Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stella Guan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Stella, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

If I start over again, I hope to find a co-founder faster. I started both of my companies solo and now have co-founders which proved to be instrumental in fueling growth and getting the company onto the right track. The flip side is that it is almost impossible to identify a cofounder immediately just because you want to. It’s really similar to dating – you can look and look but if the stars are not aligned the right person won’t appear.

I found my co-founder for my design school when I wasn’t trying to find one at all. She reached out to me because she saw me on LinkedIn and thought our experiences and goals align, which I agreed but I was super cautious not to rush into anything. We are both aligned on that front and decided to take our time to test out our compatibility through a series of questionnaires and implement a trial working period to make sure we actually work together. I am so glad we did because it turns out we work perfectly and complement each other in terms of skill sets.

On the other hand, founding the company solo does have its benefits, initially, because I had to force myself to learn all kinds of skillsets that I would otherwise not have to if I had help. So looking back. I think the ideal setup would be to build some foundation on your own and start identifying co-founders if you can as soon as possible, but make sure to vet them thoroughly through a series of processes to make sure you actually work well together not just in theory.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a designer by trade – I design graphics, websites, branding and marketing materials for global clients before discovering my passion in furniture design. I launched two separate companies for the two worlds of my interests – a design school called Path Unbound (https://www.pathunbound.com) and a furniture brand called Bezier Home (https://www.bezierhome.com).

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

For my design school, the most effective way of growing our enrollment is content creation. It sounds cliche but content creation really does work if you create high-quality ones that resonate with your audience. We have found that most students found us out this way and the ones who already love our content tend to convert because they are already persuaded.

We make sure our content is refreshing and non-cliche – there are many of the same advices throughout the industry that people are tired of hiring. We offer different and often brutally honest perspectives in our content which people find refreshing and genuine, which we are.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

For my furniture business, Bezier Home, I thought it wasn’t going to happen because production alone took 2 long years with numerous mishaps. From factories promising the world to us and wasting months of our time not delivering what they promised to delivering products that are subpar in quality, I learned to have much more appreciation for other stores that sell physical products and deal with shipping day in and day out. As a customer, I used to expect a lot from people I get services from. After I experience all the challenges of being a small business owner, I became a lot more understanding because I now know how supply chains work.

I pushed through the process and never gave up which finally paid off as I was able to launch my first collection last summer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stellaguan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stella.guan
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stellaguan
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/stellaguan
• Other: https://www.pathunbound.com https://www.bezierhome.com

Image Credits
All images shot by Kalynne Schoelen