Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Humphrey.
Hi Angela, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Since the time I can remember, as a little girl growing up in Austin, my mom Maria Dolores Resendiz worked designing and selling her small-batch clothing line, which artisans made in her hometown of Puerto Vallarta. After graduating from college, I had the opportunity to work at the Round Top antique show with my mom, selling her line. Those three weeks changed my life.
I had studied business management in college, and my final project was a business plan for my mom’s clothing business. I did the assignment for school but never imagined it would ever be a reality. However, after working three long weeks at the Round Top antique show, I knew I had a love and passion for the business. Having the opportunity to meet so many creative people from all over the world and being surrounded by other small business owners, from furniture dealers to interior designers. I realized this was an experience like no other.
After seeing that, I took an interest in the business, my mom generously offered to pass down her business of 25 years to me. She wanted to spend more time in her hometown of Puerto Vallarta to take care of my grandfather, who was in the last few years of his life. So she handed over the reins to me, and my life changed forever.
I was suddenly a small business owner with absolutely no experience. Yet, I look back over eight years later and am so grateful for the journey of growing my business and the experiences it has brought me. And more than anything, knowing that so many people enjoy the clothing brings me so much joy! I wear Honest Cotton almost every day of my life and am so proud of the quality products I have created with the help of my talented team of artisans around the world. You can now shop for Honest Cotton in stores worldwide and find us online at Honest-Cotton.com 24/7!
I love connecting with my customers at shows and on social media. I like to think I am not just creating this clothing line for myself but for all the women who live in their Honest Cotton. I have the most loyal, amazing customers, and I like to think of them as a massive community of friends. So many of my closest friends have come from this business, which is truly the most significant gift!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road since the beginning. Discovering all the different facets of being a business owner has been a never-ending learning experience, and I know I still have so much more to learn. In the early years of the business, I tried many different avenues, from trunk shows, farmers’ markets, craft shows, to trade shows, road sales, and sales reps. Every step of the journey taught me something different about the business that I am grateful for today. We have now built a team of women who help Honest Cotton sell worldwide online and in stores!
Some of our biggest struggles have been trying to do too much. When a business is small and you don’t have the funds to hire, you wear many hats, many of which are not your area of expertise. My biggest suggestion to new small business owners is to hire an accountant early on to save yourself a lot of confusion and unnecessary stress. I also recommend hiring someone to help with ads and marketing, or do what I did before I could afford to hire help and learn from podcasts and youtube videos! You can have the most brilliant product, but if people don’t know it exists, they can’t experience the joy of your product.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Honest Cotton is known for high-quality 100% cotton clothing. We have gorgeous handknit sweaters and cotton tops, dresses, and pants that will become an integral part of your wardrobe once you own them. More than just a clothing line, Honest Cotton has created a lifestyle of comfort and design.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I grew up visiting Houston for yearly tennis tournaments in the woodlands and have always had fond memories of my visits! I applied for the Houston Rodeo early in my business and was denied. Experiences like this are powerful because they teach you never to give up. I have gotten into some of my biggest stores by not giving up! But, sometimes, you must try and try again until you are ready. And usually, once you reach a business goal, you realize the timing happened for a reason because it probably took you to a new level of growth!
Contact Info:
- Website: honest-cotton.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/honestcotton
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/honestcotton
Image Credits
Ally Burnette
Damion Lloyd Photography
