From Family Business to Entrepreneurship: How Sabrina Colosimo is Carving Her Own Path
Sabrina is a Toronto-based all-around Creative Entrepreneur, from Interior Stylist, Vintage Seller, and Influencer, to Creative Coach, she is a powerhouse. With a love for patterns and the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss, she brings a unique and vibrant energy to her work. From her family business roots to venturing into entrepreneurship, Sabrina is constantly evolving and embracing imperfections. She finds support and inspiration from the creative community on Instagram and beyond.
What’s a specific event that sticks in your mind that is a big reason you decided to start your business?
Within the 4 walls of my past family business, I was always playing as an Entrepreneur. Right after University, I was there, with my Dad, making Creative decisions, being thrown into unexpected situations in Sales, Marketing, Product Management + more. Every day was a chance to carve out my own way of doing things. All of my decisions directly impacted the success of the business. Once I got a “taste” of that, I’ve never been able to NOT do that. It was so magically aligned with my Skills – that end-to-end influence on your work. When that business ended, I interviewed at a few places, but who was I kidding? I was built for Entrepreneurship ONLY. That’s what made my heart sing. And now I had the chance to do EXACTLY what I wanted. Weird and wacky Vintage furniture that our previous suburban clients would never have been interested in. I did and sold exactly what I wanted. And my NEW TRIBE FOUND ME. People who loved what I was doing.
What does your website do for you right now & what do you want it to do?
Hahah !! The ongoing scourge of the non-updated website !!! I feel like, every Small Business/Solopreneur I talk to prefaces a conversation about their website with “It needs total revamping !”. And mine is no different. To be honest, Instagram does a lot of the heavy lifting for me. And my Bio Link. That being said, I do have a new site in the works. My old one was created as a Product-based “selling” site. The new one will be much more “Lifestyle” and focuses on both my Personal Brand and my Services (Coaching, Design) with only a hint of product. I’m excited to launch it and to show everyone all the Offers I have. I’ve been doing so much of this stuff on a referral basis, on a one-one-one basis. It’s time to “package it up” and make clear to everyone, what is on offer.
If you could go back in time on your journey and do something differently, what would you do and why?
Oh my. So much. However, I will preface this before I start into the litany of do-overs, i really don’t have much Grief, in general. I really don’t look back or carry my dead starts. I’m unwittingly optimistic and forever excited about “the next thing” . That being said — When my family business ended, i went to Bali and sourced a lot of Home Goods to sell online. I front-loaded my Inventory way to heavily. I should have tested/vetted the market and the Materials. They took way too long to move and some were unsuccessful. i would never sink that much cash into a BUY like that again. I spent a lot of time, in the early days of my business, in rumination. I didn’t want to put anything “out there” that wasn’t perfect, and so it took me 4 times as long to do anything. I should have moved, and adjusted, moved and adjusted. Hardly anyone sees the first posts on Instagram, the first blogs you write, the first photos you take…..I really could have benefitted from moving faster, and letting myself “get better” in front of people, instead of alone in a silo. I also focused too heavily on creating a “perfect” website. I put so much time and research into it, and leveraged the help of an Intern at the time,. When I think of the hours he spent (paid!) to do this – it was absolutely ridiculous. It doesn’t matter how great your Website is, if no one finds it ! I should have spent 20% of the time I did, on the site, and 80% promoting it through viable Collabs, Ads, Groups, Markets etc.
What was your most difficult moment in business, what happened, how did you move through it & what do you think of it looking back now?
I’ll answer this in a broad sense. It’s the loneliness. And here’s the punch line – I’m someone who, despite my very BIG personality, LOVES being alone. I basically got into Entrepreneurship FOR THE AUTONOMY. ( Sidebar – I’ll tell you a secret here. I believe people come into Entrepreneurship from 2 paths. The first is passion-driven. People make + sell art because they love to make Art. They make and sell jewelry because they love Jewelry. They create a Yoga Studio because they believe in the value of a dedicated Yoga practice in leading a fulfilled life. The second path, is Business-driven. And that’s me. I’d be an Entrepreneur whether I was selling rocks, or socks, or blocks. It really doesn’t matter. It’s the business of being in business that I love ) However — There are days…there are decisions…..there are Ideas …..that would be great to sift through, with a sounding-board. Often it’s my sisters ( they’ve heard all my stories ! ). Sometimes it’s my very intuitive + successful brother-in-law. Sometimes it’s my Dad, a lifelong Entrepreneur. And sometimes it’s my Community – on Instagram and beyond. There’s a certain “stuck-ness” that can persist when you’re saddled with your own perspective, constantly. This is why I love being that sounding-board for other Creatives.
Do you have an email list? If so, did you start it when you launched?
I just started one. i really need to double-down on this. However, I am also very intentional about which Mediums get my attention. I decided early on that INSTAGRAM was the bets fit for me, and would receive the majority of my marketing efforts. I’ve stayed away from Tik Tok (it’s not for me ) and Youtube ( not yet relevant to me ). Instagram works well. Linkedin+ Google Posts work too, although less effective. I’ve recently been flirting with Substack and I love that it’s a shared Medium. Owning your own client base is important, but I’m not at that stage right now. 3rd Party Apps have the benefit of outsized exposure. Eventually, I’ll focus on building my List, once I get clearer on my offers in the Entrepreneurial/Coaching segment.
What’s the most unexpected way you’ve made money in your business?
So many segments of my Business were suprisingly effective. I’m open to trying new things often, and sometimes, you try something that hits JUST RIGHT. It started with the first few pieces of Vintage Furniture that I sold. I was shocked at how easily they flipped. Once I got into taking professional photos and styling them in a way that was very much “my vibe” I was super excited to see how my Style translated so quickly into a Sale. The Set Design / Space Rental for film + tv also surprised me. I had no idea there were so many Creative people doing so many interesting projects in our fair city !! My space is constantly rented for Documentaries, Brand Photography, Lifestyle Photography, Commercials, Workshops, Films + more.
What do you have coming up for 2024, and how can people work with you?
You’ll see a lot more of me in a Coaching Role. My Loft lunches ( now turned into Coffee with Creatives ) are just the beginning. I love having Solopreneurs/Creatives in my orbit. My Super Power is working with them to help them build their brand. I do this as 1:1 Coaching presently, but expect more Workshops, Mastermind Classes, E-Books + other Resources for Creatives wanting to Grow / Start their business. I work with Freelancers, Side-Hustlers, Soloprenerus, Creatives, Artists and “Wantrepreneurs”. My approach is very tailored and heart-centred. For each client, I look for the intersection of their Talent, Skill, Passion, Market-Fit/Demand, Finance, Time + Lifestyle. It’s more than just creating Logos and Setting up Instagram. It’s an entire system that helps Creatives Live-out their best calling + monetize their Life. ( There’s also a ton of practical resources too – like which Markets to exhibit at, or which Apps to use to help with creating Content for Socials !) I offer FREE 20 Min Consult Calls ( For Design, or for Business ). These are great to help clients get to know who I am, and for me to assess whether we might be a good fit for each other. I use these as a chance to discuss HOW I can be of most help to them, and HOW we can work together. I invite anyone interested, to reach out to me in whatever way is most comfortable for them. DM me on Instagram. Or send me an email. Or Book a Consult. Or come over for a Coffee.
If you could give your younger entrepreneur self one piece of sassy advice, what would it be?
Don’t be so gun-shy. Just do it. And learn to sit with the imperfection.
You can find Sabrina Colosimo all over the web here:
https://www.sunday-creative.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-colosimo-a120ab53/
