Reflective Journal

Reflective Journal
I am a small-scale designer who specializes in producing street wear clothes. My brand is known as Vintage Global that generates clothing line of different preferences like backpacks, totes, accessories, apparel, handbags, hats and wristbands. However, the only frustration in this business is that the level of competition is always high. Additionally, the fashion industry is always transforming, and it is the responsibility of any leader to be up to date with current trends. My vital energy source is that I have a team of competent staffs who are always dedicated to the success this business. I always incorporate them in crucial decision-making processes, and I always gain fashion insights and knowledge from them (Gary, 2016). Currently, my team is involved in marketing my brand through the social media. Therefore, my employees are my source of energy because we have established a family culture that goes beyond the business.
Consequently, I have also loved fashion and interior design since childhood. Therefore, it has always been my dream that I will develop a product that is unique from other designers known worldwide. The beauty of fashion is that it gives you the freedom to exploit your creativity and you end up generating something from simple objects. The fashion sector can also foster entrepreneurial skills in an individual. For instance, not only are creating your product but also you required to establish a chain of marketing, sales, and distribution of the created items (Gary, 2016).

Furthermore, various issues also hold me back in regards to advancing my designing career, and that is the fear of intimidation from popular fashion designers such as Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford and Oscar de la Renta who have established global recognition (Koket, 2013). Even though these characters are my role models but it is always discouraging to know that I will not reach their level anytime soon.
Contrarily, when I started pursuing my passion in the fashion industry, there was a snide little voice that tried to give me a negative spin concerning me making it in this business. Many psychologists have termed this inner voice as the voice of judgment (Berkowicz and Myers, 2013). Before I started this business, I was often forced to counter check the risk involved in this business in the quest of satisfying this voice of judgment. I also judged my creativity quality through thinking that it did not project the shades of perfectionism required in this business. For instance, my brand Vintage Global majors in producing culturally based clothes based on African, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Brazilian cultures. Today modern based fashion has dominated the industry, and I doubted if I could make with my native based designs.
Simultaneously, the voice of fear also undermined me. This affected me through shutting down my open will to achieve in this business (Berkowicz and Myers, 2013). The capital base required was intensely high, and I relented from acquiring loans since it was a risk business I was venturing into it. My close relative had offered me a job, but I refused since fashion was passion. Even though the job offer was tempting in regards to shutting down my fashion will but I had to deny it.
In conclusion, I also experienced the voice of cynicism (Berkowicz and Myers, 2013). In many occasion, various blogs, news and media outlets have suggested that the fashion industry is brutal for new fashion designers (Koket, 2013). The level of creativity, branding techniques and pricing system requires a team of elite experts who can promote your brand to the next step (Koket, 2013). Therefore, this industry is not suitable for small-scale entrepreneurs. Finally, despite the heavy criticism, I am still trying my best to make it in this industry.
References
Berkowicz Jill and Myers Ann.(2013). Evaluations: Change Without Judgment, Cynicism, or fear.
Retrieved from.http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/leadership_360/2013/08/evaluations_change_without_judgement_cynicism_or_fear.html
Gary Tomlinson.(2016). A Book Report on It`s Your Ship by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff. Tomlinson and Associates publication. pdf
Koket.(2013). Top 50 Best Fashion Designers.
Retrieved from. http://www.bykoket.com/blog/top-50-fashion-designers/