Running a slow fashion brand as a solo founder is a lot. You’re designing and making, packing orders, emailing, posting, planning… and somewhere in between, trying to grow your business too. It’s a juggle.
And if you’ve ever found yourself wondering, 'I’m doing all the things but how do I actually know what’s working?', you’re not alone.
This question came up in one of our recent Slow Fashion Lab Office Hours calls, and it's a question that hits home for so many fashion founders.
Because when you’re running your business on your own, your time is precious. You can’t afford to be wasting hours on marketing efforts that don’t show results. But with Instagram, email newsletters, blogs, ads, SEO, Pinterest, markets, collaborations, and content coming at you from every direction, how do you even begin to measure what’s worth your time?
So I wanted to share a break down, slow fashion style – to give you the clarity and calm you need to maximise your time with a little strategy magic.
First, let's zoom out. What's working and what's not isn't always obvious.
Unlike fast fashion brands with full marketing teams and data dashboards, slow fashion founders often rely on instinct, effort, and trial-and-error. And that’s okay – but it can make it tricky to know what’s actually paying off.
And between content, email, reels, blog posts and ads, and being disheartened when sales don’t instantly roll in, it's hard to see the forest for the trees. Because the real value of marketing isn’t always immediate or obvious. Especially for slow fashion—when we’re playing the long game.
So let’s redefine 'what’s working'...
- What’s helping you attract aligned, values-driven customers?
- What’s building genuine trust in your brand?
- What’s steadily growing your community and leading to sales over time?
Stepping back and taking a more holistic approach to 'what's working' with a different lens helps you make smarter decisions—without the pressure of overnight results. And here's how to do that.
1. Start with your goals because what's 'working' depends on what for.
It sounds obvious, but before you decide what’s working, you need to ask: working for what?
If your goal is to grow your email list, 'working' might look like newsletter sign-ups from a lead magnet or blog. If your goal is to drive sales, 'working' could mean tracking what channels your orders come from. If your goal is to build community, 'working' might mean saves, shares and meaningful engagement on Instagram.
I always suggest picking one main goal per quarter. That way, you’re not spreading yourself thin trying to grow everything at once.
In the Lab, I help founders identify their stage of business and match the right marketing strategy to their goals—because not every tactic is right for every stage. If you’re still in early growth mode, Instagram might be your top community-builder. If you’re scaling, email marketing might give you the best return.
2. Focus on what's trackable and tangible even with limited tools.
You don’t always need fancy data software or paid tools to start understanding your marketing. Here’s what I recommend slow fashion founders track monthly...
- Website traffic with Google Analytics or Shopify insights. Are people visiting your site? Where are they coming from? If Instagram is your biggest referrer, you know that’s 'working' to bring people into your ecosystem.
- Email open and click rates. Are people opening your newsletters? Clicking your links? Buying from your email offers? Email is still one of the highest converting channels—if it’s working, keep nurturing it.
- Instagram saves, shares and DMs, not just likes. Are people saving your posts? Sharing them? Reaching out in DMs? That’s high-value engagement—and it tells you you’re creating content that connects.
- Sales sources. Where did your last 5 customers come from? Ask them via email, checkout survey, or DM. You’ll start to see patterns.
- Time vs return. How much time are you spending on each channel and what’s the result? Sometimes what’s 'working' isn’t just about outcomes, but effort vs return. That blog post that took you 6 hours but brought 3 clicks? Not worth it. That 20-minute Reel that brought in 10 new followers and a sale? More of that, please.
3. You don't need to do everything, just the right things, consistently.
This is where most solo founders burn out. Trying to do it all because they feel like they should. But consistency in one or two channels beats inconsistency in five.
If you’re showing up well on Instagram and building a strong email list, that can be more powerful than doing Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, blogging and paid ads poorly.
Instead of asking 'What else should I be doing?' ask, 'What’s working already that I can double down on?'
4. Marketing is like a garden not a vending machine.
I know that slow fashion founders are deeply values-driven. You’re not in this for a quick buck—you’re building something with meaning. So it helps to think of your marketing like a garden.
You plant the seeds (content, emails, blogs, ads). You water them (consistency, connection, strategy). And over time, things bloom (sales).
Some seeds won’t sprout. That’s okay. But others? They grow slowly, then all at once.
5. Get outside perspective, because sometimes you're too close to it all, to see it all clearly.
This is one of the reasons I created the Slow Fashion Lab in the first place. When you're in the day-to-day of your business, it’s really hard to know what’s working and what’s not.
You might be over-investing in one area that isn’t aligned with your audience or underestimating the channel that’s quietly bringing in your best traffic.
That’s what our Office Hours calls help with. You bring your questions—whether it's about Instagram, your website, email marketing, or just 'what do I do next?'—and I help you prioritise your to-do list based on your business, your goals, and your audience.
No generic advice. Just real talk, real strategy, real progress—for you.
If you're showing up, it's working more than you think.
If you’re here, reading this, still showing up for your slow fashion dream—you’re already doing so much right.
But if you’re tired of guessing what’s working and want real guidance on what to focus on to grow sustainably—not just hustle harder—the Slow Fashion Lab is here for you.
You don’t need to do everything. You just need to do the right things in the right order, in a way that works for you. Because there is no right way, only what feels right.
Ready to stop spinning your wheels and start growing with intention?
The Slow Fashion Lab is your grounded, gentle growth space with...
- Weekly Office Hours calls for personalised strategy.
- Tools and templates tailored to values-driven brands.
- A supportive community of fellow slow fashion founders.
- Ongoing access to guidance so you never feel alone again.
- Front row seats to masterclasses and workshops with industry icons.
This is your sign. Stop struggling and start growing—with clarity, support, and strategy that fits your values.
Reach out if you have any questions at all, or you'd like a free tour of the Lab to know if it's right for you.
Claire x
