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11/06/2019 07:30 AMLong-time East Haven resident Porsha Amodio exudes a warmth and authenticity that enables her success in business and in life.
She says that “through life experiences, I found my confidence” in growing her business and honing her personal talents and interests.
As creator and host of Sip.Shop.Taste., she aims to help other women-owned businesses do the same. The vendor networking event will be on Thursday, Nov. 14 at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven at 6 p.m. and will feature 27 vendors, a dinner buffet, complimentary cocktails, a cash bar, live entertainment, and more.
Porsha seeks to motivate and empower women by providing them with an environment that helps nurture their talents.
“When women can come together and help one another, it is so much better than competing,” said Porsha. “If we come together, it would be better for everyone. My customers can be your customers and your customers can be my customers. We can grow and lift one another up.”
One way to achieve this mindset is to focus “on what you are best at, rather than having so many options,” she says.
As an example, Porsha suggests that if you’re a hairdresser and color is your passion, hone your talent in this area rather than casting a wider net into other areas such as products and nails.
Connecting with your own true passion will help forge a relationship with customers, she adds.
“They are more open to what you have to say,” Porsha says. “It intrigues them to do business with you.”
In addition to offering attendees an opportunity to learn tips on marketing, Sip.Shop.Taste. is a way for like-minded businesses to collaborate.
“Whether it’s a makeup artist and photographer for a wedding or another grouping,” the potential for these trained and skilled female professionals to team up is there, according to Porsha.
Porsha’s event planning skills and flair for business comes from past professional experiences as a hairdresser and manager in the beauty industry.
Her creativity and passion for hair was with her from the start. As a child, she would use her Barbies as practice models, cutting their hair with kitchen scissors and coloring it with markers.
As a young adult, she found that nothing got her more excited professionally than doing someone’s hair and making that person feel good about him or herself.
After high school, Porsha undertook a year-long program at the Paul Mitchell School in North Haven while working full-time as a manager in a tanning salon.
“Being in management at the salon gave me a lot of skills in customer service and how to advise a team of staff,” said Porsha.
After graduating from the Paul Mitchell School, Porsha worked at various hair salons along the shoreline, eventually becoming an independent stylist.
“I loved that my clients were like family,” said Porsha. “I became a part of their life stories, weddings, baby showers, and sometimes even deaths.”
Seeing a customer’s smile after a haircut was the most rewarding for Porsha. About seven years ago, however, Porsha became ill with what would later turn out to be Lyme disease. It took doctors two years to get the correct diagnosis.
“The doctors told me my hair career was over,” she says.
But Porsha never gave up. She continued working at a reduced schedule.
“It was the hardest time of my life, but it made me stronger,” she says.
As she gained her health back, she also realized her client base was gone. So, Porsha started thinking of ideas that would help women business owners who may have had similar struggles.
“The event—Sip.Shop.Taste.—it was my rebirth,” she said. “I wanted to stay in business and wanted to help other women by using my connections.”
Sip.Shop.Taste. takes about three months to plan and Porsha has held three events thus far.
“I would love to grow it,” said Porsha. “I want to fill Anthony’s Ocean View with as many guests and vendors as I possibly can.”
Sip.Shop.Taste. runs from 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14 at Anthony’s Ocean View Fine Catering, 450 Lighthouse Road,
New Haven. Tickets, $40, are available at eventbrite.com.