Nestled in the heart of New York City is the headquarters of StilettoSwap, an after-market custom shoe embellishment company. I had the pleasure of having a one on one with the founder and CEO, Saeedah Abdullah, affectionately known as Sy. We got comfortable in her beautiful space filled with all white decor and jumped right into what everyone really wants to know….
YD: What moment would you say triggered the idea for StilettoSwap?
SA: Actually, StilettoSwap was not my idea.
YD: Really? Do Tell.
SA: There is this girl in Philadelphia who alters a variety of things including shoes; however, she does not have a specific area of focus and one day I saw a piece of hers that I was interested in. When I contacted her about it, I thought her pricing was just too expensive. Then I started thinking, “I’m creative, I can do that and not have to spend that much for it?” In college, I altered clothing all the time from making jeans into skirts and tops, but that became boring to me. I like things that I can do immediately where the results are not going to take me forever. So I decided one day to go out and get a pair of shoes to customize. I got rave reviews about them and StilettoSwap was born.
YD: Wow, that’s pretty cool. So what is the mission of StilettoSwap and where do you see the business going in the future?
SA: StilettoSwap’s sole purpose is to make people feel good about themselves. Outfits make people feel great, but shoes, to me, are the final accessory to complimenting an outfit. In the future, I aim to have a physical boutique space where women can come in and have a consultation. Now I do consultations, but they are in different places whether I go to someone or they come to me. I want to create a functioning space where women can come, sit down, have a glass of wine and have their consultation.
YD: Right, which would be fantastic because there is nothing quite like that right now.
SA: Exactly! I think it would be pretty cool.
YD: Now walk me through the process of what clients experience when they come to you?
SA: Okay, usually people come to me because they heard about me through someone or they have seen my work through following me on social media. 9 times out of 10 they are coming to me for two reasons: either they are going to an event and want a customized shoe specifically for that or they just want something customized for themselves. Typically, a customer would contact me directly and say “hey I have these shoes I want to customize” and I would proceed to ask them a series of questions. Is it a design you’ve seen that I’ve done before? Is this for a specific occasion? Are there colors you like and do not like? Are there materials you are opposed to? Then we get into the idea of what we are going to do with the shoes and narrowing down colors, styles, placement on shoes, etc.
YD: Okay, so it seems like a thorough customization process.
SA: Right and once that is done I give them a quote and they either pay in full or put down a deposit. They leave their shoes with me and I go out and get the supplies. During the consultation I ask for 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices when it comes to colors just in case the supplier does not have option 1, then I will move onto option 2. Throughout the entire process I keep the client up to date with progress pictures so they know how it is going. Also, I like them to see how it is turning out in case there is something they do not like and want me to change, etc. This comes in handy so that when the shoes are finished it is exactly what they wanted. Once completed, they pay the other half if they have yet to do so and they receive their customized shoes.
YD: I think that is a great idea, keeping the client in the loop.
SA: Yes, it is because I do not do any customizations without input. Although I do the designing this is a collaborative effort.
YD: Very cool and your’re a one woman show with this, so what would you say are some challenges of being your own boss?
SA: There are so many I do not even know where to begin. Time and lack of staff/ administrative support can sometimes be challenging. I am a one woman show so I do it all – orders, supplies, consultations, set appointments, designing, marketing, networking, everything. However, figuring out how to keep orders coming in would be the hardest thing for me. I am a business who is a service provider because I do not have inventory on hand, which means I have to find clients who want their shoes done and that for me can sometimes be a hard task.
YD: Right, I could definitely see how that could be possible.
SA: Yea, I don’t provide the shoes due to sizing issues and all shoes are cut differently so it would be too much to take on.
YD: Of course and that would be a whole different thing to tackle.
SA: Exactly! Shipping, returns and everything that comes with it. It would just be a lot right now. Once I have a boutique space that I can actually run that may change, but now I use a P.O Box and it is just easier to stick to an after-market model.
