Business Consultations

Grow with confidence. Build with intention. Lead with purpose.

We help independent fashion designers, creative entrepreneurs, and boutique owners build sustainable and profitable fashion businesses rooted in slow fashion principles. We know that strategic decisions early on can save time, money and creative energy - and our consulting combines lived experience with 20+ years of industry insight to guide you toward meaningful, long-term success.

Why Choose CTFC Consulting?

You won’t find generic advice here. CTFC consulting is led exclusively by co-founders Melissa Pierce and Kasi Martin- two seasoned slow fashion professionals who have built brands, cultivated maker relationships, shaped narratives, and navigated the real-world challenges of independent fashion businesses in Central Texas. We combine strategic clarity with hands-on industry experience to help you refine your vision, identify oppoprtunities within your current model, build systems that support sustainable growth, and make confident decisions around collections, sourcing, pricing, positioning, marketing, and much more. We don’t offer theory- we offer lived expertise in building ethical fashion businesses from the ground up.

Examples:

  • Develop a clear, year-long strategic roadmap for emerging founders, including curated industry resources, defined milestones, and structured monthly advisory sessions to ensure measurable progress.

  • Conduct comprehensive business audits to identify operational gaps, financial inefficiencies, and growth opportunities- delivering a prioritize, acationable plan to strengthen performance and profitability.

  • Guide founders through launching a new clothing line, from collection strategy and design refinement to budgeting, margin development, tech pack creation, sampling oversight, and factory liaison support.

  • Lead brand positioning and marketing stratgey development- clarifying your niche, refining messaging, auditing content, strengthening visual direction, and building a sustainable marketing plan aligned with your production capacity.

  • Support brands expanding from direct-to-consumer into wholesale with trade show strategy, booth design guidance, buyer relationship cultivation, inventory planning, and scalable growth systems.

  • Advise designers managing small-scale production teams (in-house or independent contractors) on workflow optimization, zero-waste opportunities, time management, and sustainable operational best practices.

Meet Your Consultants:

10 years of Slow Fashion Entrepreneurship Experience

Melissa Pierce

Proficient Areas:

-Business Planning / Strategy

-Brand Development

-Product Line Strategy

-Manufacturing + Sourcing

-Sales & Pricing (products)

-Wholesale/Retail (B2B/C2C)

-Event Production

-Trade Show Strategy

-Project Management

-Case Studies

-& Much More

About Melissa: A 5th generation Texan and Austinite with a breadth of experience owning her own (self-funded) Fashion/Jewelry Brand, Soul Studio (founded in 2016) based here in Austin. A world-traveler and cosmopolitan, always absorbing cultural and a systematic understanding of the world which she brings into her endeavors and everyday life.

Melissa is exceptionally good at creative strategy and prides herself on having a well balanced right-left brain way of thinking and operating.

Publication Features: The Cut, Instyle, Slow Fashion Forum, Tribeza and more.

Celebrity Clients: Alanis Morissette, The Black Pumas, and more.

Wholesale Partners: Anthropologie, Free People and over 50 other boutiques in Canada and the USA.

12 years of Slow Fashion Entrepreneurship Experience

Kasi Martin

Proficient Areas:

-Brand Development (styling)

-Omni-channel Marketing

-CRM & Lifestyle Marketing

-Public Relations and Media Strategy

-Business Planning / Strategy

-Sales & Pricing Strategy (services)

-Copy & Content Writing (SEO/GEO)

-Wardrobe Styling (personal & editorial)

-Project Management

-Case Studies

-& Much More


About Kasi: Texas based fashion industry expert, journalist, stylist, and marketing executive with over a decade of experience at the intersection of fashion media, sustainability and brand growth. She began her career in Austin building. styling studio focused on editorial work and secondhand/vintage sourcing, serving clients across the city for over five years. Her styling work has supported brands such as Purse & Clutch and Soul Studio, grounding her expertise in both aesthetics and ethical production. Kasi brings a rare 360 perspective: industry reporting, supply chain expertise, editorial authority, executive marketing leadership, and founder-level brand strategy. She helps brands operate with integrity while building long-term cultural and commercial relevance.

Publication Features & Bylines: Texas Monthly, Sourcing Journal, Ecocult, and Her Work (Founder & Editor-in-chief, 12 years) along with others

Consulting Clients: Credo Beauty, Whole Foods, Goodwill, Axiology Beauty, Return Plant Foods, and more.

Styling Clients: Purse & Clutch, Soul Studio and private personal clients across Austin for over five years

Leadership Roles: Head of PR, Fair Trade USA; Director/Head of Marketing for sustainable and plant-based CPG brands.

Now Booking (2026):

Ready to grow your fashion business? Tired of making costly mistakes? Our team can guide you to make the right decisions

Book with us below and we’ll be in touch shortly via Email to get you scheduled

Hourly Consulting
from $75.00

Hire either of our founders for a virtual (or in person) meeting to discuss your specific needs.

