"Good people skills are important if you're going to have your own business. Even though you're the only person in your company, you're always interacting with others--for example, fabric store people.

I get such good deals at fabric stores because I've become friends with the people there. Kashi, from Metro Textiles in Manhattan, is the nicest person on Earth! He always calls me when he gets new fabric he thinks I might like. He's been so supportive of me since the beginning."