sometimes there's 25. We had one that we did a kind of co-launch party with something else in June and there were probably 55 people. So, depending on the vibe and how many people are there because it is come and go, so depending on that, sometimes people will oh my gosh, yes, they'll order while they're there. I'll take their measurements different things If it's bigger or if there's, you know, we always have a handful, you know few guys or husbands or whoever will show up, kind of thing.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it just depends, sometimes it's all women, sometimes they come. So again, there and there's, I've noticed there's a, there's a ratio that when it gets over it, then they're like, yeah, I'm going to come on Tuesday and do a shopping appointment and so. But that's the point is that you can come, you can be there, you can get all your stuff taken care of there, if you want, at the party or you see some stuff. Yes, I love these, I love what day works. Let's schedule something where you can come back and have my one-on-one attention, get fitted without anybody else. So I mean, we could always step away, of course, but it's been a nice little balance of trying to be accommodating to everybody but also, again, not make every single person have to. If it's your first time seeing it, you might want to like, well, let's check it out and see what this is before I make a special trip, you know, for an hour on a Tuesday kind of thing.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I think we're going to get started early on, because we talked about this you moving from the boutique to this sort of personalized service, and was there? I personally think the personalized service is awesome because, having come from the space where that's kind of what I did in the makeup industry, we had to get with people and it was. We always started out with the parties, obviously right, but then it became sort of this personalized. How do we make things right, you know, for the individual person? Was there just a, was it just a decision to say, hey, I wanted to move into this personalized service, or was there kind of something that led to that? Or, just like I said, personal decision?
Speaker 2:Well, I it's a combination of things. There were sort of two phases of how my business has transitioned. The first phase it's kind of interesting. When I the first phase I was doing the traditional business model going to trade shows, showing stores, samples. They'd place orders, we'd make the orders, ship them, you know, six months later, whatever you know the different things, and that was my traditional schedule. And when I had my son fun fact actually I didn't tell my sales rep that I had one main sales rep and another. But I didn't tell my sales rep when I was pregnant because I just got the feeling I just didn't think he would take me seriously as a businesswoman and I don't, and it was just like I just didn't want to tell. You know, I've even getting him as a sales rep and all these things. I just I had that feeling and so I hadn't mentioned it, hadn't told him. Well then I ended up needing to go to the Atlanta market where he was going to be when I was seven months pregnant. So it was a little bit obvious.
Speaker 1:Like. So he and he was kind of like you know the first thing you're talking about like an hour and 30 is like are you pregnant?
Speaker 2:I'm like, yes, I am so. And two months later he dropped my line and said that he figured I would probably want to, you know, take it easy and be with the baby, and I probably wouldn't want to work anymore. So here and I'm going like and did did somebody tell you that I was going to stop working when I had a child? Like I feel like that was should have been mine, and again. So both confirmed my like I didn't want people to sit for a long time. I didn't tell a lot of people because I just I felt like it would affect my business, I felt like I wouldn't be taking it seriously. And that turned out to be very true. And that didn't really. And it was very strange because I had the first like six, eight months totally planned out. Everything ran exactly as normal, all these things really really for the first year. And then the trade shows and different things. It was like was that show even that great last year? It's kind of been losing attendees, it's kind of you know. And so I was like I'll just take a year off, you know, it'll be fine. I had you know my different things.
Speaker 2:So shortly after that is when I decided to transition to direct to consumer. I had sort of built up a lot of clientele locally from sample sales, just different people, and even people that I knew somewhere that you know when they'd come in town would see it and then they'd shop remotely with me because they had experienced the line when it was ready to wear a collection. So that was sort of the first pivot was to direct to consumer. And then when my first child was you know, I kind of felt like, okay, we are in the groove, he's starting. You know, I don't remember exactly what grade he was starting at, kindergarten or something, I don't remember. But I was like, you know, maybe I should go walk the shows, because the New York show I had been doing, a number of the clients that bought for me at that show just maybe three different clients had mentioned like, why are you at this show? You should be at the DNA show instead of the Atelier show. Like I feel like that's more the store, like the kind of brands that you fit with. And so they'd ask. So I was like, well, let's go walk the shows. So I go walk the shows. And they were sad like nobody there, that all the exhibitors looked like stressed, and I'm like, okay, the only person making money here is the people renting the booth space, like the people getting the money for these vendors to be here.
