Today we’d like to introduce you to Karon Reed.
Karon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always had a love for fashion. People in grade school, on campus or strangers would always compliment me on my outfits. I like how you can take different pieces, put them together and create any look you want. So back in May I had a lot of free time due to the quarantine and I thought, “this would be the perfect time to try something new.” That led to the idea of “what if I learned to sew and actually created something good enough to wear.” I was determined so I bought a sewing machine, watched a bunch of YouTube videos and the rest was history.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. There’s a lot that goes into starting a business, especially when you want to do everything on your own. I had to make sure that all of my ducks were in a row and that everything was legit. I am currently minoring in Business Administration, so that helped when it came to knowing the basics. Knowing how much to invest and the legalities of starting a business were struggles I faced. I had to do a lot of research and made phone calls and it all ended up working out. I also faced internal struggles like “what if no one likes what I make.” Eventually that worry faded away because my faith was too strong to doubt myself.
Thirteen Ninety – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Thirteen Ninety is a clothing line. We aim to amplify the beauty and confidence that already lies within each and every individual. Each item is handmade by me and I believe that’s what sets me apart from others. I am most proud of all the love and support my business has gotten, it’s more than I could imagine. The fact that people actually like and want to be seen in something I created is still crazy to me. I am so grateful!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My consistency. That means consistency in work ethic, prayer and faith. Had I given up when things got rocky, I wouldn’t be doing this interview and there would be no Thirteen Ninety. I’ve accepted that nothing in life is easy but if you keep going, sooner or later you’ll figure out how to adapt, overcome and succeed. I’m not scared to fail at something. I use those failures to improve and try again another way, but most importantly I don’t let them stop me. I keep going until I get what I want.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thirteenninety.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/shopthirteenninety
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