We recently connected with Sydney Rumsey and have shared our conversation below.

Sydney, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

In 2023, already halfway through my junior year of college, I changed my major from film production to fashion-business management, which has been the most life-changing decision I’ve ever made. But attending school for more than 4 years was not an option for me. So I was tasked with the challenge of catching up on 70 credits to complete my new degree, with only 3 semesters left, potentially risking not receiving my degree at all. While I admired the art of filmmaking, and still do, I knew I wanted to start a business as a fashion stylist. I constantly found myself sitting in film classes imagining a different future for myself, so I decided it was now or never.

I’ve always had a love for fashion and the platform for self-expression that it provides. I also love sports; I was an athlete myself growing up, alongside some of my closest friends who have gone on to play collegiately, so I found a way to merge my love for all three: fashion, sports, and friendship. In November of 2024, I started my business, Sydney Alana Stylez, as a personal stylist, particularly for athletes. I have since been able to style my first client for the entirety of their college basketball season and will continue to work with them throughout their professional career, which is a dream come true. I can also gladly say, about 26 classes and a lot of stressful nights later, I managed to complete all of my credits and will be graduating this May 2025. So it was all well worth the risk.

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

My name is Sydney, and I’m a fashion stylist. I’m also a senior at Arizona State University-FIDM, pursuing my degree in fashion-business management. The intersection of the fashion and sports industries is ever-growing, and a few of my closest friends are currently collegiate athletes, which inspired me to develop my personal styling business, Sydney Alana Stylez. I work primarily with athletes, specializing in streetwear fashion looks and offering personal shopping, wardrobe styling, and special event styling services. Self-confidence and authenticity are two of my biggest business values, as these are topics people commonly struggle with, myself included. So it is my goal to ensure all of my clients look and feel their best. This is especially important as a stylist working with athletes, as confidence is a key factor in how you play.

Overall, I’m just grateful to express my creativity and do what I love for a living.

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

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been cold calling (or rather, messaging). Simply reaching out to people to ask if they need or are interested in working with me as their personal stylist has gotten me a few different clients and connections. It can be slightly intimidating at times, but you have to put yourself out there to see growth in your business. They may be interested, or they may not, but you truly never know what someone might say, so it is worth a try. Even if they say no, there’s a chance they might refer you to another client or keep you in mind for the future. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by simply asking.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Piggybacking off of my strategy for growing clientele, a lesson that I had to unlearn is not to take rejection personally. There have been times when I reached out to offer my styling services to someone, and they weren’t interested. Rejection is inevitable. But it’s not a reflection of your potential or capabilities, and 9 times out of 10, it actually has nothing to do with you. It’s important to know your value and what you bring to the table as a business, so when you do experience rejection, you can brush it off and move on to the next opportunity. A phrase I like to keep in mind is “rejection is redirection.”

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @sydney_alana & @sydneyalanastylez

Image Credits

Abdul Mirza – Simple Visualz