We recently connected with Lakisha Clark and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Lakisha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?
I started becoming attracted waistbeads in 2018. I was gifted a pair and wondered if I could make them too. I loved the way they made me feel and the purpose I had for them that I wanted to implement that same reason and create on my own. Then decided if others would want to buy them from me. So in 2019, I posted a pair I made on Facebook and a classmate reached out wanting to buy some. I was so excited but so nervous because at that moment I didn’t think about the presentation of them.
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?
So as I stated earlier I loved they way the waistbeads made me feel. I felt sexy and confident and not to mention it allowed me to keep track of my weight loss. When I sold my first pair of waistbeads to my classmate, I apologized about the basic packaging, which was just a brown paper gift bag; and told her that I’m going to work on the packaging. She pulled the beads out the bag and handed the bag back to me. Told me to not to focus on that. Just create my products. After that day, I did exactly that. And every time I would post some waistbeads I created it brought in followers and clients. I noticed that only certain type of women would wear them and I wanted every woman to feel how I felt in them. And while working in retail; a woman’s plus size store at that; it allowed me to use my marketing skills to show that plus size women can wear them as well! I believe every woman should feel beautiful no matter what size they are. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it’s so important to love yourself as you want others to love you. And at that moment is when I realized that’s my purpose. To inspire you to love you. And I think that’s what set me apart from everyone. Because I’ll encourage you to see your true beauty. My most proudest moment was when I had the opportunity to sell my merchandise at a community event and sold more then what I anticipated. I ended up staying longer then the event was held due to such a large request from ladies wanted to purchase a pair of waistbeads and allowing me to tie it on them. Now I’m exploring selling my waistbeads on Etsy which is very challenging I might add. I’m struggling to find the balance of selling my craft (to eventually do it full time) and making waistbeads out of pure enjoyment. But giving up is not the answer.
What I want the people to know is if you truly love what you do then to just do it. The right people will eventually come along that will believe in your work and invest in it. But until then you must be willing to invest in it yourself. Read as much as you can and find as many venues as you can to showcase you. Stay authentic, be your own brand, stay focused and determined.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Something that I had to unlearn was listening to others give you reasons on why you can’t fulfill your dreams. Stop believing that you can’t just because they couldn’t. It caused me to get in my own way in the past. Started as a little girl wanting to become a dancer and her mother telling her that I couldn’t make a career out of it and believing her. Not realizing that if others could and have, why not me.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective way to grow my clientele is through vending at events that represents what I’m about. But don’t just do any vending gigs because you want to make sure you the event has the clientele you sell to.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadeByKish
- Instagram: WaistBeadsByKish
Image Credits
Lorenzo Wallace