Tuesday, August 20, 2013

#txsc13 is about learning

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photo cred: totally stole it from paige
i'm still reaping the benefits of all that i learned from the ladies up on the txsc stage. not the least of which came by way of the sassy little ginger who's raising her hand in the picture above.
so let me just give you a few more brilliant takeaways....
jentine led our thrift store outing to savers and gave us tips on what to look for. now i am a seasoned thrifter, but i still got some great nuggets that i can then pass along to my customers that shop at amandromeda. about how to spot a quality piece and how to get people excited to buy vintage.
merl (waving in the pic) and janette spoke on purchasing with a purpose. that means not chasing after fast fashion trends at the big chain stores that specialize in cheap and unethical labor, but instead buying second hand and supporting small local businesses and independent designers. that got me thinking about the next phase of my growth as a business owner. i want to collaborate with more designers and introduce more created pieces into my shop. i have a friend here in town who i will partner with to sell some of her one-off pieces that she repurposes from vintage clothing. both of our visions are super similar and it all came together at just the right time. i'm more than a little bit excited about this new venture.
julie talked about work/life balance. some of it was so common sense that i was a bit embarrassed that i hadn't thought of it that way before. like making an editorial calendar to organize blog/social media posts, as well as work and life events. i'm lazy by nature so having everything laid out and scheduled helps keep me motivated. but also, it helps to see it all together so i don't overcommit to one thing. seriously, just that one realization has been so good for me.
and lastly, but not leastly, kendi presented about launching a start-up. i mean, i've had my shop for over 4 years so this thing is already started. but the idea that struck me the hardest was when kendi said that your enthusiasm is the best marketing for your business. that just sent a spark through me. i need to be more excited about this job that i do. when someone walks through my doors they need to know that i love my shop and the pieces that i source myself to fill these racks and shelves. when i tell people that i own a business, they need to hear and feel my excitement. that is the greatest advertisement i could have for my shop. yep, it was kind of a mind-blow moment.
so, all in all, it was a wonderful conference that i am still feeling inspired by. and i really can't wait until next year.

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