Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ryan Schoel, owner of The Costume Shoppe, located in Calgary, AB, Canada.

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

The Costume Shoppe is a place full of fun year-round. We offer thousands of ways to create looks that inspire, thrill, even scare others. We have both costumes and accessories to buy or rent and the staff that will help you put it all together. If you are attending a themed event like a superhero party, a music festival, a 40 something birthday party right out of the '80s, looking to create the best stag/stagette, even dress the cast at a school/church play, go to an Expo, play along with your kids, let your inner child escape and cosplay your favorite character, or theme. We, as a Team at The Costume Shoppe, are here to help.

Tell us about yourself

As a human being, I love to put a smile on the faces of those around me. That sounds like a cliché; however, seeing someone come out of the change room excited about how they look, how they imagined they could look for an event or didn't imagine because they had no idea but are now thrilled is really amazing for me. It's cool providing fun and smiles to people. My store is a place where anyone can become really anything, from an 80's Maverick to an inflatable Dinosaur, from cute and cuddly to downright scary! I, for one, am not a fan of horror. However, the trick to success as I see it is to surround myself with people who are better than me at something or like things that I don't. So I have great staff who love what they do; try them out, you will see!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Perhaps surviving the pandemic with a business that really does depend on events and gatherings. Of course, we are not fully out, and this year is the real test. Furthermore, it was not done in a vacuum. I could have only done so with the support of my very talented, caring, and diversified staff, along with a Landlord that showed humanity and a belief in me.

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

I have come to the realization that nothing is easy; however, the hardest "thing," if you will, for me is just how personal my business is. When getting positive Google reviews or comments on social about the store as a whole, the staff, or even about a specific product we sell, or my personal service, it really makes me feel good. That said, the opposite is true, the negative and there will always be someone who doesn't like something, or misinterprets a facial expression, a reaction, think a price is too high or whatever, and feels the need to share their feeling with the world, that is truly awful. The owner of any business, from what I can tell, any owner (at least everyone I know who owns a business) thinks about their business, their staff, and everything about it almost 24 hours a day. The adage's just business, really doesn't fit any longer in the days where social media and the 24-hour connection we/I have to my business. My store is as much a part of my life as my wife and children. Business is personal.

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

  1. Understand that there will be people who don't like what you do, how you do it, but you have to find a way to block that out to some extent, or it will block you from achieving whatever you want to achieve.
  2. Do whatever you don't like on your task list first so that when you leave work for the day, you're thinking about what you did last, which hopefully is something you like and love about your business.
  3. Hire staff to do the things you are not good at, don't be afraid not to be the smartest person in the room.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Business, like life itself, can be managed with the best-laid plan; however, there is a saying man plans and G-d laughs. What that means is you can plan all you want, but you cannot control what you cannot control. My biggest goal in life and business, the one it seems I'm constantly at odds with, is controlling my reactions and actions to all the things I do not have control over. I do not always do that well, but I do understand very well, business and life, like time itself, will constantly move forward until it stops. So do the best you can with the information you have at hand, be true to yourself, don't lie to anyone, especially yourself, and you won't have to remember what you said. The person hardest on me as a business owner will always be me. What's more personal than that?

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://thecostumeshoppe.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCostumeShoppe/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecostumeshoppe/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCostumeShopp/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-schoel-2a01b23/

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.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.