126 - Lonnie Vanderslice and Kelly Wilson - Supporting Women in Their Community

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA Kelly Wilson, a lifelong autodidact, has always had a passion for living "outside the box". A combination of varied job experiences from NYC to LA and an eclectic higher education has created the rich foundation for Kelly's life. As a result of the economic downturn, in 2005 after 17 years of exploring the world "unschooling" her two daughters, Kelly found herself in the job market. Without a professional career to resume, she found a minimum wage, $5-an-hour job, at a local fabric store. Noticing the numerous requests for sewing referrals she identified the need to start a sewing business. Weave Gotcha Covered! was born in the basement with a sewing machine, a friend, and the commission of a "While You Were Out" make-over. Kelly's hard work and dedication to "doing right" by the customer, by the employee, and by society, provided the blueprint for WGC's mission-driven social enterprise business model. With a mission to employ underserved women of the urban core, Kelly tweaks standard business practices by questioning the status quo. A change maker and a bright light in the world, Kelly passionately asks, "why can't we?!" when faced with perceived barriers. In 2015 she answered the question by moving her company to the urban core to be accessible to employees without transportation. In 2016, the answer was to open a vocational training center to teach sewing skills to women marginalized by poverty, addiction and incarceration. In 2017, the answer was to buy a building in a HUB zone, to expand employment opportunities in the neighborhood. In 2018… Stay tuned!   Lonnie Vanderslice is the co-founder and co-owner of Weave Gotcha Covered!. a social enterprise focused on providing training and mentoring for women marginalized by poverty, addiction, and incarceration. Weave Gotcha Covered! manufactures high-end custom fabric products for the home - window treatments, cushions, bedding and pillows. Lonnie is responsible for fiscal management, information technology support, employee engagement, and a plethora of administrative responsibilities. Lonnie is the community engagement liaison, working with various jobs programs focused on the employment of women from the urban core with barriers to employment Recognizing the need for vocational training in sewing skills and the interest shown by this population, Lonnie has recently co-founded The Sewing Labs, a non-profit learning center established to teach, promote and sustain legacy skills in fiber, textile, and sewing arts in the Kansas City urban core with the ultimate goal of fostering economic self-sufficiency. As Executive Director of The Sewing Labs, Lonnie is partnering with local business, non-profits, and government entities to form a pipeline of job-ready individuals – from post-incarceration and drug treatment to successful engagement in business and entrepreneurial communities. The Sewing Labs provides on-site vocational training classes five days a week and manages the new fiber arts makers space at Operation Breakthrough. You can find Weave Gotch Covered! on Facebook and Instagram Traction - Getting A Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman