On Style, Activism And Launching A Business At 65 Years Old: Judith Rizzio
In anticipation for The Elephant Table’s collaborative dinner party—A Real Good Time with Judith Rizzio and Jim Dixon—later this month, we hopped on the phone with stylist Judith Rizzio to talk about the growth of her business, Out of Our Closet.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Rizzio is a seasoned activist (with her hands in reproductive health, LGBTIA+ rights, AIDs advocacy and prison reform), long-time creative and now 65-year-old small business owner. In the summer of 2019, she launched “Out of Our Closet,” an affordable alternative to styling services for older women, because as Rizzio puts it, we “have the right to not disappear.”
Over the last few months, the project has gone viral multiple times (like this piece on the Today Show) and Rizzio’s client base has steadily grown, taking Rizzio from what she describes as a “semi-retired” life to a whirlwind of opportunity and possibilities.
This interview was written and conducted by Jane Claire Hervey.
Here are 5 takeaways from our chat with Rizzio on starting a business—and putting your purpose first.
1.) Do your research.
In the beginning stages of any passion-driven project, it’s easy to jump ahead and skip the difficult parts, like creating a business plan, researching product-market fit and imagining what things may look like at scale. For Rizzio, turning her styling hobby into Out Of Our Closet was a researched decision, considering the value of her time and the kinds of customers she wanted to serve.
“I had to figure out the business model,” Rizzio says. “And I came up with an accessible plan, so that women who normally don’t get the ability to hire a stylist or access fashion can do that if they choose—a price point of $45 per hour… that slides and scales.”
2.) Relationships make magic happen.
Some of Rizzio’s best moments with Out of Our Closet have come from the relationships she’s built. For example, Rizzio’s first viral article was written by a friend who had been documenting her journey for a while and decided to pitch the story to a publication. She also gets a lot of stuff done through trade—whether she’s bartering her services for marketing help or to get her landscaping done. And if she’s feeling burnt out, she reaches out to the people around her for support.
3.) Set boundaries, stick to your mission and pivot when needed.
Whether it’s justifying long hours or attempting to tackle too much at once, those first few years of a new business are a blurry, steep learning curve. Daily overwhelm and overwork easily lead to burnout. So, when Rizzio feels like she’s spinning out, she sticks to some of her core working rules: Never give up workouts, You don’t have to respond to everyone right away, and You are in control of this—don’t let this control you.
4.) Stay creative.
Problem-solving takes a lot of brainpower, creativity and play. It calls us to imagine solutions and experiment until those solutions are a reality. For Rizzio, honoring the creative side of her brain is all part of the process.
“When I want to do something creative, I do it,” Rizzio says. “Even if it’s at night after nine o’clock, I’ll just sit down and do it. I really try to keep that part of my brain.”
5.) That voice in your head is a liar. You are not an impostor.
Imposter syndrome—you’ve probably experienced it when you’ve stepped out to try something new or found yourself doing things you never thought you could. It’s that little voice in your head that says this is not for you, you will not be good enough or you’re about to fail. Rizzio says you’ve got to keep that voice quiet.
“You are not a fake,” Rizzio adds. “You have to decide you are going to do it. So many people, especially women, say ‘You know, someday,’ or ‘I would really like to,’ and they work their entire life on something outside of their passions. I’m going to do it and I might fall on my face. You’ve got to do your homework it’s not magic. You’ve got to put the work behind it… It doesn’t mean that it’ll completely work or become the thing that you would like it to be, but you have to stop that loop in your head. Take that step, whatever it takes.”
Want to meet Rizzio in-person?
Rizzio will be hosting an intimate dinner with our friends at The Elephant Table on February 18, 2020. You can learn more about the event and how to get tickets for the 6-course meal here.