YD: I really love how you categorized the images on your website into appetizer, entree and dessert. What was the thought process behind that?
SA: Thank you so much! Well, this is actually my new website and I wanted to figure out how to categorize my designs and not just have a gallery of pictures. On my old website, I had just a gallery of pictures, but I felt I needed some categories to differentiate my simple, medium and crazy designs. I decided appetizer, entree and dessert would be perfect because it goes in sequence. When you think about an appetizer you think about something light, a starter. When you think about an entree, you think about something that is filling and when you think about dessert you think about the bang, something that tops the meal off.
YD: So cute! So moving forward, what accomplishments do you look forward to achieving in the future?
SA: Honestly, the only thing I want to do besides making StilettoSwap my full time job is to inspire people. I think being an entrepreneur is really dope and if I could inspire kids that would be amazing. I never aspired to be an entrepreneur. I took a chance on having a business and fell in love with it. I am a minority not because of my race, but because I am a small business owner. I mean it’s not Bloomingdales or anything.
YD: Right, but it’s yours and you own it.
SA: Exactly and I love that! The most fulfilling thing about being an entrepreneur for me is that people really love what I do and I think that is extremely dope. When my clients really love their shoes, that is it for me. In that moment it is all worth it. People think that being an entrepreneur is all about the money, but it isn’t, at least not for me. It’s about the joy I get from my clients. So if I can inspire someone to become an entrepreneur and follow their passion then that is a great thing.
YD: With that being said, would you consider yourself a role model for youth and aspiring entrepreneurs in general?
SA: I guess I do. I’m constantly thinking about improvement, progression and being better. Not necessarily the role model aspect of it, but I do in the end, once I get more established, would want to be someone who is considered a role model.
YD: What advice would you give to someone who aspires to become an entrepreneur?
SA: I would say if you do decide to start something make sure you love what you do and do it for the right reasons not for money or fame. When that goes away it will reflect in your product or business. Just focus on what you love and before you know it, it could take off and be more than you ever thought it would be. It’s hard work though, it is not as easy as it seems.
YD: Right it’s not all glam.
SA: No its not, it takes work, dedication and passion, but I love it because it’s my business. I love what I do and I am proud of my work. It’s hard and rewarding at the same time.
YD: Now you know this interview is a part of the “Not That Gurl” series. Can you tell me what you are not?
SA: I’m not that TREND gurl. One of my sayings is “trends bore me”. As long as I like something, I feel and look good in it, then I am going to wear it. I think that is why sometimes my designs can be a little extreme because it’s based on what I like. I think people should wear what they like and be comfortable with that. Be comfortable with who they are.
YD: Do you think it is hard for people to be comfortable with that?
SA: I don’t think that it’s hard. I think people want to be what they envision being popular is or the in thing is. People are afraid to step outside of that and just be. That is just my opinion, but people should be what makes them happy and if being popular or being and doing the in thing makes them happy then they should do that.
YD: Indeed! You’re just NOT THAT GURL.
SA: Right, I am definitely, NOT THAT GURL.
YD: Okay, so you’re a shoe girl, what style of shoes best relate to who you are?
SA: Okay definitely a wedge like 4 or 5 inches because they are the easiest to walk in and I love them. I would be a platform stiletto, probably peep toe or key hole and I would probably be a converse. I love converse.
YD: Me too!
SA: Yes, a nice embellished pair of converse definitely describes me.
YD: In a nutshell, if you could describe your company in three words what would they be?
SA: Dope, Individualized, Fashion
YD: I like that!
SA: That is exactly what my business is, in a nutshell.
You can visit StilettoSwap for a consultation and to view StilettoSwap designs. Saeedah will be available for consultations at the following Shecky’s events: May 30th / New York City & July 13th / Southampton, New York. Check Shecky’s for location details.
Thoughts on this interview, feel free to leave your feedback.
Disclaimer: All images used via StilettoSwap