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

Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How has Covid changed your business model?

I pivoted 3 times with my business model during the pandemic.

First, people were staying indoors so they weren’t buying clothes, so I started making face masks because there was a need for quality cloth face masks in adult and kid sizes. At first I started making them for a charity organization supplying mask for first responders. Once I listed them for sale in my Etsy shop the sales came pouring in. It was great to help people and have something productive to focus on while all of the craziness was going on. It helped me feel I was able to make a positive difference.

Second, since more people were staying inside I stumbled into content creation. We were all spending more time inside watching. I began documenting my natural hair journey because people were showing an interest in it, and third I also started soap making after watching an episode of ‘How it’s Made’. So not only did I shift my business model but started two new businesses in the process.

It’s really fulfilling to go through the process of mastering a craft. You learn patience, self-improvement and how to make a process your own. Then using the processes mastered to help others brings happiness. Definite fact that there is “more happiness in giving than there is in receiving”, I want to continue to inspire others to try new things and make the best of changed circumstances.

Nicole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi, my name is Nicole. I am an accountant turned experienced seamstress, soap maker, and full time content creator. I’ve learned that I like working from home on my own schedule where I’m able to make plenty of time for my family, friends, and spiritual routine.

I learned my love of sewing from my Mom and grandmothers. I took my 1st sewing class in high school to learn the basics, and I kept learning and growing in my craft. I make custom, made to measure women’s clothing. Who can relate to finding the perfect outfit at the store and it doesn’t fit? I aim to solve this problem by making unique, colorful, made to measure garments that make you stand out in a classy way.

I started soap making during the pandemic because I’ve always had sensitive skin and developed eczema and hormonal acne. I created Lavish Cocoa Bath and Body and started designing skin care products tailored to address those issues, like the Oatmeal Milk & Honey Bar or the Orange Turmeric Bar. I love creating quality products that look great, smell great, and make you feel beautiful.

Content creation came about from people inquiring in comments about my hair journey. I started creating videos to share my hair journey progress, and it grew from there. Now I create content full time across multiple platforms and regularly work with some amazing brands. I very proud to have a voice in representing tight curly natural hair care. Hair is such a personal thing, and when you look good you feel good. We learn from an early age things like hair needs to be trained or tamed. That is not necessarily true. Natural haircare is simple, and you can get consistent results of definition and hydration without trial and error, and 4c hair can have defined curls that last for a week or more. I’m happy to help others learn how! I love to hear feedback on how something I made helped you.

Being creative is so therapeutic for me. If things seem out of control, I can control how this garments turns out, or how this soap recipe turns out, or how this hair style turns out and continue to improve the process. Creativity helps give my life focus and, of course, Matthew 6:33.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

As I mentioned before, I’ve pivoted 3 times during the pandemic and before that I pivoted from accountant to seamstress. Pivoting can be scary, what if nobody likes what you’re doing, what if nobody buys anything, what if I’m not as good as I think I am. So many negative thoughts can go through your mind. Remember, your only competition is you. How can you differentiate yourself and make a unique product, process, storefront?

Find your unique voice in whatever point you are at in the creative process, keep company with those who fuel your creativity and inspire you to be better, keep learning and improving your craft, study the work of experts in your field, hire a coach to help you get to the next level, and the most important thing is to START. We all have to start somewhere. Pivoting doesn’t mean you completely leave behind everything you worked on before, but using skill all those skills and experiences to make the next phase successful. I still using my accounting training quite often managing my businesses.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

I mainly sell on Etsy. I like it because it is tailored towards small business owners especially with custom made items. I like the ease of starting a shop and creating listing. I like the wide range of options you can add to the drop down menus. The review feature is great for customers to leave feedback about their experience. It’s a great way for a small business owner to easily start a business and see if it’s something they want to do long term. The listing and transaction fees are minimal compared to other platforms. Cons: the ability to create a unique website

Contact Info:

• Website: www.adornedbynicole.com
• Instagram: @adornedbynicole
• Facebook: Adorned by Nicole
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@adornedbynicole
• Other: TikTok and Pinterest @adornedbynicole www.adornedbynicole.etsy.com

Image Credits
I own all the images.