Happy International Women’s Day! Here’s a look into some of the most inspiring, passionate, and involved women in Texas Panhellenic. The Blog Editors spoke to one entrepreneur from each of our 13 chapters.
Keep reading to learn from their accomplishments, hear how this community supported them, and gain some valuable advice.
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Olivia Kate Stephens: When I was training for my first triathlon, I had some really scary rides where I underfueled and had to stop on the side of the road. I started researching to try to find the perfect mix of electrolytes, carbs, some cognitive support supplements, some creatine. There was nothing out there on the market, and so I used LinkedIn and girls in AXO that had graduated recently from biochemistry, kinesiology, nutrition science (to) develop those formulas. It’s all women. I've never hired a man. Maybe someday I will.
Kaylie Ngo: In junior high I took a photography summer camp with my best friend, and my aunt donated me my first camera for it. After that, I did it just for fun here and there. I never really took it seriously until my junior year of high school, when my friends asked me to take their senior pictures, and I started practicing portraits. It’s going really well! I have two shoots this Sunday: one for Steel Dance Company and another for a graduating senior this spring, which I’m really excited about!
Shira Tzur: I've been doing (Shira’s Cakes) for about seven years now. I first started doing custom and Made to Order cakes. Then I came to college I really started taking myself seriously and started selling cookies and cupcakes. When I'm back home for breaks, I do workshops for kids and teach them how to bake. I do all the deliveries, all the marketing for myself…it's a one-woman show.
Avery Thomas: I run Banners by Avery J. I started it last year at the beginning of sophomore year (and) now I'm averaging about four banners a week. I can't really do more than that, because it is just me. It's something I really enjoy, a nice little brain break from school.
Camille Dunn: I've always loved to cook and bake. It's basically my love language. My dad also loved to cook, and I basically just grew up being able to use the stove. It was my way of de-stressing, too. I would come home and make something really fun for dinner, and also make some fun desserts. I've always wanted to start a food business, especially at college.
Allie Constantinou: I started my business back in junior year of high school. A friend of my mom's was hosting a Valentine's Day party, and she asked me to make (a charcuterie board) because she knew that I was creative. I liked working with food, and I've always been in the kitchen growing up. As soon as all the moms started coming, they were like, “Do you have a Facebook? Can I hire you next week? Is there any way I can buy this from you?” I didn't have a business then, but I knew this was something that I was good at and there was a demand, so I started it back at home. When I came to UT, I wanted to still tap into my creativity and my entrepreneurship in that way. I didn't know that it would expand into what it is today, but it has, especially with the support from my sorority…I've really been so lucky that I've had such amazing support systems that have encouraged me to grow my business.
Meghan Crain: I run a freelance photography business that I started in high school. I was always interested in photography and film. Around junior and senior year was when I started to get into more photography. I would take photos at my high school football games, and then I ended up doing photos for a hair salon in my hometown, and I photographed my school’s cheer team. Senior year, I built a website and started advertising myself to people that I knew, (specifically) people who were seniors. My senior portraits then became the main focus of my business. I have also done some other random stuff like nonprofit events and small businesses, mostly through word of mouth.
Brynne Scott: (Buttons by Brynne) is a small business that makes gameday buttons. I started it in my senior year of high school. I thought it was going to be something small, but I just did within my local community occasionally, for my friends, as they were committing to colleges, and it has now grown so largely to campus. I've gotten to make them for different events, for my sorority, as well as other sororities and spirit orgs.
Kiana Payervand: I have a closet account that I've had since COVID. At least every other day, I am renting my clothes out. I've started to do vintage shopping and resell it. My main thing that I started, and it's kind of seasonal, is making gameday jewelry.
Ashton Harvel: I started my painting account the summer after my freshman year at UT! It all started because I wanted to decorate my apartment my freshman year, so I began scrolling on Pinterest and painting a few things that I thought fit my style. After people had come to my apartment and asked a few times where I had bought my paintings, I figured, why not open myself up to take commissions, and Painted by Ashton was born. It's still small and something I do as a hobby, but honestly, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Sidney Tillotson: I started Custom Crown Hats in the beginning of my freshman year. I started making hats at the end of my senior year of high school, through that summer. I would make a couple for myself, a couple for my friends that wanted cute gameday hats that didn't cost $1,000. It started from Instagram DMS, where I'd make a list and then place an order for my materials, and it evolved from there.
