Editor’s note: For our annual Women in Business issue, we invited women in our local business communities to share insights they’ve gained through their work in Western North Carolina.
Emily Quinn is the owner of Revolve, a used clothing store in West Asheville. She is also a vocalist in the soul/funk band, Double Love & The Trouble.
Xpress: What piece of advice do you wish you’d been told prior to launching your business?
Quinn: There are so many people who rooted for and supported this endeavor. Unfortunately, there were also a lot of naysayers and people who doubted my ability to pull this off. It’s easy to get caught up in the negatives — especially when you’re under so much pressure. My advice would be to follow your instincts and not to let the naysayers inflict self-doubt. If you put your mind to it and commit to the cause, you’ll figure it out.
How do you feel women in leadership experience their roles differently today than they may have in the past?
In the past, women didn’t have access to jobs like we do now; especially opportunities to become small-business owners. Today, though, we’re still fighting for income equality so that we don’t always have to be the ones to sacrifice our careers and identities to compensate for our society’s lack of universal child care.
What is your most memorable experience as a business owner, and what have you learned from it?
A little shindig we hosted on a Friday last spring. It was a performing arts celebration with featured artists, live comedy and a live musical performance. It felt like a dream come true to have all of my loves happening in the same place: community and live arts mixed with my obsession for clothing and knickknacks. It was the first time I actually saw the space’s potential for becoming an accessible community space for the arts, and it was such a surreal and awesome experience. I’m continuing to offer curated performances in the space, such as future live music events, musical recordings via Secret Sounds, comedy and readings.
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