We were lucky to catch up with Hilary Edwards recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hilary, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I believe I get my resilience from a very unsuspecting source, my 3 children. I am a single mother and this business allows me to be present for them, take them to their appointments and activities. They are my reason why. All 3 of my children are heavily involved in sports and other activities, which their father and I encourage. They’re very passionate about their sports and other activities. Their passion is mine as well. I know that being successful in my business will enable me to better support my children as well as remain present for them. When you are a small business owner, resiliency is absolutely essential for success. You cannot give up, you have to continuously reinvent yourself and try new things. And I cannot give up because I have 3 amazing kids watching me and cheering me on.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I make custom handmade women’s clothing styled to your measurements and preferences. My customers send me their measurements and I adjust accordingly for your height, bust, length of sleeves or whatever specifics they may want/need. My ultimate goal is to make women feel comfortable and confident while wearing my clothing. I source my fabrics and other sewing supplies from other small businesses. My customers can then choose from a variety of fabrics and take a look at my previous projects and decide on a style. Often times my customers will send me an inspiration photo to recreate for them, which is always fun. I also make one of a kind ready to ship items for special events in various sizes. When you see those items you have to grab them while you can because I may not be able to recreate them. I have also sewn clothing for several fashion week runway shows and created stage wear for musicians. I hope to do more specifically custom work in the future.
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?
I would say the ability to work with customers, provide them with top notch customer service as well as develop relationships with your customers. This may seem like a no brainer but to me it is number one. This is definitely a skill I developed in my younger years as I previously worked in retail for nearly 15 years. Another area of knowledge that I developed through retail as well as while majoring in fashion merchandising, is a basic understanding of garment construction and textiles. I absolutely believe that this has given me a leg up in my career. I am a self taught sewist so therefore upon learning to sew I did have some experience with these things. And lastly I would say resiliency is key in owning your own business. You can’t give up. Be aware that you may be posting to crickets on social media for months but people are still watching. Just because this didn’t work for you this month does not mean that it won’t 6 months from now. Do not be discouraged and do not be afraid to toot your own horn, so to speak, and sell not only your product but yourself. Your business is an extension of you. Stay focused on why you began in the first place.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The book that has been most impactful in my life has been The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. It is very hard to not take things personally when you’re a small business owner. You may feel defeated, a blow to your self confidence if things don’t work out the way you may have planned. However, you have to remember, those things have nothing to do with your worth as a person. Always do your best, which may look different each day. I will not giveaway the whole book because I think everyone should read it. The lessons have been invaluable to my life. And I actually have one more book that has been essential for me as a small business owner. You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero. This book has helped me to change my mindset about money and helped me to change my limiting beliefs surrounding money. Money is such a taboo word in our society and it should not be.
Contact Info:
- Website: rubyjeanbysjh.com
- Instagram: rubyjean_bysjh
- Facebook: Facebook.com/rubyjeanbysjh
- Other: TicTok.com@ruby_jean_bysjh
Image Credits
Victoria Henley Erin Strasburg