Chesson Becker: Blitz Beads is my handmade jewelry business that I started when I was 12 years old. It kind of was a hobby that turned into something I could really become an entrepreneur with, and I've been running with it for the past seven years now. I ship to all 50 states throughout the US, and I frequently host pop-ups at several boutiques, including LoveShackFancy. I think what sets Blitz Beads apart is the unique designs that I make, and also (that) I am the image of Blitz Beads in a way. My style is in exact alignment with what I put out, and I think that really creates a sense of community between me and my customers.
Emma Knutson: My senior year of high school, we had to do a senior year internship. My teacher said, “you need to get connected with this woman, she has her own real estate business, and she should take you under her wings for your internship.” I did that for a couple of months, and she was like, “I think this is your passion,” and “I'm going to sponsor you to get your license.” On my 18th birthday, I went ahead and got that, and then signed on to a brokerage here in Austin. I sold over 5 million within my first two years on my own. I decided that at the end of 2025, I wanted to do something kind of bigger, because I was starting to get into (a) frenzy that I think there's more than just being a realtor. I joined Modus Real Estate back in January, and it's been really cool to do that while doing school.
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Olivia Kate Stephens: I was sharing (my formula) with my friends, and I had so many people tell me, this is solving this problem I didn't even know I had. My biggest thing to say I'm actually going to go for this was hearing people say, “I really benefit from this,” because I've always loved sports so much. Being able to help other people enjoy sports, get into sports, be better at their sports, is just super cool.
Kaylie Ngo: Mostly at first, I just wanted a side hustle that truly didn’t exhaust me mentally. I have a pretty low social battery, but photography is very personal and a one on one sort of business, I love it. My first shoot was a senior session when I was a junior in high school. It was one of my best friends, which made the process really easy for me. What really inspired me, is probably my aunt. She’s amazing at what she does, and has taken all of our family photos over the years, and she's honestly just a really cool person. I’m really close with her, and being able to share that experience with her and have her give me a lot of guidance really helped me.
Shira Tzur: It started off as a hobby because I've just always been in the kitchen. And then some girl asked me to make her birthday cake when I was literally 13, and then I was like, I can actually make a business out of this. I started doing just family and friends, (then) started posting on Instagram, and I guess through word of mouth, I've been able to sell to a bunch of different people. This past winter break, I was actually able to do my first catering order. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I really do love (the) culinary aspects of it, but I'm also into the business side, too.
Avery Thomas: So I've always been like crafty … I'm graduating early this year and going off to grad school and all of that, so that's kind of why I've stuck in this. It's definitely saving up for schooling and all that jazz. This is just a really nice way to, like, go about that, as opposed to, like a traditional route with a job and an employer. This is a fun way to do it.
Camille Dunn: I've done a profit share with my chapter, Alpha Xi Delta, to benefit Helping Hand home and to raise funds for our Casino Night, which is our annual fundraiser. I've been hoping that I will be able to go back to farmers markets and start selling more. It's nice to have the ability to buy my own materials, design my own little products, (and) my labels. I'm hoping I can continue to grow the brand in the future. (AXiD) allowing me to do that profit share last semester was something I was so grateful for.
Allie Constantinou: I really do enjoy how charcuterie can bring people together and I knew that I wanted to be a part of that. It's so gratifying to watch people come together over a board or a table and share an experience together. I think the timing of when I started Cheese and Crackers back at home was really important…people were really excited to come back together, and I think I was able to capitalize on that.
Meghan Crain: I’ve always loved anything creative, and even if my main job isn’t creative, it just brings me joy to take photos. I also love people, so it's always just a really fun experience for me, whether I know the person or not, but especially with senior photos, where you get to hear about someone’s senior year and get to know them a little. I really enjoy making people feel beautiful, and it means so much when someone tells me how excited or beautiful their photos made them feel. Most of my senior sessions are with other women, and there’s something really empowering about that. Every time I leave a shoot and drive back to my dorm, I just feel so happy and excited about it.
Brynne Scott: All of my friends were committing to different colleges, and it was all the big SEC schools, where it can be really popular to wear pins with your outfits. My whole life, I've had my own little businesses. It probably started when I was like three, with Rainbow Loom. I've always been super entrepreneurial, and I wanted to kind of tap into that again, and this was the perfect opening in a market that was unfilled.
