Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in a clothing line but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emma May, founder of Sophie Grace Designs Inc., located in Calgary, AB, Canada.

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

Sophie Grace is an elegant workwear collection for busy women on the go who still want to look fabulous. We don't believe you have to sacrifice beauty and elegance for comfort, so we design pieces that look and feel phenomenal and are easy to style and put together. Our customers are primarily well-educated women with a ton on the go. They want us to think about what they need to wear.

Tell us about yourself

I am a lawyer by training. I worked in real estate and founded my own brokerage. I worked as a senior staffer for the former Premier of our province. I have two kids who are now university-aged. I have always loved clothes and have been obsessed with them since I was a teen. The perfect outfit would brighten my day in a way not much else could. I love the idea of making women feel comfortable and beautiful at the same time. I want women to feel put together without feeling overwhelmed by choice.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

There is nothing better than having a customer try on the product you created and love it. When I get messages from women that we have made them feel confident and comfortable, my heart is full. Success for me is doing exactly that for more and more women.

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

Cash flow. I had to learn how to manage cash flow in a cash flow-heavy business. Our lead times are long, and it takes a lot of money upfront to make deposits on fabrics and the like. It can eat all of our money, and we need to stay on top of how that is all rolling, especially in a fast-growing business.

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

  1. Love what the field is. It is a lot of work, and if you really don't love it, it will be harder to stay motivated.
  2. It's ok not to have all the answers out of the gate. You will be learning as you go. There is no getting around that - so if you wait to do something until you think you know it all, you will never start.
  3. Get comfortable talking about money, how to raise money, how to talk to banks and investors. This was another learning curve for me. I had weird feelings about money, but the more I talk about it and learn, the better it is for everyone.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

The journey is the reward. It can be hard to see it that way when you are impatient and younger. I am now impatient and older, but after putting a few projects behind me, I realize that the gift is in the process, and that is the fun. Great outcomes are amazing, but if you really want to live - you have to embrace the process - warts and all.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.sophiegrace.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SOPHIEGRACEDESIGNS/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiegraceshop/

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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