We recently connected with Camille Fazel and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Camille thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you’re open to it, can you talk to us about the best (or worst) investment you’ve made. What’s the backstory and the relevant context behind why you made the investment
It sounds a little crazy to say it now, but C. Fazel Designs originally began as an online party styling and home entertaining boutique toward the end of the COVID era. I quickly realized that running an online-only boutique meant my days were filled with website management and packing shipments—neither of which brought me much creative fulfillment. After a particularly uninspiring buying trip to market, I found myself at a crossroads. Both C. Fazel Designs and I needed a new direction.
Growing up in the South, I had always loved heirloom embroidery and monograms, especially on many of the same items I was already selling, such as dinner napkins and gifts. I had considered buying an embroidery machine before, but the investment felt intimidating. Not only were the machines expensive, but they required a significant amount of supplies—and I had absolutely no idea how to use one.
Thankfully, I had a husband and best friend who encouraged me to take the leap. I walked into my local sewing store intending to purchase an entry-level machine to test the waters and walked out with the top-of-the-line model, along with thousands of dollars in supplies. I set everything up in a cramped corner of my husband’s home office, and within just a few months, C. Fazel Designs had transformed into a fully custom online embroidery boutique.
While the new direction reignited my creativity, scaling the business from home quickly became stressful. I knew I needed a dedicated workspace. I began looking at small office and warehouse properties near my home, hoping to find somewhere I could spread out and focus. Unfortunately, office spaces were often poorly lit or hesitant to accommodate an embroidery business, while many warehouse options were located in areas where I didn’t feel comfortable working alone.
Then, almost before I knew it, I was signing a lease on a beautiful retail space in a quiet but convenient shopping center. What began as an online business suddenly evolved into a full-fledged brick-and-mortar storefront.
Opening a retail location turned out to be a much larger investment than I had anticipated. I quickly learned about business property taxes, insurance, dumpster rentals, CAM fees, window washing, and countless other expenses that simply don’t exist when you’re working from home. To be honest, the move was scary—and at times, it still is.
Looking back, however, expanding into a brick-and-mortar store while continuing to grow our online presence has been one of the best decisions I’ve made for the business. C. Fazel Designs now has a community presence that simply wasn’t possible before. Customers know our name, I have the opportunity to build relationships face-to-face, and I get to work in a space that inspires me every day. Without question, C. Fazel Designs would not be where it is today without that leap into local retail.
Camille, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Creating custom embroidered gifts is undoubtedly a creative venture. Great embroidery requires an understanding of color, scale, and proportion, coupled with the technical skill and precision of commercial sewing. At C. Fazel Designs, we create heirloom-quality embroidered gifts, baby items, home décor, accessories, and custom products for businesses and events. Many of our customers come to us looking for something meaningful and personal—whether they’re celebrating a new baby, a wedding, a milestone, or simply searching for the perfect gift.
Surprisingly, my background is not in a creative field at all. I have a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and French, as well as a law degree. I was a litigation attorney in Texas for several years before my husband’s job brought us to Oklahoma. Although I obtained my Oklahoma law license, I knew that if we had children, it would be difficult to balance a demanding legal career with being as present as I wanted to be. Ultimately, I decided to step away from practicing law while my children were very young.
I started C. Fazel Designs during a season of life when I was looking for a new challenge and a creative outlet of my own. While I enjoyed practicing law, I ultimately found it more stressful than fulfilling. I spent my free time crafting, sewing, and experimenting with interior design, and over time I realized that the creative pursuits I loved on the weekends could become something more. I feel incredibly fortunate that I now get to do those things professionally and on my own terms.
The most interesting part of the journey from lawyer to embroiderer and business owner is that I use my legal training every day. In law, missing a deadline or overlooking a detail can have serious consequences for a client. I bring that same mindset to my business. Where I once managed a large caseload filled with hearings, depositions, and motions, I now juggle production schedules, customer projects, marketing, inventory, and retail operations. My legal background taught me organization, professionalism, attention to detail, and the importance of delivering on promises—qualities that have become a cornerstone of our brand.
Many people expect creativity and professionalism to exist on opposite ends of the spectrum. I’ve built my business around the idea that clients shouldn’t have to choose between the two. They deserve exceptional craftsmanship paired with prompt communication, clear expectations, and dependable service.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
Operating an online store as a small business owner is incredibly challenging because you are competing not just with other local sellers, but with sellers from around the world. When shoppers make purchasing decisions based solely on price, it becomes a race to the bottom that small, handmade businesses are unlikely to win. At C. Fazel Designs, our personalized products require significant time, skill, and attention to detail, so our challenge is not simply attracting traffic but earning customer confidence and trust.
We have chosen to sell almost exclusively through our own website. For a made-to-order business, Etsy can be an excellent platform for building visibility because its marketplace and search engine presence can help products reach customers who might never discover an independent website. The tradeoff is that sellers have limited control over how their products are presented, must navigate marketplace fees and policies, and compete alongside businesses with very different pricing models. In our case, many of our suppliers also prohibit sales through marketplaces such as Etsy, Amazon, and Facebook.
Selling through our own website gives us complete control over product listings, photography, branding, customer communication, and store policies. It allows us to create a shopping experience that reflects the quality and customization of our work. The downside is that we are responsible for generating our own traffic, which requires ongoing investment in marketing, search engine optimization, and customer retention. While building an audience independently is more difficult, we believe the long-term benefits of brand control and direct customer relationships outweigh the challenges.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that exceptional craftsmanship naturally leads to business growth.
When I started C. Fazel Designs, I thought that if I created beautiful products and did consistently high-quality work, customers would find me. I believed the quality would speak for itself. In reality, I learned that people can only appreciate what they can see, and they often need to encounter a business multiple times before they remember it, trust it, and eventually buy from it.
Great craftsmanship is essential, but it is only part of the equation. Photography, branding, marketing, and customer communication are what introduce people to your work in the first place. If your photos don’t capture the quality of the product, or if you’re not actively telling your story, many potential customers will never know what sets you apart.
As a naturally humble person, this was a difficult lesson to learn. I had to become comfortable talking about my work, showing it off, and explaining why it is special. I learned that promoting your business is not bragging; it is helping customers understand the value you provide.
Today, I spend as much time thinking about how to present our products as I do creating them. The craftsmanship still matters, but I’ve learned that even the best work needs an advocate. As a small business owner, that advocate has to be you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cfazel.com
- Instagram: @cfazeldesigns
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cfazeldesigns
Image Credits
Abby Graves Photography
Chloe Reed Photography