Kiana Payervand: Growing up, I've always had a sharing mentality. A bunch of my friends were like, you have so (many) cute clothes and such special pieces that people aren't going to buy for themselves. We decided that if we made a rental account, that girls can rent it for a fraction of the price, we can also make money back for that. It was something that I sparked with my siblings, and we just kind of started.
Ashton Harvel: After people had come to my apartment and asked a few times where I had bought my paintings, I figured why not open myself up to take commissions, and Painted by Ashton was born. It's still small and something I do as a hobby but honestly, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Sidney Tillotson: I saw a hole in the market. I wanted the best of the best quality of cowboy hats, and going to a school like Texas where that's a big part of the University culture, it was something that I wanted, but didn't see any lower cost vendors doing it to the degree of detail and excellence that higher cost vendors were. That's kind of how Custom Crown Hats was born; I wanted to make something that looked as high quality as the best, but at a lower cost.
Chesson Becker: I always have been the type of person who's had an entrepreneurial mindset. I had lemonade stands all the time and I would make those duct tape wallets that I would sell just on my front porch. Blitz Beads kind of leveled that up and was really an outlet for me to learn about all these different things; I was able to learn about the basics of accounting at such a young age and using Excel for that, how to code my own website, and marketing strategies. That learning experience is really what's forced me to keep it up for the past seven years, and it's been hard to balance with school. But (I) just love having that way to engage my creative muscles as a finance student.
Emma Knutson: It definitely was the internship, but I think where it stemmed from was actually competitive dance. I grew up being a competitive dancer, and I always love the energy of if you put in the time and effort, you get what you like, you get paid, or you get the outcome of what you worked hard for. I found with real estate that it's not a nine to five, it's a seven to seven. You're working 24 hours every day. It feels like you're getting what you put into it. And I love that about it and helping people.
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Olivia Kate Stephens: When I was first trying to get the inventory ready for launch, I was the only person in the kitchen making it. Now, I have a team of production associates and managers, but it was cool to be on the ground and learn the fundamentals of how the kind of commercial kitchen works, what it's like to manage people and set schedules, and pay bills, file taxes, and register a trademark.
Kaylie Ngo: I’ve learned that everyone puts on a front. At a big school like UT, it can feel hard to make friends because either everyone has their own friend group, or you go and you think that nobody really wants to be friends with you but at the end of the day, everyone’s just a person, and usually nobody's truly as closed off or scary as they seem to be.
Shira Tzur: It’s very much trial and error when working in a small business and figuring things out on my own, especially when I'm trying to incorporate new stuff. I'm a creative person, to a certain extent, (but) I've had to work through a lot of those challenges. It's given me a lot of confidence and independence, I would say, from a young age.
Avery Thomas: Honestly, I think that I've learned the value in saying no and not biting off more than I can chew. I'm a major people pleaser, so it's kind of in my nature to, you know, take every order, make accommodations, make it work, but (sometimes) things are just impossible. I had a girl this week reach out for a banner the next day, and as much as I wanted to do that for her, I had to be like, “there's no way.” I love that people know they can ask anyways, but I think that I've learned how to set those boundaries, which is very important for life.
Camille Dunn: I've learned that it's nice to have something that you're passionate about. It can definitely become lucrative if you take the right steps. So that's exactly what I did. I think that a lot of other sorority women are so passionate and talented in other little niche things—regardless if it's needle pointing or embroidery, baking cakes, making bouquets—you can start to profit from if you just take the correct steps.
Allie Constantinou: I've learned that the Austin support for startups is really unmatched. I'm coming from kind of a small town, but close to New York City, and everything is all like established banks and like gigantic fortune 500 companies. In Austin, there's a real emphasis on startups and knowing that I have so much support here, because it's such a startup-focused community at UT…has been so important and so beneficial.
Meghan Crain: I’ve learned a lot about organization and communication: managing multiple clients means keeping spreadsheets, scheduling shoots, creating invoices, and making sure I respond to people. When I worked with Volt Salons, I had to learn a lot of those general business practices. Whether I’m working with parents, businesses, or nonprofits, the biggest thing I’ve learned is how important clear, timely, and (consistent) communication is.
