In this week’s episode, we are catching up with Kirstyn Gillies,  a New York Bridal Seamstress who was on the podcast 2 years ago! So much has changed in her business over the past two years, so we took this as an opportunity to catch up!

Two years ago, Kirstyn shared how she left her career at a big box store to start her own bridal alterations home studio, and in this episode, she shares how she left her home studio and opened a storefront! 

We talk about how she makes more money now by adding on packages and upping her ticket prices and roadblocks she has faced while growing her business. She also shares ways she has upgraded the back end of her business, as well as advice she has for seamstresses at every stage of business. 

To listen to the first conversation I had with Kirstyn, here is the link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/secrets-of-a-bridal-seamstress/id1559312804?i=1000549594313

Tools that Kirstyn Recommends:

Dubsado: dubsado.com/?c=secretsofabridalseamstress

Investment Guide: Message Nadine on Instagram to get the PDF for free! 

Connect with Kirstyn:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kg_alts/

Website: https://bridalalterationsbykirstyn.com

Connect with Nadine: 

Become a member: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/membership

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsofabridalseamstress/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nadinebozeman

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@secretsofabridalseamstress

Grace Lane joins the Secrets of a Bridal Seamstress Podcast all the way from London, where she is sewing up a variety of different offers! From vintage restoration to bespoke bridal, and even sewing for celebrities, Grace shares her advice on how to balance it all. 

Throughout this episode, Grace and I are amazed by how, even though we live in different countries, a lot of our seamstress business experiences are the same - such as similar goals, similar roadblocks, and similar experiences with clients and vendors. 

Grace also shares great advice for all seamstresses, like the importance of networking, business growing pains, and how it is so important to get back to the basics from time to time and really work on your craft. 

Topics in this episode:

Connect with Grace:

Grace Lane London: https://www.instagram.com/gracelanelondon/

Grace Lane Studio: https://www.instagram.com/gracelanestudio/

Connect with Nadine: 

Become a member: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/membership

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsofabridalseamstress/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nadinebozeman

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@secretsofabridalseamstress

Bridal Seamstresses joined together in Austin this past week to attend the 2024 Secrets of a Bridal Seamstress Retreat. 

The weekend consisted of 3 days of trainings with keynote speakers, small group breakout sessions, learning from each other and networking and connecting with each other on a deeper level! In this episode, I recap the amazing experience of the retreat and share my biggest takeaways from the event. 

If you missed this event, be sure to follow this podcast and instagram to know when the next event will be live! 

Connect with Nadine: 

Become a member: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/membership

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsofabridalseamstress/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nadinebozeman

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@secretsofabridalseamstress

Currently this is the slow season for the wedding industry in the Pacific Northwest, so I have time to evaluate my plan for the upcoming busy season of my bridal seamstress business!

In this episode, I share 4 ways to raise your average ticket price as a bridal seamstress, because we should all be charging what our work is worth and making the most of our time! This month in the membership, we are discussing the Profit First method to business, and this is just a part of that. 

If you have financial goals that you want to hit, or want to evaluate if you are charging the right price, this episode is for you! This is one of my favorite topics, so if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @secretsofabridalseamstress and we can connect 1:1.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Adrienne Gonzalez’s Bridal Alterations Price Spreadsheet for Seamstresses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSsDWsgzJM0

Download Nadine’s SMART Goals Worksheet: https://enchanting-sun-77080.myflodesk.com/vu8r210t62

Nadine’s SMART Goals Episode: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/podcast/creating-smart-goals

Connect with Nadine: 

Become a member: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/membership

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsofabridalseamstress/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nadinebozeman

Do you have big goals for your bridal seamstress business in 2024? In this episode, I walk you through how to break down your goals into more manageable steps with the help of SMART goals. 

If you have never heard of SMART goals, they were developed by George Doran, Arthur Miller and James Cunningham in their 1981 article “There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management goals and objectives.”

This episode is the perfect way to start the new year. To help you with this, I have created a free downloadable template with journal prompts to help you get clear. This download is available throughout the month of January. 

Please send me your goals on Instagram @secretsofabridalseamstress because I would love to support you and cheer you on!

Download Nadine’s SMART Goals Worksheet: https://enchanting-sun-77080.myflodesk.com/vu8r210t62

Nadine’s Book Recommendation: Finish, by Jon Acuff

Connect with Nadine: 

Become a member: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/membership

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsofabridalseamstress/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nadinebozeman

In this episode, I am joined by Jen and Brittany Labbe, the show managers for the 2024 Sewing & Stitchery Expo located in Puyallup, WA from February 29 – March 3, 2024. 2024 is the 40th anniversary of this expo. 

I will be at the expo next year teaching some classes, so if you attend, let me know. I would love to meet in person!

The Sew Expo is the largest annual gathering of the sewing community in the entire country.  Every year since 1984, people from all over the world have gathered to learn from industry experts, meet sewing celebrities, and experience the latest technology in hands-on classes and demonstrations.  This expo is dedicated to educating sewing, quilting & stitchery enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels on a wide variety of techniques and projects.  We partner with local and national businesses to bring all of this to life.

