Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sacha Jammu, designer, and owner of French Accent Design, located in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My primary business is Event Design and Styling. There are many avenues and lanes in the industry: weddings, celebrations, corporate events, kid's birthdays, birthday parties, brand shoots and launches, fashion shows. We've also done property styling and staging on vacant properties. Future services will include set design, surface design, and a dive into creative illustrations. I have always loved to sketch and draw, so I am moving toward integrating more of my art into my projects.
My customers are people that love unique and personalized events. They have a love for details and pizzas! The goal is to fashion the space we're in, but more than that, I want to curate an atmosphere tailored to my client and their guests. Each project is a balancing act between the client's creative mind and mine.
Tell us about yourself
As a child, I have always loved putting on a show, whether it was in the living room for the family or creating a Halloween haunted maze for the kids at school. In kindergarten, I had the opportunity to act in the community theater. I was in awe of everything that was happening behind the scenes and all the steps it took to create a "spectacle" (French for show) for our little town. That feeling was only enhanced when later in life, I visited Disney World for the first time. I was completely mesmerized by the magic and always wondered what was going on behind the scenes. Magic is taking an empty space and adding colors, decorations, smells, sounds, and voilà. You can create a completely different world.
One of my biggest motivations is seeing a project from conception to realization. I love living that journey with my clients and then giving their guests a unique, fun, and possibly unexpected experience.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
One of my biggest accomplishments is being a mom of three and still taking on clients and projects. There have been so many times that I felt completely drained, but the projects and clients have kept me going. Some of my other accomplishments would be: Being featured in Adesigned magazines working with a local designer on a fashion show and their brand launch, and designing my own wallpaper.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the biggest challenges has been to be profitable in a creative industry. It's tough to put a dollar amount on a service, especially when it may look like everything just happens easily. There is a story of a woman who approached Picasso and asked him to sketch something on a napkin. Picasso complied and then said, "That will be $10,000." "But you did that in thirty seconds," the woman replied. "No," Picasso said. "It has taken me forty years to do that."
Another difficult thing for me personally would be anything with the numbers side, accounting, etc. It's just not enjoyable for me, but I have learned that it is critical for a business, so I am striving to improve in this area.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Determine your goals and do they fall into the category of financial motivation or passion-driven. Once you know that, find a niche that aligns with that direction or goal.
- Volunteer, learn, learn, learn and find a mentor.
- Work your little butt off.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Comparison is the thief of Joy — President Theodore Roosevelt.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://frenchaccentdesign.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frenchaccentdesign/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frenchaccentdesign
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sacha-jammu-02337755/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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