Shannon Baskett- Fashion Designer

Do you ever get tired of buying clothes? Or how about rocking other people’s brands? Have you considered starting your own clothing line? I know someone who did just that! Meet Shannon!

Name: Shannon Baskett

Hometown: Henderson, NC

Age: 31

Business: Fashion Designer

It all started…….

when I was in high school, I would cut up my clothes. Draw on them with permanent markers and glue on rhinestones. Every time I went to a party I had on custom clothes. A friend from high school recently inboxed me and told me she found an old business plan of mine where I had written out what designs I wanted for my clothing line. Lol. She hasn’t sent me a picture yet, but Im anxious to see it.

Years later at the age of 26, I asked my mom for her old sewing machine. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, right?!

And then

I couldn’t thread the dern thing properly. 3 people showed me how to thread it but it still wouldn’t work for me. Instead of giving up, one morning I went to Walmart and purchased an updated version. I was able to thread this machine with my eyes closed but I still ran into issues. I kept breaking needles. I was running back and forth to Walmart late at night, buying needles or other sewing supplies. It was one thing after another so that made me think….maybe this is something Im meant to be great at. Looking back, that was true! Thank God I pushed past the resistance!

After getting past all those sewing machine issues. I purchased a lot of fabric and began creating. I started a ready made clothing line prematurely and failed. So I started doing custom items as requested. Now Im working on a ready made line again. I have grown from my mistakes. This time it will be official. Yay!! Im more skilled, more educated and more dedicated. Amen.

Im multitalented and I wish I would have started to perfect my skills at an earlier age.

But if she could share any advice it would be:

Don’t despise small beginnings. Starting at the bottom is necessary; better than never starting at all. Motivational quotes are encouraging but that doesn’t get the job done…. you must put in a lot of work. Entrepreneurship looks enticing but it is WORK. Its not just for show, you must constantly work when nobody is watching and when nobody is clapping. Don’t expect someone to promote you, promote yourself! Persistence is power; be resilient. Seek wise council when necessary. Read daily. Ive heard people say “do it for your enemies”, that can motivate you but don’t go into entrepreneurship to impress your enemies. Do it for your future self….do it for your future lineage!! People that are too familiar with you won’t always see the greatness on the inside of you. Be ok with that! The ones who need your gifts will acknowledge and appreciate you. And sometimes people will want you to work a regular job because thats what they do; Ignore all of that!! If you have the work ethic that it takes….GO AND GET IT!! See ya at the top!

Stay up to date with Shannon’s creations!

Follow her on IG: @shannbaskett

Like her Facebook page @shannbaskett (Shannon)

 

Book Review: Roadmap: The Get It Together Guide for Figuring Out What to Do with Your Life by Roadtrip Nation

Roadtrip Nation began as just that, a road trip amongst friends- Nathan Gebhard, Brian McAllister and Mike Marriner. In 2001 they set out on a journey to discover the next steps for their lives. Since then, they have traveled the country in a bright green RV interviewing people that have created their lives around their personal interests.

Pretty dope right?

As a matter of fact, their journey was so dope that it turned into a docuseries, books and an online portal for helping others (like myself) figure out how to create a roadmap for their lives.

This is by far one of the best books that I’ve read in 2018 (although the book has been out since 2015). The title couldn’t give away anymore of its purpose.

Broken into three parts- let go, define and become, Roadmap isn’t your typical “figure it out” workbook. I was forced to acknowledge some pretty self limiting habits that I wasn’t even aware of and how much I had been conditioned to believe that working for an unfulfilling job was the norm and that creating a lifestyle based on interests was going to be a struggle to go against the grain. This book is filled with regular degular folks (like myself) giving us the knitty gritty about their fears and obstacles experienced along their roadmaps.

This book has helped me to identify my foundation and core interests. It’s opened my mind to a world of possibilities that I hadn’t considered before and I am looking forward to sharing it with the world.

But you don’t have to believe me. Create your own.

https://roadtripnation.com

 

Entrepreneurship aka What the hell am I doing?

Never in a million years did I ever consider entrepreneurship and had full intentions on working for other people for the rest of my life. The first question people ask is (of course) “have you always known?” The answer is no! To be honest, everyday I question myself if I made the right decision. Am I “doing it right?” When the hell do the big checks start rolling in?

 

I don’t hesitate to admit that this was something that I should have been better prepared for……..but I wasn’t. Luckily all of the bills were paid up. One less headache to worry about.

 

The entire purpose for me not working was so that I could focus on a writing career. After forever and a day of storing, organizing and uploading poems, I successfully self-published my first book.

 

This was by far thee happiest moment in my life!

 

I ordered 100 copies and began selling…..to my ride or die friends, family and a few strangers. I hosted 2 book signings. The first one was in my hometown. Outside of my supporters that let me know that they couldn’t attend in advance, a majority of the “let me know when you have your first signing” folks were disappearing acts. The only person that showed up to my signing in Charlotte was my favorite cousin.

 

1st Lesson Learned about Entrepreneurship

Folks don’t rock with you the way they say they do

The book has been available on multiple platforms including Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble and via direct shipping on this site and there are still folks asking how they can get it and if they can get “a hook up.”

When people genuinely WANT to support you, they will. Anything else is bullshit. To me support is support. Promotion is free. Sharing is caring.

Again.

2nd Lesson Learned about Entrepreneurship

Although profitable, everything AIN’T for me

I was free from the corporate hamster wheel.

I was a new author.

But I needed another stream of income outside of Uber and Lyft (per the coaching masterclass that I signed up for).

And I needed a coaching business (per the coaching masterclass that I signed up for).

Have I always been the go to friend for advice? Yes

Do I find myself empowering strangers regularly? Yes

Did that mean I needed to start an actual coaching business?

The intentions were pure. But I had to be honest with myself. I enjoy helping people but an actual coaching business was way left field from what my true passion is and that’s writing.

Back to the drawing board I went.

3rd Lesson Learned About Entrepreneurship

It’s going to cost you

And I ain’t just talking money.

Now granted, I do look at the remaining 43 copies of my book like, look at all that money just sitting there.

As I felt myself slowly transitioning into the “starving artist” category, I knew I needed to dig deeper into my creative repertoire for an additional means of income. Whatever it was, I needed it to be genuine. I went to my vision board to see what I could knock off the list. Ah yes. Pretty Dope Right? merchandise.

I’ve never been much of an artist but I’ve always had a knack for creative direction. A few folks in my tribe were using an app for their promotions. One night I downloaded it and created a few designs and it’s been on and popping ever since.

As with most things, I dived in head first without a damn clue.

Wait. I forgot about purchasing the actual t-shirts. Printing costs. Shipping costs. Oh yeah, and the most important piece- setting. price point so that I could make a profit on the shirts. Where the hell was my realistic mind at?

In essence, I have good intentions for a life of entrepreneurship but there is and will continue to be so much more to learn. I’m going to be even more uncomfortable outside of my comfort zone. I’m going to have to sacrifice a few more things. I’m still learning how to function when my body is only on 20%. It sucks on most days. But deep down I wouldn’t have it any other way. I know in my heart that I’m on the right path even though I don’t have a clue as to what the hell I’m doing.