Episode 4: Amelia English: Swapping Style for Good with the SHARE Your Clothing App
Download MP3Welcome to this week's episode of Local Threads. I'm Molly, your host. And this week, I'm sitting down with a Boston based entrepreneur revolutionizing the way we swap our clothes. That's right. Amelia English is the CEO and founder of Share Your Clothing.
Molly Host:Share Your Clothing is an app that allows you to swap through a community closet value for value, extending the life of your garments, and also keeping the value retention. I'm super excited about this platform, and I hope that you guys will resonate with it. If you've been to a clothing swap, you know how, one, difficult they are to organize, and two, how difficult sometimes it can be to just find something that you want or that fits or isn't something you feel pressured to get because clothing swaps are a limited time. Right? And they are great.
Molly Host:They're a great way to connect with your community. They're a great way to connect with your friends. And they're just great for the environment. Right? Love a clothing swap.
Molly Host:But what if you had all the time in the world to find what you were looking for? Welcome.
Amelia Guest:Thank you very much. Nice to be here.
Molly Host:It is a sunny day in Boston ish. Beautiful.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. It's definitely sunny. Boston ish.
Molly Host:Yeah. That's what I'm just gonna start saying. Boston ish.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. That works. Who cares? I'm Boston ish too.
Molly Host:Yeah. Exactly. So I wanna start off with a this or that rapid fire.
Amelia Guest:Love it. Get to know me.
Molly Host:Yeah. And these are pretty generic. Okay. Yeah. But beach day or hike?
Molly Host:Hike. Yeah. Same. Yep. Unless the water's warm.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. But it's not up here because we're Boston ish. Exactly.
Molly Host:Movies or books? Netflix. So series, TV c
Amelia Guest:well Yeah. Yeah. I like a series. Series over. Not a book series.
Amelia Guest:I like to watch series.
Molly Host:Thrift or estate sale?
Amelia Guest:Oh, I thrift more, but an estate sale is yummy.
Molly Host:It's king. Right? Yeah. Or queen, actually.
Amelia Guest:Yes.
Molly Host:Sorry. Music or podcasts? Music. Okay. Put you on my list.
Molly Host:No. Early bird
Amelia Guest:or You're gonna have me a converter. Yeah.
Molly Host:You must listen.
Amelia Guest:Oh, I will.
Molly Host:Early bird or night owl?
Amelia Guest:Night owl. Yeah. Yeah. The mornings
Molly Host:Not not your vibe?
Amelia Guest:Not my jam.
Molly Host:I used to be, and then for some reason, I switched. I don't know why. Oh. Not me. But I'm kind of a little bit of both.
Molly Host:Insomniac, probably?
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Oh, that's rough. Pizza or tacos? Tacos. Yeah.
Amelia Guest:Fish tacos at that.
Molly Host:Oh. Yeah. Is there a good place around here to get that?
Amelia Guest:Around here? I have no idea. But I didn't think so. Down where we are. Yeah.
Amelia Guest:There are some good spots for sure. Oh, well, yeah. That's what I from Marshfield. Yeah.
Molly Host:Yeah.
Amelia Guest:Well, like like a Boston, I don't know, but down down where we are, down down where I live is there's some good spots for sure. Tell me. Hingham Los Calis, is very good. Super chill guy.
Molly Host:My BFF, who's gonna be on the pod eventually. She lives in Hingham, so I'm gonna Oh. I'm gonna make her take me there.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Perfect.
Molly Host:We should meet all we should
Amelia Guest:all meet. Sign me up. I'll be right over.
Molly Host:South Shore versus North Shore. Oh,
Amelia Guest:well, as I just gave up, I am from the South Shore, but I not but, it's that and, right? And I love the North Shore.
Molly Host:But which is
Amelia Guest:your favorite? I mean, I have to say my favorite is the South Shore, just from familiarity.
Molly Host:Yeah, I don't know. I have no opinion yet. I think I'm going to have to get back to that, because I don't really know the fucking difference. I will work my way through, and then I'll report back.
Molly Host:Yeah, I'm I hear I hear for it. Best concert you went to?
Amelia Guest:We were well, concert? We were in Nashville in February, which was incredible. And, I mean, I guess I could say I got a private little concert from a woman named by the name of her band is Fretland.
Molly Host:Mhmm.
Amelia Guest:And we stumbled into a post eighty three one night, late night, and there was just a jam going on that was fucking incredible. And she just started singing with her, you know, friends with the mandolins and the banjos and the harmonicas and the guitars, and she was incredible.
Molly Host:And the genre? More country or folk? Folky. Folky.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. For sure, folky. More folk than country, But it was great. Before that was STNG, which
Molly Host:it because somebody else wanted to go?
Amelia Guest:I was invited. My husband got the tickets, I was at first like Yeah. And, I have to say, when I went, A, incredible shape still. Fucking looked great. B, I was like, Oh, in this song.
Amelia Guest:Oh, in this song. Oh, in this song. And we had a great time. So he
Molly Host:put on a good time. Honestly, if you had a gun to my head, I would not know a Sting song.
Amelia Guest:Yes. Well, The Police. He sang a lot of The Police, if you're familiar with Yeah. So you're like, still no. No,
Molly Host:I do. But I can't I can't tell you
Amelia Guest:a song. I'm not gonna start singing. No. So you don't want that. Let's move on.