Consultations are sold by the hour at $125/hr (cost includes prep/research time in advance) or you can purchase a package for a better deal.

Members receive a discount ($75/hour instead of $125)

This is a special rate for our community. If you would like to book regular coaching we can work out a package deal for multiple hour/month commitments. (email to inquire)

Once you have selected your number of hours, you will be prompted to fill out a super quick form and we will reach out to you within 1-3 business days to schedule.

Based on your form feedback you will be paired with either Melissa or Kasi depending on your specific needs.

Quarterly Consulting Package
from $360.00

We’ll work with you seasonally in 2, 2 hour blocks (4 hours per quarter) to help you create a plan to elevate your business, this is an annual commitment. Realistic support from professionals who know the in’s and out’s of the fashion industry. Catered to whatever areas you’d like to work on or based on our feedback, you pick.

Who it’s for:

If you already have a business or are considering starting one, this is a great opportunity for support and guidance throughout the process. Learn from our mistakes and most importantly avoid costly mistakes. Save time and money with our support.

How it works:

Once you purchase your audit our founders will send you an intake form and once filled out, they will reach out to schedule, starting with your audit. Once that’s set up we will get you scheduled with consistent meetings, pre-booked throughout your contract (1 year commitment)

What you get:

-Initial business audit (complimentary)

-Two meetings scheduled a quarter (each 2 hours)

-Email support with our team to ask questions throughout the month

Payment:

-Initial quarter paid here (you will invoiced quarterly afterwards)

Receive a Free Audit:

When you purchase a monthly (6 month commitment) or quarterly package.

~

Members receive a 20% off discount

Based on your form feedback you will be paired with either Melissa or Kasi depending on your specific needs.

Business Audit
from $280.00

The first step to assessing where you are at and where you need to go to improve your fashion business. We will intake information and evaluate based on our combined 20 years of fashion experience.

Who it’s for:

Great for pre-existing business’ who just feel stuck where they currently are, or would like to make sure they’re set up for success or for business’ just starting off who want to lay the perfect foundation.

How it works:

Once you purchase your audit our founders will send you an intake form and once filled out, they will reach out to schedule your review. The bulk of the audit is done privately and then information is shared with you in a virtual meeting where you can ask questions and get feedback and actionable insight.

What you get:

-Virtual Review with Q&A

-Feedback form that covers all bases of your business

-Actionable plan and next steps

Receive a Free Audit:

When you purchase a monthly (6 month commitment) or quarterly package.

Members receive 20% off the normal price

Quarterly + Consulting Package
from $680.00

We’ll work with you seasonally in 2-4 hour blocks (8 hours each quarter) to help you create a plan to elevate your business, this is an annual commitment.

Realistic support from professionals who know the in’s and out’s of the fashion industry. Catered to whatever areas you’d like to work on or based on our feedback, you pick.

Who it’s for:

If you already have a business or are considering starting one, this is a great opportunity for support and guidance throughout the process. Learn from our mistakes and most importantly avoid costly mistakes. Save time and money with our support.

How it works:

Once you purchase your audit our founders will send you an intake form and once filled out, they will reach out to schedule, starting with your audit. Once that’s set up we will get you scheduled with consistent meetings, pre-booked throughout your contract (1 year commitment)

What you get:

-Initial business audit (complimentary)

-Two meetings scheduled a quarter (each 4 hours)

-Email support with our team to ask questions throughout the month

Payment:

-Initial quarter paid here (you will invoiced quarterly afterwards)

Receive a Free Audit:

When you purchase a monthly (6 month commitment) or quarterly package.

~

Members receive a 20% off discount

Based on your form feedback you will be paired with either Melissa or Kasi depending on your specific needs.

Monthly Consulting Package
from $360.00

4 hours a month, twice a month in 2 hour blocks! Realistic support from professionals who know the in’s and out’s of the fashion industry. Catered to whatever areas you’d like to work on or based on our feedback, you pick.

Who it’s for:

If you already have a business or are considering starting one, this is a great opportunity for support and guidance throughout the process. Learn from our mistakes and most importantly avoid costly mistakes. Save time and money with our support.

How it works:

Once you purchase your audit our founders will send you an intake form and once filled out, they will reach out to schedule, starting with your audit. Once that’s set up we will get you scheduled with consistent meetings, pre-booked throughout your contract (6 months or 1 year option)

What you get:

-Initial business audit (complimentary)

-Two meetings scheduled a month (each 2 hours)

-Email support with our team to ask questions throughout the month

Payment:

-Initial month paid here (you will invoiced monthly depending on your desired contract length-6 months or one year)

Receive a Free Audit:

When you purchase a monthly (6 month commitment) or quarterly package.

~

Members receive a 20% off discount

Based on your form feedback you will be paired with either Melissa or Kasi depending on your specific needs.