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

Hi Danietté, thanks for joining us today. One of the toughest parts of scaling a business is maintaining quality as you grow. How have you managed to maintain quality? Any stories or advice?

One of my biggest challenges over the last 12 months has been keeping, and in fact increasing my value, quality, and integrity, as my business has grown and gone from my 400 square foot living room to a 3000 square foot commercial property on one of the busiest corners in Downtown Savannah, GA. Controlling growth requires more than just yourself as the business owner. It also requires the bravery to delegate, and rely on others for the tasks only you did at one point. As easy as it seems, it’s not. You would be surprised what no one else can do like yourself as a business owner, creative, and entrepreneur, and how this can effect your small business and it’s growth.

Danietté, 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?

I am a custom fashion designer. At age 11 I no longer had to wear uniforms for school, and found myself lost for inspiration in the local malls, so much so, that I began sketching the ideas of what I sought after, so that my next shopping trip I would be reminded of the cool styles I desired previously. Not aware clothing could be handmade, a professor of mine that observed my sketching educated me where I visually could understand how to make clothing. The conversation instantly wowed me, in that I was amazed at how my 2D art form could be seen on people everywhere.
In May 2015, I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Fashion Design. Upon graduation, countless women requested custom designs for prestigious occasions so that they not only had a design that was actually constructed to fit their bodies, but also to ensure they stood out from anyone else in the room, and made a premier visual impact.
I am most proud of my accomplishments while at what seemed like the lowest points of my life and career, God truly made a 360 turn for my business when the pandemic hit, so much so that I ended up moving my business to a commercial location. My business saw number I never imagined, and experienced some crazy busy days that allowed me to not only grow but help my friends and family do the same in the midst of chaos. Going from 400 square feet to 3000 on one of the busiest corners in the city of Savannah is unheard of…..unreal. ESPECIALLY IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When the pandemic hit, like most designers, I had to act quickly. I had to not only reassure my clientele of the status of their designs and contracts, but also figure out how to stay relevant. So my line of designer masks wasn’t originally a revenue generator, but simply a way to create content that wouldn’t depress my clients that had to postpone their weddings, sweet 16 parties, and more. Posting my work no longer was an option. So I got s photographer, a few models, made some masks, and grabbed some of these gorgeous gowns, and did a photoshoot……My FB, IG, and Website exploded. The pivot was definitely influential. Every mask sold in the beginning was matched with 1 to give to a local hospital or organization in need. I was featured on countless news outlets and print media. The pictures was utilized every where. I added more styles and even custom. options. My little Squarespace saw numbers I never would have imagined. It truly was a learning experience. I loved the fast pace sooo much. I was used to 1 or 2 gowns from a local client per month, so the hundreds of mask a month, with shipping labels, email campaigns, package design, and discounts were soooo new to me.

How did you build your audience on social media?

My social media mainly is streamlined through IG, but my FB is what I’ve had for the longest. The pandemic allowed me to learn about IG the most. I grew to understand my client and my audience, and as my product elevates, my audience changes.
I get the most growth on social media by INTERACTION. In person and through social media.
Commenting on post that intrigue or inspire me, allows people to come to my platform and do the same.
Those just starting will need to start by asking friends and family to follow or like your pages by text. Keep doing this to get to 100. Then you should have access to analytical data.
Make sure the time you put into social media is relevant with your client base. Ask if your client is actually on social media looking for your product or service? Your social media could be used as a good portfolio but it may not be a lead generator that you have to post every day on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.daniette.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designerdaniette/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designerdaniette
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniette?trk=public_profile_browsemap&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F