Molly Host:Alright. Speaking of music, if you had a soundtrack, what would be on it?
Amelia Guest:Oh my god. I need a heads up on these. These are great questions.
Molly Host:I mean, hey.
Amelia Guest:I mean You could have a two part WAM set.
Molly Host:So just anything you like.
Amelia Guest:I'm gonna start with WAM just because that, like, just brings me that's, like, where my life started, I think. You know, it was, like, my first cassette and that type of thing because, you know, I'm old or I'm 50. Just I'll say I'm 50.
Molly Host:And then don't talk myself. Anymore.
Amelia Guest:I just you know, I'm not gonna say I I won't say it out loud, but I am 50. And so Wham would start it off, then there would just definitely some Pearl Jam in there from, like, the notes. Nine Jeremy. What's that? Jeremy.
Amelia Guest:Oh, yeah. All of them. Yeah. Beautiful. Eddie Vedder just Yeah.
Amelia Guest:His solo stuff makes me melt, really. But then I also am, like, pop culture, so there's definitely pop culture in there. And then I like a little Casey Musgraves. Like, I'm a I'm a wide spectrum of music. Chopin is beautiful some nights when you're cooking with a glass of wine.
Amelia Guest:So that would be definitely two discer and a wild ride.
Molly Host:Yeah. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? I
Amelia Guest:have always been drawn to India.
Molly Host:Mhmm.
Amelia Guest:And, I mean, places I think I'm drawn to places that are, again, not to overuse the word, the spectrum, wide spectrum, but a wide spectrum of visuals of culture to sit in that variety of scenery and influence and living all kind of in one spot.
Molly Host:Yeah.
Amelia Guest:You know? Like, I I keep bringing myself back to the South Shore, but it's pretty vanilla. You know? It's beautiful. It's a beautiful place on earth, but there's just so much out there.
Molly Host:Yeah. It's very very Groundhog Day living in Massachusetts. I think take
Amelia Guest:from something out of town. I love it.
Molly Host:Yeah. Well, I mean, it's like that for most of The US, I think.
Amelia Guest:Yeah.
Molly Host:When you're in somewhere that's, like, very I wouldn't say community driven because I wouldn't say that unless you've lived in a town in Massachusetts, you're not really included in that. You know what I mean? Sad for you. People are not not, like Not engaging.
Amelia Guest:Which I'm happy about. Leave me alone. You're like, that works for me.
Molly Host:I'm a transient
Amelia Guest:human. But that's why I like Nashville, because I was like, These people, oh my God, they're so funny and fun and inviting and come on in, you
Molly Host:know, and friendly. But at the same time, the South is fake nice. So I'd rather not even talk to someone than talk to a fake nice person. So it's like
Amelia Guest:No more than that.
Molly Host:I would rather go overseas Yeah. Sometimes. Yeah. You know? But also, that's what I'm trying to do is build a community Yeah.
Molly Host:And you kinda have to talk to people to do that. Yeah. So
Amelia Guest:You're doing great. I'm trying.
Molly Host:Yeah. So India, yeah. I I when I think of India, just like super colorful, but also I bucket list item, I wanna go to an in be invited to an Indian wedding.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Right. Because it's like Amazing.
Molly Host:So cool. Amazing. Everything that they do.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. The traditions of it all are just stunning. Yeah. And that there are, like, many, many days too.
Molly Host:Yeah. Like, don't invite me to a traditional wedding. I don't wanna go.
Amelia Guest:Well, that's just what's so beautiful about the culture. It's, you know, it's it's just so spiritual and communal in the way they live together of community. You know, I think we're so divided here that it's just not to, you know, take that turn.
Molly Host:But also, it's pretty boring. Like, when you think about a wedding in The US, it's like white, flowers
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Yeah.
Molly Host:Traditional. Skirts. It's like there's nothing to me that fun about it. Like, if there was some kind of tradition that was was actually interesting Yeah. But it's like, what are the traditions?
Molly Host:You have a a rehearsal dinner. That's Yeah. Usual tradition. You have a bridal shower. Boring.
Molly Host:Yeah. Bachelorette, bachelor party. Boring. Like, I don't know.
Amelia Guest:It's just Oh, yes. It's traditional. That's traditional. But I don't think we're traditional. My wedding dress was yellow.
Amelia Guest:Got And from a thrift store.
Molly Host:I got married at Stonehenge, so
Amelia Guest:Oh. Got me beat. I I had a waterfall at my first wedding.
Molly Host:My first wedding was in a castle in Denmark. Oh, shit. I did wear
Amelia Guest:a dress from a thrift store, though. I love it. I love it. That's great. Was it an English ceremony?
Amelia Guest:No. No? You're like, sure. I had a translator. Oh.
Amelia Guest:Oh, really? I
Molly Host:love this.
Amelia Guest:This is great. Yeah. That's not traditional at all. No. Okay.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. I don't even remember how old I was. I think I was 20. Yeah. What were you doing over there?
Amelia Guest:Blog question. Yeah.
Molly Host:We'll talk about clients.
Amelia Guest:That's great. I
Molly Host:don't wanna summon any demons. You know
Amelia Guest:what mean? Yeah. Moving on.
