Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey. It is crucial to surround yourself with like-minded founders and mentors who can provide you with the right resources and advice to set you up for success. This feeling of isolation is especially true for women-identifying entrepreneurs, who face additional barriers on their entrepreneurial journey, such as receiving less funding than their male-identifying counterparts.
In partnership with BDC, we spoke to women-identifying entrepreneurs from across Canada to speak about their unique journeys and the importance of community support in entrepreneurship.
Meet Sam Fleshman-Carlick, founder of Simply Significants
What is your elevator pitch to the world? How does it improve the lives of customers?
Sam Fleshman-Carlick is the founder of Simply Significants, a series of online and in-person workshops that provide participants with opportunities to learn and refine traditional skills while making friends in a safe environment. From moccasins to wrap arounds, keychains and hairclips, individuals come together to learn how to make traditional handmade items and leave with a newfound sense of confidence, pride, and achievement in their new skills.
What is the “why” behind what you do?
I started my business because I wanted a job that provided me with the flexibility to stay home and take care of my kids. It started with me selling my art, but after I taught my first workshop, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. I wanted to help people learn new skills and build a business that my children could be proud of.
What is your big hairy audacious goal (BHAG) of how you will change the world?
My goal is to create a community hub and studio space where artists can come to connect, do their art, and participate in our workshops.
What has been your biggest challenge in building your business, and what solutions have you found to overcome that challenge?
My biggest challenge in building my business has been figuring out how to do it all. I’ve become a part-time photographer, bookkeeper, web designer, artist, teacher, and more. And on top of all of that, I have to balance that with being a mother and wife. I’m still working on knowing my limits, setting priorities, and knowing when to ask for help.
How do you stay on top of industry/marketing trends?
Since moccasin workshops are a smaller niche market, the primary way I stay on top of trends is by collecting feedback from my participants. I always look to find ways to improve the workshops and deliver them more effectively. I also take time to scroll through social media to see if there are trends in other industries that I can apply to my space.
Are you more of a doer or a dreamer?
I am definitely a dreamer! I always have so many ideas but sometimes struggle to prioritize all of the tasks to complete the follow through. I am working on being more of a doer!
How has being a part of a startup support organization helped you grow?
My startup community has connected me to an incredible group of founders and mentors! It is great to bounce ideas off of other founders and learn from one another.
What is a piece of advice that you wish you had known before you started?
It is ok not to know what you are doing. Entrepreneurship is all about testing and learning. You have to be unafraid to just go out there and try something out! Then you can collect feedback and decide if you need to pivot. It is ok to make mistakes along the way as long as you’re learning from them.
Where is the best place for individuals to go to learn more about you and your business?
You can check out our website: https://simplysignificants.com/ or our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/simplysignificants.