Member Highlight: Autum of Autum Love

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS?

When I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter in 2016, I started planning my business. The cost of day care was high, and my job wasn’t paying enough, so I knew I wanted to become a stay-at-home mom. During my lunch break, I would watch YouTube videos and brainstorm ideas on how I could use my Fashion Design degree without starting a clothing line. After giving birth to my daughter, my postpartum journey inspired me to document my style journey and share it with others, and that’s when I finally started my business.

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST STRUGGLE WHEN STARTING OUT?

To be honest, my biggest struggle was lacking self-confidence in my work, especially since my business is in the fashion industry. I found myself constantly comparing myself to others, feeling like I had to dress or talk like them in order to be successful. It was a real challenge to break out of that mindset and believe in my own unique style and voice.

WHAT’S THE #1 THING YOU ATTRIBUTE TO GROWING YOUR BUSINESS?

My faith was my biggest attribute in overcoming the belief that I wasn’t enough or that good things only happen to certain people. It took a lot of work to change my thought process, but doing so helped me love who God created me to be. With this shift in mindset, I could see my vision clearly and became more consistent in pursuing it.

WHAT MINDSET SHIFTS HAVE YOU MADE TO SET YOUR BUSINESS UP FOR SUCCESS?

When it comes to building my business, I used to think that I had to follow someone else’s path to achieve success. But I had to change my mindset and realize that there are multiple paths to success, just like the many streets you can take to get to a destination in Chicago. So now, I focus on finding the route that works best for me and my business goals.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST BUSINESS LESSON LEARNED?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in business is to have a clear mental picture of your vision. Trust me, there will be days when you feel exhausted, uninspired, or just plain unmotivated. I know this from personal experience — when I went through postpartum depression and lost my grandfather in 2022, it was really tough to keep pushing myself. But you know what kept me going? That mental image of my vision. It woke me up every morning and pushed me to keep moving forward, even when things felt impossible.

WHAT PODCASTS OR BUSINESS BOOKS ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW?

To be honest, I’ve taken a long break from business books and podcasts. I felt overwhelmed by all the different advice and opinions, and started thinking that I must be doing something wrong if I wasn’t following everyone else’s approach. However, I did recently read the 12 Week Year by Brian Moran, which was a great read. As for leisure, I’m currently enjoying Bone Deep by Debra Webb.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC TO LISTEN TO WHEN YOU’RE CREATING CONTENT?

Drake’s older albums are always on repeat for me!

HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON WHAT IMAGES TO USE FOR YOUR BRAND?

I based my decision on how I want women to feel when they visit my website. Generally, I aim to make them feel inspired and aspirational.

HOW HAS HAUTE STOCK HELPED YOU IN YOUR BUSINESS?

Since I started using Haute Stock images, I’ve not only saved a lot of time but also noticed an increase in my site’s traffic. Readers seem to be exploring more, which is great!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE HAUTE STOCK COLLECTION? 

Oh, that’s a tricky question. When I first signed up for Haute Stock, I was thrilled to discover a membership that offered such aesthetically pleasing photos. But if I had to pick my favorites, I would go for En Vogue, Wardrobe, and Fashion Blogger.

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