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

Emily, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Am I happier as a business owner? This is not a question answered simply. Now that I have my first year of – being my own boss – under my belt I’m able to reflect on this question with some semblance of calm and understanding that would not have been possible during those first 12 months. I was spinning in a whirlwind of firsts, too dizzy and distracted to really stop and think about what I was doing, how it was going, and whether I was enjoying it. Now that the new business owner energy has waned, I’m able to better understand the pros and cons of my working life. I say working life, when I really mean life life, because if there’s one thing I do not experience as a small business owner it is work-life balance. What makes me happy in my job owning and operating a small luxury consignment clothing store in a medium sized city in Canada is the fact that I can recirculate clothing, be apart of the growing sustainable fashion landscape, produce as much photo content as I like however I envision it, and have access to a steady stream of clothing related stories from clients. Just a few weeks ago I had the absolute privilege of helping a beautiful bride find the perfectly unorthodox, vintage wedding dress of her dreams. Connecting with her over the sentimentality of wearing something vintage for a wedding day and the undeniable statement that makes about her own values, was both reassuring and emotional. I was also bale to pass on the story of the original owner, who wore the gold embroidered St. John Couture gown to her daughters wedding. Fashion is sentimental and all about stories. It’s these experiences that make my job amazing.

What makes this job difficult, and when I end up questioning my happiness the most, is when the people I’m interacting with create a block between me and what makes the work important. When people are impatient or rude, when someone makes a negative comment about second-hand clothing, or when I have to set explicit boundaries around my time when people disrespect it. My mom, who runs the shop with me, always says that it takes 10 positive encounters to undo 1 negative encounter, and that we should aim to change that within ourselves. It is an active choice to allow the trials and tribulations of working in customer service get under my skin, and I have learned steadily how to brush things off and stick to my values. But as I’m sure we can all relate to, some days that just doesn’t feel possible. Just the other day I experienced a first that I will never forget. A client spoke to me in such a way that I ended up having a panic attack in front of them, a complete stranger, in the middle of my own store. I do this work to make a positive difference and to celebrate a collective love of fashion with a community who are generally quite supportive. When things like this happen, it makes me question why I do this job at all, which is a real shame. It can be difficult to connect with the overwhelmingly positive impact the second-hand industry has on the planet and the fact that every day I am actively diverting waste from landfills when someone is upset about the price of a pair of Jimmy Choos. There is an absolute disconnect there that weighs down on me and makes me think about what it would be like to work solely in the non-profit sector, or work in second-hand in a city where people appreciate it more. And one day I’ll likely answer those questions, when I move on from this phase into the next. For now, sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I never faltered when people try to take advantage of me or corner me into situations where I surrender to whatever they want just out of sheer discomfort. I wonder how people would respond if I said things like “no, that’s not how our shop works” or “I don’t have the capacity to take this on right now” or even – “this is priced to reflect fair market value and to keep our small business running”. I wonder how it would impact our success, and possibly change my level of happiness. Because I am happy, regardless of the hard parts of my job. I enjoy the work I do putting clothing into the lives of people who will love and cherish them. At the end of the day being a part of the world of resale is an honour.

I’m not sure I will ever be the type of person meant to hold a ‘regular job’. Running this business with what feels like near total freedom is not something I take for granted. And doing it with the unwavering support of my family and friends allows me to feel strong no matter what obstacles get tossed my way.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Emily McKay, I’m the owner of Most Wanted Luxury Resale. At Most Wanted, we are here to bring the world of luxury fashion to Kelowna, BC in the most sustainable & ethical way possible. Our pieces are always pre-loved and always in immaculate condition, though we do celebrate the odd scuff here and there. Every garment has a story to tell. We believe in extending the life of luxury by cherishing the history of a garment, and happily writing it a new story. .
We should all be able to build our dream wardrobes without furthering the unjust impacts of the fashion industry on both people and our planet. First and foremost, we are here to fight against the machine of overproduction, do our part to create a more sustainable, circular industry, and look exquisite in the process.

I’m a born and raised Canadian, but also call London, England my second home. I began my journey in the sustainable fashion landscape after working in photoshoot production in London. I had the privilege of working with luxury brands and magazines such as Vogue, Bottega Veneta, and Interview Magazine. These experiences opened my eyes to the expansive cultural importance of fashion. I realized I wanted to do something to make a positive difference in the industry I’ve always loved.
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Since coming home to Canada, I have learned about the horrifically unethical practices that happen behind the glamorous closed doors of this industry. I am now a Community Organizer for the non-profit Remake, fighting for fair pay in the clothing industry and to make the fashion industry a force for good. I am also the founder of Rising, an education-based social enterprise dedicated to creating teaching resources on society’s most prevalent issues, like fashion sustainability! I am a stylist dedicated to only working with pre-loved clothing and am about to enter my 3rd year of #NoNewClothes. While advocacy has become a growing passion, I remain a luxury fashion nerd.

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

Building personal relationships has been the most vital part of growing our clientele. Even when we operate online, through social media and ecommerce, we’ve found it’s still possible to have personal connections with clients flourish no matter the medium. I like responding to people directly, personally mentioning something from a conversation we had, asking how a previous purchase is working out, sending photos of pieces I think they might love. I have clients who have become friends because we approach everything we do in store from a personal angle and really value developing those close and trusting connections with our clients. This has been what encourages clients to spread the word about our business to their own personal networks. We rely primarily on word of mouth and social media to grow our clientele, so creating those connections in a way that makes people want to promote your business for you is exactly what we aim for.

How’d you meet your business partner?

The day I was born! I work and run the business with my mom and older brother. It’s not always the easiest thing to work with your family, but to pros greatly outweigh the cons. We support one another and simultaneously hold one another accountable every day and I couldn’t do this without them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mostwantedresale.com/
• Instagram: @mostwanted_luxuryresale
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MostWantedResale
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.ca/biz/most-wanted-luxury-resale-kelowna

Image Credits
Photo 1 – Emily with local designer Julian Bontorin, shot on film by Miranda @mmmrandy. The rest are shot by Grant Robinson