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

Hi Taylor, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I moved to Manhattan ten days after graduating college to accept an internship in the fashion industry. In a week, I turned my internship into a full-time position and was “living the fashion dream”. I was under an umbrella that housed multiple labels. It was fun and glamorous, but it was chaotic and demanding. When they said jump, I said how high; think Devil Wears Prada. At that time there was a lot of turmoil in the company and they weren’t able to retain staff. I was expected to pick up everyone else’s responsibilities. I was quickly burnt out and severely underpaid, when I came across an article in Women’s Wear Daily about Sophia Amoruso bringing Nasty Gal from an e-comm brand to a brick-and-mortar. I was inspired by this, and had quickly learned that I wanted to be my own boss. So I packed up my bags and moved home after six months in the big apple to start my own brand.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business these days consists mostly of working with retail and beauty brands to create content. When I’m not doing that, I’m busy fundraising and producing our charity fashion show, WEAR RVA.

In pivoting from working on Fashion Ave, to creating my own e-commerce brand, and now to content creation I feel like my career has evolved naturally, but not without a lot of hustle! My background in fashion gave me the experience I needed, but opened my eyes to the world of entrepreneurship. This is where I learned lessons the hard way. You can have a degree under your belt and read all of the business development books, but nothing prepares you for the lessons you learn through your own experiences. One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned was knowing when it was time to move on or pivot. After my first pregnancy, and dealing with the hardships of covid, I decided to end my retail business after 6 years. At first I felt like I had lost my identity, but I quickly realized it only paved the way for new opportunities.

My biggest accomplishment has been finding a balance between being a mom to two young kids, while growing my business, and producing WEAR RVA. I feel like I have had to find myself again after each pregnancy. The relearning of “who am I?” outside of the title mom, and “who do I want to be?” Personally, I’ve found that I need a sense of self. Whether that be getting dressed everyday and leaving the house to work, or taking the time for self-care. It’s important to who I am as an individual and helps propel me into being able to “do it all”. Six months postpartum with my second son and I’m finally feeling like myself again, and regaining confidence in entrepreneurship. I’ve also learned the importance of being your own boss, and that I thrive on the flexibility to have a work/life balance.

Currently, I am most excited about new brand opportunities I have coming up, the fourth annual WEAR RVA in April, and building our dream home this year!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since I was a baby we have owned a condo in Beaver Creek and I’ve spent much of my time growing up skiing out there. Beaver Creek and Vail Village hold a special place in my heart. I love walking the villages, shopping, checking out art galleries, and of course, all of the amazing food! One of our favorite places to dine is Grouse Mountain Grill– by far one of the best meals I’ve ever had. We look forward to visiting every year!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe a lot of my success in recent years to my non-profit cofounder, Amber Kay Reinink-Pelletier. We met at the end of 2017 and in just five short months produced our first charity fashion show, WEAR RVA. We’re now into our sixth year and producing our fourth annual show (no thanks to Covid). She has pushed me through uncomfortable growing pains, encouraged me to keep looking ahead, and to continue dreaming about “what I want to be when I grow up”. She has been a huge pillar in my personal and professional success!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorpitera/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tayloralexis8/

Other: nonprofit website: www.wearrva.com

Image Credits
Amber Kay Photography (images w/ pink dress)

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