Premium member, Danielle Bishop, always had a love for design and styling, which spurred her to launch Threadicated at the end of 2017. For Danielle, she has purposefully grown Threadicated slowly until she can become the full-time CEO. Here’s her story on how.
Firstly, tell us a little bit about Threadicated and what you do?
Threadicated is a truly personalised fashion styling service. I know how busy life can be and so I founded Threadicated to take the hassle out of getting dressed. At Threadicated, you simply fill in your online profile, answer a few questions about your style, shape, and budget – and your personal stylist sends you five pieces of clothing, shoes and accessories to suit you. You keep what you love and return the rest. I style absolutely anyone; men, women, young or old and for whatever occasion. From a job interview to first dates and weekend getaways, I’ve done it!
What has changed in the fashion industry that inspired you to launch Threadicated?
I studied fashion and styling and have worked in fashion design, fashion buying, fashion styling, and fashion development for years. Over the years I have seen a decline in the fashion industry; too much choice and not enough service. People don’t just want more things to buy; they want a personalised experience created just for them, they want to remove all the excess and just focus on what is important to them and going to suit them. With Threadicated I do just that.
What does a day look like for you with Threadicated and your 9 to 5 role?
A regular day starts at 4.30am. I wake up, go for a run and get ready for part one of my day. This is my Threadicated time. I mostly use this time to style customers; for each customer that signs up and request a parcel, their personal stylist reviews their profile; their likes, dislikes, body shape, and budget. Their personal stylist hand-selects and sends them five pieces to fit in with their wants and needs.
At about 8.30am I dart off to my full-time job in digital marketing where I work 9 to 5, five days a week. This has been a vital part of the success of Threadicated. My day job allows me to work with and meet some amazing Australian fashion labels, who I may not have met otherwise. I am happy to say a lot of these brands are now suppliers to Threadicated. I am fortunate that my job not only supports me and Threadicated but encourages my business to thrive.
Then after a full day at the office, I come home to respond to customers and pack Threadicated parcels for customers that will be shipped off the next day. Then it is off to bed to do it all again tomorrow.
Do you worry about burn out?
No, I absolutely love it. Having a long day filled with so many different elements and opportunities invigorates me. I am also fortunate to have a very supportive husband who picks up the slack at home, so I can focus on Threadicated in all my spare time.
Why did you start and have kept Threadicated as a side hustle?
Starting Threadicated as a side hustle really takes the pressure off. For the first six months, there was a lot of interest in Threadicated but sales were slow. If I didn’t have the income from my 9 to 5, I may have had to give up the Threadicated dream to only work full-time. Running Threadicated on the side ensures I can make choices that are going to be best for Threadicated long-term, rather than making rash decisions because I am relying on Threadicated for my full-time salary. It also allows me to put all profits back into the business and the customer experience.
How do you plan to make the shift from side hustle to full time CEO?
It is a hard thing to think about making the shift as I love my full-time job. However, it is something I have put a lot of thought into, and need to do to see Threadicated thrive.
When you are running your business as your side hustle you need to find the perfect balance between how much time you have to service customers and how much money you need to bring in to support the business. If I can continue to keep my existing customers happy and returning, plus increase at the pace I am as my hours increase, the shift is on the near horizon.
I have an ambitious marketing plan to increase Threadicated’s customer base over the next 12 months. With my 9 to 5, I see marketing take the business from obscurity to amazing heights (which is what I am aiming for!), but after that, it’s the expert style and above and beyond customer service that means return customers.
Threadicated is not a subscription service but most customers set up recurring parcels, so they are always looking and feeling great. The perfect thing about this is Threadicated gets better with time, the more I get to know the customer the more accurate the selections of clothing and accessories become.
Whether you’re just starting out, a start-up struggling to stay afloat, or a company looking to level up, here at Business Chicks we understand that running a business takes grit, determination and a sprinkling of magic. Which is why we’re thrilled to introduce you to Business Club. If you’re ready to grow your network, learn from entrepreneurs, go behind-the-scenes of some amazing companies and take your business to the next level (while having fun!), this is the community for you.
Original Article: Business Chicks: ‘How my 9 to 5 job actually makes my side hustle better’
Order a style parcel today, one of our Threadicated stylists would love to help you create your dream capsule wardrobe. They'll style and send you five pieces to suit your lifestyle, shape and budget.