Molly Host:So let's talk about when you started thrifting. If you get didn't know, this podcast is about I don't
Amelia Guest:know. Sustainability. Right? And
Molly Host:It's about art and creatives and yeah.
Amelia Guest:So This episode is about sustainability.
Molly Host:Yeah. This episode.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. But because, yes, that is not why I started thrifting, but I did start thrifting, you know, in my teenage years. And there's a great store in my town called Tiger Lily that I could just spend hours in there.
Molly Host:Yeah. Did you is it still around?
Amelia Guest:No. It's not. It hasn't been around for quite a while, but that was definitely my Is there something in its place? Not in the same No? No.
Amelia Guest:Aw. Form, unfortunately.
Molly Host:Shout out to Tiger Lily.
Amelia Guest:Yes. Shout out to Tiger Lily. But yeah. So I just loved, again, the untraditional pieces that I would find. Right?
Amelia Guest:I mean, I was just drawn to them, and I love the exploration of that and what things how things work together. And this was a time when, you know, Gap was just kinda not hot off the press, but booming, you know, like the nineties and such. So yeah. So, you know, started in the teen years and just always that's always been my go to. Yeah.
Amelia Guest:That's definitely always been my go to of and I think it is more from the drive of so that the next person doesn't sitting next to me doesn't have it, you know, not not gonna walk into the room and be like, oh, you got your dress at? Yeah.
Molly Host:Oh, look. We are wearing the same thing.
Amelia Guest:Yeah.
Molly Host:Yeah. But I know when we talked earlier, it was out of necessity more than than a style choice.
Amelia Guest:True. There was definitely that aspect to it. You know, growing up, we were fine, but, you know, my teacher my parents were both teachers, so there was, you know, not a lot of extra going on. So my, yeah, my mom would say, oh, well, I you know, we can buy that if we go half sis.
Molly Host:Yeah. You
Amelia Guest:know? You know, when you have to put your own money in, you start thinking about things. So I think the necessity of that is, like, you know, you don't have the luxury just to make that fast decision and buy something quick impulsively. Right?
Molly Host:And you did also didn't have to deal with fast fashion back then. Thank god. No.
Amelia Guest:No. I mean, Gap was the most you know, like, we're saying those kinds of brands.
Molly Host:But they actually had really good denim back then. Raw denim. Yeah.
Amelia Guest:Bring it back.
Molly Host:Yeah. The those jeans from the Gap in the nineties were something that I wanted so bad.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Yeah. I still have I have it's braided, so it doesn't have loopholes, so it's grown with me. But I still have a Gap belt, leather belt that I bought in probably 1992.
Molly Host:Yeah. Those braid
Amelia Guest:belts so It's almost my go to. It's not freight. It's, like, great. It's it's crazy. I'm like, when I think about how old that is,
Molly Host:it's not plastic.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. No. I know.
Molly Host:Like they are now. Yeah. So you when we talked before that about thrifting and not wearing things that other people were wearing, like Benetton and
Amelia Guest:Oh, yeah.
Molly Host:Yeah. Firenza.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Benetton. That Firenza. You the thrift store helped you
Molly Host:sign your find your sense of style.
Amelia Guest:Right. Yep. For sure.
Molly Host:And, like, I noticed that a lot of people that thrift have just, like, really impeccable style. And I'm not talking about the people that have just adopted thrifting because maybe they are or are not still figuring their style out. But, like, the people like you and some of my other friends that have been thrifting since they were young, like, their style is just so honed in on their personality. It's so fascinating to, like, observe now.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Well, I think that partially would come from you're not buying what there's what someone else is telling you to buy. Mean, that's marketing. Right? You walk into whatever store, there's racks of it, there's the mannequin, there's you're gonna wanna wear it with this, with this belt, and with that, this, and that, this.
Molly Host:And the influencer culture. Yeah.
Amelia Guest:Even unintentionally, like, you know,
Molly Host:so The rise of the OOTDs.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Oh my gosh. Exactly.
Molly Host:Then after that was like the whole, like, let me give you this for your link. Oh, yeah.
Amelia Guest:The affiliate stuff. Yeah. Totally. And there it someone else is creating your style. Yeah.
Amelia Guest:You know, I was when I had my brick and mortar store out, my one of my taglines was, don't let an algorithm create your style. Yeah. Because that's what it is.
Molly Host:I was reading a book, oh, and I wish I could remember. It was like a book or an article or a TED talk. I don't know. I've been on a deep dive for years now, but talking about how fashion is not a free choice. You're given options, and it's not really a freedom of
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Unless you, you know, sew your own stuff.
Molly Host:Yeah. You sew your own stuff or you upcycle. Mhmm. But, yeah, we're very much directed on what Yeah. We have, which is so bizarre in a way.
Molly Host:And even designers now, they don't really have they have to stick within a brand's aesthetic. So I can only imagine how stifling that probably is if you're a designer and you're, like, so excited to create something new Yeah. And you work for a particular brand and you maybe have new ideas that probably aren't Yeah. Being addressed.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. I'd say take the take the experience and then run with it.
Molly Host:Yeah. Exactly. Run. So you mentioned your brick and mortar. Yeah.
Molly Host:You had a consignment shop. Can you talk about
Amelia Guest:I did. I had a consignment store, a women's clothing consignment store on the South Shore. And it was a brick and mortar store. So basically, just I felt like, you know, as I said, Tiger Lily's was gone. There's no other consignment stores around.
