Small Town Quilter to Sewing Superstar: The Unexpected Path Podcast By  cover art

Small Town Quilter to Sewing Superstar: The Unexpected Path

Small Town Quilter to Sewing Superstar: The Unexpected Path

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About this listen

Join host Misty Doan as she sits down with Jess Barrera, founder of Sally Tomato, to explore her inspiring journey from working at a family quilt shop to building a successful bag pattern and hardware business. In this engaging conversation, Jess shares how she turned her college entrepreneurship major into a thriving creative business, the challenges of scaling from her basement to a full operation, and her passion for making bag-making accessible to sewists of all levels. Discover the story behind her viral prom dress made from denim, her approach to product development, and valuable advice for aspiring creative entrepreneurs looking to turn their passion into profit.


Key Episode Highlights:

  • Growing up at Nancy's Notions quilt shop and turning college entrepreneurship major into Sally Tomato empire
  • The denim prom dress challenge that proved friends wrong and built her design confidence
  • When inventory overflow took over the house - the moment she knew the business needed help
  • Hardware innovation solving customer frustration with coordinated supplies and matching components
  • First trade show chaos with homemade brick walls and learning the industry through trial by fire
  • Balancing workaholic tendencies with family life using habit trackers and vintage movie inspiration
  • Making bag-making accessible through educational tutorials and supporting sewists at every level
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