Brynne Scott: Customer service when people are rude, but really, how to work with other people, especially from different organizations and different backgrounds. Everyone's experiences, or maybe their budgets, are different from each other.
Kiana Payervand: I’ve learned that fashion is such a great way to show your personality and to try new things. One of my favorite parts is seeing girls compliment each other or ask where something is from. It creates a really supportive environment that uplifts and supports other small businesses. Many girls feel comfortable buying or renting pieces.
Ashton Harvel: What running my account has taught me is how to communicate a vision, which is something that has really become a transferable skill in my life. It also taught me how to trust myself and the product that I can create, as well as how not to be so critical of myself.
Sidney Tillotson: Time is our most scarce resource. While I loved and enjoyed running my business, there was a point where I was giving up other things that I felt weren't worth it. I also learned how to network and build genuine relationships. I (was) building tons of relationships that were just fun and enjoyable, like if I needed something overnight, (my vendors) trusted me and weren't afraid of extending me credit.
Chesson Becker: I have touched on the more tangible things that I've learned, like marketing, finance, accounting, and coding. But on the flip side, I really learned how to work with customers and how to manage my time. Having that time management and productivity instilled this mindset of grit within me, making me a really determined person. On the Texas side of things, I came to Texas not knowing a single person at the entire school. It's been so cool to expand my network and hear from these other people who have done amazing things. Also, my top order used to come from North Carolina, and it's shifted over to Texas—that's been a really cool dynamic for my business, too.
Emma Knutson: I feel like the biggest items I've learned, honestly, a ton of patience and being just kind to everyone, because you never know what anyone's going through in their lives, their personal lives. I feel like I've learned a lot about … how people view buying or selling a home because it is such a big deal for many people, and everyone, hopefully will one day do it. And so it's good to see, like, how to break that down and help people realize, like it is a big deal, but anyone's capable of doing it, no matter who they are. If you're in your 20s or late in your 60s, right, anyone can do it, and it's possible.
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Olivia Kate Stephens: I live in the apartment that a lot of AXOs kind of live in. I did an event recently where I was tabling downstairs there, and it was just so fun, because my friends would come by and be so positive and uplifting. There's just so many right people in AXO who have connected me and given me feedback.
Kaylie Ngo: I’ve had so many Adpis come through for shoots, especially through Steel. I’ve done three shoots with Sarah Thompson, and now we chat all the time and talk about the most random things. A lot of my work spreads through word of mouth; one KD’s I photographed told all her friends. So even people from other Panhellenic chapters have reached out, and it’s been really fun meeting so many people.
Shira Tzur: I sent in my cake information (to AEPhi) and Lily, the president of my sorority, actually ordered a birthday cake for me…it was a fun experience on its own. Also, during finals season, my mom posted on one of the UT parent Facebook groups for anyone that wanted to send their child cookies. I had a bunch of different girls, even from other sororities, order and it was kind of cool to be able to network in that way. I've had a lot of girls reach out to me in my sorority and it's honestly been a huge help. I feel like it has to start with someone, and once one person orders, then another person will. It's definitely helped with getting my name out there.
Avery Thomas: APhi was kind of the start of it. I was doing another one of my sorority sisters OU coolers and that's where the painting thing started. When another girl reached out and asked for a banner, I got volunteered. I've gotten the opportunity to paint for APhi, like I did one of the bid day ones this past bid day, and it's such a fun and girly thing.
Camille Dunn: I've done a profit share with my chapter, Alpha Xi Delta, to benefit Helping Hand home and to raise funds for our Casino Night, which is our annual fundraiser. I've been hoping that I will be able to go back to farmers markets and start selling more. It's nice to have the ability to buy my own materials, design my own little products, (and) my labels. I'm hoping I can continue to grow the brand in the future. (AXiD) allowing me to do that profit share last semester was something I was so grateful for.
Allie Constantinou: My first big grazing table here in Austin happened because I asked my new member educators (if) there was any way I could bring (my business) here and get hired. So, my first table was for Chi-O chapter, and feeling all the support from my sisters after I had made that was so important for my confidence. It's grown so much since then; I've done two more for Chi-O, and this year I was elected to be Career and Personal Development Chair. I think people trust me with using what I've learned in my business to communicate with alumni and help people in their career and personal development as well.
