There’s something incredibly inspiring about someone who took a chance on themselves and made. it. happen. Emily Roggenburk is one of those women. A few years back, Emily happened upon a unique circumstance and decided to ditch her fears in favor of potentially making something magical happen. Turns out, Emily’s intuition during that pivotal moment launched her career into what it is today: an inspiring, incredible portrayal of what happens when a talented person invests in giving everything they’ve got to this world. We recently caught up with Emily and learned how she got her start, as well as how she continues to prioritize her financial health.
AdvisHer: Tell us about you – who is Emily Roggenburk?
Emily: I’m an apparel designer and photographer based in Cleveland, Ohio. I’m originally from Indiana and studied Apparel Merchandising, Business and Fashion Design at Indiana University. I moved to Cleveland for work right after college and stayed because of the amazing people and pride, and for my husband, Kyle, who is from here.
AdvisHer: What was your inspiration for starting your business?
E: The camaraderie and togetherness during the NBA Finals, and when the Cavs won the championship back in 2016. That was the final push that made me rent a helicopter and take photos of the city during the championship parade.
AdvisHer: Okay, backup. Tell us more about that incredible day.
E: On the day of the Cavs Parade, I went to work at American Greetings as usual. About halfway through the morning, I decided to take the rest of the day off to do something that I thought might change the course of my newly founded business. I knew there had to be a way to capture that day, but it was too late in the day to get any kind of good spot/angle for photos amidst the crowds, so I figured the best thing to do would be to go above the city. I ended up calling every helicopter company in Cleveland, and after being told they were all booked, I called one back and asked to buy out someone’s spot. It worked (and it cost me 😆), and by noon I was up in the sky with @micheeeele and @dustinfox37. After the helicopter ride, I dropped Michele and Dustin off and went straight home to edit the photos and post them for sale as prints and frames on my website. That first weekend, we sold thousands of prints, and 6.22.16 became a day that would change my business forever.
AdvisHer: Take us through a day in the life!
E: While every day is different, many of them revolve around print t-shirts and filling orders at my warehouse.
AdvisHer: What is your favorite type of project to work on/client to work with? How do you stay inspired?
E: I love working on new pieces for my Cleveland Apparel Collection. Creating new pieces and releasing them into the world, receiving feedback on them, is the best feeling in the world to me.
AdvisHer: If you could give your younger self some advice, what would it be?
E: Trust yourself.
AdvisHer: What is your favorite piece you’ve ever created?
E: I would have to say the Sisterhood t-shirt. I feel like it truly embodies so many of my values and my style into one piece.
AdvisHer: How do you prioritize your financial health?
E: To me, a successful business is about more than finances. With that being said, I recognize the importance of financial health. We try to keep our costs down by using a low inventory business model and we track everything in Quickbooks to make tracking our finances easier.
AdvisHer: What are your financial goals for 2019?
E: Increase revenue by expanding into new markets that are similar to my current target audience.
We would like to thank Emily Roggenburk for her time in helping create this post! For more on Emily and her designs, check out her website, or follow along on Instagram at @EmilyRoggenburk!
Note: all photography is credited to Diana Galay.
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