I was recently honored with a third prize win at the annual Chattanooga Start Up Showdown. I was motivated to enter by the need to practice talking about my business to prospective clients and cultivate a marketing presence. But it didn’t hurt that the prize also included some much needed cash. I invested in some improvements to my class studio and rebranded and relaunched some new classes for the upcoming Holiday season.
It is not easy to stand up in a room and talk comfortably about your business or your dreams. But I came out of the other side a third place winner so I feel pretty good about the whole experience. It serves as motivation to keep going and work on my pitch skills until one day I can take the first place prize. If you missed it I included a summary of my pitch here. Take a moment to read and then SIGN UP for a class! This studio is here to serve you and your creative ideas. I would love to see you at the next project. Don’t see a project you like, contact me at inkandycence@gmail.com and let me know what projects would interest you. So I can start planning to see you in the future. Thank you.
THE PITCH:
“Have you ever wished you could make your own clothes? Or better yet create a signature handbag? Or even just hem your own pants? Whatever you may be thinking of I can show you how.
My name is Kandyce Hudson and I am the owner and the instructor of Made By Me Academy, a school for Sewing, Fashion, and Design.
I started Made By Me Academy because I love sewing and I wanted to join a community of fellow artists and makers like me. However; I found the local sewing community was largely limited to embroidery blocks and quilting bees. And there is nothing wrong with that but I wanted to take sewing further. So, I decided to open an academy that specialized in sewing for clothing, costume, and crafts
I knew the ideal learning environment would include:
A Small class sizes, with stocked ready to use workstations
Attentive instruction from an experienced designer
And Fun skill building projects that students could use and want to make again.
I have combined all those features, to provide a sewing experience that builds student confidence, expands their capabilities, and awakens their creativity.
Thanks to the popularity of shows like Project Runway , SEWING IS COOL AGAIN. Students are seeking lessons because they want to satisfy creative impulses, make something unique to themselves, and overcome the limitations of shopping in mass market retail outlets. Sewing is no longer just a hobby for the kiddos or the retired, it is a way FOR EVERYONE to take better care of themselves.
Made By Me Academy is a relatively new business still it in its “start up” phase. It currently operates on a part time basis, about 20 hours a week, but my goal is to grow the business into a full time venture. And once I work out all the kinks, I have plans to develop this into a future franchise.
If I received additional funding from prize winnings I would employ those funds for marketing, specifically for a virtual assistant who could manage both social media and email campaigns for me.
Then I could devote all my creative effort to developing projects and content for classes and events.
Sewing became a part of my life over 30 years ago. I followed that passion all the way to college, then a Design Internship in NYC, and all the way to my own custom Bridal and Formal Wear studio called Kandyce Kreations.
Now I am ready and excited to contribute to the next generation of Sewing, Fashion and Design artists in the Scenic City.
With sewing all you have to do is “Imagine the Possibilities.” Your time, your creativity, plus my classes can equal beautiful results. Come learn with me at Made By Me Academy.
My Name is Kandyce Hudson and I thank you.”
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