The Myth That Could Ruin Your Fashion Business

Ruin Your Fashion Business

There’s something I’d like to debunk.

Most of us start out on our entrepreneurial paths because we love what we do and we want to spend every day doing it. We don’t want to work for other people, we want to work for ourselves.

We see starting our own businesses as the ultimate path to happiness; starting and finishing each day with a sense of accomplishment and excitement at having built something that makes a difference in the world, at taking the nontraditional path, at having the freedom to live and work as we please.

Here’s the thing about that…

Once you’ve started, you soon realize that it doesn’t quite work that way. And that piece of knowledge is very frustrating. But that’s not the myth I want to discuss.

Here’s the myth:

If I’m not happy and excited about my business everyday, maybe I’m not creating the right business.

This is something that I have been dealing with a lot lately, and I’m willing to bet many of you have, as well.  You expect that once you’ve started on your mission, even though the work load is heavy and the days are long, you’ll still love it no matter what because it’s  your  business.

Wrong.

I, and am sure some of you also, wake up some days dreading turning on my computer. The long list of things to do along with the general feeling of not knowing how to actually do them is not only debilitating, it’s terrifying.

But what you need to remember is that…

this is not an indication of whether or not you’re doing the right thing in life.

Sometimes you feel lost, confused, and anxious. I know I do. Some days you feel like you know exactly where you’re business is headed, other days you haven’t a clue.

The trick is not to allow these days to ruin your fashion business. Don’t look at these challenges as an indication that things aren’t right, look at them as an indication that they are. A cliche:

Nothing worth doing comes easy. 

But it’s true. Understand that, even though you’re “doing your own thing”, you will not love it every day. You will not feel excitement every day. You will not have the answers every day.

Just don’t that all those “will nots” stop you.  Because you will encounter them no matter what path you take in life. And, the things that happen on those “will not” days are some of the most valuable lessons you will learn.

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. Amanda

    Thank you for this. I needed it today! I know where I want to end up, but I’m having trouble getting off the bumpy road to get there. I need to tweak a new plan for my business and start pursuing the design end of things a little more. Thank you for the pep talk and some much needed inspiration.

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