We were lucky to catch up with Amelia English recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amelia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The idea for SHARE was born from a mix of frustration, heart, and lived experience.

I used to run a brick-and-mortar consignment store in my East Coast hometown in Massachusetts. I loved connecting with women in the community and giving clothes a second life—but what I kept hearing from customers over and over was that they felt disappointed by how little their clothing was reselling for. Beautiful, well-made pieces they’d invested in were suddenly worth next to nothing, simply because they weren’t brand-new. They were frustrated, and rightfully so.

At the same time, I had lived through a season in my life where money was extremely tight. After my husband died suddenly, I was raising two young kids alone. Shopping for clothes—especially for myself—felt completely out of reach. If something like SHARE had existed then, it would’ve made a real difference for us. That feeling of “I still need things, but I can’t afford them” is a hard reality to shake. I’m glad I know what that feels like because it not only leads me to appreciate what I do have, but it has also contributed to my desire to create SHARE and make clothing accessible for people that are struggling financially.

When I closed the store, I couldn’t shake the idea of a better system—one that valued clothing for what it still offered and gave women options that didn’t require constant spending. A way to keep fashion accessible, to make the investment in clothing go further, and to shift the way we think about how we source our clothing.

The logic came from that real-world pain point: there’s a huge gap between what clothing is worth to us and what the resale market says it’s worth. On top of that, fast fashion has made it easy to buy more and care less. But what if there was a way to swap instead—no money changing hands, just value for value? That’s when I made the leap to create SHARE, an app that swaps clothing with a point algorithm rather than buying or selling.

What got me most excited was the idea of building a system that works for people, not for share holders. It creates a circular, community-driven option to refresh our closets, reduce waste, and feel good about how we’re showing up in the world. One where clothes don’t lose all their value the minute they leave the store.

SHARE is my answer to that. A new way to think about fashion—not as a transaction, but as a resource we share.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a social justice lover at heart—with a soft spot for fashion that feels good and does good and who’s always rooting for the underdog. SHARE came from that intersection: a deep belief that clothing should serve us longer and that access to great style shouldn’t depend on your budget or zip code.

What I bring to this space isn’t just business experience—it’s empathy. I’ve been the woman trying to find clothes that fit a new phase of life, trying to stretch every dollar, trying to make conscious choices but feeling overwhelmed. I understand what it’s like to want to look like yourself again without spending money you don’t have and without hurting our natural environment.

SHARE is designed to solves those issues. The app offers a new way to participate in fashion that doesn’t rely on constant spending or fast fashion’s wasteful cycle. It’s a place where good clothing gets another chance, and so do we.

I’m not interested in building another platform that tells women to buy more. I’m here to build something that tells them: you already have value—your clothing should too.

What sets SHARE apart is that it’s not a resale app, a donation bin, or a trend machine. It’s a system that rewards users for what they already have. Our point-based model makes the playing field fair, gives clothes longer lives, and lets women participate in style without financial pressure.

I’m most proud of how deeply personal this work has become—not just for me, but for the women using it. They’re not just swapping items—they’re shifting mindsets. They’re finding freedom in letting go, excitement in receiving, and solidarity in a system that finally feels like it was built for them.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about SHARE, it’s that we’re not here to tell you what to wear—we’re here to remind you that what you already have holds value, and that fashion can be more inclusive, more conscious, and a whole lot more human.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

When I think about how I’ve built my approach to entrepreneurship and leadership, it doesn’t start with an MBA or a 10-year plan. I have no business degree nor have I ever had a 10 year plan, or a 5 year plan for that matter. Not until now, at least :) My business “degree” started with a handful of books and podcasts that cracked something open in me—books that weren’t necessarily about business, but about belief systems, creativity, trust, and how we show up in the world.

Yvon Chouinard’s “Let My People Go Surfing” was one of the first that stuck with me. It taught me that business can serve a purpose greater than profit—that the integrity of how we work matters as much as the work itself. It gave me permission to value balance, nature, and people over hustle and hierarchy. That message stayed with me. My goal is to lead by example as Yvon does.

Then came “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries—a complete shift in how I viewed progress. It gave me language and structure around iteration, feedback loops, and failing fast. Instead of obsessing over being right, It was a tremendous influence in my pursuit launching SHARE. Baby steps are still steps… and every one counts.

But entrepreneurship isn’t just operations—it’s deeply emotional, sometimes spiritual. Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist” reminded me that the journey isn’t linear, and that intuition, serendipity, and persistence often matter more than strategy. It gave me permission to believe in the unseen and to stay connected to purpose, even when the metrics are murky.

Along the way, Don Miguel Ruiz’s book “The Four Agreements” became my inner compass for leadership—especially: Don’t take anything personally and Be impeccable with your word. These agreements transformed how I manage people, resolve conflict, and show up as a founder.

And “A Fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry? It simply reminded me that every system—economic, political, entrepreneurial—exists inside the human experience. Empathy isn’t optional in leadership. It’s the bedrock.

On the go, I gravitate to podcasts like “How I Built This” and “Diary of a CEO”, both of which make room for nuance. I love how they blend the tactical and the vulnerable—the goals and the breakdowns, the product launches and the self-doubt. They remind me that no founder’s path is straight. And that transparency is not weakness—it’s leadership.

Altogether, these books and podcasts have formed something like a worldview for me—one where building something new is a blend of rigor and soul, systems and surrender, ambition and empathy. That’s how I lead. That’s how I build.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

My husband and I have bootstrapped SHARE entirely from our own funds—no outside capital, just belief, grit, and a clear vision. Piece by piece, we’ve built it, often juggling progress with real-world limitations. Coding issues have caused delays we didn’t anticipate, and the lack of a marketing budget has forced us to be scrappy and creative with outreach. There have been setbacks, but never standstills.

Every time a new feature launches, or a user shares how SHARE helped them stretch their budget or rethink fashion, I’m reminded why we started. Laying this foundation hasn’t been easy, but it’s given me deep confidence—not just in the app, but in our ability to scale. I know we can build the next phase of SHARE with the right seed partner or angel investor who believes in what we’re doing: creating a more accessible, circular, and value-driven way to shop for clothes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shareyourclothing.com
• Instagram: @shareyourclothing
• Facebook: SHARE your clothing

Image Credits

credit from Pinterest download for some images.