After years of enjoying the thrill of the hunt and becoming more aware of fashion's negative effects on the environment, I became passionate about starting a business which was not only eco-conscious but where I could share my exciting thrifted treasures with others.
Recycle of Life started in 2013 where I first started shooting some thrifted finds against my bedroom wall. My first sale didn't occur for months after opening, and when it did happen I was sorry to get my first (and only to date so far!) negative review.
I sold a kimono that I had hand sewn some lace onto and the customer had good enough reason to not be completely satisfied - my stitching could have been improved. While it was disappointing, the experience motivated me to give a much better customer experience the next time around.
For the next two years, I began working on building up some inventory and managed several more sales all of which had much better reviews. I was starting to build a more established shop, however was interested in turning a hobby into more of a career (and I was saving up to travel!)
In the fall of 2014, I attended college to get my second diploma (first was in film studies) in fashion business. My program covered everything from marketing, trend forecasting, events planning, retail math to brand development and starting a business. I learned a little bit of everything which would become a great base for improving my Etsy brand. I began investing more time on product listings and in 2015 finally saw some sales that mattered.
I was also very fortunate during my studies to work an internship where I could further extend my development of social media, marketing and brand development skills with an already successful entrepreneur. My experience there was a great help and inspiration to starting the rebrand of Recycle of Life and following my own dreams.
As you also may be aware, I recently quit this internship to pursue my own passions for a while. Currently Recycle of Life is going through some major changes - mostly revolving around improving photography and use of social media (something I previously slacked off on).
It's a tough job to run a business, and mine is a fraction of the size of many other entrepreneurs that I know. It's time consuming to list product, it's expensive to start off and you can never really predict sales or customer response.
While I know it'll be a long while before my Etsy brand becomes a substantial business (if ever even - fingers crossed), I really am enjoying seeing the progress and I'm working on trusting in the timing of my life.
If you really enjoy doing something, it's important to do it often and at least give it your best shot - no half-assing it! So this is why I'm here today, briefing you on the short history of what I hope will one day be a success story.
If you'd like to support my dream, now's a great time! We're having a Black Friday Sale from now until November 28th (see coupon code above). Comments and words of encouragement are also always appreciated!
Cheers,
Brittany
@simplylynne
@recycleoflifeca
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