Trust your gut. Listen to your heart. Follow your intuition.
Deirdre Skiles did all those things, which led her to start Detroit Rose. Her company creates and sells candles, as well as skin and body care products.
“I was listening to an intuition that was totally my own – that was totally driving me to something, and I didn’t really know what that was,” says Skiles, 32.
The early stages of her business began in New York where Skiles lived in 2012. After her lease was up, she found herself back in Detroit and continued making candles at her new loft in Detroit’s Eastern Market neighborhood. On Saturdays, Skiles sold her products at the market, which gave her a chance to have face-to-face interaction with her customers.
Skiles says that connection sparked something in her. Not only did the engagement with the public excite her, so did the idea of growing her business to the point of being able to master her lifestyle.
“I could have control over my day-to-day. I could have control over my financial destiny. I could choose how my life works,” says Skiles.
She had been living an “artistic life” and had different gigs. Skiles says she never had a “grown-up” job. In fact, Skiles was an actress. She’s appeared in several episodes of ‘As the World Turns,’ for example.
“I was picking up shifts here and there. I was auditioning. I was constantly in this process of saying, “Here’s my work, do you like it? Is it good enough? Can you hire me?””
Fast-forward to today, Skiles has collaborated with several local businesses, including Lady of the House. Her products are sold at retailers across the country – from California to Kentucky to Oregon.
One key piece of advice she has for other entrepreneurs?
“Keep moving forward even when it’s hard.”
1 comment
Very good content. The stories are moving and inspiring. Keep it up!
Comments are closed.