Amelia Guest:So I gave it a go. I had that for just under three years, and it was great. It was great, but it was lonely. I was lonely there as a a store owner. So you
Molly Host:were open Monday through Friday or some variation
Amelia Guest:of I started that. I started, like, Monday through Saturday, and then I was like or Tuesday through Sunday it was. And then I'm like, oh, Sundays are quiet. Maybe I'll drop that. You know?
Amelia Guest:So it's just I I worked with things as they went of at the ebb and flow of having a business. But
Molly Host:And it was also called Share.
Amelia Guest:Yes. It was called Share.
Molly Host:And before you started that, you were you were a massage therapist, or were you doing massage at the same time?
Amelia Guest:I was still doing it a little bit, but yes, my career prior to that was massage therapy. So I did that for about twenty years. And then when, you know, 2020 happened and the word of the year was pivot. Yeah. Right?
Amelia Guest:It's like, so that's what I ended up doing as well. I was just I realized that the massage was, like, just super taxing on my body. And so knew that this was something I always enjoyed, you know, as they say, like passion project or whatever. I kinda I wanted to give something back to Marshfield's, where it was located in the South Shore of, again, not the store where they're gonna tell you what to wear, but what you'll find
Molly Host:Yeah.
Amelia Guest:What you wanna wear.
Molly Host:And so when you were doing consignment, one of your observations you said were people were not getting value out of the clothes they were selling
Amelia Guest:Yep. Back. Yes. Exactly. So that is how I ended up coming up for the platform for my app that I've created, which is Share Your Clothing.
Amelia Guest:So when I had the store, many women were they're just disappointed about how little their clothes sold for. Yeah. Once, you know, they got their cut, I got my cut, it was already secondhand prices. So I just wanted to try to come up with a scenario where that could, you know, not be part of the equation. I mean, we spend so much money on our clothing.
Amelia Guest:Well, whether you spend a lot of money or not, it's your money, and it's frustrating when, you know, within a few wears or however long you've had it, you just you're not gonna get the same back for it. So, so I came up with a point system. So the app for clothing that you upload, the app, has its own algorithm, and it will point it for you by brand, condition, and material. And then, once that's uploaded to our community closet, the items drop there, and your points drop into your account, and then you can pick something for the same value from the Community Closet. So it's an even exchange swap.
Amelia Guest:It's online. It's closet to closet, and I like to say value for value.
Molly Host:Yeah. What I I really love that because, like we talked before, it just sucks kinda giving away a piece that you might not fit in into anymore and maybe you're not the same size as your friends. Yeah. And you don't really wanna continue to feed into that, you know, thrift store dump.
Amelia Guest:Not Yeah. Or it's just, like, you know, nice because nice memories for it, you don't want it just to, you know, put it in a plastic bag and, like, dump it on the corner at a thrift store, you know? So this is a way to put that back in for someone else to enjoy that you kind of at least have somewhat of a connection to, you know Yeah. Through via the swapping situation. And yeah.
Amelia Guest:And then it's like you can pick something else and create new memories and something new.
Molly Host:Yeah. And that I also we talked a little bit about how you did clothing swaps at your store share Mhmm. And that you how difficult that is for those people that don't know, who've never put on a larger scale clothing shop for the community. It's difficult to, one, curate, and then also with all the stuff you're left behind. Mhmm.
Molly Host:So what share the Share Your Clothing app allows you to do is be intentional about what you're looking at, and it also allows you to be a part of the solution of of the fashion, you know, crisis. Yeah. Because let's be honest, that's what it is. Epidemic. Yeah.
Molly Host:But you also get to function with an app that's from it's it's familiar. It's a feed. It looks a lot like other apps that you've seen, except you're not using money. You're using points.
Amelia Guest:Yeah.
Molly Host:And the best part about it is right now, you have a code.
Amelia Guest:I do have a code right now. It's let'sgo, capital LETS g O, point. So if you use the code let's go, that will waive our service fee, which our service fee is very low because I want I want this to be accessible accessible to everybody. So if you swap one item, it's $5. If you swap three items, it's $2.
Amelia Guest:If you swap five items, it's $1. So, you know, again, it's across the board. I want it for everybody. So it's a and then you are in charge of shipping. So if you pick an item, you do have to pay shipping.
Amelia Guest:But other than that, that's the low user fee. And if you use the code, let's go, it it does waive that user fee. So, that's gonna be for a limited time, but, I just want people to be able to check it out and get on there and see what they think about it and just see how easy and just how much sense it makes.
Molly Host:Yeah. Yeah. And so when you talk about shipping, one of the things that is super exciting to me because I hate printers is that when you pick an item or when someone picks an item from your closet and you go to ship it, all you have to do is bring the QR code with the package to the post office or is
Amelia Guest:it UPS? United States Post Office. Yep. Once you are ready to ship, you'll press get get my shipping label, and a QR code will pop right up. So Yeah.
Amelia Guest:You're only responsible just packaging it up and getting it to the post office.
Molly Host:And who pays the shipping exactly?
Amelia Guest:Is it The person receiving it does. So just like anything, if you order something online, you know, you're gonna pay shipping to get it to you.
