We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hanna Fahmy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hanna, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I would say I get my resilience from the sheer number of obstacles I have had to overcome to be where I am now. From the moment I decided to leave my life in Egypt to come to America and create a better life for my family and I, I have been faced with adversity at every turn and corner. From having to learn a new language, to working as a military interpreter across the country, to moving 9 times in 13 years and having to join new communities and make new friends each time. The road to where I am now has not been easy but I am incredibly proud that I have never taken a step back in the face of each one of these challenges. I have been forced to learn to survive and eventually thrive under each circumstance. Each new situation felt like drowning but if you can hold your breath a little, you will eventually manage to tread water, and finally swim. That is the philosophy I have on life and it is one that has served me well thus far.
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 am a custom dress designer and alterations expert specializing in wedding and evening gowns. I have helped thousands of women take a dress that they loved in a picture or on the rack and make it fit them they way they always envisioned as a little girl.
I am beyond blessed that my business grew faster than my wildest dreams and to this day I am still taken back by it. Because of that, I never want to forget that my main goal when I started was to make my client as happy as possible and I believe that is what facilitated my rapid growth. When I make the customer feel taken care of across the board, they have always gone above and beyond to spread the word about my business. That has always been the focus of my business and when I am dedicated to meeting every deadline I give to myself, this ensures that every bride gets the dress she wants on the day she needs it, fitting her the way she always dreamed it would. When I see my brides try on the final version of their dress and see their face when they look in the mirror, I feel immense satisfaction and pride in my work.
I recently moved locations to 1860 Wilma Rudolph Boulevard, Clarksville, TN 37040 and I am very happy about expanding to having my own private shop now!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Obsession with excellence and detail
I believe the most important skill that has set me apart from my competitors and been the main driver of my success is my dedication to detail and delivering the best final product in every way. I leave no stitch unchecked and no cut not double measured even if it means I have to give more of my own time to ensure best results. This is a sacrifice not everyone is willing to make but it makes a big difference and clients certainly notice.
2. Organization and punctuality
This goes hand in hand with the previous point but the best fitting dress in the whole world is useless if it is not ready in time. I always make sure that any deadline or date that I give out is met 100% of the time, no exceptions, regardless of what I have to do at home to make sure it happens. My appointments are all planned out down to the minute and rarely do clients have to wait when they arrive. The final experience that the clients have is one of the most utmost professionalism and a service that they cannot wait to use again.
3. Customer Service
This seems like a no brainer but it is something I have noticed not everyone emphasizes. You can sometimes make a client happy but just listening to their complaint in it’s entirety. Sometimes there is not anything I can physically do about it but by letting them fully explain, they feel heard and what they said mattered. I greet every client with a smile because I know the service I provide is not just the sewing and trimming I do behind the scenes, but a pleasant atmosphere for the bride and her family during what is usually a stressful time.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
My number one obstacle that I am currently facing is that I have too much business for one human! I have an assistant who is amazing but I am looking for someone to work under me as another alterations expert and spread the workload. Due to the extremely high standards I hold myself and my brand to, most people I have interviewed do not have the level of skill I am comfortable attaching to my name.
I am in the process of now searching for an apprentice who will work under my direct supervision and training for sometime before becoming independent and in the process of interviewing candidates. This is not as common now a days which has made it harder but it is the only way to ensure that the quality my business has become associated with does not drop as I continue to expand.
Contact Info:
- Website: Getting a new website domain currently please check back in a few days
- Instagram: @designabh
- Facebook: ABH Designs-Alterations by Hanna
