We asked insiders and experts from various industries to tell us something they think outsiders are unaware of and we’ve shared a few of those responses below.

Valline B | Designer & Photographer

People might be unaware of the amount of time it takes to physically make a garment, or knowing when to capture the perfect moment. When I’m making something by hand it goes through multiple stages of consideration and examining. I don’t make fast fashion, and I completely stand against companies that do it. It’s not good for the environment nor is it doing any good for designers that put their all into a piece. Read more>>

Nery Lucarini | Owner/Creative Director

One thing about my industry that outsiders are not aware of is that when we make something, we have a hand in every step of the process. It all starts with the fabric. When we are out looking for fabric or come across an estate sale we always come across something unique and unusual. Sometime we are lucky at thrift stores too and find some awesome textiles. From there we start thinking of designs, patterns and production. We cut all of our garments or bags ourselves, sew them together, do the finishing’s and pick all the buttons and zippers. However, it doesn’t stop there. Read more>>

Andrea Dahr | Founder of the Switch Natural App

Cosmetics, personal care items, and household cleaning items in the US are largely unregulated. Products you find on the shelves have not necessarily been vetted for safety, and there is no law requiring companies to submit safety data. Read more>>

Kristina Gibbons | Apparel Decoration

Our industry is screen printing and embroidery. I don’t think people realize how labor intensive the process is for these items. In screen printing every color in a logo gets a separate screen, every screen is used, reclaimed coated and reused for another logo at a future time. In embroidery every design goes through a process call digitizing which is telling the needle exactly where to stitch, a sample is stitched and depending on what type of product is being stitched there is a different type of stitching. Read more>>

Connor Cloud Gilliam | Outdoors Enthusiast & Property Manager

Property management is a beautiful thing because of the various methods of market entry one can use to get in the business. I believe there is a major misconception in order to start a portfolio that you have to own the property, which in turn means a hefty amount saved up. Rental Arbitrage is the loophole to that barrier for most. With proper research nearly anyone is able to start their own rental portfolio and start creating passive income streams with multiple properties without owning a single one. The trick is to create cash flow first by renting out a property, with the landlord’s permission relist it on vacation rental sites. The work is in the design, pricing and market research. The listing sites do the rest. Read more>>