Molly Host:That's that's definitely makes more sense. I think I was thinking before that you have to pay shipping, but now it makes more sense.
Amelia Guest:The the receiver pays Yeah. The shipping. And I'm also just in the process of we'll be relaunching soon with an update that there'll be local pickup too.
Molly Host:Yeah. I'm excited
Amelia Guest:about that. Again, what however way we can, you know, help people save money if, you know, if that's their focus Mhmm. Then I would like to be part of that for sure.
Molly Host:And you mentioned before that you do not care what brand it is. You just care about condition.
Amelia Guest:Well, quality is first and foremost, for sure. So, yes, I do I don't wanna I don't wanna say I don't care about the what brand. It's just there's all brands are included. You and if the brand isn't doesn't happen to be listed, which a lot of you know, there's so many brands being created daily practically. Yeah.
Amelia Guest:You know, you could just email the team, which is me. So, yeah, you can just email the team, and I'll add it to the system. You know? Or there's an option that you can choose no label, and it gets it done quicker, but you might not get as many points if you know that brand is worth would be a lot worth a lot of points then.
Molly Host:It'd be
Amelia Guest:worth emailing me.
Molly Host:Yeah. So essentially, if you have those items that are fast fashion, you're not gonna be shamed. No.
Amelia Guest:No shame, but you won't get as many points.
Molly Host:Yeah. That's all. To be fair, you get what you pay for.
Amelia Guest:Perfectly said.
Molly Host:Yeah. So what I like about it though is, like, you're keeping things very circular and the incentive to get the item, which, you know, paying the shipping Mhmm. The person that wants the item makes total sense. And, you know, post office fees aren't that much. So
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Well, it's a flat fee. So when you pick an item, you will know what shipping is. Yeah. So it's already it's already listed right on the description page of the item.
Amelia Guest:So no surprises. You know? Yeah. You won't get to the suit to the, you know, the post office and be like, what? That's $15.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. So nothing like that. So you know everything as it comes.
Molly Host:And you have shoes and accessories?
Amelia Guest:Shoes. No accessories, but in the sense of necklaces and rings and such, glasses. But we do do shoes and purses and Yeah. And scarves and such.
Molly Host:So when you grade well, you have options where people can use or swap handmade items, vintage items, and then your everyday Yeah.
Amelia Guest:New gently used, new with tags. Yeah. New without tags type of thing.
Molly Host:And those handmade and vintage items are pointed higher.
Amelia Guest:Correct. Absolutely. Absolutely. They are. Yep.
Amelia Guest:We'll give credit where credit's due. Yeah. And longevity.
Molly Host:Yeah. For real. So when you decided to do an app, how did you even find somebody to help you
Amelia Guest:build Yeah, I know. Because, as I said, big pivot from working in the massage therapy field to this. Fortunately, my husband is somewhat in the tech industry, and so he had a recommendation of someone he's worked with in the past. He got me off the ground. That's good.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. He got me off the ground and, you know, connected me with a coder. And then from there, you know, it's just my coder and I and, you know, our team, it's tech annoyed, and they're out of Atlanta. And I can't say how grateful I am. My coder is Hamza, and he is like, oh, Amelia.
Amelia Guest:Because I'm like, make it do that. And he does. So, so I'm super grateful. That's awesome. And, you know, to have a good good relationship, good working relationship with someone is so important.
Amelia Guest:And, yeah, it's I've loved it. I love the user experience of it. Like, I want this app to be an app that everybody is like, yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna do that.
Amelia Guest:It's so easy. I can't believe how easy that was, you know? And so it's been fun to work out the kinks and the glitches, and, you know, there's obviously frustration there. I think it's definitely been a slow burn getting it off the ground, but it is coming along. And we've got users, and it's live.
Amelia Guest:You can download it on Apple or Android, Google Play. And, yeah, just constantly trying to update it so that it's the, you know, best possible version that it can be for you guys.
Molly Host:I will say, though, your website is, like, is really gorgeous. Oh, I love the photos. I love the positioning. I love like, it's just a really nice
Amelia Guest:Thank you very much. Appreciate that. Website. My god. Yeah.
Amelia Guest:Jack of all trades over here. I had Did you do it yourself? I did it myself mainly. Yes. I had a tiny bit of help from someone to just kinda get me off the ground.
Amelia Guest:But then when I saw the vision, I was like, oh. Yeah. I did set yeah. So I do it all myself. I updated all that stuff, which most of the time works out.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. I mean, that's life. Right? Most well, thankfully for me, most of the time, works out. Yeah.
Molly Host:Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's so it's so rewarding and and so fun to learn something new when you've already had a career and you thought you didn't really think anything else was coming out
Amelia Guest:of left field, really, honestly. I was just talking to a friend about this last night, and I'm so thrilled. Yeah. You know, I started this. I launched it on my fiftieth birthday, and it is so different from anything that I ever thought that I would be doing because I've never I've never I never dreamt about my wedding.
Amelia Guest:I never was like, oh, I'm going to go to this school. You know, I'm very much in the moment, which I appreciate. But it just unfolded naturally and organically from the lessons that I learned and taking that leap of faith to open the store. And then I figured out the store wasn't for me, right? And so now here we are, and thankfully I had the means to get this up off the ground, and I'm so pleasantly surprised and fucking proud.
