Sarah Boyd's Startup Story

2012 marked the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey. After almost 10 years in the Fashion PR industry, more about I knew it was time to move on and start my own business. I remember creating a vision board on that first day with ideas, dreams, and goals for Simply Stylist that seemed incredibly unachievable at the time. Wide eyed and bushy tailed, I took the leap. I went out almost every single night to every event I could with the hope of getting the Simply Stylist name, along with mine, out there. I was used to rejection because of my professional background in the fashion industry, so every ‘no’ I heard was mere motivation to find someone who would back my dream with as much passion as I had at the time.

Slowly but surely, my efforts began to pay off. I eventually moved the Simply Stylist headquarters out of my home and into an office space, hired a few employees, and watched the company grow. Four years later, I can happily say that about 90% of the goals I put on the very first Simply Stylist vision board have come true. Visualization was key.

If I had to go back and do it all again, I wouldn’t change a thing because every rejection, mistake, and missed opportunity lead me to where I am today. My journey is unique, but there are small elements I wish I’d known when starting Simply Stylist. So, for anyone looking to take a leap of faith, here is my advice to you:

Have a clear goal. I wanted to give back first and foremost and provide a platform and community for women (and men) looking to work in the fashion & beauty industry.  There really wasn’t a company doing what I was looking to achieve with Simply Stylist, but I did always look to strong entrepreneurs such as Richard Branson.

Keep the same motivation you started with. The motivation you have on the first day of starting your business should remain consistent, even 5 years down the line. I’ve always been very driven and competitive so when I started my company, I put my goals together and never looked back or took no for an answer.

Love what you do. I think the key is doing what you love and believe in.  If you can find that, you’ll never feel like you’re working!

Never stop moving forward. Haters gonna hate!  Block out negativity and surround yourself with those that lift you up and bring positivity. In my opinion, you can’t start a business w/o 100% confidence in yourself!