I'm crazy excited to introduce you to another badass entrepreneur today and let her tell you her Startup Story. I found today's guest, Tionne Young of Tall HQ, on Instagram when she was doing an Instagram live. I'd seen her company before, but she did this live that just grabbed my heart. On today's podcast, she'll tell you the story and what's going on with her business.  Tionne has always wanted to be in fashion and kept telling people "I want to have my own clothing brand." She's a tall girl with a classic style and shopping was always a nightmare. She was always having problems finding clothes for that expressed her personality.  During lockdown, Tionne decided not to sit around, moping. She decided it was the time to take action and start living her dream by designing her own line for tall women. Now, she's in the middle of her launch and things are not going as planned. Let's just say she's totally kicking ass and taking names anyway.  Tionne is so brave and honest in this interview and I think you'll all learn a ton about what it's like to start your own business. Check it out: fashionbrainacademy.com/tione/

Jane Hamill | Podcast

Fashion Startup Story: Tione Tall HQ

Pop quiz for all the makers and fashion designers. When you get an order, does that mean you then have to take a specific action to get it shipped out?  Yes or no? Any action at all – cutting, sewing, hand stitching, dyeing… Because here's the thing... If you’re SEWING, you’re not SELLING. If you're part of the production process, you're spending time on things that do NOT get you paid.  Maybe you;re thinking, I know this. But you might still be doing it because ____________________. Insert your reason here. And I'm going to challenge you on it in this episode Because I want you to make more money. Have a listen... www.fashionbrainacademy.com/sewingnotselling

If You're SEWING, You're Not SELLING

In this episode, fashion designer Sarah F=Gallagher and I sit down to discuss:  What it’s really like to go into business with your sister as your partner. The truth about being made-to-order and sewing everything herself for a long time. Hiring her first employee (!) and meeting payroll each month (?) If Sarah had an extra 5K to spend on marketing, what would she do with it? Sarah’s thoughts about her one-year program at F.I.T. Was it worth is? How many hours per week Sarah works and how she manages things with her family to find some sense of balance. Want to launch a clothing line? Join the Fashion Startup course, "Launch a Line": www.fashionbrainacademy.com/launch Learn how to build an audience of buyers for online shop: www.fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub

Fashion Startup Story: A Made-to-Order Fashion Business Model with Sarah Gallagher

Today's special guest, Dondre Smith, is the designer and owner of Almvghty Clothing (with a "V" for vision), a Chicago streetwear brand with the message Live on Purpose. His goal is "to be able to advance God's kingdom through fashion and media." We talk about everything under the sun about his brand -- streetwear, pivoting to a Christian-based brand, how he found the money to launch, being self-taught in fashion design, how he attracts new customers and gets sales, surviving lockdown, and the reasons behind it all. He's had quite a journey and he's very honest in this interview, You're going to love it. Have a listen... https://fashionbrainacademy.com/dondre/  

Starting & Growing a Streetwear Brand with Dondre Smith from ALMVGHTY Clothing

 Want to CRUSH your online sales for the holidays? Today I'll break down a specific, do-able 3 step plan to get you ready for a fantastic holiday selling season.     Whether you've been in business 20 years, two years, two months, or haven't even launched yet, you're still going to learn something today that you can implement today. Simple, actionable steps.   Check it out here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/holidays/  

Holiday Sales Planning

Have you ever said to yourself... Why don't I have more online sales? Is there something wrong with my products? Do people just not like what I do? Why are other business posting photos of tons of orders being shipped out - but not me? What am I doing wrong? It can be sooooo frustrating when you know you have a great product and you feel like you're doing ALL THE THINGS but you're not getting the amount of online sales you think you could, or should, be getting. Today I'm bringing on Susan Bradley from The Social Sales Girl to to talk about the "why don't I have more online sales?" issue we both hear from our clients & members all the time.  We're going to get you some answers. You will LOVE this episode.  Jane Show Notes & Links: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/podcastsusan/ Register for Susan's Growth Plan Workshop (it's free): https://bit.ly/growplanJH  

Why You're Not Getting The Online Sales You Want - with Susan Bradley

Today's episode is a LIVE coaching session with Stephanie of Stephanie Davis Designs. She sent me a really good question and I thought it would help all of you who are trying to start a business After listening to the "6 Things New Clothing Designers Need to Know Before They Start a Business" and hearing the mistake "if you're sewing, you're not selling", Stephanie was feeling a bit worried and she send us a DM on Instagram. After hearing Stephanie's call for help, I had to talk to her one-on-one in an #AskJane LIVE coaching episode. Today I talk to Stephanie about... What her DREAM business would look like Determining Stephanie's highest margin items Determining her best sellers in terms of dollar value (not units) Outsourcing more so she can spend more time on sales - plus keep her body healthy What 3 tweaks she's going to make this month to start making more money Have a listen... https://fashionbrainacademy.com/stephanie

I'm Sewing Everything Myself. Can I Make Real Money? #AskJane LIVE Fashion Business Coaching

