Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisa Man.
Hi Alisa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
On March 09, 2020, my life changed forever. Covid-19 forced me to change course and leave my job. At the time, I was three months pregnant with my first child and a partner who was also out of work. As a mother, I knew I needed to do something for my family. However, there was nothing I could do at the time due to the unknown of Covid-19. So I came up with the idea of starting a small business.
After much time and consideration, I purchased a sewing machine two times its price and turned my hobby of sewing into a business. But I knew I needed to specialize in a product: scrunchies. As someone with thin hair, it has always been a challenge to find a hairstyle that flattered me. I found that wearing my hair in a ponytail was the quickest and simplest way of styling. Adding a scrunchie to my ponytail gave me confidence and character in my outfits. Because of that, I wanted to share this little success with the world through my scrunchies.
When I finally launched Preyâmour, things were going decently well. But it was not enough for my creative self. I sought more. I immediately decided to expand my inventory to fanart stickers and art prints alongside the scrunchies and hair accessories. For some time, it was going well until people found my brand confusing. They couldn’t understand if Preyâmour was a scrunchie business that sold other hair accessories or art, fanart stickers, and scrunchies. So I decided to listen to my customers and took fanart stickers and art off the table. Since then, I have been focusing on creating a brand that can provide a purpose to our customers to help build confidence and self-love.
As of November 2021, our goal is to sell as a vendor at least once a month at pop-up events. Right now, some of our products are in a storefront called Adore in Carlsbad Premium Outlets. Adore is a brand that helps promote small businesses like Preyâmour. Having my products inside a storefront has always been a goal of mine. And I am hoping to expand elsewhere as well. So far, I have products of different-sized scrunchies, hairkerchiefs, and DIY Kits. I plan on working on embroidered apparel and some self-designed shirts and sweatshirts. Preyâmour would not have been here today if it weren’t for my son, the help of my partner, family, Beloved Loves, and the community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Challenges and obstacles are inevitable and are something that I have to overcome quite often. I started my small business as a new mom. As a pregnant Cambodian woman, it is expected the mother to focus on the baby’s wellbeing. Any physical labor was out of the question. When my parents heard that I wanted to start a small business, it was not easy for them to accept. They knew that sewing required long hours of sitting, back strain, and a lot of mental work. With that, they rejected the idea of my business because continuing meant a lot of stress on my body which could lead my baby to fall ill. On top of their concerns was Covid-19; for months, I was restricted from leaving the house. I required permission to pick up fabrics or even drop orders off, and their response was no. It became both mentally and emotionally exhausting because I felt so trapped. My mental health took a toll when my partner and I had to stay in a hotel for two weeks to avoid a Covid case in our own home. Now separated from my family, my biggest support group, all the negative thoughts and self-doubt started flooding in. With the baby approaching and our living situation, I had to act quickly. I stayed committed to my work. Fortunately enough, my parents were able to come to a compromise. If I needed to go out, I would have to stay in the car at all times; and sewing must be at a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour. Things were finally looking up, but things were also going to get much more difficult.
At 23, I only knew how to fulfill customer orders and use a cash register working retail. When it came to running a business, I knew absolutely nothing. Not only did I doubt myself, but people around me started to doubt me too. Their concerns were that being a first-time mother would require me to focus on my baby 24/7, and time to be my boss is non-existent. These thoughts almost intimidated me enough to quit the idea of starting a business. But thankfully, I did not and took the leap of faith to continue. I became active in the task of researching how to run a business and working on my brand. As time went by, the tasks kept stacking and stacking even after I launched my brand. Doing everything on my own while growing and raising a baby was a lot. There were instances when I would sit in front of my computer bawling my eyes out as I struggled to edit my website. Anytime any stressors presented its self, I wanted to give up because it validated everyone’s doubts, including mine.
There have been countless times when self-doubt almost brought me down. It was risky launching a business in a market oversaturated with similar ideas. I would have to work extra hard to make my brand stand out in the most genuine way possible. After my launch, orders came only from names I recognized and rarely new audiences. It made me doubt the price of my products, fabric choices, and if my brand was even appealing. I would have conversations with my partner to discuss the next steps, which resulted in re-branding. I found that my business was to turn a profit, but I didn’t want that. I wanted to give more to my customers and show that we are here for a purpose, to build confidence and self-love. It may be subtly through our brand, but that is the beauty of it.
We’ve been impressed with Preyâmour, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Beloved Love, Preyâmour. Preya is my middle name meaning beloved, and amour meaning love. Preyâmour is a brand here to help with confidence and self-love through quality products and subtlety. On our website and all of our tags, we always make sure to input words of affirmations or questions of care. Our goal is to make our customers, whom we call Beloved Loves, know that we appreciate, love, and care for them and to remind them that they should cherish themselves too. It was from my self-doubts and insecurities that my brand was created. I grew up questioning my self-worth with the opinions of other people. I had to remind myself that everyone has their perspectives and opinions; focusing on loving yourself is the most important. To improve, I did daily exercises where I would point out physical attributes or characteristics about myself that I love. After some time, I finally understood the beauty that I saw in front of me was my version of beautiful. It wasn’t the beauty that was influenced by the opinions of others and the media, but my own. I started to accept the love that was never received from myself and found that learning, understanding, and accepting myself have made me the happiest. Nothing has been able to take my confidence and love away from me. Every day, wearing a scrunchie allowed me to add that touch of love.
Adding a scrunchie to your daily routine can offer some confidence to your day. Express it freely with the variety of patterns, colors, and materials we offer. When you do, know that you’re adding love and confidence to your day, you’re helping the world, and you helped someone as well. Very soon, we will be adding selections of scrunchies, hairkerchiefs, and other hair accessories made of upcycled fabric that would have ended in landfills. Every month of sales, Preyâmour donates 10% to a Breast Cancer Awareness Organization, Mental Health Awareness Organization, or a Cambodian Foundation Group.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
What started as only a daydream during work became a reality. Starting a business during a pandemic was challenging. And I believe that Preyâmour would not be here today if it were not for the trials and challenges that I faced because of COVID-19. I do wish Preyâmour was created and launched in a time that didn’t have COVID; I’m sure running my business would have been easier and less stressful. But within two years, I learned more about myself than I would have in five. I learned that with any investment, things take time. Progress is not easy, and it requires immense effort to put yourself out there. Starting from literally ground zero can seem impossible, but with each challenge comes a new learning opportunity. It just takes the right mindset to recognize and appreciate the lessons you learn along the way. This makes the adage true, anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it. I never knew I could make a website, network with other businesses, or even put a product out to the world if I had never tried. This dedication and effort I put in have shown me that there is support for small businesses; both from everyday people and other larger organizations. If there is anything to take away from these two years of running a business during a pandemic, is that people are in this together; there are good people out there that want to spread success to others. So don’t be afraid and take that step forward. Please stay safe, healthy, and happy.
Pricing:
- Large Scrunchies – $13-$16
- Mini-Me Scrunchies – $8-$10
- Skinny Scrunchie Set of 3 – $8-$10
- Hairkerchiefs – $15
- DIY Scrunchie Kit – $5
Contact Info:
- Website: https://preyamour.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preyamour/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Preyamour/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/preyamour/
