We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sohna Harzeez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sohna below.

Sohna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents allowed me to be myself. They were hella protective but allowed for my creative expression to be what it was. If I wanted to be a ballerina, lessons at the local rec center, dance parties downstairs, etc. I wanted to play an instrument. I wanted to play the clarinet because it looked interesting. My mom said the noise might get on her nerves so we settled on the violin. Boy was she big mad. I screeched and scratched until it became beautiful. She enjoyed the end result but the neighbors heard my violin howling on the porch. That level of freedom to just be has brought me on a journey where I am not afraid to try things out. The world was another beast. But at home, I could give it a try and be saluted for my effort. It is why I try so many things within The Bubble Pitt. Why not try this new eco-friendly product? Why not ask potential clients about their allergies?

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

As the founder of The Bubble Pitt, I am an entrepreneur at heart. I have started, stopped and failed many businesses. I had my candy operation shut down in middle school due to red tape. I didn’t quit. I started with garment care as a toddler handing my grandmother clothespins as she hung clothes on the line outside. My passion for fashion and folding clothes has led me to the garment care industry and laundromat consultation work. The Bubble Pitt offers wash and fold service, pressing and steaming, jean salting, color restoration, linen service for those in the short-term rental business, and maintenance services like pill removal,. We are totally eco-friendly. People do not tend to think of health and wellness when they think of laundry. What goes on your body will eventually seep into your body…and the earth. The business goal is to get your clothes clean using eco-friendly products and methods. I like to say that “we clean up your style” in more ways than one. I am very proud to be working on creating supply chains that are as local as possible to further reduce our carbon footprint and some collaborations with local companies. We will take on more clients this spring. If you are tired of clothes piling up, figuring out whether you started the dryer in the middle of your lunch break, or just being dusty, consider dropping off your laundry to us. We can discuss allergens and needs then.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

What you need to be able to succeed in this field is flexibility and personality. You need to be able to connect with your client. You have to be willing to under promise and over deliver. Be willing to admit when you are wrong or messed up. Be upfront with what you can and cannot do…better yet what you are confident in doing and not confident in doing. It sets up expectations. Ask all of the questions upfront. This is where personality comes in. You have to have the type of personality that doesn’t have to prove something or hide something. I had a dye job where the garment had been worn before but the client didn’t know because she ordered it online. Washing the garment before hand is something that you do but depending on the stain, you treat it a certain way. once it was dyed, you could see where the person sweat on the garment. You know how a person will wear something out and return it, yeah. It gave it an awesome dye marble but what was not the look we were going for. I set expectations prior and informed the client with pictures of the process. Dye jobs can take months, I did this in a weekend. Yay skills but it doesn’t matter the skill level when the result isn’t the outcome either one of you were looking for. I offered a dress in the desired color as a replacement. You have to be flexible in solutions but not flexible on expectations.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your firm or practice?

Funny story is that I funded my business with my money. Common story to “bootstrap” but I started a whole other business to fund this one. The funny part is that I am doing it alone. Funny as in I must have gone mad. I started a short-term rental and for a while, it was my only client. It is why I now offer linen service to STR businesses. That just started last year. Prior to that it was definitely my paycheck. Next, I was selected to join the Start:Me South cohort in 2021 and was surprised to be selected as a grant recipient. I won for being a cheerleader of my cohort. I was rewarded for doing what I do naturally. It was awesome. After that, I applied for a business focus group and was awarded more money. I briefly managed a laundromat and that helped to fund the business. “I put on for my city.” My first clients were people who actually knew me then came word of mouth and I was surprised that actual people followed the business page then became clients. That is how I funded each start of this business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thebubblepitt.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebubblepitt/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBubblePitt/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharzeez
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBubblePitt

Image Credits
C White Photography