Meet Trishawna Quincy

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Trishawna Quincy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Trishawna, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I spent years in corporate fashion, with most days sitting alone behind a computer. For my personality, this was not a great fit, and I was not thriving. My unhappiness pushed me toward deep soul searching. I wondered if I would have to abandon my fashion career altogether to find fulfilling work.
Through prayer and personality assessments like StrengthsFinder and Myers-Briggs, I realized I was missing key ingredients that are essential to who I am: working with my hands to create and working with people. I began analyzing careers that would involve both elements, and teaching emerged at the forefront. When I moved to Nashville in 2015, I began telling people about my desire to teach. Through those conversations, I was hired by a nonprofit to start a program teaching industrial sewing for career development, which we named The Sewing Training Academy.
While running the Sewing Training Academy, I awakened each morning with purpose. I was helping others in tangible ways while working with my hands as I created curriculum and built the program from the ground up. This work was truly a calling, and I thought I would stay with the program forever. However, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial itch, and after nine years at the nonprofit, I felt ready to leave and pursue that dream.
My time with the Sewing Training Academy prepared me perfectly for entrepreneurship. I was a skilled sewist before running the program, but teaching career-bound students forced me to master my sewing knowledge inside and out so I could thoroughly explain every process.
The Tikivision Style Lab mission is “Inspiring Courageous Creativity.” I fulfill this through private and small group lessons, which currently form the business’s foundation. As an entrepreneur, I also dedicate more time to creative projects, exercising my design skills more than I could at the Academy. My goal is to spread the mission of courageous creativity far and wide through online teaching, foster a creative community through social media and in-person events, and develop a YouTube channel featuring local creatives and their work.
As I build this business, my core needs—working with people and working with my hands—must remain central to my daily work so I can continue to thrive as I carve out my unique niche in the fashion world.

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?

In June 2024, I launched Tikivision Style Lab. As an expert tailor and trained fashion designer with ten years of experience teaching sewing as a professional trade, I offer private sewing lessons to individuals and small groups. These lessons provide an opportunity for students at any level—beginner or advanced—to build their sewing skills through individualized projects based on their interests. Many people say that sewing is a lost art. It’s not—they just haven’t found me yet.

As a designer, I am constantly building costumes and fashion pieces that stretch my creativity and my construction skills. I create videos about these projects to inspire others to create courageously and also to show my students what is possible when they hone their skills. Besides being active on Instagram, in the near future I will be launching sewing instruction videos and and narrative-driven content exploring the stories behind each garment I create on my newly-founded YouTube channel. I love telling stories, and I want to incorporate that into the future of my business.

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?

I was lucky enough to begin developing these skills as a child, and with each stage of life, I continue to grow in them. The three qualities that have been most important to me in my journey are:
-Creativity
-Connecting with people
-Perseverance

Creativity is a characteristic that most people have as a child and often lose as they get older. With fashion design as miy major I spent my college years growing my right brain. However, as I started my corporate career and began adulting, creativity became less integral to my daily life. Fear crept in that I was no longer a creative genius, hee hee. A book that really helped me get out of my head and begin creating again was The Artist Way by Julia Cameron. In my daily creative work, I have to push past the fear of starting and get in to the “doing” of my creative practice, that’s when I really thrive. With each new project, there is always doubt, but if I keep going, I can find the creative magic that gives the project the spark it needs.

I also had a leg up with my people skills; I grew up with lots of siblings, and I spent my preschool years in the waiting room of a dental office. It sounds very strange, but my dad was the town dentist, and my mom was the receptionist. Instead of having a babysitter, I just played in the waiting area while they worked. I thrived in that environment of talking to strangers as they waited to have their check-ups and root canals. Although connecting with new people seemed almost innate for my personality, it has been important for me to keep learning and growing. I try to always remember that I have something to learn from everyone, and that keeps me refreshed and excited to engage with those around me.

Perseverance is a trait that runs through every area of life. I ran track and cross country in high school, and if anything can develop perseverance, it’s long-distance running! When I’m faced with a new challenge, especially something unfamiliar or one that will use muscles I haven’t exercised in awhile, I get scared that I am incapable. Many thoughts of not having what it takes go through my head. However, I remember from previous experience (like running 2.6 miles at full speed) that I can do hard things. I remind myself that even if I don’t have all the answers now, I can persevere and learn how to do anything. Most of the time, it takes pushing through the difficult parts to get to the fun and rewarding parts of work, and getting to the other side is worth it!

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

The most common reason I get overwhelmed is that I have too many undone tasks in front of me that need attention. Usually those to-dos are coming at me from every area of my life, both work and personal, which can send my brain spinning in every direction. This is the exact scenario that gets me wandering in circles around my studio and getting zero things of importance done.
When this spinning happens, I usually sit down with my journal and pray. I ask for guidance on what tasks are most important for today. When I take the time to slow down for a few minutes, a couple of urgent tasks will rise to the top of my brain, and I will put those on my list for the day. This helps me focus on the most-urgent tasks first, and I will feel a lot more peace.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tikivisionstylelab.com
• Instagram: @tikivisionstylelab
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Tikivisionstylelab

Image Credits

First Image with Bubbles: Photographer Ruth Chapa