We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Heidi Ledger. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Heidi below.
Heidi, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I don’t think I have! I own and operate a retail store, but I was fired from the one and only retail job I ever had at Urban Outfitters. I have always been a very humble person, I think it’s because of values that my parents instilled in me. I think there is a lot of value in being humble, but I am working on having healthy pride in the things that I accomplish, and in celebrating myself and my achievements. That said, I still am very much in my “fake it til you make it” era. I don’t know that I will ever move beyond it, and that’s okay! I think our society and our culture tells us that we have to be experts to do something, but I don’t agree. Perfectionism is overrated, and besides, how do you become an expert at anything without a little f**k around and find out energy? I have built this business without a background in business or retail because I am humble, I ask questions and try my best to learn from mistakes, forgive myself and move on to try again. I reach out to friends that are so called “experts” in their fields to help me. And guess what, they all also have imposter syndrome. One of my bucket list goals for myself is to keep learning as long as I am alive. I believe that there is always an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve, and if that is called imposter syndrome then I welcome it with open arms.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I started Thread Spun, a sustainable lifestyle boutique located in Encinitas, in 2016. We have taken many iterations since then, but we recently completed an expansion and renovation of our brick and mortar shop that has doubled our footprint. We are in love! We sell ethically- and sustainably-produced apparel, home goods, jewelry, apothecary products and kids clothing and toys, with 1% of all sales to mutual aid funds and charitable efforts. We are also starting to offer workshops and community meals in our beautiful backdoor patio space. We hope you will attend one of our upcoming events, all will be listed on our website! We are so thrilled with our recent expansion because it allows us the opportunity to expand our product offering and elevate our customer experience. I think the most special thing about our shop is that there aren’t many retailers focusing on slow fashion and ethical-production in the San Diego area. We love having the opportunity to educate our customers and community about why better things cost more, and why they are worth the cost.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Willingness to learn and change and adapt. This harkens back to the “imposter syndrome” thing. I think that as we get older, we are resistant to change and growth in many ways (at least I know I have been at times!). I strive for personal, emotional and intellectual growth. I think that living in the era we are of increasing globalization, interdependence and also technological advances, we *must* keep learning and adapting to a changing world. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something, take it as an opportunity to research and gain some new insight. There is nothing wrong with not knowing. The only wrong choice you can make is not finding out for yourself. I went to school for nonprofit management and international development. I’m not doing that work now. I don’t think that in ten years I will still be doing retail. I want to keep changing, shifting and trying on new things. 2. A global mindset. I have had the opportunity to live and travel abroad, and to work with diverse people from around the world due to my previous career in refugee resettlement. My greatest strength, I think, is my ability to connect with all different kinds of people. I try, as best I can, to remain open-minded and empathize with people whose journeys are different from my own, to see the beauty and value in all human experiences. It is important to understand how different people and cultures operate – we are all so interconnected and thus, we depend upon one another. It is easy to lose sight of this in American culture, which is so individualistic, but I really do find great value in the collective. I am just a tiny little speck amongst billions of other specks floating through space and time. It’s not up to me to push my way of being or doing on anyone else. Be open! Seek out new friendships or interactions with people who are different from you and learn from them.
3. Do your best in whatever you do. I think a lot of ideas about “professionalism” are really antiquated. One that I agree with is doing your best at work. I have been unhappy in so many of the jobs I have held, but I was able to hold my head high and be proud of myself because I did my best, and I always learned something along the way. Interpersonal skills are important, and I have found that you always strengthen those skills in hard situations. Whenever I found it impossible to do my best in a job is when I knew it was time to move onto something else. I always vowed never to let a workplace or a boss make less of me. The only person that can do that is me, haha.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
Neglect us. Haha. I joke but kind of not? I am genuinely not trying to shade my parents, they were a product of their time and generational trauma. That said, I was very independent early on. I moved out of my house at 16, worked and supported myself, learned how to write checks and budget for groceries and gas. I learned how to live with roommates and avoid bad relationships, and so I had a bit of a head start on a lot of my peers. My parents gave my siblings and I the gift of independence, and I hope to give the same gift to my own children (in a different way). My parents also taught me how to be gracious with my resources – my time, my money, my gifts – and this was equally impactful. My worldview and desire to be of service to collective humanity is due in many ways to my parents. I think there are so many ways we can serve ourselves while also serving and avoiding harm to others.
Contact Info:
- Website: threadspun.co
- Instagram: @threadspun
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/thread-spun-encinitas-2
Image Credits
Jessica Ballerstein
