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

Hi Delee, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to start your own firm or do you wish you had started sooner?

I started my business on a whim. I didn’t put much thought into whether I would succeed or fail, I just started.

It all began with a thought: Is there a market for this? I began my career 20 years ago as a hair stylist. I took a long hiatus when my children were little. I have 4 kids, ages 17-9. As they became more independent and started school, I wanted to do something more, something meaningful, something I was passionate about.

I had gone through my own journey of building a sustainable and ethical wardrobe and then the thought came to me: Would women actually pay me to help them do the same?

Three years later I can confidently say, yes! I started offering my services to friends and family for free. Then I charged a small fee, then I built a website, and a social media account and so on. I now have clients all over the country. It has been a slow process. But I have gained so much experience and net so many incredible women. I truly love what I do.

Would I have started later or earlier? No. The timing was perfect for me and my family. Looking back I would have charged more sooner. I wish I would have seen the value of my service earlier. I was very intimidated to charge people. Even though I had a background in the client based beauty industry. It took me awhile before I felt like an expert in my field. I had to learn to lean on my instincts and innate talents, and try new strategies.

Building a business is a roller coaster. I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur, but here I am. A wardrobe stylist with a passion for slow fashion, growing business one client at a time. I am so I started.

Delee, 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 wardrobe stylist with a passion for slow fashion. I help women discover their personal style, learn how to shop more mindfully, and build a wardrobe they will love for years to come.

My journey began in my own closet. I had a closet full of clothes but was never satisfied with my wardrobe. I loved to shop. Loved it! And my closet was a constant rotation of clothing in and clothing out. At the time I had no idea that my shopping habits were negatively effecting our planet and contributing to modern-day slave labor.

I then stumbled upon the term ‘slow fashion’ and I was intrigued. My curiosity grew into a bit of an obsession. I changed my shopping habits, I wrote letters to fast fashion brands, I toured local donation centers. I wanted to know where my clothing comes from and where it goes after I donate it.

I discovered most women wear 10-20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time. I found out 90% of the clothing in our landfills could be reused or recycled. I learned that most of our manufacturing is outsourced to countries that don’t pay their garment workers a living wage. I learned that cheap clothing isn’t cheap, someone has to pay.

I now help women all over the country build a more sustainable and ethical wardrobe. It starts with what is hanging in their closet. I help women discover their personal style and ditch the trend-driven shopping mentality. I teach women how to shop their closet and create outfits out of what they already have. Then I make them a shopping list and help them add in pieces mindfully.

I also love being a guest on podcasts, local tv stations and speaking at events. I’m here to share the message of slow fashion! Clothes aren’t going to change the world, but the women who wear them will.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for building my clientele is great customer service. I had a few clients take a chance on me early on in my business. I will forever be grateful to them. Then my client’s began to refer friends and family and it grew from there.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I get most of my clients from Instagram and marketing groups. Instagram has been the biggest learning curve. I run ads and post often. I have also invested in marketing groups and group coaching programs. These have been invaluable not only because of the knowledge they have provided but also because of the community I have built. I prefer to connect with people in person and build a working relationship. Then hopefully I can be of service to them also.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thestylistnextdoor.net/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thestylistnextdoor_ut?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Image Credits
Becca Hoffman Brit Bennion Britanee Jean