Clutchedme pieces can be worn on a night out with the ladies, date nights & zoom parties, shares Founder Sarah Johnson

Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Johnson, an Entrepreneur, Founder, and CEO of ClutchedMe. ClutchedMe is a luxury clutch handbags and statement earring brand for women.

Please tell us about your journey.

I studied for a law degree in university but ended up working in IT as an account manager in one of the world’s top 5 IT companies (IBM). Although I had attained a promotion in the space of 5 months of being in the company and was one of the top target earners of my team, I found myself looking at my screen every day in the office daydreaming of one day……waking up and having the freedom to work for myself…..so I did.

As a lover of luxury things, especially exclusive fashion trends, as a law educated businesswoman, I wanted to embark on a new journey to start a brand that is a one-stop shop for all your chic, stylish, Clutch Bags and embellishments that are seen on the trendiest of celebrities but not often accessible to the average woman.

Please tell us about your brand, ClutchedMe.

ClutchedMe is a brand of high-quality exclusive pieces. Clutchedme pieces can be worn on a night out with the ladies, date nights, weddings, zoom parties 😉 and the fashionista individual taking content to post on their social media. I have also personally made an effort to work with morally ethical manufactures that believe in following labor laws.

Typical bag designs are suitable for all occasions such as daytime wear, evening out, and perfect with any outfit. Ranging from Rhinestone embellished clutch bags to pearl embroidered bags and earrings- with our exclusive Gold plated lines.

The company has now had an offer to go into John Lewis as a pop-up brand(Once Covid Restrictions have been lifted, of-course), which we are super blessed and excited about!!

What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?

Success is a mindset!! You can plant a really good seed into the soil and blame mother earth for it not growing- but that to me…..is not how success works. If you watered what you planted, then surely you would see the fruits of your labor.

The strategies that I used to help me succeed in my journey are love and passion for what I do. I studied law, learned e-commerce, and love everything fashion, which combined helped start a place I could call home, clutchedme.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

You should carefully consider a broad range of factors before committing to starting a particular business. For example, your evaluation should include factors such as the state of the market, market segments, the competition, your strengths and weaknesses, and available opportunities in the market that you are venturing in.

People frequently make a lousy choice on their very first business decision: which business area to enter. In fact, it is often given little consideration, a choice that people may drift into without consciously looking at the options.

Trust. Mutual trust is a necessity when working in a position of leadership, especially in the context of a small team that typically defines startups. For example, entrepreneurs need to trust their team leaders to accomplish their primary objectives without interference. If that trust isn’t there, team leaders will not be able to execute their work effectively. It’s also a symptom of a hire that isn’t the best fit for the organization.

I view having a great business plan as an important factor in determining your likelihood of business success. In fact, much of the work that goes into a solid business plan you should already have conducted even before deciding on your area of business. This is vital for every business, so much so that I have many, many presentations relating to this topic.

Any message for our readers.

You must remember that all the challenges, while difficult to face, are a natural part of being an entrepreneur. Success in business ownership is rarely a matter of how many challenges you face so much as it is a matter of how you face those challenges. Triumphant entrepreneurs have a level of resilience, which allows them to face an almost constant slew of challenges without ever weakening their resolve.

Finally, it’s deemed impossible to be a successful entrepreneur if you aren’t passionate about your work. Passion can be defined subjectively, but what’s important is that you’re excited to come to work every day. You may not like every task you have to perform or every person you have to work with, but at the end of the day, you must be both satisfied and exhilarated to be the leader of your own enterprise.

Hard work is everything, and what you put in is definitely what you will get out. The saying is…..”if you do what you love for work……you will never have to work a day in your life”(Please don’t let that go over your head)

Fantastic! So tell us, how can people find out more about you?

Please follow on Instagram and you can also visit the website.