We had the good fortune of connecting with Karen Buscemi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
I have many – MANY – favorite quotes by Tony Robbins. This one is particularly resonating with me at the moment: “Identify your problems, but give your power and energy to solutions.”

When you are a business owner, you are faced with multiple problems every day. Some are small problems, some are large problems. It’s easy to wallow in these problems, but that won’t help anything. You have to let go of the negative thoughts that are holding you down and put all of that energy into finding that change, perhaps that pivot.

Tony also said, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”

This to me goes hand in hand with the first quote. If you continue to run an unsuccessful business the same way every day, it will continue to be unsuccessful. So you have to find the answers, and a big part of that is giving yourself the space and quiet not just to think strategically, but also to open your mind enough to let answers come in. And then involve the team, always knowing that you are not the only one with good ideas. One of your team members could have a solution that solves a problem or catapults your business to the next level. There are solutions in listening.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets Detroit Sewn apart from others in our one-stop shop mentality. Some shops only do patterns, or tech packs, or contract sewing, or materials sourcing – the list goes on and on. Whatever you need from a sewn-products aspect, we can do it. We even source pre-made apparel and accessories and decorate them using embroidery, heat transfers or screen printing. In addition, we also teach. The sewn products manufacturing world is vast, and it’s easy to get lost, or worse, lose money. We offer online courses, as well as one-on-one coaching, so fashion designers and start-up brands have the knowledge to step into this world with ease.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a tough one. There is so much to see and do here. I am utterly in love with the Detroit Institute of Arts, so a lovely breakfast at Hudson Cafe, followed by appreciating some art at the DIA is a perfect morning. An afternoon of shopping along Woodward Ave in Detroit, and then assuming it’s the weekend heading up Woodward into Ferndale to browse around Rust Belt Market, is a dream for anyone looking to find unique items with local flavor. A late lunch at Public House in Ferndale, and then going further up Woodward for coffee and strolling around downtown Birmingham is really giving us a good mix of the sites and sounds of these three vibrant downtowns. I’d finish off the walking tour on the grounds of Cranbrook (even farther up Woodward!) before heading home for a nap and to give the legs a rest.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am giving my shoutout to Heather Zara. The owner of Zara Creative, she is a powerful entrepreneur, who has taken the time to understand herself, her business, and her employees to make the right decisions at the right time, even if they are tough decisions. She is a true hawk – an owner, not an operator – flying high above with the perfect view of her company to understand where it’s been, where it is now, where it’s going and strategizing how to get there.

Website: https://detroitsewn.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/detroitsewn

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenbuscemi/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/detroitsewn

Facebook: https://facebook.com/detroitsewn

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@apparelbrandcoachingwithkaren

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