How do you grow and scale a thriving business—without abandoning your values? Can you stay positive in the face of criticism around your price point? And how do you get past people co-opting your work and passing it off as their own? Elizabeth Pape is the designer and founder of Elizabeth Suzann, a women’s clothing label born out of a dislike for excess and a desire for quality. All of her garments are cut and sewn locally in Elizabeth’s Nashville design studio using only the highest quality, natural fiber cloth. Elizabeth is passionate about creating well-designed, long-lasting garments and promoting a minimalist approach to clothing that slows down the rate of consumption. Today, Elizabeth joins me to share her organic transition from making clothing as a hobby to running a team of 35 employees. She explains the ebb and flow of her role as a creative and a business owner and addresses the challenge of saying ‘no’ to growth and financial gain when it compromises her values. I ask her about the courage it took to be transparent with her pricing, and we discuss how Elizabeth Suzann serves as a ‘gateway drug’ to the minimalist, slow fashion culture. Listen in for Elizabeth’s insight on differentiating yourself as an aspiring maker, dealing with plagiarism and competition in the online space, and expanding your business in terms of depth rather than production. What You Will Learn How Elizabeth’s college hobby evolved to become Elizabeth Suzann The organic nature of Elizabeth Suzann’s growth Elizabeth’s approach to learning leadership and management The leadership skills that did and did not come naturally to Elizabeth The ebb and flow of Elizabeth’s role as a creative and a business owner How Elizabeth says ‘no’ to growth when it compromises her values Elizabeth’s bold approach to transparency around the pricing of her apparel How Elizabeth Suzann serves as a ‘gateway drug’ to the slow fashion culture Elizabeth’s advice for aspiring makers around differentiating your work The pros and cons of working with your husband as a business partner Knows well enough to bring vision to life Difficult to unplug, check in to each other Elizabeth’s insight on dealing with plagiarism and competition Elizabeth’s ultimate dream of an in-house supply chain Connect with Elizabeth Elizabeth Suzann Elizabeth on Instagram Connect with Beth Beth’s Website Beth on Instagram Beth on Pinterest Beth on Twitter Local Milk Blog Local Milk on Facebook Email hello@localmilkblog.com Resources Mentioned Books by Simon Sinek Elizabeth’s Money Talk Blog Post Tonic Site Shop Showit