Name: Sonya Z. Phillips

Title: Fashion Designer

Organisation: Sustainabili-T by Stretch Couture

Sonya Z. Phillips is a native of Virginia Beach, VA. and a US Army Veteran. Sonya graduated from Old Dominion University with a BS in Biology and International Business.

She is a Fashion Designer for Stretch Couture, a Fashion Brand that teaches Sewing Classes and offers Fashion Business Coaching to aspiring fashion designers. Sonya started her business in 2001 as a self-taught seamstress who learned the basics of sewing in her 7th grade home economics class but has since studied Couture Fashion Design under Marc Jacobs. In 2022 she founded Sustainabili-T, a lifestyle brand focused on sustainable fashion and self-love.

In addition to a passion for fashion, Sonya is passionate about helping people to achieve their weight loss and wellness goals as the Co-Owner of Dream Shape Body Contouring Med Spa. She started the spa with one of her best friends that struggled with weight loss her whole life. Now together they are changing the lives of their clients.

Sonya has a heart to serve, she is the 2nd Vice President of the Pembroke Manor Civic League, a Clean Water Captain with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and she is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Young Investors Group, a non-profit that teaches financial technical skills to youth in low income and high crime areas. Sonya served as a former International Pageant Queen from 2020-2021, she was the very first Ms. Plus Culture Galaxy. Now she serves as the Executive Assistant to the Economic and Development Chief of Volo, a village located in the Volta Region of Ghana.

Sonya is also a Co-Author of the Amazon #1 best-selling book “Sister Leaders. She has published other books which are available on Amazon, as well as on her website www.sonyazphillips.com. She created The Sexxxy Unicorn, a personal development brand focused on Self-Love, Self-Discovery and Sisterhood where she hosts events and has a podcast called the Sexxxy Sista Circle. Thanks, Sonya Z. Phillips 757-343-7018 [email protected] www.sonyazphillips.com www.instagram.com/Stretchcouture https://poplme.co/sonyaz

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Sonya's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

As a leader the most challenging thing I have found is sacrificing the people, places and things that we’re comfortable to pursue my dream.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I became a leader initially as an only child with a single parent that always worked, I had to lead myself. As someone who is solution oriented I prefer to help solve the problem instead of just complaining about it. My fashion journey started in childhood because I had to wear hand me downs and thrifted items which I started altering so they would look different. I then found out as an adult, there was nothing in the marketplace for short, plus sized women so I started making my own clothes. 40 years later here I am teaching other how to create their own lane on the fashion industry.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

I'm a creative and stay up late, so I'm not one of those 5am gurus. I usually start my days around 8 or 9 am with a gratitude practice and morning prayer. I briefly think about working out at a gym or something, but I usually opt for yoga or stretching. I have coffee or tea while I review my daily schedule and take my morning meds. I'm not really a breakfast person but I try to eat some fruit and drink water to start my day. I just eat when I get hungry, no set meal times.

I am the co-owner of a med spa so if I have client I go there till about 6pm. If it is a fashion day I conduct client meetings and work on sewing projects. I usually do my social media and marketing in the evenings or late at night. I work on projects, personal development and online trainings at night or until the wee hours of the morning. I usually look at my calendar to plan my next day then I'm off to bed.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

Social proof and documented credentials do matter. So often we get in a space of am just doing the work, it's not about recognition but I have learned that you need to document your greatness and it is ok to celebrate your achievements publicly. It does matter and the world needs to know how great you are.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

The Third Door by Alex Banayan. This book reminded me that sometimes you have to think outside the box and step out of line to get results and achieve your goals. Sometimes you have to take a risk to find the 3rd door to success.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Find a mentor. You can have more than one but do not waste their time! Figure out what you want to do and find someone who has done it to help you do it faster. I also suggest you spend time on your personal development as well as build meaningful relationships with others. It is true what they say about “ it's not what you know, but who you know but it's also about what you know and who knows you but do you know yourself?

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

As a fashion designer and sewing instructor I often will attend the fashion shows of my students. I had a student that designed some pieces but chose zippers that were too short so the models couldn't get into the pieces. I was able to show my student how to alter the garments on the spot, a real teachable moment. He never had that issue again and has gone on to showcase at New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, Miami Swim Week and many others even designing for celebrity clients. It became full circle for me when he taught another young man to sew and all three of us showed our designs on the runway at a fashion show held at a local HBCU.