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

Iana , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Being successful will automatically come with some failures. You can have the perfect road map or example of how to do it but that no one’s journey is going to be the same. Success can be for everyone, it’s all about not giving up. Don’t give up and learn from your mistakes because they will happen. Dedication is required to be successful. You have to be dedicated to whatever it is you are doing because it won’t happen overnight, and it’ll get rough. It could be days or weeks until you get back right, setbacks happen, nothing is perfect. Having a successful mindset is important too. Success is not all about making a lot of money because money comes and goes, plenty of people know how to get up and make money but how will you make your money grow and work for you? Success is not as hard as people make it seem. Its finding something you love or that your good at and sticking to it no matter what. Always be a student, grow your mindset, and practice discipline. If you do that then success is bound to come.

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 am a small business owner of a Brie Elaine, an online women’s clothing brand. I stepped into the fashion industry straight out of high school. I always loved how fashion made me feel and I enjoyed the idea of being able to express different sides of my personality through my style. I initially went to college for fashion in Atlanta and ever since then I knew I wanted to keep my roots in fashion, but I wasn’t sure how. Years later, I put my biggest foot forward and decided to go into business as a boutique owner. My clothing brand caters to the confident women who love to dress unapologetically while still giving graceful and tasteful style. The thing I am most proud of is just having the courage to start! Had I never started, I would have never known the strengths that I have and the value of my own potential. Becoming an entrepreneur and a small business owner has changed my mind set and given me a totally different outlook on life. When you hold the path of your own success in the palm of your hands and have the responsibility of your future to protect, you really understand the value of hard work.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

One book I’ve read and recommend others reading is ‘The Four Agreements’ by Don Miguel Ruiz. Often times people question and doubt their own success in their minds well before they even try. We have to stop counting ourselves out mentally and believe that we have the potential and ability to do whatever we want, and that we can be successful at it. This book teaches you how to conquer your mind and change the way you speak to yourself. It teaches you how to be free in your mind and think limitless and this is based on four simple agreements that we can adapt to and incorporate into our daily lives.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

For the clothing industry, my best source of new clients comes from my previous clients, word of mouth. My clothing is bound to spark a conversation or at least a compliment and a spark of interest. Another good source has been Instagram. Having a presence on Instagram has allowed me to reach clients in other countries and appeal to a whole new audience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brieelaine.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ianacrane
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iana.gibson.3/
• Other: https://tiktok.com/@thequeen3522

Image Credits
slingshot photography atl for headshots