Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Owdom-Weitz.
Hi Megan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I went to school for design in Ohio and moved to Chicago after graduation. I worked a typical 9-5 for many years while participating in the DIY maker movement and trying my hand at sewing and upcycling until I took a screen-printing class and fell in love. I realized I could still use my design skills and my desire to make things with my hands and sell them. My entrepreneurial spirit was born, and since 2009 I have been doing Megan Lee Designs full-time and have never looked back. We now own a shop and studio in Uptown Westerville and sell our clothing and other items to stores across the country.
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?
The road has been bumpy for sure! I did not go to school for business, so learning from others and doing my own research has been integral to my success. And, knowing when to delegate and ask for help (thank you, accountant and bookkeeper!) It honestly seems like every year we assess what has worked and what hasn’t, and then try and determine where to put most of our energy. Just because we WANT to do more wholesale doesn’t mean the orders come in — if shows are where the money is then we do the shows! We are constantly changing our designs and approach to fit the changing times. The pandemic was just one more hurdle, so we were actually more prepared for that than I realized. One of the most important things I have learned is to try something, and if it doesn’t work just keep going and move on. You can acknowledge that something didn’t work but try to learn from it instead of having it stop you in your tracks.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The main thing that sets me apart from others is my drawing style. I think I have become known for my “sketchy” imperfect style, that still has a strong sense of design. I used to be known for my Midwest is best heart and all of my state-themed designs, and it kind of became an Achilles heel at a certain point because it became hard to change people’s minds that we were MORE than those designs. I think in the past three years we have finally turned that corner and no longer even bring ANY of those designs to shows and have as much or more success than we had before. It is very affirming as an artist to have people respond to your new work, and thankfully that has continued to happen for us. They can’t all be winners but more often than not our newest designs continue to be our best-sellers because people haven’t seen them before and are excited about them.
Pricing:
- $28.00 Adult T-shirts
- $22 Youth T-shirts
- $18 Baby Onesies
- $12 Tea Towels
- $4 Cards / Stickers
Contact Info:
- Email: info@meganleedesigns.com
- Website: www.meganleedesigns.com
- Instagram: meganleedesigns
- Facebook: meganleedesignsshop
- Twitter: meganleedesigns
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcFmeXj-_TgGxd9mXZoSzow
Image Credits
Jessica Buscemi
Loud Rainbow Photography
