Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gheri Thomas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Gheri, 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 love this question, because the truth is… I haven’t! I live in a constantly shifting world that bounces back and forth between me acknowledging that I am an extremely talented, complex individual with an insane work ethic and wondering if I am truly doing enough, as the results of my labor never seem to satiate my desire of becoming the best version of myself. In all honesty, I have always been my worst critic. I am forever trying to outdo myself, but I must say, this incessant need has been an invaluable key to my ability to keep going, in spite of any negative inner thought. Then, of course, there are the naysayers to deal with outwardly. I have experienced many “NOs” when it has come to ID’vour, an e-commerce clothing store where customers can design their own garments, try them on virtually before buying, and have a guaranteed perfect fit because the sizing was based on shape and stature, not a number. It was a wild concept that was bound to result in failure by many industry standards. How would the logistics work? Who would take the time to learn a new way of measuring their own body? Does the technology even exist to do this? What manufacturer would agree to make one-off looks? Would the various tools of creation overwhelm the customers with no design experience? When I conceptualized it back in 2017, I had no way of financing it as a start up, so I began to simply sketch out as many different body types as I could fathom, and naming them, then shopping around the basic idea online to get feedback and interest. In 2020, I pitched the full business idea to multiple big names in the fashion industry, and was met with a lot of pushback. However, subsequently, in the following year of 2021, I began to see many companies (both start ups as well as established ones) begin to implement similar concepts. This was a form of validation to me, that not only is there an interest, but it is absolutely possible!!! I struggle daily with self-depreciating worries; it’s taking me so long to get the ball rolling and truly launch this business into action. It’s been years since I have made the idea public, and I am still figuring out how to go about raising funds to launch or which manufacturer would best be suited for the journey, or how to best market to my initial audience… never stopping to celebrate that I have options today where yesterday I was told there would never be an option! While I am still fighting the imposter syndrome, that I am not smart enough, rich enough, young enough or disciplined enough to really pull this off and make ID’vour become the premier clothing brand leading this renaissance of sorts in fashion technology… I overcome it by way of my excitement to simply see it through and find out for myself.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Something many may find unusual about me, is that I believe in Art in an almost religious way. While I may not pray to Art as a God, the act of creating is, in some ways, a ritual very similar to worship. Art and Design are present in all things that surround us. Somebody or something created everything you see. Someone had to think of it, plan it out, and actualize it. It was all experimental in it’s conceptualization and carried out for whatever reason, whether known or unknown to us… yet it is now here. There are many who feel they do not have the ability to create at all, like they have no imagination or inborn talents. While I don’t believe that is true, I have still made it my life’s goal to be a vessel for those of that mindset. That is why I have dedicated my life to artistic expression. I have spent my early life mastering the traditional skill of taking ideas in my head, using whatever mediums available and manifesting them onto a canvas or armature as a Multi-disciplinary artist. Likewise, I have spent the latter half of my life listening to other’s ideas and bringing them to life for them, especially as an independent contractor of Fashion Design, Graphic Design and Illustration. In the midst of it all, I have also immensely enjoyed teaching others how to do it themselves, working as an instructor for various schools teaching all ages to create whatever they want with whatever mediums they choose.
ID’vour, for me, is a compilation of all these passions into one. I have never taken my talents to such an extreme, as to conceive a clothing brand as disruptive as this… shaking up the sizing standards, existing in a world of fast fashion as a challenge to the now norm of cheap, quickly made clothing to slowly, well-thought out looks, creating a sustainable option for the conscious collective of shoppers while providing an avenue for emerging designers to skip the middle man in the production process of their collections. ID’vour offers the tools for anyone of any size to pick out a silhouette and tailor it to their liking, place graphic prints onto any part of it they wish while altering the repeat scale and/or colors of the print, and finally trying it on virtually with an avatar created in the likeness of either themselves or the one they are creating the look for by entering their measurements and body specs for generative results. This is something I have dreamed of since graduating from Savannah College of Art and Design with my Fashion Design degree, to be able to design what I want without having to pattern make or cut & sew it myself, or pay out thousands to a manufacturer to do it for me. I know countless people who have had to settle for less than aesthetically pleasing attire due to the fashion industry simply not making trending looks in certain sizes, alienating those who are plus sized, disfigured or those with body modifications. The truth of the matter is, these people exist and they want to look amazing too!!! They have lives; they have jobs; they have dates; they have high profile events to attend; they have people to impress and they deserve to look and feel their best as well.
