Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sydney Mintle, Founder of Gossip & Glamour, located in Seattle, WA, USA.

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

I run a fashion PR agency in Seattle called Gossip & Glamour. We work on marketing, PR, and business strategy with beauty, fashion, and lifestyle clients.

Tell us about yourself

When I was sixteen, I started working in retail and fell in love with the fashion industry. After studying fashion merchandising in college, I moved over to the corporate office side of things and started my career in apparel production. Like most people, I had no idea where my clothes came from. That experience helped supplement my education and gave me a better understanding of the importance of corporate social responsibility.

After working in sourcing and production for six years, traveling the world to visit factories, and building up my network in the city by helping to produce local fashion shows, I launched my own marketing and PR agency to leverage my experience and help support local fashion brands and boutiques. This year my company is celebrating 12 years in business, and we have helped support hundreds of brands.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is having the opportunity to mentor and support the next generation of fashion industry professionals. Over the years, I've had the chance to work with students from around the country as they navigate their career paths, and it's incredibly rewarding to be able to help set them up for long-term success.

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

When you're in it for the long run, you have to remember that business will always ebb and flow. Not every season is going to be jam-packed with clients and projects, so it's important to embrace the downtime, keep doing the work, and trust the process as you build your brand.

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

  1. Community is key. When starting out and growing your business, it's important to surround yourself with others who are on the same path. They can help guide you, offer advice, and hold you accountable. Being a business owner is incredibly rewarding but can also be extremely isolating. Surround yourself with people who will lift you up and cheer you on.
  2. Trust your gut. I wish I had taken that advice more seriously when I started out. There were times when I saw red flags from clients, but I ignored them because I was so eager just to have the opportunity. Those situations always ended in disaster, and I now realize that I could have avoided the drama if I had only trusted my gut.
  3. Have a clear definition of what success looks like for you, and stop comparing yourself to strangers on the internet. The journey to building a business takes many different paths, and every experience is valuable if you allow yourself the time and space to reflect. The key is making adjustments as you go along in order to move closer to where you want to be.

    Success might look like a certain amount of monthly income, a flexible work schedule, a specific client roster, or something else entirely. It's a personal journey, and the metrics of success can only be defined by you. I get to wake up every day and do something that I love. That's what success looks like for me.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

The best advice I’ve ever received is that when you’re in a situation where there’s a breakdown of communication, YOU be the good communicator. I realize that’s not easy advice for people to hear, but it’s important because clear communication is the key to everything.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.gossip-glamour.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GossipGlamour/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gossip_glamour/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gossipglamour/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneymintle/

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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