When Life Gives you a Pandemic
It was the morning of my birthday, 15th November 2019. I was in the shower getting ready for the last day of the Clothing and Textiles Sourcing Expo in Melbourne.
Get your minds out of the gutter people- the shower is where all my good ideas flow. Most conversations with people will often start with- so I was thinking about you in the shower today.
The idea for Fashion Source Connect was a shower moment.
I had spent the last 4 days at the expo, working for the factory in China that manufacture my products. During the week I had spent a lot of time talking to business owners, and sharing our manufacturing experiences in China, the good, the bad the ugly.
Now you may think this is an exaggeration, and I wish there was actual footage of this moment, but at one stage, there was a line up of people waiting to talk to me. I had to start taking appointments. Not even joking. Mainly because I was there as a sales rep for the factory and I had to get back to my job.
What were they interested in you ask? Manufacturing in China, Sourcing, Starting a label, Communicating with Factories, Wholesaling, Working with large Retailers, Look books, Photoshoots, it was like I was giving a mini Ted Talk. Moses speaking to the people.. ok thats an exaggeration there.
Everything that they had gone through, or were about to go through, I had been there.
Nervous breakdowns included.
The only difference between me and everyone else- I had made it out the other side. I knew exactly what they needed to do, to get to where they wanted to go.
I turned to Fang, my Production Manager and said -We need to do something about this.
Now back to my shower moment.
I was thinking about everything I had heard during the week, what processes people were struggling with and thinking of ways in which I could help. I have been through hell and back with my own label and the frustrations, exhaustion, dead ends and lack of help in the industry- I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy.
All of these ideas where washing over me, or maybe that was the water, either way, I had tingles. For reals. I physically felt goosebumps all over my body knowing this idea was going to be a game changer.
Excited, I told Fang about my idea. She was in.
Fashion Source Connect was born.
The next few months we worked on our business plan and put together all of the packages we would be offering:
- Sourcing trips to China
- Factory Visits + Introduction
- Quality Checking Garments in China
Logo, Website- the works. We were set to launch in March 2020.. and you guessed it. Boom here comes a pandemic. See ya later Fashion Source Connect 1.0.
Now i'm not even going to use the word pivot cos that word really annoys me. Instead, Fang and I sat down and discussed the impact of the pandemic on our business and how we planned to adapt.
The world had changed forever, and so too had the needs of the Fashion Source Connect customer.
There was a huge need for Australian manufacturing and I set about building our networks here so we could nurture our home grown talent whilst supporting our local suppliers.
Enter-Fashion Source Connect 2.0
Then bombshell number 2 came hurling my way. Fang had been working as Head of Production for a label and her contract was extended. Now when you're in a pandemic, you gotta do what you gotta do to. She accepted, and I was on my own.
Not gonna lie, it did take the wind out of my sails, and I remember thinking, this business has changed so much in the last year, I've re written the website twice and we haven't even officially launched yet. What now?
As business owners, and starting your own label means you too will become a business owner, we wear many hats.
The hat you will need to wear most often- is the professional problem solving hat. This hat holds great powers.
It has the ability once worn to give you the power to stop feeling sorry for yourself as this is extremely unhelpful, and realise there is a solution for EVERYTHING. Solutions mode switched on.
I put on my professional- problem -solver -hat and set about creating a business that does not currently exist- until now.
I put myself into the shoes of Heather McDowall when I first started. I put myself into YOUR shoes. Where you are at right now.
What exactly did I need help with? What were the needs of everyone I had spoken to at the expo? What have I learned during my years of running my own label that I can help others with?
Let me be straight up with you folks, this industry is not known for helping a sister out. Trust me, I speak from experience.
So I set about creating a unicorn. A service that I wished was available to me when I first started. Equipping you with industry knowledge that is relevant to today not 700 year old information that I was taught at Fashion school, helping you manufacture and launch your own label, run your own fashion business and reach your goals.
Introducing Fashion Source Connect 3.0
I can't wait to help you get started.
xxxxx
