Conversations with Gillian Shaw

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gillian Shaw. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Gillian Shaw 32, born in Laurel, Maryland but raised in the heart of the Bull City Durham, N.C. has had a natural passion for fashion, media, and photography.

Fashion has been a big part of my life since the age of 10. Being raised in a family who valued looking well, and dressing up was instilled in me early and always was something I enjoyed. In 2019, I got up one day and was finding all these amazing deals and looks for less. I had no intentions behind posting sales and deals, it was just simply a natural talent. I thought why not help others look fashionable and stylish on a budget. I always got complimented on my looks and I knew that I found many things for less than what the retail cost was.

The talent became so good that I decided to really push the idea to the next level. Hence creating the brand Gills Deals The Experience Styling. Currently in 2022, I’m serving about 17-20 clients and expanding my brand with weekly deals and a newsletter list, that gives them the exclusivity to special promotions.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As any growing entrepreneur, My main struggle was finding the time to spend on my brand while also working a 40-hour week. Balancing being a web content creator, with high demands and long workdays was so challenging. After work I had to spend time posting content, finding deals, and also meeting clients was definitely challenging.

I had to find days to motivate myself that if I truly wanted this to grow I had to put in the work. I found the most efficient way to plan was to use my planner and create a content schedule, which helped me out a lot.

My second issue was social media reach, finding the best way to display content and reach others and build clientele. With the ever-growing changes with Instagram, the algorithms, knowing what time of day is best to catch viewers was a key struggle, but it became easier with time.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Gills Deals: The Experience is a personal styling business that brings together styling and budgeting all in one. My mission is to help others look and feel their best by also staying on a budget. What I’ve learned in this business that sets me apart is that I’m fast, efficient, and I can find items in a timely and quick manner from other stylists.

The uniqueness behind me is that styling is a natural talent for me and I’ve worked in retail also at the age of 23. So styling and shopping go hand in hand for me. It is something I truly enjoy.

I’m most proud of the growth I’ve experienced in the last two years. Truly starting off with little to no following and now over 500 followers and 22 clients. I’m just amazed by the feedback and how people really look forward to seeing deals and actually being styled by me.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory would be watching old newscasts and recording them to learn how to become a news reporter, Funny right? I thoroughly enjoyed watching newscasts and seeing the anchors dress up in their fancy suits and makeup.

With all that being said, it tied right into my love for fashion and dressing up. Another childhood memory included going to visit the local news station with my father, who was a director for CBS-17 in Raleigh, NC. He took me to work with him at the age of 8, and since that day I will never forget the meaning of ” Take your daughter to work day” and learning the ins and outs of a newscast. I saw behind the scenes of getting ready, doing makeup, hair, and getting dressed up. I was so fascinated by all of it and my desire for journalism and fashion continued to grow for years and years to come.

To this day, I still have relationships with news reporters and news anchors I met through my father; and have connected with other political leaders who I’ve styled for campaign events and major engagements. I had the pleasure of assisting NC Representative Zack Hawkins in styling him for few engagements and day to day casual looks.

Contact Info:

• Email: geshaw81@gmail.com stealsanddeals919@gmail.com
• Instagram: @_thegillreport and @_stealsanddeals919
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gillian.shaw1990

Image Credits
Morgan Crutchfield