The Sewing & Stitchery Expo is where your creative community connects. The expo showcases thousands of products and amazing deals on fabric, notions, machines, and more from your favorite vendors!

Topics discussed in this episode:

The Sewing & Stitchery Expo is owned and operated by Washington State University.

Learn more about the Sew Expo:

Register for the Sew Expo: https://sewexpo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sewexpo/

Email: [email protected]

Connect with Nadine: 

Become a member: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/membership

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsofabridalseamstress/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nadinebozeman

In this episode, I speak with Lara Knight, a bridal designer. Lara started her bridal career straight out of FIT. She worked alongside some major talent, who allowed her to learn the art of creating gowns. 

Laura shares her story about how she got involved in the fashion industry, and how she was able to work with amazing celebrities like Michelle Obama and Vanna White. We talk all about how to start a bridal line, how bridal seamstresses can begin creating custom gowns, building relationships with brides and so much more. 

Topics discussed in this episode:

Connect with Lara:

Website: https://laraknight.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laraknightbridal/

Connect with Nadine: 

Become a member: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/membership

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsofabridalseamstress/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nadinebozeman

In this episode, I speak with Dee Dee Anderson, the owner of Anderson Alterations Academy. 

Dee Dee has been in the bridal industry for over 30 years. She has performed alterations for thousands of brides in a way that looks like a natural extension of the original dress. Being in such high demand, brides have traveled from all over North America to her small town in Northern Utah to worth with Dee Dee.

The Anderson Academy teaches bridal seamstresses how to stand out as an elite bridal alterations expert in a high demand bridal industry! The program is taught through pre-recorded training videos, and many hours of one-on-one zoom time with Dee Dee. 

You are also invited to Dee Dee’s 2024 2024 Annual Symposium “Making Connections”. You can find more information and sign up for the free event here: https://theandersonacademy.com/symposium24/

Topics discussed in this episode: 

Connect with Dee Dee:

Information about Dee Dee’s symposiums: https://theandersonacademy.com/symposiums/

Website: https://theandersonacademy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theandersonacademy/

This episode is brought to you by Grandma’s Secret Products.

Masterclass Series: Creating Branded Fitting Packages: Join us for a free masterclass on Thursday & Friday, December 14th & 15th, to learn how to build branded packages into your bridal alterations portfolio: https://enchanting-sun-77080.myflodesk.com/udieklaa4k

Connect with Nadine: 

Become a member: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/membership

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsofabridalseamstress/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nadinebozeman

So you want to be a bridal seamstress, but where do you start?

In this episode, I speak with Marianne Maciejewski, a bridal seamstress in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

When Marianne first thought about starting her bridal seamstress business, a lot of things seemed like big question marks - how do I run the business? How do I price my services? Who can I lean on for support? What she was missing was community - and so when she found Secrets of a Bridal Seamstress’s Online Membership, everything fell into place. 

Marianne had been sewing for 35 years, and officially launched her business this year, so in this episode she shares her first hand emotions and insights about all things running a bridal seamstress business. 

Topics discussed in this episode:

Episodes that Marianne recommends to beginners:

Courage to Take the First Step, featuring Kirstyn Gillies: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/podcast/2022/1/24/52sprs2epwjlddsv5p8mjwoj14x4av-dms46

Opening Your Home with Love: The Art of Home Fittings, with bridal seamstress Fran Miller: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/podcast/template-post-copy-34jy2-ck78k-42t2s

Connect with Marianne:

Website: https://www.fleurettebridalalterations.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fleurettebridalalterations/

Connect with Nadine: 

Become a member: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/membership

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsofabridalseamstress/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nadinebozeman

Join us January 24-26, 2024 in Austin, Texas for 3 days of keynotes, networking, and reimaging the potential of your bridal alterations business. Registration closes November 30th!

In this episode Wendy Rivera, the owner of Do You Speak Bride, chats all about the way of communicating with the bride in what she calls the Language of Bride. Wendy is the keynote speaker on day 1 at the retreat! 

Register here: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/retreat

What is included?

Bringing Dreams to Life and reimagining the potential of your bridal alterations business!

Every detail of your 2024 Secrets of a Bridal Seamstress Retreat has been curated to refresh your love of bridal sewing, and inspire you to reimagine the potential of your bridal alterations business.  As bridal seamstresses, we have the gift of bringing a dream to life for our clients. 

During our first day together, our trainings and breakout sessions will focus on the details that can create a seamless tailoring experience: communication, compassion, and a little bit of magic! Our second day of trainings will lean into your dream as a bridal seamstress. 

What would a healthy and creative business/life balance look like for you? Our unique niche can be a demanding one, and it’s important to have the skills to lower stress, establish healthy boundaries, and recognize signs of burnout. Breakout sessions will focus on proven strategies and automated systems for you to implement in your 2024 season.

All of this will culminate in an Action Workshop, where attendees will put these new skills to life with one action item. Heading home with a completed action is the confidence you’ll need to keep the momentum going!

Join us for an unforgettable weekend in Austin, and let’s bring dreams to life in 2024!

Register here: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/retreat