Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chloe Zelensky . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chloe , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I’ve always been a very creative person. I had the privilege of growing up with an artistic mom who always fostered my creativity. We were always making something whether the medium was drawing, painting, sewing, etc. Sewing is something that I had done on and off when I got the itch for it. When I was younger, I never really had the patience to really work on projects. I only really knew the basics from my mom and classes I had in middle school. However, when I transferred to a new university to pursue my mechanical engineering degree, I began sewing a lot more. It was something that really helped ease my anxiety from hard classes and lots of homework. I turned my desk in my dorm room into a mini sewing station complete with a Singer heavy duty machine and the necessities I needed for small projects. I began making scrunchies to really perfect my sewing skills as they were gaining popularity again in 2019. I started to think “Maybe this is something I could actually sell”. Not only was creating something I loved to do but it would allow me to make some extra money that could be used towards my books and other expenses for the semester.
With just a few prints of fabric my mom had in her stash, SmartyPants Couture was born.
The name SmartyPants Couture came about in conversation with my mom about potential shop names. I threw around names like “The Dormitory” and others like it because I wanted to play off the fact that I started my shop in my dorm. All of the sudden my mom goes “what about SmartyPants?” which is something I’ve been called all my life as someone who was a self-proclaimed ‘nerd’. SmartyPants was a great start but it still needed something more. Thus, we added Couture on the end to encompass the products sold. It had such a nice ring and has stuck ever since.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a 23-year old mechanical engineer with a passion for making. I’m well known for the big glasses I always wear, hence the SmartyPants logo. At SmartyPants Couture, we specialise in handmade accessories and gifts. You can find anything from keychains to plushies available on our website.
I love to learn new skills and try out new products so, that’s why we have such a large variety of inventory available. I think that is one of the most rewarding parts of owning a small business. I able to make products alongside my mom that are something I would be drawn to when entering a store or browsing a local market. There is no better feeling than seeing people’s faces light up when they see our products at local markets or the excitement you feel for a new shop update. I love that everything we make is just as unique as the individual that will adore it. I’m constantly brainstorming with my mom, the other half of SmartyPants, to come up with new earring ideas or new products. I’m a true believer that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. I’m very fortunate to have an awesome day job and SmartyPants Couture as my creative outlet I’ve always had in life.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I first started SmartyPants in 2019 through the platform of Etsy. Etsy is great for those just starting out and trying to build up their own following of local customers. Through my time on Etsy, I gained almost 3,000 sales in a matter of 2 years. While I did find success on the platform during that time, there were cons to it.
The biggest con for me was the fees the accumulated through multiple sales. Everything from the listing of the product to shipping had some sort of fee. It wasn’t super noticeable at first but after a while, I noticed just how much it was costing my business. Another con of Etsy was the lack of branding for my shop. Every shop looks the same on Etsy minus the banners and product photos. I wanted to be able to customise my own website to have the iconic SmartyPants teal branding throughout.
Currently, we run our shop through Big Cartel with our own url of Smartypantscouture.com. I love Big Cartel because it allows me to customise everything in our branding and links directing with PirateShip which I use to ship packages. The only downside I’ve found is the lack of traffic but that has driven me to dive further into the world of content creating as a Small Business owner. I’ve found great success with Tiktok and instagram to drive traffic to our site. I’m still in the process of learning but I’ve been loving every bit of it. People really enjoy seeing the face behind the brand.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I started, I never realised how much actually goes into owning and operating a business. The hardest thing I had to unlearn was comparing my success to others and the feeling of failure. While it is one of the most useful tools for a small business, Social media can really rain on your parade. You see all these other businesses with piles and piles of orders and you think to yourself “what am I doing wrong?” Well, the truth is, you’re not doing anything wrong. You don’t know how long that other person has been in business and how hard they’ve worked. The most important thing is to find your people. The ones who will hype up every single thing you put out, share your posts, like your photos etc. They’re the ones who will help build up your business. Not all timelines are the same for every business, everyone has their own path of growth and that’s the most important thing to remember.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.smartypantscouture.com/
• Instagram: @smartypantscouture
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmartyPantsCouture
• Twitter: @smartypantsco
• Other: Tiktok is @smartypantscouture