Meet Chandi Agee | Creative, Author, Founder and Owner of Expression Fiber Arts

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chandi Agee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chandi, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had wanted to start my own business from a young age. I grew up watching my family members start and run businesses and it seemed like the best option for my life.

I love the concept of owning one’s own business. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, freedom and self-expression. You do have quite a bit of responsibility on your shoulders, especially once you hire a team, but it’s a good feeling. I love bringing like-minded souls together for a common cause.

What should our readers know about your business?
I started my first business in my 20’s. I made and sold mineral makeup and all-natural skin care. I loved the freedom and self-expression that came from running a business, but found I held myself back in so many ways out of fear. Business is such a vehicle for personal growth. To be an entrepreneur, you will have to push past all of your fears and get over yourself!

I started my second business selling hand-dyed yarn, knit and crochet patterns in my early 30’s. I was shaking in my boots, again so afraid. It’s not easy venturing into a new idea, with hardly a roadmap to follow. This business was completely different than my previous one and times had changed, so it required completely different strategies.

I set big goals and achieved them, with some luck, hard work and an amazing team.

I’m so proud of our current business and who I’ve become while running and growing it. I’ve learned to step into a grander, more expanded version of myself. I’ve had to overcome every obstacle that arose, whether legal issues, energetic depletion, employee situations, marketing confusion or my own fear. In a business you’ll experience it all!

The best piece of advice I could give to someone starting out would be to set your wild and unbelievable goal. Dream. Dwell a bit in the non-reality of that. Repeat it. Hold it in your mind. Then drop back to reality and start taking consistent, daily action and be willing to pay whatever price you must for this dream to come to fruition.

I can’t guarantee that will produce the results you’re looking for, but it will sure give you a better chance than if you don’t try in the first place.

Life is finite – dream, and then DO.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If someone were visiting my city, Charlotte, North Carolina, I would take them to a few special places we’ve discovered over the years!

Freedom Park is a must. With its beautiful pond and fountain, rolling grasses and walking/biking paths, it’s a beautiful, relaxing place to visit and the jewel of the city, in my opinion! The Little Sugar Creek Greenway will take you all the way to South Carolina. It’s our favorite bike path in the city!

For a cozy nook to work, drink a delicious lavender latte or just hang out with friends playing games, I’d recommend Salud in Noda. We love it and go often! It’s quiet, comfy and cool! You’ll find a hanging egg chair, corner lounge benches and huge tables for work or games!

Another great place for a variety of foods and a vibrant atmosphere is Optimist Hall! It’s a gorgeous, historic space, where you’ll find all types of delicious foods to eat – something for everybody! It’s a great place to take a group as everybody can order what they like.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Anything I’ve done in my life I have to credit to my parents. My dad was a risk-loving, jump-off-a-cliff-without-a-parachute type of guy. He’d build the parachute on the way down. He loved to dream and DO, always expanding into new arenas of life. He was a builder, a pastor, a lover of people and gave from his heart. He never sat still but was always dreaming and creating and instilled these attributes into me.

My mom is a beautiful soul – an accomplished writer, poet, illustrator. She has a way of giving just the change in perspective you need when you’re stuck. She loves fully and without condition. She nurtures and holds a calm, gentle space for those in need. She’s also spunky and witty and sharp as a tack!

Her expressive, artistic soul and endless love and encouragement, combined with my dad’s consistent work ethic, vision and love, made me who I am today and I’m endlessly grateful for them both.

Website: https://www.expressionfiberarts.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/expressionfiberarts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/expressionfiberarts

Youtube: https://youtube.com/expressionfiberarts

Image Credits
Timothy Agee