Today we’d like to introduce you to Carol Miltimore
Hi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Thank you so much for having me. There are always a lot of different stories to tell. One that has become very defining for me is Seek Collective. It brings together my career as a fashion designer, my love of fine arts, my desire to be mindful of the environment, and my ability to problem solve. Having a small business really becomes all consuming and it’s taken me awhile to find a healthy balance with it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve learned that in the end, I’m mostly a problem solver. It is rare for anything to go smoothly and there are always a lot of moving parts. When I started Seek, it could be quite stressful, but now I expect things to not go according to plan and have adapted to coming up with solutions. I once met someone who said they wanted to start their own business but not until everything was perfect to do so. To me that means it will never happen, you need to start somewhere and grow from there knowing that there is no such thing as perfection.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I began Seek Collective working exclusively in India with hand block printers, handloom weavers, natural dyers, and small batch fair trade producers. This will always be my core for Seek, but something I’m very excited about is introducing sweaters this year made from California sourced Climate Beneficial wool. This means the ranching practices where the wool is sourced actually traps carbon. Just as I visit and vet every one of my producers in person, it was thrilling to visit the farm in CA, to see the sheep and speak to the rancher about his passion for taking care of the planet in this way.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I try not to focus on being happy but instead on finding moments of joy, thoughtfulness, laughter, and beauty. I enjoy supporting others I care about and believe in, I revel in solitude as much as time with my husband, dog, and friends, and I’ve realized I’ve always very much liked working. A place of retreat for me is gardening, both toiling in it as well as observing the effect of time and seasons on it.
Contact Information:
- Website: www.seekcollective.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seekcollective/
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