Meet Trailblazer Amanda James

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda James.

Amanda, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I can remember the first time I completed a sewing project – a pillow for my stuffed animal – and how proud and excited I felt to create something from raw materials. My childhood was full of lots of handmade gifts: scarves, blankets, pillows, hand-sewn Christmas ornaments, jewelry. I think I tried my hand at making everything I could think of. In college, I started a fairly successful handmade card business on Etsy, which then inspired me to try making my own clothing line. I didn’t make any clothing sales, but wore my own pieces a lot and was pretty darn proud. I made my own bedspread when I couldn’t find the one I was imagining in my head, designed and made the perfect yoga mat bag, the list goes on.

Once I graduated college and went out into the working world, my sewing machine stayed packed up in its box and while I did think about getting it out and creating, it just never made it to the top of my list. The other piece of this story is my husband – who has been with me since my card and clothing line days. He was the hand model for my cards and the photographer for my clothing line. He was the artist in our relationship, always sketching and painting, and it was pretty much always shoes. He started out school in design but moved into entrepreneurship as he realized what a cutthroat industry sneaker design was.

Fast forward a few years after our first daughter was born, and he started teaching himself how to make sneakers at night when I was sleeping with the baby. His little hobby evolved into an opportunity to purchase a small sneaker factory set up, and after a year of planning and searching for funding, we officially jumped into our own footwear company. I had forgotten how much I love creating with my hands – the early days of our company, he and I would spend testing patterns and creating what would become our first products, and time would truly fly by while we were in the factory.

I fell in love with this new form of art – leatherworking – and it has been such a fun adventure getting to launch our company and start seeing people wear and carry our products. We are three months into our launch, and every day is a new challenge, but it is incredibly fulfilling and I can’t imagine our lives differently.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest struggles for me has been stepping into a leader/owner role, which I have typically been happy to let my husband take on. There is just too much work for one person, and I am so involved in the company that it has become natural for me to step up into more of the “CEO” role while he focuses on the actual pattern development and creation. Finding it within myself to be that person who has the confidence to run a company that will ultimately be our primary source of income has been tough. It’s intimidating to know that I am the one calling the shots that will determine our success!

I am having to really dig deep within me to find that confidence and trust my instincts. My advice to other young women starting on your own adventure: treat yourself with kindness, especially in the early days, and don’t expect yourself to be able to handle it all right away. Some days I feel like there is no way I can make this happen, and I need a good cry and a bath. Giving myself time to process the emotions of the journey and not expecting that I can always stay positive and put on a happy face is important for me. In the back of my mind, I truly know and believe we will be successful, but it’s okay to wonder and worry and it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and have some big emotions. Own your emotions as part of what will ultimately make you successful. Emotions don’t make you weak, they are a beautiful part of your womanhood and the essence of your creativity.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Opie Way – what should we know?
We are one of the only American made sneaker companies that exist right now. Footwear manufacturing moved overseas mid-century and was largely gone from the US by 1990. American made boot companies have started making a comeback, but not many people are making sneakers here, and we are very proud that we can complete the sneaker making process, start to finish, in our factory in North Carolina.

Our sneakers are mostly leather, with a few vintage military canvas options. We only use vegetable tanned leather, from the US, so no harsh chemicals touch our workers or your feet, or end up in landfills. Thoughtfully selecting materials is really important to us, and makes our shoes a lot more meaningful. Watching how the materials age is one of our favorite parts about this – your shoes are such an expression of your personality, and no one’s shoes will crease and fade the same way, making them completely unique to you.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
Throughout this journey, the most common thing I hear sounds something like this, “How’s Justin’s shoe business going?” So I think people just don’t really consider that a woman would be involved in running a manufacturing business, and as a woman who was primarily a mother for many years, I’m not really viewed as a “business” partner. I think my biggest barrier has been dividing my time between my daughters and my work – wanting to be there to raise them but also really wanting to run this company. It’s a constant pull back and forth, but not necessarily in a bad way. I just want both things all the time!

Contact Info:

• Website: opieway.com
• Email: sales@opieway.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/opieway
• Facebook: facebook.com/opieway

Image Credit:
Mallory Jo Photo
Angie Wilhelm for the Asheville Citizen Times

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