Let me just say I thoroughly enjoyed my convo with Ms. Natt Taylor. She is just awesome and knows her business! This creative and determined entrepreneur used her stint in Corporate America to her advantage. She paired her accounting skills, with her creations to co-workers that began spreading the word beyond her inner-circle to become Natt Taylor Collections, a sassy, sophisticated womenswear that celebrates the natural feminine form. Natt is a true inspiration and learned early on to take the road less traveled. The Journey: I began sewing in high school and continued throughout college creating pieces for friends. After graduation, I began working in corporate America where I was presented with a dress code akin to the traditional corporate look of dark and muted colors. My attempts to break up the corporate monotony with hot pink and vibrant blazers failed as I was told that my bright pieces and general use of color was against the company’s dress code. So, I began sewing for myself, replacing the lining of my blazers with bright colors. I even decorated my work space with vibrant colors and other creative artwork to keep me going throughout the day. My coworkers began to notice the pieces that I designed for myself and started placing orders at my cubicle. After saving my money and really working towards starting my own business, I ventured out on my own and after nearly nine years, I have not looked back since The Importance of a Support System: You have to believe in yourself because not everyone is going to understand your vision. Your vision is YOUR vision and you have to do all that you can to make it a viable career. You will always find some resistance, however, you cannot get caught up in that. Sometimes people just don’t fully get it because it’s not theirs to understand, but they will still support you and help you achieve your vision. My family is supportive and they are there for me; that support has helped me tremendously along the way. At the same time, I was able to show everyone that this was not, “just a sewing thing”. When doubt creeps in I… Pray. I encourage everyone stepping out and starting a new thing to pray. When you have a business and everyone sees that things are going well, they tend to not understand how much work goes in to making the business successful. It’s a whole lot of work. There will be lean times and you have fight through. Can’t forget mentors I have a few mentors. I encourage everyone to get a mentor. Most importantly, do not limit your mentors to your specific industry. Realize there are some people in your life that can only help you get so far. You will need to seek out someone who knows their stuff and really want to see you succeed. To the everyday woman I say… If you desire to go to the next level or start your own thing, surround yourself with people who can help you. If you are starting your own business, you have to learn business. It’s never too late to chase your dream, but be prepared. I had accounting experience and the business side was easy for me to grasp. Also, don’t regret the path you took to get to where you are today. You can always pull from what you have experienced. Moxie Moment:
Don’t you just love it! Sometimes we can be in an office environment and waste time trying to change the company. Maybe we should stop trying to change certain things and change the way we see ourselves and our thinking. Just a thought! Natt let me in on a little secret I am passing on to you, she is expanding her basics line to include pieces under $100.00, so let’s put our coinage aside for our Moxie wardrobe. Shop Natt Taylor at natttaylor.com. @NattTaylor Twitter Natt Taylor Studiotique Facebook Natt Taylor IG
1 Comment
|