"THIS could put me out of business." That's what I said every time each of the 5 things I share today happened in my business. Sometimes I really, really wanted to quit.  Like the time my store was burglarized and half the merchandise was stolen. I almost quit.  I cried like a baby.  It totally sucked.  Crazy things happen, and your business can still thrive. I think this episode will help you learn some things that will save you a CRAPTON of trouble! BTW, this is the first in a new series called "Her Startup Story".  Do you have a great story of how you started? Reach out and let us know! brain@fashionbrainacademy.com, @janehamillchi in IG. Show Notes and you can watch this content in VIDEO format at this link:  https://fashionbrainacademy.com/5fails/    

Her Startup Story: 5 Epic Fails That Almost Put Me Out of Business

I could fill a book with all the mistakes I made with my fashion business. A War and Peace sized book. In today's podcast (plus video option), I've narrowed it down to the top 6 startup mistakes to avoid. I'm pretty sure I've made them all. I've also gathered some honest advice from other designers about what they wish they knew when they started & I'm including screenshots back on the blog. https://fashionbrainacademy.com/6mistakes/   

Fashion Startup Mistakes: 6 Things New Clothing Designers Need to Know Before They Start a Business

Today's podcast is going to be a little different. I'll talk about a few different things including Mansplaining, I'll also talk about Chad, Meghan Markle's 40th birthday initiative, bait and switch marketing (sorta) I'm going to warn you, this is going to be a bit of a rant. If you have little kids around, use your headphones. I've had multiple experiences of men "mansplaining" this week. Show Notes: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/mansplaining/

Mansplaining in Business

 Last week I talked about whether or not you need a blog for your business. If you haven't listened yet, I suggest you listen to that one first. You'll find it at https://fashionbrainacademy.com/needablog/. This week, I'm going to talk about 3 strategies that you can use for your e-commerce site that will drive traffic.  There's a lot to tell you. I thought I’d keep it simple though. Instead of giving a list of 27 things to write about and risk confusing you even more, I’m going to give you specific examples of strategies you can use ASAP.   3 strategies I suggest…  One Pillar post per month surrounded by supporting bite-sized posts. Buckets of content 3) The simplest formulaic approach EVER...Weekly Q&A, Have a listen... www.fashionbrainacademy.com/talkabout    

What Do I Talk About On My Blog

I get this question ALL THE TIME... Do I need a blog for my online store? Yes and no. Usually, I'd say YES. But here's the thing. I know there are so many entrepreneurs out there that are successful without a blog. The issue is, if you become reliant from certain avenues of traffic - usually paid traffic like Facebook or Instagram - and something goes haywire (such as your Facebook page gets shut down - ask me how I know), you've got all your traffic eggs in one basket. It gets extremely risky. On today's podcast, I'm going to help you decide if you think you need a blog. I talk about 9 things to consider with your decision on whether to have a blog or not. Have a listen... www.fashionbrainacademy.com/needablog 

Do I Need a Blog for My Online Store?

Chances are as a fashion entrepreneur that you are a right brained person. You are creative, have meticulous attention to detail when it comes to your art but not the cleanliness of your desk, and you drop everything when inspiration strikes. Working from the right brain makes us the creatives we are but it can also hinder us when we’re coming up with both the ideas for our company and the action to carry them out. As entrepreneurs we have to do both.  Have a listen here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/sticktotheplan/ Follow Jane on Instagram: @janehamillchi Follow Jane on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janehamillbusiness Download my free fabric guide to find wholesale fabrics in small quantities: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fabric-sourcing/ 

Why You’re Not Sticking To The Plan

I am excited to share with you an excerpt from a recent LIVE Session workshop hosted for my new designer program students. Each module in the program includes a special Guest "Fashion Brain" with expertise in different areas. This week’s Brain is Erika Neumayer Ehrat. Erika is the designer behind Rare Dirndl. She has an amazing talent for getting online sales and helps us find customers & nurture them pre-launch, even if you have a tiny niche. And let me tell you, she has a tiny niche. More show notes available here: www.fashionbrainacademy.com/startupstory Follow Jane on Instagram: @janehamillchi Follow Jane on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janehamillbusiness Download my free fabric guide to find wholesale fabrics in small quantities: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fabric-sourcing/

Fashion Startup Story: An Honest Look Into Why This Fashion Designer is So Successful

When was the last time you fully unplugged? This weekend I challenge you to turn off your phone. Maybe for a whole day, maybe for five hours, maybe for three days.  As business owners we are tied to our phones watching for sales, customer emails, and Facebook comments. Everytime we get a notification its a small dopamine hit to the brain signaling pleasure or significance. And those dopamine hits can become very addicting. More show notes available here: www.fashionbrainacademy.com/nophone Follow Jane on Instagram: @janehamillchi Follow Jane on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janehamillbusiness Download my free fabric guide to find wholesale fabrics in small quantities: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fabric-sourcing/

Turn Off Your Phone

Small business insights for entrepreneurs who want to be creative and make money at the same time.

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Jane Hamill | Podcast

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