The goal of Hardly Hustle is to provide inspiration, drive and motivation in a 10 minute read or less. What you see is what you get. This is hot off the press without an editing team.
Emily Harris is up.
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Emily Harris and I am a full-time Fashion Blogger as well as the owner of women's clothing and accessories boutique, Jack & Georgia.
What did it take / how did you get started?
I started my blog back in January of 2017 as a way to easily get styling information out to my family and friends as well as information on my favorite beauty products, home decor, and fitness tips. Everyone was always asking me for tips and tricks, so I decided to centralize it into one location on the internet that anyone could access.
I opened my online boutique Jack & Georgia in October of 2018, followed by the storefront in March of 2019. My hometown (Kings Mountain, NC) has never had a women's retailer that focused on fashion-forward clothing for 18-35-year-olds. I wanted to create a big city experience with a small-town heart and feel.
What does the future look like for you and your hustle?
As of now, my blog has reached new levels within the past 6 months. I have been able to work with some of the biggest names in the industry such as Target and HelloFresh, and I just see it going up from here. With my store, I see a huge expansion online as well as opening new stores in surrounding areas in North Carolina.
What drives / motivates you?
I've always been the type of person who thrives on competing against themselves and working on my own. I accomplish more when my motivation is the fact that all of my success relies on me, not on the company I work for or coworkers. Being able to say every success (as well as every failure) is totally reliant and caused by me is motivation enough.
What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?
Don't expect anything to happen overnight. I blogged for almost two years before I saw a penny, and nowadays everyone is trying to rush into it to make it their full-time career. You'll have to sacrifice so much for either job path that I have taken. I don't get to clock in at 9 and clock out at 5; I'm working for the moment I wake up until the moment my head hits the pillow. If you're not ready to risk it all, don't risk anything.
What has been the hardest part of the hustle?
I would have to say the stability of having a normal 9 to 5 job. On those really hard days when your sales aren't up or you've received a bunch of "nos" in your inbox, you have those moments where you wonder how much easier it would be to give it up and just go work in a corporate position. Sleepless nights and bouts of anxiety come with the territory and you just have to remind yourself what you're working towards.
What are a few resources that you'd recommend?
For me personally, boutique owner Facebook/Instagram pages and podcasts are incredibly helpful. Julie Solomon's "The Influencer Podcast", BTQ Box and Boutique Helper are my go-to pages and sources of inspiration and help when I need questions answered.
The STATS
Side or full-time hustle?
Full-time.
List the founders
Just me!
How many hours a week do you work on this hustle?
Blog: 40
Store: 30-40
# of Employees?
One part-time employee at my store
When did you start?
Blog: January 2017
Store: Started August 2018, Opened October 2018
How much did it cost to launch?
Blog: nothing
Store: Online ~$2000
Storefront: ~$8000
What were your funding methods and ballpark amount raised?
My dad gave me a loan of $1000 for me to start my online store. From there, I funded everything solely from revenue.
Annual Revenue?
Since opening in March ~$45,000
Project Revenue?
Expecting to hit $100,000 this year
Social: Blogger and Content Creator (@emily.harris) Owner of @shopjackandgeorgia www.wellhotglam.com www.jackandgeorgia.com