Speaker 2:And I just happened to have lunch with a friend that was in town in New York and we were talking about it and he said he's like, okay, how much does it cost to you to do the show plus this, plus it's wholesale, so you're relying on volume, like all these things.
Speaker 2:And he's like, if you put like half of those marketing dollars into just retail, like direct to consumer, online, he's like you'd get your money back after you Like sold 20 shirts. You know, and I was like you're right, this is a lot of activity and a lot of expense and a lot of effort, you know, because again you're going on volume and things, and I was like, and it really has just a little bit of payoff for how much work and effort is into it. And so that was I was like and you know he's in marketing and everything and I was like you have a good point and so that's what kind of sealed the deal for shifting into direct to consumer. And so I was doing that and I was going well and then when COVID hit it was sort of like okay, how are people shopping now? What are people doing? What is?
Speaker 2:you know, and of course you know, initially they were like, okay, hunker down for six weeks, that's like sure, that's fine. You know, I'm an entrepreneur like that's no big deal, like no problem, we're going to be supportive, we're going to just hunker down for six weeks, you know. And then it was, as everybody knows, eight weeks, 12 weeks, you know. Then, by like August, I was like, okay, we're going to figure out what we're doing, because this is not going away anytime soon. And even if it does, what does retail look like? What does what does clothing look like? What does shopping look like? And so we spent some time.
Speaker 2:My husband is a very talented marketer and we, you know, had some conversations and he kind of he really asked me some good questions and said like you know what, what is it you love, what are your favorite parts about what you do and what are your least favorite parts? And and not only does he know me very well, but he sort of helped me see, he's like you know, kind of the social is some of your favorite parts. I had a handful of custom clients that just because I liked them and they asked I'd been basically doing usually simple things like just make it fit me If you're not enough to act size, making it fit them or their proportions. And simple styles. These were ready to wear, very simple styles, nothing complicated, but I was like they're my best clients and they love me because I make clothes that fit them and that they really enjoy in different things. And so it really for me as a business person was a let's look at who is really like yes, yes, yes, please make me clothes. Instead of hey, you, you over there, you should want to buy my clothes. Instead of chasing more of like turning around and like who's chasing me, who is really loves this. And so that's how we came up with the custom idea.
Speaker 2:It's like I get to spend more time with clients, like you know, and again, some of those first clients that just because they seemed nice and I liked them and it wasn't going to be hard for me what they were asking me to do, they've become lifelong dear friends, like and that's, and those relationships that get built are really fun for me. I enjoy that. I enjoy that personalized, and so that was sort of a reflection on, okay, covid, everybody's been away from people. They've been kind of forced to shop online for most things and basically that was the side I was like, okay, am I going to get my whole catalog and offerings just like completely online, easy. But really how I want to be differentiated is not that I won't ever sell things online or things like that, but it's like the differentiation that I felt like that was needed, as opposed to like, yes, everybody now has anything you could ever want online. Some of it's like of questionable quality, but and then that's too, it's like when it's a luxury collection, when the fabrics are so great and I'm so known for all of that part, it's like how do you get that to translate online?
Speaker 2:And really what it came down to was like people would buy my genre of clothing online if they have a trusted relationship already. You know, if they know me and trust me, then they know, oh yeah, that's going to be great. And not like, oh, I hope this is worth what I'm. You know it's, and so that was part of that. Going into custom was like how do we spend more time with clients, not less time? How do we really develop those relationships, have client profiles to where that? Yes, we can, you know, streamline some, but, you know, keep that relationship as the center part of how I can use what I love to do and what I'm good at, because it's easy for me to do it and share that with people that are like I don't even know where to start.
Speaker 1:So yeah, no, I love all this, sarah. I mean, you really touched on a lot of things you talked about. You know, really finding who your niche market is like, really working with those people, because you know it's it's harder to go out and find new clients and I think he just said that over and over and over just by what you just said it's harder to go find new clients than it is to take care of the ones we have. Right, and so often we get in this idea that we need to get the masses, like we need to keep a massing right. And you just kind of have proven the point that it's really about going back to the people that have been supporting you and have been the clients and how do we make their experience great and how do we keep those people continuing to buy over and over and over right? So, yeah, he said a lot of really good things there and you're so right about the COVID.
