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

Hi Kristin, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I think about the balance all the time! In the early years, when my son was little, I worked very part time during the school year, and only working full-time during the summer for my sewing camps. As my son got older, I worked more. He’s in college now and I’m working a ton. Thankfully, I love what I do, but my struggle now is making time for hikes and bike riding. I need to be getting more exercise. That’s a goal I have for 2025. I need more balance there.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I really enjoy the process of sewing. I find it meditative and it brings me joy. When I teach, I teach from a place of wanting to instill that joy in my students. When I meet a new student, I like to get to know them a bit so I can understand what their goals are for sewing. If they just want to know how to hem their jeans, I get them there as quickly as I can. If they want to learn to make clothing that fits them well, I make sure that they know that sewing clothing well requires hours and hours of practice to achieve mastery. I believe taking in-person classes, and practicing a lot, is the fastest way to get there. I’m still learning and I’ve been sewing for over 40 years!

Getting my business where it is has been a long, slow adventure. I started out teaching after school classes to 3 students, one of which was my son! From there, I added on summer camps and adult sewing classes. I went slowly and learned how to build a business as I was building it. I’m proud of that. Now I’m learning how to grow a business while I’m growing it.

One of the hardest and riskiest things I’ve done was renting a commercial space for my studio. Getting all your ducks in row for that process is not for the weak! It was scary, tedious, and expensive. Managing the day to day administrative stuff and having employees is also quite challenging. Again, growing my business slowly has been the key to success for me. I make a conscious effort to grow slowly and intentionally. I think it’s very easy for business owners to try to move too fast, get overwhelmed, and lose control of their business.

Finally, I know that I teach excellent classes and hire excellent people. I’m confident that what Easy Going Sewing offers to the public is a quality learning experience, and a fun one! I also want the world to know that I like people and I love teaching people to sew. I want EVERYONE to feel welcome at Easy Going Sewing, and I hope everyone who steps inside our door feels that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
SCAD Fashion Museum
Carter Center, Library, and Museum
High Museum
Hiking in North GA. Our state has so many beautiful hikes and waterfalls to see.
Chattahoochee River for kayaking
The Fox Theater for music or shows
Terminal West for live music
I’m not a big restaurant person, but I love Sprig, Los Hermanos, L’ Thai, and Local 7

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my mom, who always supported my love of sewing and made sure I had the things I needed to do it. And my husband, David, who has carried most of the financial load for our family. I’ve grown this business slowly. I have never accrued debt for the business, which I’m proud of, but my income has grown very slowly.

Website: https://www.EasyGoingSewing.com

Instagram: @easygoingsewing

Facebook: @easygoingsewing

Yelp: Easy Going Sewing

Image Credits
All the photos are mine.

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