Molly Host:Yeah, as you should be,
Amelia Guest:Really, you know? Like, I'm like, this is great. I'm learning so much. I have so much more to learn. I'm not the smartest person in the room.
Amelia Guest:I don't need to be, but I want Nobody
Molly Host:is, though. That is a is a
Amelia Guest:It's a true statement.
Molly Host:Nobody is the smartest person in the room. There's just really good people at faking it. And that is the fucking truth.
Amelia Guest:Yeah.
Molly Host:Because I have been in rooms with people that were that, you know, everybody was like, oh, I Yeah. They're really great at putting on a good show. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah.
Molly Host:Some people are just really good at x, y, and z. Right. And they you know, that's their niche.
Amelia Guest:Well,
Molly Host:Doesn't mean they're the smartest in the room. Right.
Amelia Guest:That's for sure. Yeah.
Molly Host:And somebody's doing a lot for
Amelia Guest:them. Yeah.
Molly Host:Of course. You know, I have a lot more respect for people that start something from nothing. You know what I mean? Yeah. So you're doing all of it.
Molly Host:You're doing the concepting. You're doing the mapping out how the processes work. You're doing the web development. You're doing the image, the finding out who your target market is. And you're doing the social media.
Molly Host:Taxes, and you're doing Yep. For sure. You're doing the the assets on on whatever
Amelia Guest:Right.
Molly Host:App and, you know, it's so much work. Yeah. There's a lot
Amelia Guest:of t's to cross and i's to dot
Molly Host:for sure. I just hope, like, from this podcast that people see, like, every everybody that's doing something, big or small, if they're doing it on their own, that they're way more valuable as far as, like they're I'm not way more valuable. I don't wanna put anybody above anyone else. Yeah. But
Amelia Guest:Well, they're dedicated. I mean They're dedicated in a different way because it's their their thing. Right?
Molly Host:Which is all equally important.
Amelia Guest:And great.
Molly Host:Yeah. And I think you've listened to so many podcasts and people are on and it's like
Amelia Guest:Just another person.
Molly Host:Yeah. I wanna talk to
Amelia Guest:the real people. I don't wanna hear famous people's crap, their media training. Yeah. But it takes it takes all those people. Right?
Amelia Guest:I mean, I wish I had a couple of them in my back pocket, to be honest, at times, you know? And just to work together Yeah. You know, and and figure things out together and use each other's brains in, you know, the best way possible. And, like you said, your niche of whatever it is that you can bring to the table.
Molly Host:Yeah. Right? Well, I think that's what I also hope for this podcast is that we build a community of people that can come together and, you know Absolutely. Connect
Amelia Guest:and Connect, support Yeah. Engage, you
Molly Host:know. And if they find people, guests, or even listeners find something they resonate in, they can reach out and ask for, you know, volunteer or like Yeah. Love that. Full time work, whatever
Amelia Guest:is available.
Molly Host:You know? Yep. Or, hey, maybe you guys end up being mentors. Who knows? Yeah.
Molly Host:Because building an app from nothing is not easy, and it's not for the faint of heart.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. I've been I have been fortunate that, time is in my favor. So it's I've never felt, like, under the pressure cooker of,
Molly Host:like, ah.
Amelia Guest:I mean, at times for certain things, obviously. But I do think time is luxury.
Molly Host:Yeah. And so It definitely helps to have time pressure, but not the the traditional time pressure that is put on us by society because society loves to put us in a Yeah.
Amelia Guest:There's an alarm clock for everything.
Molly Host:A start up toxic, you know, time crunch that is just not sustainable and also just it just sucks. And, you know, you make if you make a decision on a product, whether it's an app or anything else in that kind of environment, you're gonna have to undo stuff.
Amelia Guest:Yes. Exactly.
Molly Host:That's just the way it is. You're gonna have to undo things anyway, but it's better to be more thoughtful. Yeah. Plus, the nature of what share is Share Your Clothing is all about is being slow and purposeful. So it just makes sense that you're you're doing that in that way
Amelia Guest:that Yeah.
Molly Host:Not rushed. But it also is interesting too because I also have time is also a luxury for me. Mhmm. But I also feel like because I have this time and this passion for change, whether that be community or slow fashion or slower consumption, that it just feels like something I have to do. I don't know about you.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. From your gut. Right? Yeah. No.
Amelia Guest:I think that that really resonates with me. That's absolutely how I feel about Cher in particular and this it a growing awareness. Thank God. It's growing. Yeah.
Amelia Guest:You know? Because it's finally starting to catch on that this this clothing that we've been inundated with is junk, and it's being, you know, produced in the most horrible and, like, critically just despicable environments, you know, for people. And that's coming to us and wearing that on our bodies, and then we're done with Mhmm. And, you know, off it goes. So it's just that intention of being purposeful in what you're creating and what you're picking and who you're engaging with and what podcasts you're listening to.
Amelia Guest:And it's it's really it's all we've got right now. Not to go not to go dark, but, like, it's like we're at a tipping point, and we need more people with eyes on this.
Molly Host:But, yeah, back to, let's see, being purposeful, being intentional. What the hell were we talking about?
Amelia Guest:Slow, you know, slow engagement with people and being purposeful and engaging.