Meghan Crain: I would say the main thing is having my sisters support me. When I was coming to college, I would kind of forget that everyone didn't already know me. So I would get to tell people that I do photography, and all of my sisters were just super supportive, super excited for me. I'm going to be taking some college senior photos of some of my older friends in Tri Delt. I'm super excited to be able to do that for them, and I'm just happy and thankful that they want me to take their photos.
Brynne Scott: I would say word of mouth is the biggest thing, but also it's created good connections. If one girl buys it in my sorority and then her roommate’s in another sorority, that's a great way for me to get connections that way. I sent out my designs for OU this year, and (my friend’s) roommate texted me and was like, I need these, but I need them to say APhi instead of DG. I'm super thankful for my sisters who are sharing it with their friends.
Kiana Payervand: With my sorority, obviously they've brought in a lot of jewelry (customers) for me, so that has helped me financially. It's just really motivating and inspiring to kind of go out and find more stuff for (my sorority sisters). A lot of my friends have sent me certain designs and different pendants and stuff, and it's special. I've been able to make a lot of personalized stuff for my sisters, so it's kind of fun that way.
Ashton Harvel: KD has helped me grow my reach so much. My sisters have pushed me to try new things such as portraits and challenged me to try new mediums. Everyone, not only my chapter but the Panhellenic Community, has been so supportive of me through this journey.
Sidney Tillotson: Being a Panhellenic woman showed me that people do want to support your wins. Like, there are friends out there that want to buy from you, they want to repost about your business—they think it's cool, they want to learn from you. I mean, I was doing this as a freshman (and) even just the support from the older girls…just made me proud to be a woman, and proud to support other women doing the same thing. One of my best friends is a Chi-O, and she was there for my first show, helping me set everything up.
Chesson Becker: Pi Phi has seriously been the best organization that I'm a part of on campus. I'm just so grateful to be a part of a group of girls that are just constantly uplifting and encouraging each other. I had a really busy (fall) semester because I was recruiting for a job…there were multiple times when my g-big or my big would just ask me what they can do to help me (and) even offer to help package orders or anything on that side of things, just to alleviate my stress a little bit. Having that resource of Pi Phi has been so amazing, especially in this journey of coming to a state where I knew no one, and then also having to keep my business going under all the stress of school and being a college student. I cannot be more grateful for what Pi Phi has given to me.
Emma Knutson: I live in the house currently and I've had a couple deals where some of those days take more energy out of you. I've had sisters like my friend Maggie, she brought me candy to my room one day and was just like, “I see you, and I know how hard you're working” and she came and gave me a big hug. I didn't even know I needed that. When she did, that's exactly what I needed today to make it all the day, like all but the better, you know. Also being treasurer of my sorority has led to some really cool paths where I've had some alumni Zeta reach out to me and say, “hey, we see that you're also in real estate, like, we have this opportunity for you.” The alumni network of Zeta has also been super awesome and helps out in any way. I'm actually closing on a house on Monday with a Zeta alumni, which is pretty cool. -
Olivia Kate Stephens: Talking to suppliers, whether it's local or overseas is super hard. Figuring out the whole regulatory process, and then, finding the right space. And the stress is also a big thing with it, so it's been good that my friends have always checked on me and just even if I'm super busy. Even when I'm not doing stuff on the business, I'm thinking about the business and it's been good to have solid friends that kind of ground me in that.
Kaylie Ngo: For sure, definitely, finding clients. Austin's a big city, and there are a lot of photographers. The whole networking thing within the Panhellenic Community is so great and truly, like people genuinely do want to support each other.
Shira Tzur: It's really hard baking in an apartment. I live with four other girls and I really don't like inconveniencing other people. I'll bake something and clean it up right away, and I don't want (t0) take up kitchen space, so I do have to wake up earlier or stay up late baking. Also, I just don't have all my resources with me and I have to buy double of everything. I don't have a car here, so anytime I would need to deliver, it's on foot.
Avery Thomas: I'm graduating early, like I said, and I'm in 22 hours. I was in 26 at the beginning of the year, so you know, finding the time is very hard. That's probably been the biggest challenge, just balancing it with my ridiculous course load and having a social life with my friends. I live with four other APhis so they get it, but it's definitely difficult to balance all of that.
