Community and Ethics-based Clothing Brand

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in fashion but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jessica Sternberg, owner of Free Label, located in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

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

We are a community-based brand with a mission to make well-fitting and comfortable everyday clothing while mitigating the harm that the fashion industry causes. Everything we do is inspired by our community and their needs, from our ongoing size expansions to our Empowerful Incubator: a community collective for BIPOC entrepreneurs to collaborate, engage and grow.

Tell us about yourself

I started Free Label in 2015 when I was the buyer for a boutique in Toronto specializing in Canadian-made activewear. Finding comfortable and wearable Canadian-made clothing that fit my curvier shape was difficult. So difficult, in fact, that I decided to make my own clothing. Since then, Free Label has cultivated an amazing and diverse community of people who are looking for the same thing I was: clothing that makes them feel like themselves.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'm lucky that I've been able to accomplish many of the goals I've set out: expanding our size range to 5X-XS, creating a buy/sell/trade group for accessible slow fashion options, producing our own custom fabric, and investing in a network of local family-owned production facilities.

But my proudest achievement so far is the work I've done with Oge Ajibe - a local Black-owned clothing brand. The owner, Ogechukwu, won a mentorship and bursary opportunity with me in 2020, and since our partnership, her business has grown 10-fold. That collaboration leads to the creation of the Empowerful Incubator, which supports nearly 20 BIPOC entrepreneurs through quarterly free mentorship events, community connection, and most importantly, private funding from Free Label.

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

The mental load. When you own a business, you can never escape it. I remember when I quit my last job to do Free Label full time, my boss congratulated and warned me, "You'll never have a good night's sleep again." It was a bit dramatic, but parts of it are true: I wake up, shower, eat and go to bed thinking about my business. I'm still learning how to separate who I am from what I do because you truly need a free mind in order to harness creativity and joy in your work.

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

Start now. Don't want for it to be perfect - perfect doesn't exist, and your business will always evolve and improve as you go. There's never a good time, so just launch now and fix later.
Build a support system. Many industries are highly competitive and secretive, making collaboration and learning much more difficult. Instead of participating in gatekeeping, find other entrepreneurs you vibe with and create a community of support and sharing. It is SO important to have people around you who get it and can share in your successes and struggles.
Take feedback with grace. This one is tough. As an entrepreneur, getting negative feedback from customers or onlookers can be painful. While the first instinct is to be defensive, take a beat to calm down and see if there is anything you can take away from the feedback. Sometimes you can just let it go if there is nothing of value, but often there are little tidbits that can improve your business or perspective. Either way, it's important to remain humble and realize that even though your brand is your baby, you can always make it better over time.

Don't forget to support your local small business! :) It means SO much more to a small business team than a massive corporation to get your support and dollars. Make a budget for small business shopping and visit your favorite local spots - they rely on your patronage to stay in business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://freelabel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freelabelbst
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/free.label/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@free.label

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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