Inspiring Lives with "BelleCo Boutique CEO " For Fashion Gxd Magazine
Written by: Samantha CEE
BelleCo Boutique has been bringing exceptional style to shoppers since 2016 and we don’t intend on stopping anytime soon. Our Mission is empowering women to both feel & look their best. Our vision is to make Women feel Bold, Beautiful & Sexy one piece at a time and all of our products reflect these ideals.
Social media accounts: @shopbelleco (Facebook, Instagram, twitter)
Website: shopbelle.net
Inspiring Lives with BelleCo Boutique”
by : Samantha CEE
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How did the idea for your business come about?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): I’ve had the idea of running a Boutique since age 12. I’ve always loved Fashion & the idea of it, so once I got of age I decided that it was time to put my childhood dream into action. Coming up with the name for me was the best process of them all because finding something that would back the message that I wanted to portray was very important to me. With that being said, Belle (Beautiful) became the identity of my boutique.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How do you find people to bring into your organization that truly care about the organization the way you do?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): Seeing that I don’t yet have children this is my baby that I cherish, so as of now I bring on family members to help me when I need it. I feel that my family knows just how passionate I am about my business so I trust that they will handle it as delicately as I do. However, as I continue to expand I imagine going through a process similar to a job interview to ensure that their qualities & mindset are on the same/similar wavelength as mine.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : What three pieces of advice would you give to other children who want to become entrepreneurs?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO):
My first piece of advice, would be to choose your niche based on your passion. Simply because, there will be days that you don’t feel like getting up & working but the love in your heart for what it is that you do will be the driving force & motivation that you need to get things done. I live by the motto: make your passion your paycheck & you’ll never work a day in life.
My second piece of advice, would be to research your market. Some markets are more saturated than others so knowing the competition will help you to effectively come up with methods that sets you apart from the trends. Also, with researching your market & dependent upon what exactly it is you may want to see about interning within the field. As this will help give a feel for how things work.
My last piece of advice would be to never quit! There will be highs & lows with whatever it is that you do, but if you know for a fact that you couldn’t see yourself doing anything else then the trials are well worth all of the gains that will come.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): My answer to this would be starting earlier than I did. But then again, I feel that everything is pre-ordained & happens in the exact order & timing in which it should. So I take that answer back & I’ll say that now having the necessary knowledge to thrive, I will implement it in ways where my business has no choice but to continue flourishing & elevating.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur ?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): The top 3 skills that I myself use or have learned to use would be Ambition, Knowledge & Passion. For this combination can only catapult you far into your journey.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): I’ve had many trials/errors in this 2 year period but the biggest struggle for me was being afraid to put myself out there. I used to run my business based on the thoughts & feelings of others. Now that I operate solely off of myself & my energy, opportunities have been presenting themselves out of the blue such as this one. Through this journey I have learned to trust the process, God & myself to pilot this thing far.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How many hours do you work a day on average?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): The daily average that I set aside for myself would be 4. However, I find myself falling more in love with my boutique daily which forges long nights & weekends well above 4 hours. Through the tiredness I persevere because I know someone is silently watching me & using my strength to carry themselves through their journey.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :Describe/outline your typical day?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): A typical day for me is waking up at 4am to get ready for work, I use my lunches/breaks to respond to any emails, check on any running ads/promotions & basically to check stats for the store, I get off & go home to put more time into the store & if it is a weekend I usually use these as shoot days once I am done at my externship site. My days typically go the way that I have planned them which makes it easier for me by sticking to a set routine. As we know, it takes 31 days to break a habit & even shorter to grasp hold of a new one.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): I’m single with no kids so it actually works perfect lol. But speaking on my immediate family, I feel that I am a big motivation for them. My eldest niece who is 9 mentioned to me that she’d like to run her own cooking business (she loves baking & creating things). With hearing that from a 9 year old, I just want to continue to be a motivating force for my peers rather it be family or friends. I want them to know that you can achieve any goal that you’ve set out for with hard work & dedication.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :What motivates you?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): My motivation is not wanting to be in the same space from the previous day. I want to continue to grow & elevate each additional day that I am granted on this earth. I use the old me as motivation for the present me & the future woman that I am striving to become. Second to myself, my nieces & nephews are a big motivation. As the kids are our future, I want to make sure that I am setting a clear & concise example for them on who/what they can become.
Fashion Gxd Magazine: How do you generate new ideas?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): Being a Libra, I would say that creativity comes as second nature to me. I can be sitting at my desk at work & I’ll get a new idea for a design or something that I can implement into the store. But when I am wanting to come up with something specific, I usually burn sage or Palo Santo to clear out unnecessary energies which allows for my mind to wander into new realms. It is in that space that my best ideas have come to me.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): Sacrifices are not always pretty, but are necessary for growth. I’ve made many, but a significant one would have to be letting go of relationships that no longer serve or constitutes to the growth of both myself & my business. Another is Nights & weekends in the house to continue tagging & labeling my products, creating a new marketing strategy to implement, or creating shoot concepts. My greatest sacrifice of all was releasing control of how I wanted things to go & allowing guide to direct me onto the path that he has for us on this journey.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : Where you see yourself and your business in 10 years? 20 years?
BelleCo Boutique (CEO): In 10 years I see myself with a storefront in multiple cities/states as that is one the biggest goals that I have set for both myself & my business. I see myself married with kids ( yes, I’m a traditionalist lol) & just living the dream that I have envisioned for my life. In 20 years, I see myself showing my daughter(s) how to run the business & having her/them at the forefront to take on the legacy that I will leave.