Camille Dunn: Marketing was, and still is my biggest weakness in terms of my brand, because it's hard to know the customer's interest when you don't have as much time to invest in social media. Being a sorority president, a junior taking a lot of upper division classes, and a pre-law student, it's definitely been hard for me.
Allie Constantinou: It’s a great opportunity to get a lot of experience dealing with clients and dealing with people in a professional setting, but it's been especially challenging having to say no. Sometimes I'm truthfully just not able to accept orders, and people are actually really receptive to the fact that I'm a business student, I'm a student athlete, I'm involved in my sorority, (but) one of the challenges is knowing when to set boundaries and when to step away. Luckily, like the people in Austin are so understanding of this that I'm able to get return customers.
Meghan Crain: I think just time management, because as I was running this business, I'm also a full-time student, and I always have another part-time job. Balancing two jobs with school, and making sure that I don't fall behind on anything is challenging. Also, definitely finding time to do shoots has been difficult, especially coming to college, just making sure I'm able to clear time for them.
Brynne Scott: It's not easy to do in a small room. My ability to get my hands on supplies at college is hard because (of) not having a color printer. Also, having to learn to market to larger groups of people, rather than just my friends at home in a small setting.
Kiana Payervand: I (will) have girls ask me, kind of last minute for a necklace—sometimes it'd be the morning of a game. Finding a balance with school (and) making my necklaces has been a challenge. On the clothing side it is wear and tear. I have created a kind of a system where (the) charge to rent the dress will include dry cleaning.
Ashton Harvel: Some of the challenges I have faced are finding time to budget painting and balancing getting work done. My account has honestly slowed, and I have become less consistent with posting and taking orders as my school load has become more demanding.
Sidney Tillotson: I really learned about how to block off time to do things effectively…it takes so much time and effort to grow, and sometimes that's laborious, but I look back on a lot of those memories with a lot of joy and pride, even though it was hard at times. I learned so much about how individual states work in terms of commerce.
Chesson Becker: One thing, especially as a younger female entrepreneur, is that people don't take me seriously. There will be times when I have a pop-up shop and people assume that I'm older (because) I own a business, and then once I tell them my age, they will step back. It is something that I have to deal with, people not thinking I'm as serious about it and as in control of my business at this age. On a more personal side of things, I've had to work on my delegation skills and my ability to give up control over the past few years.
Emma Knutson: Yes, I definitely think one of the biggest challenges is knowing how to manage your time effectively, especially being a junior in college, because, as a business major, our classes are definitely getting a little bit harder. Knowing how to manage your school life and still be a professional at work every day is important. -
Olivia Kate Stephens: Talking to athletes, for sure. I love tabling on Lady Bird lake and popping up at apartments. UT has so many resources for entrepreneurship and events like that, and I just love connecting to athletes. When I get a text and someone's like, “Oh my gosh, that was so good,” it just makes my whole day. I just get so happy because I'm like, this is a real thing and people are benefiting from it.
Kaylie Ngo: When people text me back and they get their galleries and say I love them so much. Allowing people to feel beautiful … so just helping people feel good about themselves.
Shira Tzur: Probably being able to connect with other people. Also, back home, I'm definitely making more cakes for kids and family friends but here I've been able to do it for older girls and businesses. So I've been able to kind of express myself more with my baking designs.
Avery Thomas: So, I ask everyone who gets a banner to send me pictures afterwards and I always post them on my account story. Beyond just that, like, I know people love that, for the vibes for your birthday, like it's such a special thing that I get to be a part of, and people trust me with that. Hello, if it's your 21st birthday, you want it to be perfect. You want it to be fabulous. And I love that I get to be a part of that, it's really cool.
Camille Dunn: The reactions that I get from either my roommates or my close friends trying my jams and (seeing) a smile on their faces and being like, “Oh, that's so good,” is the most rewarding thing.
Allie Constantinou: It's especially rewarding to see something you've created and coming to school from out of state, I had no idea the sort of community that could be created around owning and starting a business. It's been so rewarding to make boards and see that it's making a difference, and to know that I'm bringing people together through charcuterie. By far my favorite part is watching people come together to eat what I've created, and knowing that I played a role in bringing people together.
