Meet Christiane Sprowls

We recently connected with Christiane Sprowls and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Christiane, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I don’t think I will ever completely be “cured” of imposter syndrome. I will always be pursuing lofty goals that push me out of my comfort zone. I’m not an accountant, or a bookkeeper. I’m not a marketing genius, or a sales woman, but I have to “pose” as all of those things to get to where I want to be. I never thought that I would be a business owner. I never thought I had the personality that was assertive enough or had thick enough skin to make it, but here I am. In some ways I will always remember the little girl that sobbed if my siblings so much as told me they didn’t like the shade of pink I was wearing because it looked like Pepto-Bismol. I used to crumble with any sort of negativity or confrontation and now I have to confront employees that don’t like the way I manage, deal with clients that push back on pricing, and take no after no after no with sales calls.
I think the term “imposter” is so harsh. I am trying something new to see if it sticks. You truly do have to fake it until you make it. I didn’t always like coffee and I guess I could have been called a coffee loving imposter when I ordered a Mocha Frappuccino any time my sister went on a “coffee” run. I was trying something new and little by little I ordered things with more and more coffee and now I love it. I still don’t know the origin of a specific coffee bean and how that affects its flavor profile. I go into hardcore coffee roasters and have to ask what there most fru fru coffee drink is. Am I an Imposter? No! I’m a coffee drinker! I learned more and more everyday about what works and what doesn’t work for me.
I’ve been posing as a successful business owner for 3 years now and I guess I actually am a successful business owner.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I started Voile&Veil ( v – oil and V- ale) when I was 8 months pregnant with my first kid. I was not going to get maternity leave at the job I was working at the time so I essentially I would quit and reapply when I was ready to go back to work. I wanted to start my own business and knew I had a viable business plan so while I was out of my 9 – 5 I started putting Voile&Veil out there to see what traction I could get. By the end of 2022, I had a 6 month old a full 2023 calendar and no intention of going back to work for someone else. {To all the new moms that feel like they are barely surviving and couldn’t imagine starting a business while in the thick of postpartum, just know I did not do it all on my own. I had SO much help and really depended on other people to do the heavy lifting while I was recovering and figuring my stuff out. My husband actually set up the first Voile&Veil job. It took a lot of people and work. }
In 2023, we had the opportunity to expand the business that ,like my son, was just learning to walk to the DC area. Through the better half of 2024 I traveled back and forth from VA to SC to support both branches of the business. I remember looking at 2024 in January and thinking how am I ever going to make it through this year and here we are in December looking at 2025 thinking how are we going to make it through this year!
What helps me keep going is honestly my faith! I believe that the path laid out in front of me was not laid by my hard work or cunning advantage of opportunities. Each brick was laid down by God and I am just simply following a trusting. Even in the darkest years, He has never let me down.
Looking at the future, we hope to expand Voile&Veil to even more states across the US and keep following the path laid out for us wherever it leads!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Best Quality – Positivity – Not thinking about all that could go wrong, but focusing on what could go right and remembering that when you come to a hurdle you will find a solution and get through it! My son loves “Rubble and Crew” which is a cartoon of a bulldog family that owns a construction business and their tag line is, “There is always a construction solution”. My husband and I say that all the time! There is always a solution, even if the solution is taking the loss, getting up and trying again. Sometimes waiting for the storm to pass is the solution and you have to get up when the clouds roll away, repair the damage that you can and keep it moving. Always focusing on the positive aspects of the future!

Best Skill – Persistence – In some ways I feel like a robot. I send so many offers, or sales pitches knowing I am going to get rejected or ghosted and I send it anyway taking my feelings out of it. The best way to cultivate this skill is to seek out those really far fetching leads, taking your shot, knowing you are going to get rejected and the next day send another one. Someone somewhere says it takes 100 no’s to get 1 yes! So the idea is you are not seeking that one yes! You are seeking the no’s to get them out of the way to make it easier to find the yes. You are searching for the hay in the needle stack. Sticking your arm straight in and flailing around desperately searching for the hay wondering why the process is so painful is not the way to go. Instead take one expected small prick at a time and sooner or later the little piece of hay will appear. You will see what it looks like, how to find it easier next time, what you aren’t looking for, and build up a callous to rejection.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

As we grow the Voile&Veil brand to more states and cities across America, we are looking for hard working entrepreneurs to partner with us in creating a national brand.
Owning 2 branches of Voile&Veil has allowed me to pursue my dream of owning a business, with the flexibility to fill my calendar with what works for me and my family, all while getting to be a part of one of the biggest most dynamic industry, the wedding industry.
I love being creative, making something out of seemingly nothing, and supporting my family in the process.
We travel, we party, we meet the most incredible people, and are part of some of the most fabulous events. Its an absolute dream come true and we would love to make that dream and lifestyle possible for you!

You can email me, Christiane, at christiane@voileandveil.com if you are interested in running a beautiful business while creating beautiful events!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.voileandveil.com
• Instagram: @voileandveil
• Facebook: Voile&Veil
• Other: Tiktok
  @voileandveil

Image Credits

Megan Kay Photography

Costola Photography

Melissa Brewer Photo

Myckenzie Russell Photo