When I first started growing my slow fashion business on Instagram, I genuinely thought I was doing everything right.
I posted beautiful content. I shared behind-the-scenes footage. I poured hours into writing captions. I cared deeply about my mission. But the sales weren’t flowing.
The growth was slow. And I started to wonder… Is this just not going to work for me?
But now that I’ve spent 10+ years building one of Australia’s largest slow fashion platforms and mentoring other founders through that same journey, there are so many things I wish I could go back and tell myself.
So here they are—the 10 truths I wish someone had told me when I started. And maybe, just maybe, they’re the exact truths you need to hear right now too.
1. You don't need more followers. You need more trust.
We’ve been taught to obsess over vanity metrics—but follower count means nothing if those people aren’t engaged, aligned, or invested in your story. Trust is the real currency on Instagram. And trust comes from showing up authentically, consistently, and with purpose.
2. Posting every day won't guarantee sales.
Posting more doesn’t mean selling more. In fact, most of the slow fashion founders I work with are burnt out from trying to keep up with content demands that were never designed for sustainable brands. Posting with intention, not just frequency, is where the magic happens.
3. Likes won't pay your bills.
Likes feel good. Engagement is important. But at the end of the day, sales are what sustain your business. The shift? Stop creating content just to get likes—and start creating content that builds connection, tells your story, and guides people toward working with you or buying from you.
4. Pretty content doesn't convert.
Design matters. Aesthetic matters. But without a message? Without meaning? It’s just noise. It's just empty aesthetics. What converts is clarity, story, trust, emotion. Your content needs to move people, not just impress them.
5. You don't have to be 'good at marketing'.
So many creatives I work with feel like they’re 'bad' at business because marketing doesn’t come naturally to them. But you don’t have to become someone else to succeed. You just need a framework that aligns with who you are. That’s what changes everything.
6. You're not failing. You're just trying to follow the wrong rules.
Fast fashion brands dominate Instagram—and the marketing advice we see online reflects that. It’s loud, fast, transactional, and hype-driven. But you’re building something deeper. And slow, intentional, sustainable brands need slow, intentional, sustainable strategies.
7. Most 'gurus' don't understand ethical brands.
You’ve probably tried strategies that felt wrong or just didn’t work. And no wonder—because most marketing advice wasn’t made for values-led, purpose-driven brands. Your business deserves a strategy that matches your mission. One that feels as good as it performs.
8. Sales aren't about pressure.
Selling doesn’t have to feel pushy, forced, or sleazy. It can be storytelling. It can be service. It can be human. The right customers want to buy from you—they just need clarity and confidence to say yes.
9. Storytelling isn't fluff.
In the slow fashion space, storytelling is your superpower. It’s what sets you apart from fast fashion. It’s how you make people care. Your voice. Your why. Your process. That’s what turns followers into fans—and fans into customers.
10. You don't have to compromise your values to grow.
This is the biggest one. You don’t have to change who you are. You don’t have to be louder. You don’t have to sell out to sell well. You just need a strategy. One that aligns with your purpose and empowers you to show up with clarity and confidence.
And this is exactly what I teach inside my Instagram Growth Lab.
If any of this made you nod quietly to yourself, you're not alone. My Instagram Growth Lab is my once-a-year mentoring program for slow fashion founders who want to...
- Grow their sales without paid ads.
- Market ethically, with confidence.
- Build a brand rooted in purpose—not performance.
We start March 31. And I’m keeping it intimate—just 10 spots—so I can support every founder fully.
If you are ready to stop guessing and start growing with intention, check out all the details here.
Or contact me if you’d like to chat and see if it’s the right fit.
Let’s use fashion as a force for good—and build a business that supports you too.
Claire x
