Global Attic, A Year in Review
With less than two months left in 2018, I wanted to reflect on the whirlwind year Global Attic has had. So, in this blog post I’ll share some of our incredible highlights as well as some of the gut-checking lowlights that made me question the future of this business. I’ll also let you know what I did to turn things around. Additionally, I’ll share our plans for closing out the year, and as a bonus I’ll even give you a heads up on a few of our plans for 2019. So, let’s get to it!
Honestly, this year didn’t start well for Global Attic. For the first four months, it felt like I was spinning my wheels with little to no return on my emotional, spiritual, physical and financial investment in the company. Despite my best efforts, very little of our merchandise was selling. On top of the lack of sales, it seemed like anything that could go wrong, went wrong. Merchandise arrived damaged or low in quality. An upholsterer who we had hired to make custom items ran off with our money and materials. Our seamstress disappeared for weeks. On the rare occasion that something did sell, most of the profits were lost to exorbitant shipping costs. We had production issues as we couldn’t seem to produce our collections quickly enough to align with the various seasons. If that wasn’t bad enough, we let an opportunity to close a wholesale deal with a bigger, more established brand, slip through our fingers. It was a lot to bear.
As a result of these woes, my confidence had taken a beaten. It felt like Global Attic had one foot in the grave and the other on a piece of ice. I started to wonder if it was time to abandon my dream and reactivate my job search. However, I refused to give up. I had invested too much. So, I forged ahead.
I really wasn’t clear on what to do to save things, but I knew I had to do something fast! That is when the Universe responded to my silent, but desperate plea for help in the form of an Instagram video ad. The ad was for Sassy Jones Boutique, a brand that sells jewelry and other fashion accessories with a global aesthetic from far-flung places like Kenya and India. The ad featured the company’s Founder Charis Jones gleefully modeling the jewelry. I thought it was a cool way to market the brand and product. I clicked on the ad, and it took me to the website where I read Charis Jones’ story. It resembled mine in that she had also found the courage to leave her career in order to pursue her passion full-time. She wrote about her challenges and accomplishments.
Charis Jones, Founder of Sassy Jones Boutique, modeling jewelry from her brand.
After reading her story, I felt inspired and motivated. I was also excited to learn that Charis would be speaking about her success in April, at an Atlanta business conference called Spark & Hustle 2018. The event was being hosted by business coach Aprille Franks-Hunt (Epic Aprille). The speaker lineup included Epic Aprille, Lamar Tyler, Tory Johnson of Good Morning America’s Deals segment and Charis Jones. At the time, I was only slightly familiar with Tory Johnson. However, I bought a ticket to attend the conference anyway. I was convinced that this was the shot in the arm my business needed.
The Spark & Hustle 2018 conference produced and hosted by Epic Aprille. #gamechanger
Not only did I purchase a ticket to the conference, I paid extra for the VIP Trailblazer option!
Spark & Hustle 2018 was a game changer for me. From the energy emanating from the entrepreneurs who attended to the speakers and content they shared with us, I felt refueled and ready to hustle harder than ever to make Global Attic a success! I recall Epic Aprille telling us that we had to “Show up and be present in our businesses.” The concept seems basic, but those words were powerful. This advice, in concert with all of the other great information I learned there, motivated me to become a more aggressive and more visible brand ambassador for Global Attic. I could no longer hide behind the figurative curtain and hope that people would care enough to buy expensive products from someone who they didn’t know from a can of paint. . . Return next week the conclusion!
Kabria, Founder
Global Attic LLC, Exotic Home Decor