Meghan Crain: I think the most rewarding part is definitely getting positive feedback from people that I've worked with before, whether that's if they love the photos, or if they loved working with me. I genuinely just love to do it, and I love meeting new people. It's a good creative outlet. The people that I meet from it (are) just so sweet, and hearing their positive feedback is very rewarding as well.
Brynne Scott: Getting to be proud of something, whenever people ask me, and kind of a fun fact about myself, I get to share this and just get to share a piece of myself with other people. My dad's always told me that, you know, you do something to the best of your ability, so you're proud to put your name on it. It's been awesome for me to get to sit and be proud of what I'm doing and really believing in what I'm doing.
Kiana Payervand: Just seeing all the girls, like, for game days, like wearing the necklace and being confident. I've gotten so many compliments and it's kind of just like women empowerment. Whenever you compliment someone and you're like, it's just a good feeling that everyone is just complimenting each other. Every time I see someone wearing your necklace, they always like it, make sure to tell me. I think that's kind of a nice thing that I've gotten to know so many girls through it, especially in different sororities. Even when they come to pick it up and stuff, I get to talk to them for a second and then we just kind of go on and it's so fun.
Ashton Harvel: The most rewarding part about my business is definitely getting to be a part of so many peoples special moments. A lot of the banners or signs I paint are for 21st birthdays or canvases for Christmas gifts, and it’s always so rewarding getting to see the reactions from the recipients or the grateful messages I have received from people who order from me.
Sidney Tillotson: I love to see when people are happy and doing something that they love, and if they feel good because they have a really cool accessory, I love that. Just being able to build relationships, make people feel beautiful, make people feel loved, and make it an experience.
Chesson Becker: I get so excited when people are wearing my stuff and I see them in public, or if someone comes up to me and is like, “Oh my gosh, I wear your necklaces.” It makes me so happy every single time. People always ask me (if I) even enjoy making the pieces anymore, since I do hand make every single thing I sell, and honestly, I love it. I don't even factor that as a part of my work. Making (the necklaces) is so stress-relieving for me, and seeing it really brighten these girls' days when they're wearing them, and kind of add something new to their style.
Emma Knutson: One is definitely just seeing my client's face, getting through the finish line of any deal, and knowing that you impacted someone's life at such a young age. Like, I remember, I closed on a house at 19 with a client who we ended up buying a $2.5 million deal, which is crazy. And at 19, I was like, dang, like, I helped them get impacted with that, you know. I'd say the other part that's so rewarding is coming into the office every day and just having these people around you who are so supportive. Knowing that you're loved like that means the world. -
Olivia Kate Stephens: Go for it. I had a professor that was like, there's only two times that it fits to start a business. It's before your career or after your career, because you just don't have time when you're working long hours with the job, and you have this kind of commitment with them to go for something like this. To anybody in college who even kind of has an idea about something, literally go for it. I've talked to the upper echelons of Coca-Cola and the Gatorade division. And it's like, the only reason why they set up a meeting with me is because I'm a student. Everyone needs to be playing that card as hard as possible.
Kaylie Ngo: Probably don't get discouraged. There was a really long period of time that I kind of gave up photography because I felt like this isn't doing anything for me… But coming back to it really, like I said, it's something that doesn't really take up my social battery, and honestly, it's fun. If it's something that you're passionate about, at the end of the day, if it's a job, or if it's a hobby, whatever you want to do, it's something that brings you joy. And I think that's really all that you can ask for!
Shira Tzur: The biggest piece of advice is to just put yourself out there and not be afraid to make mistakes. I'm a very big perfectionist, and so a lot of the time I'm a lot harder on myself. Like, I'll make a cake, and I'll think it's the worst thing in the world, and then my roommates will walk in and be like‘it looks so good. We're our own biggest critics, if that makes sense, and so don't be afraid to make mistakes (and) learn from them, because that's how you grow.
Avery Thomas: I mean, you just got to go for it. I started out not great, truly not great, and my prices reflected that. Honestly, I feel like I identified something that people were wanting, but there wasn't necessarily an accessible supply. People were wanting banners for your birthday, for events, for things like that, but there weren't a ton of people in West Campus doing that when I started. There's a bunch more now, and I'm so happy to see that. Find something that's inconveniencing you and other people and solve that problem.
