We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angela Zirkle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Angela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.

My “why” has always been about community and how I can better serve those around me. I am a proud cat mom of two and wanted to support a local organization that was near and dear to my heart. I decided to combine my love of fashion and cats by creating a one-of-a-kind social media feature. Every “Caturday” I styled a cat-themed flat lay outfit and donated 10% of sales from each item to an up-and-coming cat cafe. I am incredibly thankful for a community of fashion-loving cat enthusiasts who continually support my small business.

Angela, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have always enjoyed combining modern fashion with vintage style. I started collecting vintage clothing and accessories in college. My small business, The Chiffon Cat Vintage, is named after a vintage chiffon cat scarf. My move from Ohio to Florida took me offline and into the world. Thanks to like-minded creatives at local events and markets, I was able to build a brand around selling unique secondhand pieces and help reduce unnecessary clothing waste.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My social media growth has been a slow and steady process. It started on Instagram, where I gained most of my followers from participating in local events and markets. I spent a lot of time researching content creation and was eventually posting seven days a week. My feed was full, but my cup was not. I began experiencing burnout when Instagram started implementing stories and videos to their platform. I asked myself how I could utilize these new tools more intentionally. Video content has been a learning curve, but it has brought me the most creative fulfillment. I enjoy watching other sellers share their personalities. My advice to anyone starting is that it’s hard to keep up in an ever-changing social media world. We have more opportunities to be creative, but be sure the content you create fills your cup.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

My side hustle quickly turned into more while working a full-time job. I balanced my time between content creation, home, local events and markets, packing orders, social obligations, and work. I was exhausted. A friend told me I’d know when to leave my full-time job. That was my cue. I started looking for part-time work that would allow me to devote more time to my side hustle while maintaining a consistent income. I noticed an immediate improvement in my work/life balance after accepting a part-time position. My advice to others who know the struggle is to start small. You don’t know what works best for you and your side hustle until you try something different.

Contact Info: 

• Website: www.thechiffoncatvintage.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thechiffoncatvintage
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thechiffoncatvintage
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/thechiffoncat

Image Credits
Jessica Carvajal Photography