ALLYSON LONGSHORE FOUNDER, STYLESTUDIOLIVE
"Stay true and authentic to who I truly am, and what I believe in. Trust and follow my intuition—it has never steered me wrong."
How do you start your day?
I drink coffee, do yoga, and listen to music. Mornings are my favorite, and they set the tone for the day.
What would you tell yourself as a teenager?
Stay focused and stay on track. Don’t let the small bumps that life throws at you keep you from chasing your dreams. Overcoming fear is one of the most difficult obstacles we face as humans.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Stay true and authentic to who I truly am, and what I believe in. Trust and follow my intuition—it has never steered me wrong.
What do you need to get you through each day?
Art, beauty, and nature.
Briefly describe your business and inspiration for it.
Stylestudiolive is a luxury concept manifestation of premiere luxury fashion and styling services. It’s a concept and vision I’ve had for a long time; through working my way up the corporate latter in the luxury fashion world and developing solid relationships my vision has become a reality.
How has your passion fueled your business?
My passion for the fashion industry has always been extremely prevalent in my life. Not only the beauty and glamour of the industry, but also the business of fashion, the mechanics of collection production, the digital shift in the shopping experience and the way fashion is presented to the consumer.
What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?
I ultimately moved to NYC with a dream and a major goal. I submerged myself in the mecca of fashion and art that makes up Manhattan. The business, the clientele, the creative sources are endless in NYC and having that at my fingertips helped to open my eyes in that my dream is definitely achievable as long as I continue to push myself and stay focused.
What was the tipping point for realizing you had a good business?
The client feedback says it all, and the fact that I have continuously grown over the past two years. I have reached a point where managing my time is of the upmost importance to ensure my clients are taken care of, and growing my styling team to ensure that every possible detail is executed quickly and efficiently.
What has been the key to your success?
Staying both extremely focused and true to my vision. There is a very specific method to my styling technique and the STYLESTUDIOLIVE process. I haven’t strayed from that and it continues to grow because my proven method works.
What lessons have you learned along the way that you wish you would have known at the beginning of your start-up career?
Every lesson that I’ve learned has been for a reason and I am grateful for the mistakes that I’ve made a long the way. That is how we grow and evolve.
What challenges did you face in the early days of being the Founder of your own business?
My main challenge was the overwhelming reality that I had full control over my calendar and time. Time is the most valuable asset that we have and managing how you spend it and prioritize it is essential for success. It was initially challenging for me considering that I was submerged in a corporate environment for over 11 years, with a very strict schedule.
What is the biggest challenge you have had in your business to date and how did you pull through it?
My biggest challenge is delegating tasks to others. I am a perfectionist, extremely creative and very “hands on” with my work. Training my team efficiently and trusting their talent and work ethic has proven to be the ingredient for growth and evolving my business.
When self-doubt hits, what do you do?
I take a deep breath and step away. I go to the beach, I surround myself with people that I love, and focus on balancing my mind through nature and living a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally.
How did your experiences in the corporate world prepare you for entrepreneurship, or not?
I would not be where I am today without those corporate experiences! They are the sole reason I’ve been able to build my company and develop such a strong internal network to provide my clients with an insider exclusive experience.
What do you do outside the office to help you stay creative/productive?
I travel a lot! Seeing the world is what inspires me and feeds my soul to continue being productive and creative. Living in NYC is amazing for building a business because of the endless resources, although it can be very overwhelming at times. The balance of nature and travel is what keeps me on track.
What would you say to another woman who asked you if they should take the leap and start their own business?
YES YES YES!!! Being self-sufficient is the most liberating thing you can do for yourself, especially when it’s centered around something you are passionate about and love.