Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Neha Samdaria. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Neha, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
Honestly, inspiration is overrated. The reality of running a business, even a creative one like mine, is that you will often feel blocked. What matters is that you show up regardless, every day, and try. Cultivating a daily practice for my craft, regardless of my mood or how blocked I feel, is what ultimately unlocks moments of clarity and flow. There are small tricks I use to “wake up” my brain – going for a brisk walk, making a pot of coffee, catching up with a friend – but at the end of the day, it’s the daily ritual of work that counts the most.
Oftentimes, the first step is the hardest, i.e. how do you “get going” even when you’re not in the mood? I often refer back to a phrase I learned in business school – “Don’t let perfect get in the way of ‘good enough.’” For example, if I need to write but am feeling blocked, I begin with a stream of consciousness approach, writing down whatever comes into my brain, no matter how unrefined it sounds. Once the word vomit is out, then I go back in with my editor’s cap and tweak it. Allowing myself to be free and imperfect at the start helps me get moving. Then I can go in with a less creative, analytical lens, and improve upon my first draft. And, after a predetermined amount of time, I commit to submitting; either to a colleague for feedback, or to be published. Ultimately, these incremental outputs add up and are more valuable than the handful of moments where I am fully in the zone and can quickly churn out the perfect product.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m the CEO & Creative Head of Aam, a fashion label that designs clothes for women with full hips and thighs. Aam was founded based on my own experiences as a pear-shaped woman who has struggled her entire life to find clothes that fit. It started as a passion project but grew into something much bigger when I learned that 1 in 4 American women have this body type and share my experiences.
Aam makes women’s pants, skirts and vests, we will soon be launching a line of dresses, and my next major project is swimwear! All of our pieces are shoppable online at aamthelabel.com and we’re also stocked at select boutiques around the country. We have plans to grow our physical presence in the U.S., so if you have a store you’d love to see us in, please let me know! We’ll also be exhibiting at PROJECT in Las Vegas from February 13-15, so if you’re planning to attend, definitely stop by Booth 80833. I love meeting other style enthusiasts and chatting about everything from industry trends to ethical production.
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?
The most important quality in a Founder is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Regardless of the industry, entrepreneurs wear a lot of different hats, and your unique skill set will make you more suited to certain parts of the business than others. Be honest with yourself so you can figure out what roles you should take on, hire for or contract out. For example, my strengths lie in brand strategy, analytics and product development. I don’t have a professional fashion design background, so I hired a rockstar designer who leads our technical work. We don’t have too many legal or accounting needs on a daily basis, so that is work I contract out.
The second most important part of being a Founder is having the right mindset. If you’re like me and your prior experience is in fast-paced, corporate environments, then you might struggle with the ebbs and flows of the entrepreneurial journey in the early days. Some days will be slow and tedious, while others will be overwhelming with work. Your wins will come in spurts, among weeks of slow or no progress. Shift your mindset – rather than evaluating your success on a daily or weekly basis, look at it on a monthly or quarterly basis. Recognize that you can only control your effort, not the outcome, so assess yourself on the energy you’re putting in, not on the end result.
Finally – ask a lot of questions. When I started working on Aam, I had almost no prior knowledge of the garment making process. I asked – literally – hundreds of questions to tailors, pattern masters, merchandisers and other fashion designers. I sat for days on the factory floor and observed how pieces were made, how different alterations affected the fit of a garment, and the nuts and bolts of the production process. My advice is – don’t outsource understanding your core business, especially if you’re trying to disrupt. Your expertise will help you innovate.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
We’re always on the hunt for folks with sales experience. A large part of my goal for 2024 is getting Aam into more physical retail stores, so that customers have the opportunity to try on our pieces. If you have experience selling to fashion retailers or are enthusiastic about what we’re building and want to be a part of our journey, please reach out at help@aamthelabel.com. I’d love to hear from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aamthelabel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aamthelabel/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aamthelabel/
Image Credits
Jen Siska Lauren Ramjan Hitesh Yadav Kala Minko Lakeia Perkins
