I’m often asked this, and struggle to respond. I wish I had a simple answer. And I wish that answer was, GREAT!
As more of an artist than a business ma’am, how do I measure how it’s going? By emotion? Sales stats? The caliber of my product?
Emotion: I’m tired. In-my-bones tired. I just carried and delivered an elastic-waist baby. I’ve been working on my skirts since 2018, and only now have I reached the point where they can be manufactured at scale. I found myself in tears describing to a friend the excitement for past milestones—like moving into my retail space. I haven’t felt that in years. The thought of sewing or designing exhausts me. And that leads to confusion. Is there a way forward that allows me to rest, and brings excitement?
Sales Stats: Sales dropped pretty significantly when I shifted my business model from made-to-order to carrying stock, but have been steadily returning. Money is tied up in inventory, which makes planning for the future tricky. My steps have to be careful, to give my product the time it needs to find its people.
Caliber of Product: Better and better and better and better. Skirts are arriving near flawless, and I’m ecstatic to see product at the same quality as when I sewed it myself. New fabrics and skirt styles. And this fall, my split skirt will return—manufactured in India for the first time ever. Best of all, women of all types are finding skirts that work well for them.
So, how’s business going?
My art—both the skirts and the women who wear them—is thriving. There’s financial growth, though more time is needed. In prioritizing rest over new designs - I'm keeping costs down, while making space to recover. But I miss the excitement of new projects.
And that’s how it’s going.