We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rebecca Powell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rebecca below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Rebecca with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I got my work ethic from my parents. They are some of the most hard-working people I know. My dad served in the Navy for 25 years. And during his post-military career, he continues to amaze me with his continued dedication to his work. While my mom was a military wife, one of the toughest jobs out there (in my opinion), she served as a teacher. And my mom continues to give 1000% on any project she is working on. Both of them work so hard to provide the best life for themselves but also for anyone fortunate enough to know them.
While I was growing up, my parents instilled in me that if you want something, you need to work for it. Whether it was weeding the yard to be able to have friends over or saving up all my spare change for my first American Girl doll, I learned early on the value of hard work and being goal oriented.
That same work ethic is ingrained in me today. I am the one responsible for my business achievements. So, having big dreams and goals for Southern’spirations makes it easier to work hard and push myself further. But as I have gotten older and maybe a little wiser, I have realized my work ethic goes past monetary goals but also as a form of respect and responsibility for the job. I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a full-time creative, something my childhood self would have only dreamed about. I can’t take my business and art career for granted, so I will continue to work as hard as I can.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Rebecca, Southern’spirations is all about sparking creativity and spreading joy. Whether it’s through custom artwork, wedding designs, or the online store, my pieces and designs are crafted with that purpose in mind and the knowledge that our passions and talents come from God. As a current resident of the charming town of Hartsville, South Carolina, I get to soak up small-town life and everything it has to offer. While also running my business and working towards building our first home. Southern’spirations is a beautiful mix of design, marketing, and collaboration with local companies that allows me to produce high-quality products for clients and customers. South Carolina is full of southern and coastal design inspiration, and I love infusing my projects with little hints of each.
Although I had started Southern’spirations as a creative outlet while at High Point University back in 2015, after several years in the biotech and corporate marketing industries, I knew I wanted to pivot into creative entrepreneurship and pursue the role of business owner full-time. With my knowledge of marketing and my passion for design, I built a business that shares my love for signature design and the act of finding joy in the little things.
Now I get to do a happy dance every day as I draw on the southern inspirations around me to create products and designs that bring joy to my clients and fill their homes with that extra touch of whimsy.
Local to Hartsville? Booth #75 at Fleur De Lis is the perfect place to find custom Southern’spirations designs and original artwork.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Perseverance. Things will go wrong, sales will dip, and the odds may feel against you but you need to keep going. Continue to keep your head down and do the work that is required. 2. Build a village, having a support group around you near or far is vital. They are the ones that bring you dinner during a crazy late-night deadline and encourage you to keep going when things get tough.
3. Have faith. I could not have been a full-time artist and small business owner, through a pandemic no less, if I didn’t have faith that God has a plan for me and has given me my talents for a reason.
My biggest advice to someone that is just starting, is to start. And there is no harm in starting small you don’t need a fancy warehouse or millions of followers to be successful. It all starts with one step, so take it.
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?
I love collaborating! Working by yourself can be isolating and collaborating is such a great way to expand reach, learn new skills, and build a community! I am always looking and open to collaboration with other small business creators. If you would like a whimsy watercolor design for an upcoming collection I am your girl! I can be reached via rebeccapowell@southernspirations.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.southernspirations.com
- Instagram: @southernspirations
- Facebook: @southernspirations
- Youtube: Southernspirations
- Other: Tiktok: @southernspirations
