Today we’d like to introduce you to Caley Powers
Hi Caley, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I bought my embroidery machine in May 2020 from a fellow small business owner who was purchasing a bigger machine for herself and no longer needed the model she currently had. I had always had an interest in embroidery, my aunt had a business in the DFW area and I always loved getting to see her work. When I saw this girl’s post, it was the beginning of COVID, and I working from home with a 6 month old, so naturally I though, why not? Haha. I had NO CLUE what I was doing. I watched a lot of YouTube and learned a lot by trial and error. After I got the basics down I started making gifts for friends and family and fell in love with their excitement of receiving personalized gifts. Initially I thought it could just be a hobby, but after a lot of encouragement I decided to start my small business in March 2021 (about 2 weeks from my daughters due date). I figured why not add to the crazy haha.
It was a very slow start because I was still learning the ends and outs of embroidery, plus learning how to run a business, but after time I started to find my groove. It took a lot of learning and growing my expectations for what I thought my business would be, but it’s been such a fun journey!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh lord no. First of all, I started my business right before my daughter was born (and I had a 17 month old at home) during the tail end of the global pandemic. Time was limited at first so I really had to learn to do things during the small cracks of time in my day. Time management is still something I have to work through when I get busy with orders. Even though my kids don’t need as much constant attention, life gets busy with work, family and things so there are always going to be those late nights/early morning.
Learning to know my worth (as far as pricing goes) was a big struggle at first. I almost loathed when people questioned the pricing of items because I hated the thought of losing clients to the cost of items. I wanted to show them what I could do, and it was tough when I had people ghost me after I told them what an item cost. With the economy the way it is, it’s often tough to spend extra, so I try to make sure I am being as fair as possible to my clients, while still being able to make a profit.
One of the biggest struggles though has been learning to say no to things. When I started I wanted to be everyone’s go-to embroiderer, so I would say yes to projects that would either not work with my style of machine or take rush orders just to prove I could get things done. It got me in trouble a few times (like when I ruined a $60+ client provided sweatshirt that ended up costing me almost double to replace and have rushed to a client, all for it to not arrive before Christmas). I’ve really had to teach myself that sometimes the stress/risk isn’t worth it in the long run.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I offer personalized embroidered clothing and gifts. I offer all sorts of items ranging from baby gifts to youth/adult clothing to monogrammed linens. I really enjoy making custom gifts to fit each person.
I think what sets me a part is the amount of personalization I currently do. A lot of businesses offer a set design, and will tweak things here and there, sometimes at a cost. Since I am a little smaller I allow more customization, want a specific color, let’s do it! Don’t love a font, I’ll switch it out! I try to be flexible so it’s something that’s perfect for you or the person you’re gifting it to.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Luckily I have an aunt who owns an embroidery business. She is much larger than I currently am but I go to her with questions on products, pricing, etc. She helped tremendously in the beginning because I could ask her about threads, stabilizers and different vendors. It helped me navigate the world in the beginning.
My biggest piece of advice that’s worked for me is meeting people who have my style of machine. I often reach out to embroiders on Instagram and just ask how they deal with certain items, requests, etc. if you don’t know someone personally look for groups whether it’s Facebook, hobby groups or searching the internet. I’ve joined a few groups on Facebook and learn new things constantly when it comes to embroidery and running a business.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @clpmonograms
- Facebook: @clpmonograms
Image Credits
Headshot is FotosbyJoan
