Selling Confidence - Megan Szanik
THE ESPY EXPERIENCE
Cover image from Megan at Espy
So many of us get stuck waiting on the timing of everything. We wait until it’s the right time to start a business or until we lose the right amount of weight to buy those jeans we’ve had our eyes on for some time now. This kind of waiting doesn’t sit well with Megan, Founder of Espy Experience, as her motto is, just do it.
“The key thing is you have to be willing to take action. You have to get into the game. You have to just say yes and move forward,” Megan explains.
Megan Szanik - Owner of Espy Experience - Photo courtesy of Megan
It’s this kind of thinking that has allowed Espy to grow during the pandemic. As a business already established on taking chances and seizing opportunities they’re always moving and collecting pieces along the way. Even when Megan decided to expand Espy for the first time, she knew it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. Once COVID hit, the expansion began to flourish in her favour as she was allowed to have more customers in the store. Her grit and action-oriented attitude have taken Espy to their fourth expansion, and Megan has no intention of stopping there.
“Fear is that things that stops us, but fear can also be that thing that motivates us. You have to be a little afraid to do things otherwise they’re not worth doing. If we glide through life with just too much ease the problem is we don’t get any farther than we’re at,” Megan says of her decision to expand.
Espy Experience from outside - Address: 1009 9 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0S6
Espy has come a long way from designer discount in 2009. Megan started with the idea of having a Winners-like concept. As she met with clients and began forming relationships with customers, she really enjoyed helping them put their best versions of themselves out into the world. She realized there was potential for more. From then it snowballed into a location in Calgary to its fourth expansion and contributing over $300,000 dollars to local charities through various campaigns.
“When you’re having a crappy day, the most important thing you can do is do something for someone else. You’ll feel better. You feel really good being of service to someone,” Megan says of her contributions and the way she sees her business.
Inside Espy Experience - the store continues to expand
Taking risks is something Megan is used to but what she doesn’t risk is the customer experience. She understands the reality that not everything in the store is meant for everyone, but there is always one piece meant for you. She trains her stylists to have the same eye and touch as it’s important for the customer to feel good about their bodies rather than selling them the latest fashion trends. Let’s be honest, Megan is selling confidence and it’s so much better than what’s trending.
“When a woman walks in with this mentality of, well as soon as I lose that weight, I can buy those jeans. I’m like girl, let me just dress you and then see for yourself how good you look and feel,” Megan says of wanting to make her clients feel as good as they look.
As you infuse life into your community, the community in return invests in you. - Photo courtesy of Megan
Being of service to the community is a big goal for Megan and Espy. She makes sure to carry local brands and champions those who feel unseen. She believes that as you infuse life into your community, the community in return invests in you. She has plans to build an e-commerce studio. She hopes to make this a community-based space for brands and designers to come in and use. She wants to champion local brands to thrive and find ways to help those up-and-coming brands succeed and take their product to market. In the fall they plan to launch an event and invite brands to designers to walk through their space to let them know that Espy supports them.
“It’s so important to lead a life that you love. Like, I’m lucky to lead a life that I love. If I want to feel good, I just walk out onto my floor and help someone find the perfect pair of jeans that makes their ass look amazing.” Megan laughs.
#nakedespy was an annual event hosted by Espy to raise fund for the Calgary Prostate Cancer Centre.
Calgary fashion will continue to evolve, and Megan believes that we’re in a really good spot as a whole. We’re moving towards a more cosmopolitan vibe one that is all-inclusive. She’s impressed by how so many humans as whole care more about where our clothes come from and who we’re supporting. Espy is a safe space to explore fashion without labels. Like Megan says, it’s not because Espy panders to a certain crowd. No, their focus is on helping the individual put their best version forward. Fashion is moving towards exposing humanity and allowing people to be the best versions of themselves.
Visit their website https://espyexperience.com/ or follow their Instagram @espyexperience to learn more about some tips and tricks on how to style, as well as some fun videos that Megan and her team put out.
Crystal Cervantes has spent the better part of the last decade writing, taking photographs, and wandering from book to book. As a born storyteller, she finds enjoyment in surrounding herself with those who push her from her introverted shell to experience adventure at every turn.
Crystal graduated from BYU with a degree in Political Science and a minor in English. She is a Content Writer for Best Version Media and freelances at a variety of publications. Crystal has written two books, the Deviation Series, and is currently working on her third novel. Through her struggle of writing two books, she realized she created a personal writer's notebook that could help others organize their thoughts and plot, the Gladius Journal.
