April Bowles of Blackburg Belle

April Bowles of Blacksburg Belle

What was your biggest fear when you started on your business?

That I would fail.

I think we all go through moments of panic that it just won’t work, and we have even more of these moments if we’re financially dependent on things working out. At first, I had a bad habit of comparing my business to other businesses and wondering if there was enough room for me or if it had already been done.

What were some of the things you did that helped overcome those fears?

I realized that it wasn’t productive to compare myself to anyone else. And, I also realized that there’s definitely more than enough to go around. Just because someone else is successful doesn’t mean there isn’t room for you, too. I pushed myself to get over my fear of failure and allowed room for failure. I told myself that if I failed, I’d learn from it and try again.

When I first started my business, I participated in a group coaching program and realized that everybody struggled with those same fears. That helped.

I’ve come to realize asking for help from others who have already travel down that road is not only helpful and informative but also builds very emotionally connected relationships. What advice would you give to those that are a little shy or afraid to reach out for help?

I don’t consider myself an incredibly shy person, but I have fear of rejection just like anyone else. You shouldn’t let that hold you back. Start small if you’re really afraid. Reach out to someone on Twitter where it’s easy and fast to respond or send an email to someone you’d like to connect with just to let them know that you appreciate what they’re doing. Don’t ask for anything right away—just connect.

Try it. It’s silly to reinvent the wheel, especially when there are people who are willing to show you how they did it, so you can do it, too. Remember to respect the person’s time. I get requests to give people free advice all the time. It’s the people who ask something that I can easily respond to and respect my time that I try to help. For instance, when someone asks me a quick question on Twitter, I always try to reply. When someone sends me an email request to review her blog for free and give her advice on how to make it better, I say no. I can’t spend two hours reviewing someone’s blog and giving them advice, because I’m running a business.

If you could give only one key advice to someone who is thinking about starting their own creative business, what would it be?

Ask yourself why you want to start a creative business. If the main reason is money or people say you should, you need to reevaluate. Even if you have an amazing product, there’s a learning curve which means that you probably won’t turn a profit for a little while. The money isn’t just going to roll in. You have to work really hard for it, and that’s not going to motivate you to keep working after dinner instead of watching reruns of Friends.

If you want to start a creative business because you’re incredibly passionate about it, you can figure everything else out. You’ll be motivated to learn how to promote your products and shop, connect with your customers, and work hard.

What is your favorite dessert?

If you asked me this question a little over a year ago, I would have said banana pudding made with real bananas, whipped cream, and vanilla wafers. Now, I’m vegan and gluten-free, so I’d have to say vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

Your favorite accessory?

Do shoes count? If so, I’d have to say a pair glittering silver pumps.

Something you absolutely do not like?

Cheap toilet paper.

One place you’ve never been but would love to go see?

Greece. I don’t know why, but I’ve wanted to go to Greece since childhood. Most kids dream of Disney World, and I dreamt of Greece.