Meet Helen Berg | Business Owner & Life Traveller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Helen Berg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Helen, how do you think about risk?
At the bottom line, I think all life is about the choices we make with how far we can push ourselves out of our comfort zone and take risks where we see potential rewards. Way back in the Stone Age when I graduated college I got a great job offer for a position based in Oklahoma, which for me was almost inconceivable having never lived anywhere except South Carolina. My grandmother encouraged me look past the immediate uncomfortableness and to be aware that opportunities need to be seized as they do not usually come twice. That stuck with me, so I tend to think of a taking a potential risk as an opportunity to do something great. Doing new things are usually very uncomfortable, but I’ve always tried push myself there because I’ve learned that’s where the growth is — whether it’s personal growth or business growth. All life is based on change, and those that take action early are usually the ones that may take the bigger risks but also reap the bigger rewards.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are in the apparel/accessories business, our flagship products are hand-stitched needlepoint belts. Our business plan has revolved around the concept of a minimal viable market (MVM), a similar concept to minimal viable product (MVP), which means we initially focused all of our energies on how to be successful in our local community of Charleston, S.C. We felt that if we could build a strong business around what we know best — our local ways of life, culture, people — then we could extend that further to other markets that have things in common with ours. As we’ve grown that market has expanded to all of South Carolina, and now to all of the Southeast and East Coast.

Focusing on our local community also helps us to know our customers better. We are able to identify and understand customers’ preferences, enabling us to deliver them the best service, fulfilling their needs and expectations. It also helps to build our business reputation, improve brand awareness, increase conversion rate, and business growth.

One thing that perhaps has set us apart is that we haven’t focused on a certain return on investment timeline. We placed our focus on having quality products that serve a need and that people love and want to purchase, rather than pace of growth.

Some of the challenges we have faced include finding the right resources/skills to be part of our team. Ideally all of our team members would have the same passion and dedication as our owners. We are very selective about who represents our brand, and tend to select members not only on the skills they bring but the excitement and energy they have.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Firstly, you have to realize that Charleston, South Carolina, has once again charmed Travel + Leisure readers, winning the top spot in the 2023 World’s Best Awards’ favorite cities in the U.S. category for the 11th year in a row. So, there is no shortage of things to do and see. Charleston also has ​3 James Beard Award-Winning Restaurants, and a wide variety of cuisine and good eats. That being said, here is how we would entertain our friends on their first visit to the area.

House Tours in Downtown Charleston – The Preservation Society of Charleston organizes great tours of houses that go deep into architecture and history. They also have garden tours, which are not to miss. Charleston has great secret gardens that you cannot see from behind the garden walls.

The Charleston Museum – Founded in 1773 and commonly regarded as “America’s First Museum”. Be sure to checkout the skeleton of the right whale hanging high in the foyer.

Golf – The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island – #4 Public Golf Course in U.S. and Ranked 25th amongst the 100 Greatest U.S. Golf Courses as rated by Golf Digest

Beach – Folly Beach has a great surfing site at The Washout. Take to your dog to the beach on Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms.

Harbor Tour – It’s great to get out on the water and see the city from boat. Take Palmetto Breeze from Shem Creek to get a harbor tour on a catamaran sailboat.

Shem Creek – Outstanding pedestrian boardwalk where you can also fish and crab and take beautiful sunset photos. Lots of great restaurants like Water’s Edge and The Wreck.

Fine Dining – We love FIG but there are so many fine restaurants we recommend a new one every night.

Walk around Downtown Charleston – So many beautiful churches, cobblestone streets, art galleries, local shops, museums

International African American Museum – The museum starts at the African Ancestors Memorial Garden and inside exhibitions tell the dynamic story of the international African American experience.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The hardest part of giving a shoutout is narrowing it down because there are so many that I’ve learned from and leaned on for support and encouragement. At the end of the day my husband stands out as the one whom I always go to be the sounding board for new ideas, to help me think through different paths, see different options, and overall, to stay grounded in what’s important. I get energy and excitement about things, and when I decide to tackle something I can push hard. My husband, on the other hand, has great patience, to be methodical about thinking through issues and challenges. Most importantly, he has a great capacity to think about the well-being of others, and to make sure that we always do what’s right, even if it’s not easy or not for our own benefit.

Website: charlestonbelt.com

Instagram: @charlestonbelts

Twitter: @charlestonbelt

Facebook: facebook.com/charlestonbelt