Speaker 1:I think we all had to sort of learn how to navigate just a little bit differently than we were doing beforehand and I think for a lot of entrepreneurs I mean I know for some it was a struggle and a lot of brick and mortar. You know, businesses had trouble, but I think for a lot of people it was a good thing, because it forced us to have to weather through that and to reinvent just a tad. You know the way we were doing things and for those people that were able to do that, make that you know reinvention they were. They're able to move forward and keep going. So I think you're a testament to that. So it's awesome. Thank you Good stuff.
Speaker 2:I heard some people you know just different articles, different things that I had read when they were talking about COVID and its effect on different industries, but of course I was paying attention particularly to the fashion industry, but it did this for a lot of industries. It basically it said it fast forwarded kind of adoption of ideas by like over I forgot if they said five or six years. It was a lot, I think, of everybody that had to learn Zoom. You know things that would have got there. Everybody had to learn Zoom. But one of the things that that was interesting is they started highlighting brands and it was very reassuring as we were looking at what's our new model going to look like and they started highlighting like, hey, this brand. You know what they decided to do. This is our collection, year after year. This is what we do. We might add some colors, we might do some things, you know not, which is a very big change from the, even when I, when I did ready to wear, it was okay I would do between six and eight groups a year, you know. So here's like three to four fall groups, sometimes five, so I guess up to 10, six to 10 groups, and then you know, you take, like you know, the first kind of the January deliveries, the February deliveries, the March deliveries, april delivery. You know you kind of had your two, like your fall, and that kind of fall, winter and then spring into the beginning of summer, so kind of up to 10 groups, because when you're shipping to stores you want new, they want newness, every month, something new, they need something new and and so the premise of the fashion industry for a long time has been okay here's this group that came out four months before it was weather appropriate. It was like January. Here's your summer stuff like August. Here's your park. Well, here's your super warm fleece. You know all these things. So, basically, so it's a rat race, it's a wheel that you just have to constantly be on this treadmill.
Speaker 2:And the thing that I loved and what we decided when we were doing the custom is like, ok, we're going to have a couple of collections and again, because you can change out the sleeves and the necklines and the hemlines and everything like that, but it's like let's have some fabrics that you could with, that I can, that I can get, and therefore you can get your round. You know, like our Luxe Ponte is one of them. It's a great basic fabric but it looks really nice, it wears nice, it's comfortable, it's flattering, like all of the things. And then you have different styles and everything and you know different colors as they come, you know, because even some of the colors like OK, they're not making that color anymore. So once we, once we finish what we have effect.
Speaker 2:But then I also do limited edition fabrics, like to begin with, like I can get 20 or 30 yards of this. So the first people that order stuff in it, you know the custom things, you know. So there's there's freshness and newness. And then, of course, I continue to make new samples and new styles that you can look at and order. But it was very validating and they kind of said that's the direction because that also eliminates waste.
Speaker 2:Both being the cut to order, custom eliminate some of the negative, the negatively impacting the environment things of the fashion industry in general. So there's so many business practices in this that by default, just because it's good business, also are great for the environment and reduce waste. And there's just less waste is the best way. You know, because it's the industry that it's known for so much like, ok, we made all these clothes. We sold half of them, the rest go to this discount store and then the rest go to the landfill and then the rest you know it's for that but making. And then also because I love fabric so much, when I have these limited edition fabrics it's like, ok, I don't want to cut them until it's like for somebody, or different things because they seem precious to me, that I love them and they're so interesting and unique.
Speaker 2:Versus. I have had times in the past with my ready to wear collection where I, you know, ok, I can get 20 yards, so I sewed up small, medium, large of this thing, and then here, lo and behold, here comes, ok, you only have a small left, why need a large? And really I'd love that fabric in that top. Yeah, I sewed it up into these garments for nobody and now there's no more. So so that's a joy for me. To be able to not waste the fabrics that I see as amazing and unique and special, but also to then have them available for the client that wants them is just a better. For me, it's a better cycle of responsibility Makes sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, I yeah makes sense. And I think the beauty of this you know, sarah, in listening to all of this for me, like I wanted to sum all this up, I think it's you know, you have really tapped into where your strengths are, and I think that's what's so important when we're doing these endeavors is finding out like, hey, where are we really good? And you're good at the relationship building and working with your clients and designing things and curating things for them, and so I think that that's important. You know, when we, when we get to that place as an entrepreneur, we can really tap into what are the things that we're not good at, maybe delegate those things, find the things where we're really good and like go super mega driving on those things.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean and so I love this. I love everything that you're doing and that you're getting to do it. I do ask you kind of a fun question, because this is sort of you know, I would say this is an entrepreneur podcast and it's all about like you know the what you do, what led you here, and and we know that entrepreneur, you know it's kind of it's a journey, it's an up and down roller coaster and then, hopefully, if you stay in long enough, the roller coaster keeps going upward Right. I would love to know, though, what you have learned about yourself through this journey as an entrepreneur.