If you are reading this, and you feel compelled to help see this start up through to launch or if you are a founder of a start up yourself and want to follow my founder journey and learn from me, I implore you to patronize my efforts at https://www.patreon.com/Idvour . There, I will be posting exclusive content of behind the scenes footage of me and my team working on the brand and all it’s developments. Members will get early access to any new tools to be rolled out onto the site. Discounts and VIP deals and cross-promotional highlights for supporters will also be available, as well as any updates on how else to support the brand as we have a crowd funding campaign in the works!
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. Networking: Know how to build, and more importantly, maintain the connection of an audience with intention and integrity. By that I mean, being able to spot those with a genuine interest in your product/service and not only gaining their information to eventually sell to them, but managing the specific reasons why they had interest in the first place to make sure you are not just pandering or annoying them with unnecessary info that does not pertain to them, as well as keeping in touch and treating them like people and not dollars. It is possible for two things to be true at once; while they, indeed, are imperative to you making money, being authentic holds more weight in the ability to retain and create return customers. If you know your brand inside and out, there is almost always a way to tie someone’s interests back to your brand. Spark a conversation, listen to them (eventually they will complain about something not existing in life that you have made a whole business surrounding), identify the problem to solve, tie it back to your brand’s mission without actually mentioning your brand, ask if they would like samples or to know more, then hit them with the “well did you know I make/do/sell that thing you have been wanting?” and give them something to try for free or get their information. Follow up with them in a timely manner, not just about the product or service, but about THEM and if they are well, then you may bering up with the product or service has contributed in a positive way to their lives, take notes on what they say, good or bad and always offer more solutions…. keep the cycle going. It’s the make up of great customer service and that trickles down in the business, becoming policy, as it scales.
2. Legalities: Get all your ducks in a row. Trademarking, patents, registrations, intellectual integrity…. protect yourself and your brand by any means available. It shouldn’t have to be said, but it is the main mistake many start ups make. If the worry is that one cannot initially afford the lawyers, there are multiple ways around that. Companies like Legal Shield, are monthly subscription based and can take care of things like your LLC, EIN, and various itemized to dos to get your business legitimized and protected at an affordable rate.
3. Don’t just act like a boss, BE THE BOSS: If you have ever worked a job where you knew your superior had absolutely no idea what you do or the importance of your job, you will know exactly what I mean. It is nearly impossible to gain the respect of your employees, if you don’t have a clue what the point of their position is or how to do it yourself to some extent. What you want is start your brand by doing as much of the work yourself as possible and even coming up with more efficient ways of getting it done, before handing the work off to hired help. Of course, the goal is to hire someone even better at it than you are, or to have them trained to a point that they surpass your skillset, but in general, the necessity for them to be able to express any concern going on in their department and you being able to grasp what is going on and how to create solutions for it that benefit the company overall will only come from you knowing what the job entails and how it will change and grow as technology grows. Plus, even if you aren’t the most personable boss with the best management skills, being able to get on the ground floor and work alongside your employees when things get rough, or you’re short staffed, does wonders to build the work morale of those who remain in the company.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I have a very simple solution to what to do when I feel overwhelmed; I take a break! Ha ha! We are human beings, not machines. Sure, the problems will still be there waiting for us when we get back, but if they were already out of our control when they arrived, then taking a step away to recenter and remind yourself of why you got started in the first place, or to enjoy the fruits of your previous labor, will not make any difference other than lowering your stress level… making it that much easier to deal with. I personally take the time to remind myself that I signed up for this experience and all that comes with it. Win or lose, seeing things through to the end will give a feeling to be proud of rather than not trying at all and living with the guilt of regret.
Contact Info:
- Website: idvourstore.onuniverse.com
- Instagram: @idvour.store
- Facebook: facebook.com/IDvour
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/id-vour/
- Twitter:twitter.com/idvour
- Youtube: @idvourstore7324
- Other: https://www.patreon.com/Idvour
Image Credits
All images created and edited by Gheri Thomas
