By Mark Newton (M.S.’11)
Can you tell me about your business?
I’m a fashion designer and women’s empowerment activist. My goal is for women to feel seen and to encourage them to begin their journeys. There are three parts of my agency. The first part is InceptualSara, which is a clothing line. Then we have Signed By Momentum, a community cohort, where I help women go after their goals fearlessly, while aligning their steps with God. And then I have a podcast called “Signed by Lipstick,” where I share my story and how I began my brand and how I maneuvered through the struggle of starting it.
What tools helped you the most when you started out?
No. 1, having a schedule and a planner. I realized that VCU taught me that, too. I had two internships, I was working two jobs and I was taking 15 credits at school, so I was very, very busy. But being able to schedule the things that I needed to do really helped me to get things done and be very intentional about my timing. No. 2 was diversity. In my brand and my clothing line, I want women to see themselves in all that I do, regardless of race, size or ability. The idea is for women to feel seen and to acquire the confidence that comes with that.
What was the biggest challenge to maintaining your business?
The biggest challenge is not getting complacent when success happens. You can get excited about big moments, but it’s important to realize there’s more work to do. My brand is called InceptualSara — “inceptual” actually means to begin, and “Sara” is me — but it's actually an affirmation to myself to “begin Sarah” and keep moving forward.
What advice do you have for people considering starting a business?
Time is the biggest and greatest asset you have, so you have to take advantage of it and be mindful of how you spend it. You have to be very intentional with your time in all that you do. You have to be ambitious, you have to be intentional and you have to be focused on what it is that you want to actually achieve.