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

Whitney, appreciate you joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

Saved by Grace Co. began in the fall of 2016. After years of dreaming of running my own creative business, I took the plunge. I quit a successful corporate career in pursuit of my entrepreneurial dream and what I felt to be a calling. As a single mom, I was keenly aware of the risks if things didn’t work out, but I was also aware of my faith and hard work and determination. Despite having no sales experience, I decided to wholeheartedly trust that God was in control. He called me to go forward and embrace the unknown and I quit my job!

Whitney, 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?

I am a 35 year old mom and business owner who just decided to go for it! When I first started, I was determined to learn everything. As a business owner of 6 years, I have gotten hundreds of questions how I do things, my practices, vendors, etc. One thing I can say that I am proud of is that from the start, I have invested in myself in all aspects,. Finances and time are necessary to build a business, instead of trying to find a quick way to make money or market yourself. I failed, tried new things, rotated products to see what would work, all while staying true to myself and mission. I am proud to say that I have self-financed my entire business from the beginning – from making $0 to six figures, I still run the business off of what I have in the bank, never using a loan, making sure to work with what I have. It’s important to me to be financially aware no matter how many sales come in.

Saved by Grace Co. is multi-dimensional in the sense that I don’t just sell products. I share my testimonies and everyday life as a mother through creativity and transparency. It’s also where you’ll get a glimpse inside what a down to earth, far from perfect human being really looks like when trying to grow spiritually in Christ. It’s so important to me to provide a “safe” and welcoming environment for all who come in contact with SBG Co., regardless of their religious status. I want to foster an environment of inclusivity, contrary to what some may have felt with other Christians or religious entities.

As the owner of Saved by Grace Co., I design all of our items in the shop, keeping things true to the mission.

I want people to know that by shopping with me, you’re supporting a mom, a family and someone who decided to follow their calling and most importantly helping me spread positivity through our products.

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

I’ll never forget the lack of finances after I quit my job. The only money I had coming in were from the small amount of sales I was making. When I first started, most sales were coming from people I personally knew and/or people they knew. I didn’t have a large following/outreach on social media, any marketing experience and when I first started, I had smaller profit margins because I used a vendor to print my apparel. My profit margins were also much lower because I was still learning, making LOTS of mistakes and spending money doing so!

I remember walking into the grocery store in 2017 – Aldi to be exact with only $14 in my bank account. I needed this money to feed us for the next few days. I remember counting the items I purchased and it took me back to a time years before the corporate world, when I relied on government assistance to feed my daughter and I. I knew I didn’t have to do this anymore, but I also knew that I had to make this business work and reach as many people as I felt God calling me to reach, even if that meant we had less.

As scary as a time that way, I was resilient. I could have called my former boss to ask for my job back. I could have easily went back to work. But I never stopped. I never gave up. I never quit. I had faith in what I truly felt called to do.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Instagram and Facebook has been a way for me to connect! I’m able to use social media as a means to connect with people from all over. I think I have been able to truly find my people by sharing my testimonies. Whether good or bad, it’s important to me to be transparent with my following so that they know in many situations they are not alone. We have too many “perfect” accounts to follow. I want to be one that someone can relate to and say, “me too” and can be inspired through me, my experiences as a business owner and mother.

Contact Info:

• Website: savedbygraceco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savedbygrace.co/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/savedbygracecoshop

Image Credits
Erica Aaron Photography