Working with Impact30
A Fort William native, Kirsty, has found time to develop her real passion - a bespoke bridal occasion and evening wear brand. After years of planning and preparation, Kirsty finally took the plunge and launched Kirsty Elizabeth Studio in 2020, focusing full-time on the business for the first time.
Hearing about the IMPACT30 programme through a friend, Kirsty wasn’t sure if she would be accepted onto the programme initially because she was only in the very early stages of establishing her brand. But as soon as she spoke to the IMPACT30 team she was persuaded.
“As a start-up who was trying to piece all the parts of the puzzle together, I was told I was a prime candidate. To have had their support doing one of the biggest things I have ever done was such an incredible helping hand. It has been a real reassurance to know that I am doing everything right.”
Kirsty was accepted onto the cohort at the end of October 2019, just as she was making final preparations to launch Kirsty Elizabeth Studio. The timing couldn’t have been better.
“The value started from day one,” recalls Kirsty. “Straight away I got help to figure out who my customer would be. The programme mentors made me think about things that hadn’t occurred to me before.
“And I was tested from day one. There was loads that I needed to rethink and I came away from those first few days knowing that I had to get things in order because I really wasn’t ready.”
Kirsty’s initial idea was to produce bespoke bridesmaids’ wear, even though she ultimately wanted to make bridal wear. A discussion with her IMPACT30 mentor changed everything.
“I immediately started to question why, if I was going to be giving it my full focus, wasn’t I doing what I really dreamed of? So my business objectives and vision changed from day one. I focused on what I wanted to achieve and a whole new version of myself emerged in the months that followed.”