There must be times when you had to take a bold decision or a step that most likely would change your course entirely. Your ideas may not always fall in line with what’s out there and what appears then is a path full of risks and chances. Doing things out-of-the-box might come at a price but if you believe in yourself, nothing is big enough to get in between you and your dream.

It’s okay to think different. It’s more than just okay.

This is what our next conversation in the series with another successful small business teaches us. Meet Jill from For Strange Women, who had a vision so unique but she never let fear get in the way. Read on to know more.

YOUR SHOP HAS SUCH A MAGICAL FEEL TO IT. AND, CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT HUGE NUMBER OF SALES! SO, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH YOUR SHOP IDEA?

Thank you! I am a multi-passionate artist so at the time I began my Etsy shop, I was doing so many different things. It was the platform of Etsy itself that inspired me to make an indie perfume line because there were not many other people doing it at the time (2008) and there was so much that I wanted to create visually and conceptually around it that did not yet exist. I had been blending botanical perfumes for myself and friends, and I just naturally transitioned into this indie brand.

WHEN YOU STARTED OFF, DID IT GO SMOOTH OR NOT AS EASY?

It started off smoothly but it was very small. I had no business plan or ambition to do anything beyond Etsy. I was just learning as much as I could about the perfume world, the business world, and using the internet to connect with others who have an appreciation for the same things that I love. Then in the third year, I had a lot of press that I was not ready for – then it was not so easy!

TELL US ABOUT SOME ROADBLOCKS YOU FACED IN YOUR JOURNEY. HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?

Most roadblocks come when I would lose track of my original intentions. There were a lot of things that other people were telling me I needed to be doing and the truth is none of them completely understood the scope of the work I do, its limitations, and my priorities. I had few mentors or people I could talk to about my work. I think this sense of isolation led to some problems, but eventually I learned... Read more