Speaker 2:So many things I mean. Part of it is learning. Discipline is something that you have to learn as an entrepreneur, and prioritizing time management.
Speaker 2:You know, there's so many things that you can. What I've learned about myself, I think you know, just like you said, realizing my strengths, like knowing that I am a very social person and finding ways to make that a positive thing, you know, finding ways to bring that out. But also, I think, really just learning about myself that if it's something that is I'm not naturally predisposed to, that I can develop that practice If it, if it's going to help me get where I want to go, or so that was too vague.
Speaker 1:No, I like that actually because that's the that's the way that I do things. I had some I was talking to say about that the other day. I said my philosophy in business is do what you need to do to get where you need to do. If you need to learn something, figure it out. You don't have to be good at just figure it out and then, if you got the money and the resources, delegated to somebody else. But if you need to get it done, to get the job done, do what you got to do. So I like it, I love it. It's totally awesome. So what's coming up? I know we talked earlier a little bit about the events, that the social things that are coming, so tell us a little bit about, because I know you've got some things coming up and we want to get this out and make sure people know about it. Yes, from the perspective of the business.
Speaker 2:Friday, august 25th, I am participating in a girl cave special fashion event and empowerment panel. They're going to be we're going to do kind of a little fashion runway show experience. It's I say runway show ish. It's going to have models wearing clothes and working out. There are three different designers, like a handbag designer, myself for Sarah Jones collection, and then another like resort style designer. So it's going to be really fun. And then they're going to have an empowerment panel, which is going to be some really amazing women from the community talking about beauty and empowerment and different things. But they will tell you more about that. But it's going to be an Addison at Maguire's new location. They've reopened, so yay them, and it's going to be really fun. I think it's going to be really fun. Kind of girl experience is what they're going for, and all that information will be at the bottom of my website as well, so people can come. That is a ticketed event, but I also, as we mentioned, I do a monthly shopping happy hour. That's like bottomless champagne, you know. Plan your driving accordingly. On how you know, we've never had an issue. It's always been really fun.
Speaker 2:But and that's on the next one is Wednesday, august 30th, from five to eight PM and the address and the address everything again is at an RSVP is at the bottom of my website, which is Sarah Jones dot shop. S A R A H J O N E S dot shop, and yeah, so that, and that is where, if you can't make these events, I would love for anybody that is interested to it. And also on my webpage there is a place where you can. There's a link where you can schedule time with me and there's an option to pick the location. You can either come in person or we can start with a zoom, which sometimes you know. So it just depends on if you're local. If you're not local, but yeah, so, and I would love to chat with anybody that wants to know more about what I do or has some, some more driven needs that I can help them with. So, yeah, I'm trying to make it up to a one stop shop for everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and thank you for sharing your page because I was going to ask you that next. But I do also want to mention on the show, because we know I also know Krista Medlock who is doing the girl cave event, and for our listeners, because we have two shows going here. We have behind the dreamers and the starter girl show. Krista has been a guest on the starter girl show twice and we've talked about some of the things she's doing and so totally love what she's got going on over there and so for our audience, definitely get over to Sarah's page. You can check out what she's doing and if you want to get you know information on that the girl cave event that's coming up on the 25th you can find that there. We'll put some links in this too, sarah, for your website and then that, so that they can have access to that information as well. So this has been fun. I'm excited for you.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. No, I've had such a lovely time talking with you. Thank you for having me, yeah.
Speaker 1:You've had a lot of good things going on. I'm excited to. I want to go through your website a little more and kind of see what you got, and hopefully I'm hoping I can get over to the event on the 25th so that I can see what you guys are doing there. But I do definitely want to get to something that you have going on and I love all your stuff. So it's awesome stuff. Thank you so much. Awesome and, of course, to our audience. If you enjoy the show, please be sure to go check us out over there on Apple. Give us a rating over there. You can hit that subscribe button on the YouTube so we can keep sharing all these amazing stories. We love to share local stories in the area. That's so much fun. And, as I always say to you guys, in order to live the extraordinary, you must start, and every start begins with a decision. You guys, be safe, be kind to one another and we will see you next time.
