How I Made a Quarter-Million in Clothing Sales starting with less than $100

It began in 2013, India. To be fair, I did not set out to create a clothing business on my first India trip. It was merely an adventure from the heart of a 25 year old, which began in 2010, and although I thought I'd be traveling for 6 months - it ended up being 4 years.

That's a whole other story you can listen to here.

Somewhere along the way, I began making feather earrings on the road, in order to pay for my travels. One pair of feather earrings sold to a hippie traveler earned me about $20 - and $20 could pay for a whole day's expenses.

Of course, back then I was much more willing to live a bit more "raw" - I could tell some stories! Like, flea-ridden bungalows, $1.50/night rooms with no A/C in the heat of May, cockroaches, and every mattress-stain you can imagine.

Today, thank fully I don't have to travel on such an extreme budget. But honestly, I'm grateful I could do it.

The adventure of being on a shoe-string budget takes you places you'd never imagine.

Like the time I landed in India with a total of $1 USD, met my boyfriend (also nearly broke), and trusted Life would provide. We ended up teaching a tantra group for an Israeli reality TV show which got us enough $$ to get up to the Himalayan plateau on his motorcycle, where we opened a yoga school.

Sometimes when you have too high standards, you miss out on magical, heartfelt moments, synchronicities, and connecting with locals in ways a 4- or 5- star hotel will never give you.  <-- Notes from the Blonde Vagabond!

Let me skip ahead a bit, and save the rest for another blog post --

 

Over time, I heard about a village in India where they have generation tailors. I already had a friend making clothes there. It was becoming a "thing". People my age were making money doing it.

And so I set out, with hardly anything to invest, and traveled on my own to this small town.

Within one week, I had walked up and down that village, spoken to about a dozen shops, whom I learned also ALL were actually show rooms for their REAL business - producing clothing.

I tested some designs with three difference tailors -

• The first one talked the entire hour without letting me hardly say a word. I'm not sure he understood my design at all. The sample came back exactly like what he already does and without my notes.
• The second one seemed really busy, and anxious to work with big buyers. I wasn't big, I was small. And when I stopped by to pick up the sample, they hadn't even done it yet. Time was running out.
• The third tailor sat and really listened to my design ideas. I showed him a zaful meditation pillow I wanted to make, along with some clothing items. He seemed to have the mind of an engineer, putting together the design as I spoke, in his head. We sat and had chai, talked about our families, and got to know each other. 

When I picked up the design from the 3rd tailor, it was perfect. The zipper, the raw silk, the clothing samples. Everything was exactly as he'd said. 

In addition, I was late to catch my train, which would take me to Delhi to fly home.

He picked me up from my hotel, drove me to the train station on his bike, designs in hand, so I'd make my train on time.  I paid him around $60 for his work - and the beginning of our working relationship was established.

He and I would go on to sell over a quarter million dollars worth of festival clothing together.  His daughter got married in an elaborate ceremony, and he built a new factory/warehouse.

Incredibly, our trust was so great, he would send me the order before asking for a cent. Once it arrived, I'd pay him in full. I never expect to find this again. His friends thought he was crazy, but I never missed a payment. Trust in a business relationship can create magic.

More importantly, we are still friends today. "Like family", he said recently about me.

This is how I started my clothing business which allowed me to keep traveling for 5 more years.

Of course, the market has changed, and fashion is a constantly evolving business. I consider myself having landed in a golden moment in the early days of the internet, facebook ads, etc.  

However, from my experience I can tell you it is totally possible to START SMALL.  Travel to the country first, make friends with producers. It is totally unnecessary to start with massive investment. 

Take the slow road... it's much more nourishing.