By: Dr Matt Warnock
Being a small, music-related, business owner is never an easy task. With the recent economic downturn, and the subsequent reduction in consumer spending, it’s tougher than ever to launch and keep a new business afloat. Though many people have had to give up their dreams of owning their own business in recent months, others are taking the opportunity to dive into a weakened marketplace with new products and services.
One of those adventures entrepreneurs who’s looking for opportunities in the new economic world is Jodie Wilson, a long time music manager who recently launched her own line of clothing under the name Grim Days. Initially inspired by the quirky look of her Boston Terrier Grimley, Wilson has taken elements of the dogs features, and a bit of her own unique persona, and transformed them into the grim, yet lovable, character that dons her shirts, skirts and T’s.
With a new website the Grim Days clothing line is garnering attention from around the country. Producing a momentum that Wilson hopes to build upon as she looks to continue building on her early success, while expanding into new and more diverse markets.
Jodie recently sat down with Guitar International Magazine to talk about the challenges she’s facing as a first time business owner, the transition from music manager to clothing line operator and how she’s taking lessons learned from the successful bands she’s managed and translating them into her new endeavor.
***
Matt Warnock: How did you come up with the idea for the Grim Days clothing line, and how did that initial idea develop into the business you’re now running?
Jodie Wilson: I rescued a Boston Terrier about six years ago. She’s an amazing and completely insane dog. She’s got black circles around her eyes, which of course appealed to the old “goth girl” in me, and also got these huge ears that when they perk up they look like bat wings. I just thought she would make an amazing cartoon character. So I took her quirky features and I combined them with my personality and characteristics, a nice girl, who’s led an interesting life but never quite hits the mark.
So, in Grimley’s story line, she’s this well meaning misfit who tries to do the right thing but can be a bit of a screw up. She’s going to have lots of adventures, as she’s keeping a diary on the website, so people can keep up with her daily, or however often I can sit down and make myself be brave enough to write. Laughs.
Jodie Wilson: Owner of Grim Days
After coming up with the initial idea I managed to hook up with an amazing artist named Bill McEvoy, and together we built her look. The last thing that inspired me, is my penchant for always being drawn to the darker side of life. Characters like Emily Strange and Lenore, but I wanted to send a more positive message than what they offer, call me a goody two shoes if you like, with a bit of a dark side. Laughs.
Matt: Starting a business in any climate is always a challenge, let alone during the tough economic times we live in. What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced early on in the business, and how have these obstacles helped you better prepare yourself for the future?
Jodie: Ugh, there are so many challenges! I started this business on a shoestring budget, so I don’t have a lot of money to get the word out. So far that’s been the hardest part, getting the word out without spending a ton of money on advertising. I did choose to do this slowly though.
I’ve always been in the business of making sure that everyone else is taken care of, being in PR, but this is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this for myself. So I wanted to take the time to really learn how running a small business works, what I’m lacking, etc, which has really helped when I come up to something that is new and a bit of a challenge.
Matt: Besides selling clothing you’re also keeping a diary on the site that is a mix between your personality, Grim’s story and everyday events that occur. What was the inspiration behind including the diary, and what has been the response so far to this section of the website?
Jodie: I didn’t want Grimley to be just a cute image stuck on a t-shirt. I wanted to breathe some life into her. I sort of hoped, in a weird way, to inspire other misfits out there with the stories I’m writing for the online diary. I grew up as a kid who just wanted to wear black, who only wanted to listen to music and didn’t seem to fit in anywhere. I just want the kids who are growing up feeling like I did to know they aren’t alone and to just keep trying to achieve their dreams. It’s sort of cliché sounding, but it’s no less true.
So far the response to the diary and the stories I’ve written has been good. I’ve had a few people tell me they think the stories are really fun and they dig them. And well, it’s still so new that I’m really just getting started with her, there’s much more to come.
Matt: In today’s digital age a start-up company such as Grim Days instantly has a world-wide market for your products. Have you been seeing interest from overseas for Grim Days apparel, or have most of your orders come from the U.S.?
Jodie: So far I’ve only received orders from the U.S., but I really hope to attain a worldwide appeal. I think her character appeals to misfits all over the world, and with online marketing it’s a lot easier nowadays to get the word out worldwide than ever before.
Modelling a Grim Days Tank Top
Matt: One of the interesting things that you’ve done on the site, besides the diary, is include a fan page, where people can send in pics of themselves wearing the Grim Days apparel. It seems like an easy way to connect the business side of things with the people who wear the clothes, something that most rock bands are good at doing, but not necessarily companies.
How did you come up with the idea for the fan page and do you have any plans to expand that section to include video and diary entries from fans of Grim Days?
Jodie: Well, you nailed it. I was, and still am, a music manager, and have been for most of my career. Rock bands are great with that sort of thing, connecting with the fans, and I want people to feel close to the character. I want them to bond with Grimley like they do with bands, Harry Potter or Hello Kitty even. So yes, I want very much to expand that section, I want more fan input for sure!
Matt: Who designs the artwork for the clothing? Is it done by hand first than transferred to a computer later, or has technology gotten to the point where you do everything on the computer from start to finished product?
Jodie: That is where Bill McEvoy comes in. He sends me sketches and I tell him fix this or that, or usually I say “that’s perfect,” because he’s so good. Then, once he’s got the rough idea down it goes into the computer to be finished, before it winds up on a shirt or other item of clothing.
Matt: The products on the site are divided into sections, like I Heart Grim and Fraidy Grim for example. Are you planning on continuing to produce “themed” clothing like these, or is this just a way of organizing the merchandise on the site.
Jodie: The more Grimley’s character and storylines, the more designs I will come out with. I’m actually holding on to my favorite design because it was too soon to release it, but I hope to release it soon once word about the line starts to spread.
Matt: Now that you’ve got things up and running what are some of the things you have lined up for the near future in order to expand your business and to keep it growing?
Jodie: The goal for me right now is to just keep trying to get the word out, and to somehow get people to invest their time in Grimley. I obviously want to sell my merchandise, but it isn’t the first thing on my mind. I want people to read her diary, get into the spirit of her and then hopefully they’ll help me grow the fan base.
I want to start a Grimley revolution, one that might help her eventually become a comic book, or develop enough of a following that I can branch off into different mediums. Obviously, I need to raise some more funds for that to happen. Laughs.
Matt: What advice would you have for other young people out there that are thinking about starting their own online business but who don’t know where to start, or are afraid to take the plunge and get things started?
Jodie: Be brave and take the risk, if you don’t try it you’ll never know if it’s something you could actually be good at. But try to get enough money to start, be realistic about what you need, because it’s a lot harder and time consuming than I ever would’ve imagined. Most businesses don’t blossom overnight, so make the commitment to give it the time and energy it needs to grow.
***
Links
