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

Nicole, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I love being a business owner!!! Believe me it can be challenging at times, with school, work, and balancing social life. As n entrepreneur you have to wear so many hats; you’re the owner, the marketing team, the production team, logistics, shipping, receiving, cashier, sales associate, etc. It gets overwhelming, there are times when I think about it being too much. But then I realize my passion for design and how much I truly enjoy making garments and being able to create something bigger than myself.

Over the summer I worked a full-time corporate internship in New York city. I loved every second of it, I learned so much about design and the fashion industry in such a short period of time. But on the other hand I got a real taste of corporate America. I had to get up everyday Monday through Friday and spend 8-9 hours of my day working for someone else. I understand that this is reality and possibly my future, that one day I will wake up and give 40+ hours a week to someone else’s company. I was born with lots of work ethic and I love the hustle; I put 110% in anything that I commit to. But after spending the Summer as a working woman, I realized that this is not how I want to spend the rest of my adult life. Knowing that I could easily spend 8 hours a day on my own business and if I had the time and ability to do that, I know that my business will eventually become successful. If I had that kind of time, but time is something you can’t have when you work a 9 to 5 for someone else everyday.

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 Nicole Scott. I’m 21 years old, born and raised in Louisville,Ky. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve always wanted to become a fashion designer. I began taking sewing lessons at 15 and fell in love with sewing ever since. I started my clothing brand Nicole Scott, Inc. in 2021 when I was accepted into the Russell Tech Business Incubator. At Nicole Scott we provide men’s and women’s ethically produced clothing and accessories. All pieces are handmade by myself or locally manufactured in Cincinnati, OH. Everything is made in small batches to reduce over-production. What makes NS so special is that everything we produce is locally made and we are striving to produce as little waste as possible. Creating small batches limits the quantity of a certain style, allowing our designs to remain unique. We reuse deadstock and scrap fabric to create new garments and accessories, keeping textile waste out of landfills. Our mission is to bring people together through unity. We like to promote positivity and kindness to allow our customers to feel confident and included.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Nicole Scott would’t be possible without the AMPED Russell Tech Business Incubator. This incubator founded by Dave Christopher in Louisville,KY for minority business owners in Louisville. They provide everything fro mentorship, resources, connections, and funding for local entrepreneurs. I was accepted into this program in 2021 and was able to launch my website and produce my first clothing line through the incubator. The RTBI also provides connections to investors and provides many opportunities for pitch competitions. As ab RTBI participant I received a grant from Render Capitol and the Louisville Urban League which has been such an amazing resource for me and it has truly helped get my business off the ground.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

One of the things I’ve struggled with as a business owner is marketing and getting my name out there. Thankfully social media has been a wonderful and inexpensive tool to promote my business and reach my target audience. It took some time to develop my current following. A lot of it has come from having quality content to post, as well as a variety of posts like videos, professional photos, ADs, photoshoots, campaigns, and behind the scenes footage. I’ve made sure to utilize all outlets oof social media, even though instagram has been most successful, I still try to find engagement on other apps like Youtube and Facebook. I think one of the best tips for building a social media audience is posting consistently. Even when business is slow, it’s still good to still show people what you’re up to, or what your day-to-day life as an entrepreneur is. I would also say to make sure that you (as in the owner) has a strong presence on the brand page. Customers nowadays want to know who is behind the brand and who they are supporting. My last tip of advice would be don’t use social media as just a “product page” obviously it can be and it SHOULD have product images but I like to have a 50/50 balance of product images and other content. For example: flyers, videos, customer appreciation posts, behind the scenes, production photos/videos, events, contests, care tips, style tips, etc.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nicolescottinc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolescott_inc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopnicolescott/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-scott-7342611a2/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicolescottinc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr0sef6aAURgfjayB8z8rRA

Image Credits
Taris Smith Photography (Event Photos) Candice Gentry Photography ( ECOMM photos)