How’d you get your job? We asked a 23-year-old self-made business owner

Rustic Threads, a small business out of Joshua Tree, California, is run by 23-year-old Taylor Compton. She makes beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces out of wool she hand spins, knits and dyes. There are scarves! Hats! Cowls! All things to keep you warm this cold and windy season! Not only that, but she also crafts stunning dream catchers and is crazy-talented with a paintbrush.

I recently emailed Taylor to ask her a few questions about her self-made business, what it was like to start her business at such a young age and why it’s important to believe in and stay true to yourself to be successful. Here’s what I learned.

MM: Could you give me some background on Rustic Threads? What made you start?

TC: I graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago about two years ago. After graduating I moved straight to Los Angeles, took the first crappy job I could find and started making garments in all my spare time. Within the first six months, I quit my job and started to seriously pursue Rustic Threads. With that leap of faith, Heyoka Hideout started selling my goods, and everything kind of blossomed from there. What helped me start, and keeps me going, is community of artists, friends, and family who support me. Without that encouragement, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to keep moving forward.

MM: What makes Rustic Threads unique?

TC: I spin, knit, and dye all the garments by hand. There aren’t many other people crazy enough to do that! It’s a lot of work, but I love it! And I can’t beat the results. I believe in good craftsmanship and creating heirloom pieces, which is what Rustic Threads offers to people.

MM: What’s the goal of your brand?

TC: Simple. Integrity. Quality.

MM: Why is it important to stay true to yourself and that brand?

TC: Staying true to yourself is the most important thing in life. Everything I’ve been blessed with has happened because I followed my intuition. That is what I lead my brand with. I believe if you stay true to yourself, everything will fall into place.

MM: How do you put yourself into the work as in is it a representation of who you are?

TC: My work definitely represents who I am. It’s part of who I am. In order to be an artist of any kind, you have to have a driving force that pushes you past all your challenges, struggles, and doubt, a force that tells you to keep going. Rustic Threads’ slogan is also my personal mantra, “Home is in you. Live anywhere. Do anything. Be anyone.” That’s my way of encouraging people to not follow convention. Purse what drives you in life. Pursue your highest self.

Rustic Threads is me working toward my highest self, and each piece I get to distribute is like a seed of that energy inspiring the next person to do the same.

MM: I think it’s important for women to see other women, especially young women, have drive and determination to meet their goals. How do you feel about starting your own business both as a woman and at such a young age?

TC: I feel grateful that in this day and age I can walk this earth confident in my gender, and youth. I’ve had the blessing of being introduced to a lot of really amazing successful women who have inspired me, and empowered me to go after my goals. Without the support, I probably would have stopped before I started. I feel lucky to be part of this time as a young woman. There are so many great female leaders opening up paths for us, and plenty to have been before them too. And as young as I am, I’ve learned one thing: you can’t just expect to get what you want overnight. You have to really, really work your ass off for a long time. When I first started, I put a crazy amount of pressure on myself to be this crazy, super successful businesswoman, but that can only happen with experience. I think a lot of people are afraid to start their dreams, but really there’s nothing to be afraid of. You can’t fail. You can only adapt and grow.

To me, Rustic Threads is a company that believes in authenticity and pursuing what your own success. Taylor is a creative mind who believes in both the power of positivity and having the determination to make your dreams a reality. And it shows in her work.

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