Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in fashion and accessories but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nancy Dilts, Owner of Nancy Dilts Wardrobe Consulting, located in St. Paul, MN, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
At Nancy Dilts Wardrobe Consulting, I bring together my passions – personal style, positive body image, and the environment – to help my clients feel great about how they look, using an economically and environmentally sustainable approach. I focus on helping people of all genders make their wardrobes both functional and fun to express their authentic selves.
My tagline is Style for Everyday: new to you – true to you. The "true to you" part is that style is personal and reflects who you are. It is not about hiding “flaws” or conforming to a certain standard. It is about embracing who you are right now, feeling good about yourself, and being excited about how you look.
I specialize in practicing sustainable consumerism by making your existing wardrobe as functional as possible and with “new-to-you” personal shopping at consignment stores. New to-you clothing is environmentally sustainable because it keeps quality garments out of the waste stream and reduces demand for the manufacture of new clothing, which has significant environmental and human rights impacts.
Tell us about yourself
I chose this work because I wanted to shift my career to be more relational – I wanted to work closely with people to make positive, tangible changes. My work allows me to do this in the best of ways – I help people to feel great about how they look, and I model a more sustainable approach for your wardrobe. I love it!
I started my own business to seek the kind of work I wanted and to determine for myself my work and personal life balance. Of course, that has pros and cons – it's entirely up to me to make things happen or not. What motivates me every day is seeing the impact I have on my clients' lives. To see a woman who has been frustrated with her body look in a mirror and actually gasp with delight at what she sees is my "why." We all deserve to feel that way about ourselves.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
To have weathered the pandemic and come out stronger from it. I used the lockdown time to pivot my mindset around my business to re-center my values and trust my intuition with the choices I make.
It changed the way I approach everything in my business, which has been a game changer and has helped my business flourish well beyond pre-pandemic times.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It really does take time to grow a business – 3-5 years. Plan for it. Expect it. Don't let it get you down.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Keep your values and your why at the center of everything you do. It's ok to say no to something if it doesn't meet them, even if it means forgoing income.
- You will never feel like you have it all figured out, and that's ok - it's essential to know your strengths and to ask for help with your areas of growth.
- Trust your intuition - you know best what is right for you.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Collaboration instead of competition is the way to lift everyone up. There's room for everyone in every field. Women supporting other women in business especially will change the world!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://nancydilts.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancydiltswardrobeconsulting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancydiltswardrobeconsulting/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancydilts/
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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