Camille Dunn: For my cottage food brand, distribution and purchasing must be an in-person interaction. When you’re trying to design labels to use, use the resources that are provided to us by the university; Canva is how I make all my jam labels. I would recommend using Amazon business and finding wholesale websites. No matter what you’re trying to sell, buying products and mass quantities to turn them into whatever you are selling is definitely smarter.
Allie Constantinou: Know what you're going into, but I would 100% encourage (you) to take the risk if (you’re) thinking about it, and fall back on your support systems. Understand that there's so many Panhellenic women, resources on campus, your staff, your teachers, your professors: people who want to see you succeed. It's so important to take the risk and understand that you can do it.
Meghan Crain: I would say, fake it till you make it, even if you don't know what you're doing, just ask anyone who's more experienced than you for help. It's never embarrassing to ask for help. I ask questions all the time, and I think that was really helpful. And then just keep going. Just keep trying. Because I feel like, at first, starting your own business can be kind of hard and scary, especially if you don't have any clients yet. But I think one of the biggest ways to get more people for like, clientele, or whatever your business may be, is just by treating everyone super well with lots of respect and kindness, and then they will generally spread the word to other people.
Brynne Scott: Just take the leap and do it. You can't fail if you don't try it. I also think that getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and putting yourself out there (is important) as well.
Kiana Payervand: For all of social media, I think the best thing to do is post what you like. I think it's important to post what you like and what makes you happy. The reason I started it was because it was something fun for me. Use your friends, not just within your chapter; word of mouth is a big thing. Also, on game days when I would wear my necklace, I would have two or four other necklaces ready to be sold in my purse. Be ready for anything, because a business never ends.
Ashton Harvel: My biggest tip is listen to people when they tell you that you are good at something. If I would have listened to my friends when they told me to start painting, Painting by Ashton would have started so long ago. There are so many people who will cheer you on and it's such a fulfilling feeling once you take the first step.
Sidney Tillotson: Don't be afraid of what other people might think. I spent a lot of my life, like in high school, worrying about what everyone thought. And it's still definitely a battle that I face today, but when it comes to something that you truly believe in, you have to block that out and just do it.
Chesson Becker: Having that sense of community with your customers and your followers is really important, because they begin to associate things with you and it pulls them back to your business more often. Another thing is not being afraid to put yourself out there. I think why I'm so grateful that I started the business at 12 when I didn't have that idea of embarrassment in my head yet. I get so scared sometimes putting myself out there and posting things on my social media, or doing new things on my website, or having new products that might be a little bit outside the box. I think completely eliminating that (fear of judgement) and just doing what you really love is the most important part, because that's how you differentiate yourself, and that's how you get customers that are gonna stick with you.
Emma Knutson: Oh my gosh, yes. Tons. One, anything is possible, and age is just a number—you can start at 18. Two would be, like, just start now. Like, start now. Do it. I started with, like, zero money going into it. And like, now it's worked out so beautifully. So, yeah, you can do anything.
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Olivia Kate Stephens:
Website: drinkallset.com
Instagram: @drinkallset
Kaylie Ngo:
Website: kayliengophotography.mypixieset.com
Instagram: @kayliengophotography
Shira Tzur:@Shirascakes | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree
Reach out via DM!
Camille Dunn:
Website: blondiesfinefoods.com
Instagram: @blondiesfinefoods
Allie Constantinou: .
Instagram: @cheeseandcrackers_ATX
Through there, you can go to my LinkTree. I have a regular order form, grazing table, order form, class order form, and feedback form.
Meghan Crain:
Website: meghancrain.com
Contact me through the contact form!
Instagram: @meghancrainphotography
Brynne Scott:
Instagram: @buttonsbybrynne
Ashton Harvel:
Instagram: @paintedbyashton
Shoot me a DM to inquire about custom paintings!
Sidney Tillotson:
I sold my business and it is now called Dail Styled. I have now started working on some nonprofit outreach initiatives.
Kiana Payervand:
Instagram: @cousinscleanout
Chesson Becker:
Website: www.blitzbeads.com
For my Austin girls, there is a pickup option so that you don't have to pay for shipping!
Instagram: @blitzbeads
Emma Knutson:
Website: modusrealestate.com
Instagram: @emmaknutson
We hope this inspired you. Celebrating the incredible women in this community never gets old. Until next year, happy International Women’s Day!
All our love,
The Blog Editors