Molly Host:Yes. Yeah. They are so conditioned to be consumers, quick consumers of everything, super short in attention span. I think the more we have options to be part of the solution in slowing consumption, but also being purposeful and mindful of what we're doing, but also using tech in a way that's I think what it we've always intended it to be as far as, like, this is something that doesn't oppress or exploit. Yeah.
Molly Host:It's something that is accessible and easy to use and builds people up instead of tearing them down. And that's the consumer as well. Like, there's not really a I don't even know what you would call do you call people consumers off your website?
Amelia Guest:I say usership. Usership. I don't know if that's No.
Molly Host:I like that.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Not consumer. It's more user. It's a service we're offering, really, you know? So you're not I mean, my tagline is no buying, no selling, just swapping.
Amelia Guest:So it's like, even though there is a service fee and there is A swapper.
Molly Host:Still have a shopper.
Amelia Guest:There you go, exactly. You're using Depending on what's your secret. Know, you're the truth. So it's, yeah, I say usership because it's an engagement. Have to put in in order to take out, so it's not just one-sided.
Amelia Guest:Involves, you know, more than one person, and that's what I love about the name Cher, because it's the same thing. It's a good feeling. Yeah. You know, so I love the word.
Molly Host:Yeah, I like it because, you know, we talked about clothing swaps, you know, before, and sometimes you just can't find anything in your size, and that's be so discouraging and frustrating. And I know, at least for me, there's been times where I've been at the thrift store, and I cannot find anything in my size. And what do I do? I go online and find something in my size. And, you know, it's
Amelia Guest:Yeah. To scratch that itch, so to speak.
Molly Host:It's not even to scratch that itch. It's just to feel like I'm included,
Amelia Guest:I guess.
Molly Host:I love Like Yeah. But it also is so toxic in in that way of, like, that loop of, like, okay. Well, I've there's absolute trash in my size. Yeah. And so I go online and find something my size.
Molly Host:I've gotten better going, you know, The RealReal Yeah. Great. Or, you know, something like that. But even then, it's very hard to find. Yeah.
Molly Host:So I think with everyday people shopping without limitations with brand and just, you know, swapping equal trades or even just having the option to have an equal trade because
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Yeah. It's important. Yeah. You know, we spend a lot of money on, you know, what we have in our closets.
Amelia Guest:And in this way, share makes your closet your currency. Yeah. Really. You know? So it's and I I do want it's everybody's you know, everybody can throw things in there, and it's like whether that's you've lost weight or you've gained weight.
Amelia Guest:What you're not using, it doesn't have to sit in your closet. Whether you're the same size, a different size, move it on. Is there something happening? Is that her?
Molly Host:Yeah. That's her eating her stick. Oh. It's just gonna be in the background. I You guys, I rescued a Pomeranian, and shout out to Korea Lucky Dogs.
Amelia Guest:Yes. They rescue dogs from Hypical's dog. Adorable.
Molly Host:But, yeah, she's eating her stick, and she's being a very good girl.
Amelia Guest:She's so cute.
Molly Host:She's just gonna be in the background eating her stick. So sorry. At least we're not eating Yeah.
Amelia Guest:You know? People don't like that.
Molly Host:Yeah. Damn it. Every time I hear something, I get distracted. But now let's see. Oh, yeah.
Molly Host:So with the availability of being able to slowly consume and look for what you're looking for. I don't know about you, but I've been into thrift thrift shop, and I'll go into the men's section. Always. And
Amelia Guest:It's where I start.
Molly Host:I get so many dirty looks from dudes. Really? Yeah, like, what are you doing over here? You know what
Amelia Guest:I I'm fucking look at them.
Molly Host:No. Agree. Agree. But I would just would think of, like because I'm a cisgender female. Yeah.
Molly Host:I only can imagine if someone is not, and they're they're shopping out of what society doesn't think they belong in.
Amelia Guest:Sure.
Molly Host:And so sometimes, even the most innocent seemingly places that you could go Can get triggered. Yeah. Yeah. So share gives you the opportunity to express yourself however you want Oh, yeah. In the privacy of your own home with, honestly cheaper prices than thrift store potentially.
Molly Host:Yeah. Potentially. Because you're just paying for shipping Yeah. And the user fee unless you use the code that's in the show notes. Let's go exclamation point
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Great.
Molly Host:That'll waive your user fee. Now, your points never expire, which I also love. So you can add, you know, five items to your shop and
Amelia Guest:Your closet. We call them a closet.
Molly Host:Sorry. Yeah. My bad.
Amelia Guest:No. It's alright. I'm I'm trying to teach everybody.
Molly Host:No. It's great because you're bringing a new you're not bringing a new language on, but you're teaching us a new way to engage with consumption that is, you know, like I said, meaningful. And it's your closet, not your shop. Correct. So your profile on there is your closet.
Molly Host:Yes. So you can also follow people's closets? Oh, sure.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. It's very much, know Like other sale sites? Like sale sites and social sites. You know, you can follow closets. You can, you know, share closets to a friend via text or whatever if it's someone that, you know, your friend will resonate with.
Amelia Guest:Yeah, it's a it's a really similar setup. So you'd have a closet and you can upload things and just hold them in their closet or you can add them to the community closet when you're ready to swap them. So you can kind of do it ahead of time or, you know, once they're uploaded, if they haven't swapped, they'll be there for you in your account, available for swap or in your closet, as I've said three times. But, yeah,
Molly Host:so Yeah, I think it's obviously, the closet is user populated. So in order to have that diversity of sizing, gender fluidity Mhmm. You need users.
