23: Aaron Jones on Entrepreneurship as a Lever for Growth & Creating Safe Spaces for Your Customers

Entrepreneurs & Artists with Tiffany Aurora

Aaron Jones is an entrepreneur and the owner of Bushelers of Baltimore. In this episode, we talk about how Aaron fell in love with designing and altering clothes, the tension between being an artist and growing a business, how entrepreneurship will test you and force you to grow, and what it looks like to use your business to create a safe space for your customers.

Bushelers of Baltimore: https://www.bushelersofbmore.com/

Key Moments:

03:18 - A busheler or bushelman is a person who alters or repairs garments.

04:10 - With the world becoming more fast casual, the role of a busheler is growing, while tailors are becoming less common.

05:28 - How Aaron fell in love with sewing and the way it allowed him to express himself without feeling forced.

07:20 - The story of Treason Toting Co, Aaron's first company, and how he ultimately ended up founding Bushelers.

09:52 - The pros and cons of going into business with a partner.

10:40 - "The most unnatural thing is for an artist to become a business person."

14:15 - Aaron's aspirations to become a designer.

15:44 - Being an artist and an entrepreneur gives you the chance to create processes that fit you. They might be unconventional, but they'll work for you.

19:38 - Aaron's vision is to franchise Bushelers, so the business can scale, but in a way that is unique to and special for each neighborhood.

20:15 - The tailoring industry is shrinking, but it also isn't adapting to today's culture. Aaron wants to be a part of the new school and help create a new tailor shop experience.

23:51 - Being an entrepreneur is a pathway to serious personal growth. It's uncomfortable, but it will help you learn how far you can go.

28:45 - It can be hard for people who have entrepreneurial wiring to work for someone else.

30:13 - Being an entrepreneur is a privilege. "We GET to do this."

31:25 - Entrepreneurship taught Aaron how to take responsibility.

32:20 - What it looks like to create a safe space for your customers.

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Mentioned in this episode:

• 2024 BGE Energizing Small Business Grant, in partnership with Hello Alice and the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN)
• Treason Toting Co
• André 3000
• André 3000 interview with Rick Rubin
• Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)

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More conversations on entrepreneurship:

• Cadie Bridges-Palmer & Stephanie Fabian on Launching a Yoga Studio during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Moving from Surviving to Focusing on Growth (Episode 18)
• Mikael Dia on Building a SaaS Startup, Finding the Right Customers, and Focusing on Your Zone of Genius (Episode 16)
• Michael Amato on Preserving a Memory through a Planted Aquarium & Shifting Habits and Services So Your Business Can Grow (Episode 13)

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This show is hosted by Tiffany Aurora: https://tiffanyaurora.com