We were lucky to catch up with Alison Guzman recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alison, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
12 years ago, I graduated with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. After graduating, I worked for a company with questionable ethics where I traveled a lot and barely felt like myself. I went on to work for a company I loved and built a deep emotional attachment to, I made some of my best friends there, and I was willing to work all day and night because I cared so much about the mission and the program I was running. But a few years later I was fired over a disagreement with the CEO and I was devastated. After only a couple weeks of unemployment, I went to work for a company that expected me to work 24/7 with little to no appreciation or plan to ease my workload. I burned out in less than a year, not even wanting to get out of bed.
I realized that from the moment I began graduate school to the moment I burned out, my physical and mental health were suffering. I attached my self-worth and passion for making a difference to companies instead of to my own dreams and purpose.
So about 5 years ago, I made the decision not to let my corporate job take over my life. As soon as I went to work for another company, I set hard boundaries for myself. As much as possible, I would not emotionally attach myself to the work or other people’s agendas. I would still do my job well, but I wouldn’t bring it home with me, mentally or physically. And I wouldn’t take any extra initiative to go above and beyond normal expectations.
This approach freed up SO much mental space for me. I started to volunteer, write, and make things again (things I did regularly before graduate school). I bought a home, had fun with interior design, and adopted a dog—going home every day at lunch to walk her. I had a full life outside of my 9 to 5 job.
With more time to be creative, Alison Rose Vintage was born on October 21, 2017—just a year after I set those boundaries. After I opened my shop, people would ask me if I planned to work on this business full-time. I would always say no because that wasn’t my intention starting out and I could have never afforded to live outside of Boston without my corporate salary.
I might have happily carried on with my corporate job and side hustle until retirement, but then in May 2020, my sister died unexpectedly at age 40. Even though we hadn’t lived near each other in years, I felt an immense sense of loneliness and need for even more purpose in my life (the pandemic didn’t help). I had heard “Life is short” many times, but it really hit me. I started to question everything—why was I living so far away from family? Why wasn’t I giving my business—a business that fills my heart every single day—my full attention?
My mental health started to suffer again, I wasn’t getting empathy or support from my company, and I dreaded eventually going back into an office.
I wondered what my sister would do in my situation. We were always opposite; she was unafraid of taking risks and worked full-time on her passion for music and DJ-ing while she let corporate jobs be her side hustles. I can almost hear her laughing at my dilemma saying, “WHO CARES, just quit your job and figure it out.”
So I channeled my sister’s courage and traded my exorbitant Massachusetts rent for a house I bought with my parents in Tennessee. I became part of the “great resignation” and quit my corporate job in 2021 to focus solely on this small business. Scary, I know… but we all deserve to do what is best for our mental and physical health, dedicating time to what makes us excited to wake up every morning.
I definitely don’t have it all figured out, but I just remind myself that I can always change my mind or direction again if necessary. Overall, I can say that I don’t miss my corporate job at all. Working for myself is liberating in so many ways and having a creative outlet and direct connection to my customers has signficantly improved my mental health.
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?
Alison Rose Vintage is a shop filled with thoughtful, vintage-style word art and antique books. I write, design, and print word definitions, quotes, poems, wedding vows, and more on handmade paper and cards. I also curate and sell beautiful vintage and antique books.
Alison Rose Vintage is my heart and soul. I’ve experienced a lot of joy and pain just in the 5.5 years I’ve been in business, and I think that comes through in the products I create and the words I write. Words have the ability to build us up or tear us down, and I want to be a part of uplifting others. I want my customers and followers to feel comforted and inspired by my humanity and giving spirit, and to spread love and light to their own loved ones.
I’m so proud of everyone I partner and collaborate with. From the talented artist, Trisha Shaw, who paints all of the illustrations for my products, to Kelsey Pike from Sustainable Paper+Craft who individually makes each sheet of beautiful paper I use for my prints, to the amazing Knoxville poet R. Clift who worked with me to launch a collection of poem prints and cards. They inspire me daily and have made such a wonderful impact on my business growth.
I just recently joined Faire.com, a website for small businesses like mine to sell wholesale to retail shops. I am so grateful to every retail shop that carries my products and shares them on social media.
You can follow along with me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok at @alisonrosevintage. Or shop on my website alisonrosevintage.com, Etsy shop, or wholesale via faire.com/direct/
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Be open to learning. I have my master’s degree in business, but I don’t think any higher education is necessary to start your own business. I really didn’t know how to do anything when I first started and still say that I’m just over here winging it, but it helps that I’m willing to learn as I go and figure things out.
2. Be adaptable. It’s been really important to be adaptable and not laser-focused on my original plan because I don’t think anything is what I thought it would be. When I first started this business over 5 years ago, my goal was just to give myself a creative outlet outside of my corporate job. I would sell prints and cards on Etsy and at local craft fairs so I could help people connect with their loved ones and then I would donate my proceeds to non-profits. Maybe someday I would have my own brick and mortar shop, but I had no intention of taking Alison Rose Vintage full-time.
Well, pretty much all of those things changed.
• I sell wholesale to over 45 retail shops (wholesale didn’t even cross my mind when I started).
• Custom wedding vows, song lyrics, and love letters are some of my best-selling items (these were customer ideas).
• I rarely do craft shows anymore.
• I quit my corporate job and work at Alison Rose Vintage full-time now.
• I have my own e-commerce website in addition to Etsy.
• Philanthropy is still a core part of me and my business, but my proceeds are my salary now.
• I’ve expanded to sell antique books, some vintage goods, and t-shirts too.
• And for the foreseeable future, I’d rather be working at home or a coffee shop and still able to travel and do what I want to do without being at a brick and mortar shop every day.
3. Listen to your customers. As mentioned above, customer ideas have turned into some of my best-selling items.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Being responsible for every aspect of a small business is too much for one person. I am the CEO, CMO, CFO, COO, CTO, photographer, copywriter, and customer service representative. I try not to put too much pressure on myself to be good at everything. I’m learning as I go and spend time on things I enjoy most (like creating products, fulfilling customer orders, and writing blog posts).
I continue to evolve, try new things, and rely on instinct to make decisions. If I do something and it doesn’t produce the results I thought it would, I either change it up, de-prioritize it, or I don’t do it again.
With any challenge or frustration, I try to center myself on the rewards of owning my own business: I get to work for myself, have a direct connection to my work and my customers, get to be part of a wildly talented artisan community, and I feel loved and inspired every single day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alisonrosevintage.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonrosevintage
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonrosevintage
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonguzman/
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/alisonrosevintage
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alisonrosevintage
Image Credits
Alison Rose from Alison Rose Vintage, Alyssa Thiel from PCB Home, and Autumn Hassett from On Pointe Digital