Amelia Guest:Correct.
Molly Host:So download the Yes,
Amelia Guest:please. Give it a go. Jump on the app, see what it's all about. Because it is. It's slowly growing, but it is about usership.
Amelia Guest:So more people that try it out, the more options you'll have to select from. And I see no reason why it wouldn't end up just being along the same lines of Depop, Poshmark, you know, ThredUp, these massive sites because it's out there. Yeah. Clothing is there.
Molly Host:You have local pickup potentially.
Amelia Guest:We do have local pickup coming soon. Absolutely.
Molly Host:Does the local pickup, does it include a third party? Or
Amelia Guest:No. So it would be kind of similar it is similar to a Facebook marketplace. Okay. So you would arrange, once you've, you know, agreed and picked the item between the users, you would agree Yeah. Where to find that spot, whether you're comfortable coming to the to someone's home or a meet up spot somewhere.
Molly Host:Yeah. I'm much more inclined to use share for clothing than Facebook Marketplace because it is infuriating. And I'm so sick of people asking me if it's available or complaining about a $10 pair of shoes.
Amelia Guest:Yes. Well, this is another I love that you bring this up because that is one of the things that I'm trying to give exposure to. Not getting haggled. Like, you know, you're not getting bamboozled, and you're not like, Okay, fine, I'll sell it to you for that price. You know?
Amelia Guest:This is simply you upload it, you put it in the community closet, pick something today or pick something in three months that, you know, is equal to your points.
Molly Host:Mhmm.
Amelia Guest:And all you're responsible for really is if someone picks your item, bring it to the post office.
Molly Host:What I do love too is, like, as soon as you post that one to five items, you get those points immediately, and you can immediately use them. Yes. Additionally, if you're sent something that is not represented in the way that it says it was or whatever, misrepresented That's the word. Yeah. Give the points back and Oh, yeah.
Molly Host:Also Yeah.
Amelia Guest:Track down. Yeah. If something's misrepresented from, you know, how it's described on the item listing, similar to other sites, again, you just would submit, you know, an assessment. And once I see that that's not lined up with the correct information, you'd get your points back, you'd get your shipping costs back, and then there is a monetary penalty to the person that listed it. Yeah.
Amelia Guest:You know? So there's some accountability there, and that's $10.
Molly Host:Alright. We talked about share.
Amelia Guest:I just want people to know the my main basis for creating share is accessibility, sustainability, and value retention. So I know we've hit on that throughout, like, you know, in parts of it throughout this, but really, I want everybody to be able to use it while you're using it. You're slow. You're purposeful. You're helping things stay out of landfills.
Amelia Guest:You know? You're being mindful of what you're taking in and what you're putting out. And then the value retention is really you're holding on to the money you're originally taking out of your wallet, you know, and giving most likely some large corporation, you know? And Let's
Molly Host:cut out the does my microphone sound weird now? No. Okay. Let's cut out the big assholes. You know what
Amelia Guest:I mean? Let's take the power back. The power back It's very rage
Molly Host:against the machine.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. So it's yeah. I want it to be empowering for people, and I want just everybody to be able to use it.
Molly Host:Yeah. So we need more people to use it.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. Want more users. Yeah. Yep.
Molly Host:Yeah. Go try it out on there. With the promo code, and then follow Share Your Clothing everywhere there's an app. Look for them, and rate the app five stars.
Amelia Guest:Yeah. I love a good rating.
Molly Host:If you have feedback, is it info at Share Your Clothing?
Amelia Guest:It is. Yeah. Great. It's info at Share have
Molly Host:feedback or you have suggestions or if you run into an idea that you might have to make that better, reach out to Emilia. She will
Amelia Guest:Absolutely. Make it information to make it better if you're running into problems. You know, as I said, I want this to be a seamless experience for people, and just know that I'm on the other end of it. I am a person, and I want this to work, so I want you to be happy. And so just reach out, and I will do what I can to resolve it and keep you going.
Amelia Guest:Perfect. Yeah. And hopefully, we
Molly Host:can do an update Yeah. Let's in six months where you've got, you know, a massive New England presence. Hopefully
Amelia Guest:Yes. It will. It will. I'm gonna I'm manifesting. Yeah.
Amelia Guest:Manifest with me, people. Yeah. But also put something on the app.
Molly Host:Yeah. Just put something on the app. It's it's literally free right now. Everything will be in the show notes,
Amelia Guest:thanks for Oh my gosh, thanks for having me. I love this, I love what you're doing. I love bringing community together and like minded people, and we need more of it. It's a very precarious time right now. And just to bring awareness to the things that have been kind of in the shadows for a little while are is a is a great thing, so thank you.
Molly Host:Yeah. No problem. And one thing that's always been a consistent existence through the darkest times is art and creativity. And community seems to find its way back to center, you know, in these times. So Yeah.
Molly Host:I look forward to that. Yes.
Amelia Guest:As do I.
Molly Host:I hope you enjoyed this week's episode and you learned a little something about Amelia and share your clothing. For more information on share, check the show notes, and as always, full videos on YouTube.
