EVERY SEVEN YEARS
As I write to you this week, I'm honored to share the faces of the people who make our clothing in India. The smiles are there because the sewing jobs are positively impacting their lives. They want to say THANK YOU! After all, none of this is possible without your support.
These smiles are filling me with hope for the upcoming 3rd chapter of our work. I see a chapter as 7-year periods at a time. I'd love to share how the first two chapters turned out, and my vision for the next one!
BUILDING YEARS
2010-2016. I started Elegantees with $10,000, which was all my savings as a 24 year old. It felt like enough because I already had friendships with local factories and suppliers.
I could execute manufacturing like a pro, but the other things I learned along the way. During this first chapter, I didn't take an income. Total revenue in the first 7 years was under $1M, so it was a very slow growth. Saving money was a huge priority during these years. When I look back at my day-to-day tasks back then, they were mostly things that are outsourced today. One example is I no longer sew design samples.
I focused on building relationships with customers, and getting better at things like design and photography. I put as much as I could into a newly established sewing center in Nepal.
MEDIUM SIZE BUSINESS
2017-2023. At the start of this chapter, sales in 2017 were tripled of those in 2016. This happened because we offered more designs to our customers. It would have not been possible though without my first hire, Jenna.
Okay, so my mom is my first hire, but when Jenna entered the space, it was a game-changer. She makes patterns on the computer and could do them 4x faster than me. Time was my new investment and I spent it well on collaborations, developing wholesale, and more posting on Instagram. I finally started paying myself. I could confidently tell people this business model can be successful. Through earthquakes, losses, and pivoting through the pandemic, I look back as a testing of my faith. I also believe it was a time of pruning to become a better servant for what's coming in the next seven.
I've fell on my knees many times during this chapter. There's some doors that we're closing. Yet, new beginnings will bloom.
THE NEXT SEVEN
2024-2030. I decree that we'll bring hundreds of people into dignified employment! I've been learning the best way to do this. I envision 501(c)3 status in our future. We'll utilize it to build multiple small-scale centers worldwide to combat poverty and trafficking.
