Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carrie Sporer, Co-Founder of SWAIR, located in New York, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
SWAIR makes time-saving hair care for people who work out with clean, high-quality ingredients. Our customers are a mix of active women, busy moms, and people who are unable to wash their hair in the shower for medical reasons.
Tell us about yourself
I met my co-founder Meredith while training for the NYC marathon. We were frustrated that we needed to wash our hair after every run. The dry shampoo didn't work on our very sweaty hair, so we set out to develop a product that could effectively clean sweaty hair quickly, and SWAIR was born. Our motivation is to help people streamline their get-ready routine so they can spend more time being active.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is maintaining a growth mindset during the entrepreneurial journey. As a beauty industry outsider, I am well aware that "you don't know what you don't know." I have learned so much by asking questions, being flexible, and living by the mantra "everything is figure-out-able."
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
When you become an entrepreneur, you give up a "9 to 5" for a 24/7. It has been difficult to flip the switch between work and non-work times because you are always thinking about your business, especially when you have a website that is selling all the time. I am continually trying to improve and making boundaries between work time and family time, but it is definitely an evolution.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Just start. There will never be a perfect time or economic environment.
- Fail fast. Be open to trying new things, but if the data shows that you aren't getting the results you hoped for, don't wait to make the change. We worked with some freelancers that weren't the right fit, and we spent a lot of time and money hoping things would improve instead of making changes that could have improved our business.
- Expect it to be harder than you thought. There will be amazing days and terrible days, but if you expect the ups and downs, they won't discourage you.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.swairhair.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swairhair/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swairhair/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriesporer/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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