Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Corinne Bourget, production manager of Atelier HotelMotel, located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Unisex sneaker brand HOTELMOTEL explores the duality between exclusive luxury and inclusive humanness. We create in a space where craftsmanship meets innovation, rawness meets perfection, and seriousness meets playfulness. Our contradictory motto, PLEASE DISTURB, politely invites you to join us in our quest to disrupt the fashion industry in favor of a slower alternative. Each piece we make is handcrafted with TLC using our own hands. We source our raw materials with great care, finding the finest and most ethical leathers and components, predominantly in France and Italy. We design and make unisex leather sneakers, handbags, and wallets, each conceived for day-to-day wear, whether dressed up for the gala or dressed down for a stroll in the park. The best part is, over time, they will mold to your feet and to your body, becoming an extremely comfortable extension of you.

Tell us about yourself

Niki and I both went abroad to study shoemaking. There are no programs to learn how to make shoes in Canada. The knowledge has disappeared. Montreal used to be a big manufacturing city, but in the 125 factories, only five remain. We are both worried about the loss of this knowledge and also the loss of appreciation from the consumers of shoes. People don't know anymore how much labor goes into the making of a pair of shoes, even if it's been made abroad. This is our main motivation when we make a pair of sneakers: preserve the knowledge and reconnect our customer to his/her shoes. We also wanted to make shoes by hand using traditional techniques but doing it in a modern style. That's why we choose the sneaker and also why we decided never to use the colour brown.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I don't know if I have one biggest accomplishment; I see it as a series of little accomplishments. Last year was our 3rd year in business. We celebrated our centennial anniversary (a hundred pairs sold), which doesn't seem like a lot, but we made every pair by hand, and we were very proud. Since then, we have almost double that number. It's very rewarding to think about all these pairs of sneakers walking around and our customers being so proud and comfortable wearing them.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

A lot of people told me over the years that I'm so lucky to make my own schedules and my own decisions. But these things are a double edge sword. It means that Niki and I wear a lot of different hats: the makers, the designers, the saleswomen, the customer service, the accountant, the web designers, the social media specialist, etc... We end up working 6 to 7 days a week, and we don't have sick days. It's very tiring, but we decided to improve our self-care by renting a cabin once a year to relax and get a mani-pedi once in a while. Everybody needs to treat themselves right?

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Be authentic; if you only talk about your product, people won't get as excited as if you talk about your passion for what you do.
  2. Talk, talk, talk and reach out to the people in your industry, don't do this alone. Having a great circle of people who have experience and can be your mentor is key to success.
  3. Take care of yourself, don't overwork your mind and body even if it feels like there is just so much to do. If you stop and reload, you will be happier, have better energy, and will be more productive in the long run.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

One big question that we get all the time is: do we use vegan leather... There is no such thing as vegan leather. It's the marketing word for leather or plastic.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.atelierhotelmotel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atelierHOTELMOTEL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atelierhotelmotel/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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