We were lucky to catch up with Rochelle Bailey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rochelle, appreciate you joining us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

I started my business less than a year ago after being inspired by the artists I work and connect with every day. Through my full time role in communications and community programs with INTERFORM, the organization was given a grant to support local artists and designers by providing a retail store called the Atelier in Springdale Arkansas for artists to sell and share their art. I’ve always wanted to have something of my own, something I can do my way without anyone telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. Freedom to just…be myself. I never saw myself as a business owner. I thought it would be out of my wheelhouse, too stressful or just too expensive. I thought I wouldn’t have the time to devote to it, I feared rejection and worried about if people would receive it well. But seeing all the designers and artists from my local community share their art in such an authentic and fearless way made me say, “‘Least I can do is try.” I thought about who I am as a person and what I’d like to see more of. I’m an old soul with a love for thrifted clothing, nostalgia and pop culture. But when I looked for graphic tees, whether it’s in the mall or in thrift stores, I rarely saw face that looked like me or old tv shows that resonated with me and my culture. So I decided to change that with RetRO (pronounce retro), new and sustainable clothing with a retro vibe. People know me as “Ro”, I love retro clothing so the name RetRO was born, capitalized in a unique way to highlight my name. I love the automatic conversation when someone recognizes a shirt you’re wearing from their childhood, or the smile on a stranger’s face when they see you wearing a shirt with their favorite tv icon from the 80’s. It connects two people who may not have otherwise thought they had anything in common. I was too scared to start a business earlier. The myths, the doubters, the fear of the unknown and the perceived lack of time. But the truth is, I wasn’t ready regardless of all of that. Starting a business after 40 is rewarding, life isn’t as scary and you start to really be more confident about who you are as a person. It’s not easy, it’s scary and disappointing, there’s highs and lows. But I’ve learned as I get older that we regret the things we didn’t do, more than the things we did do.

Rochelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Rochelle Bailey, everyone calls me Ro. I’m an army veteran, professional model, nonprofit communications manager and a mother. Fashion has always been a part of my life, both professionally and personally. I got inspired to create my own brand through working with local designers in creatives at my job. My brand is called RetRO (pronounced retro), it’s new and sustainable clothing with a retro vibe. My goal is to bring more black vintage pop culture to the world of graphic tees (besides Aaliyah and Tupac) and what sets us apart from others is our selection, prices and simplicity. I’m most proud of finally bringing an idea I’ve had for years into fruition. The main things I want people to know about RetRO is that every sale, every connection every encounter I have with client is personal and special. If you’re an old soul with a love for nostalgia and pop culture like me who wants to find unique and vintage retro clothing, you’ll love RetRO.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I first made an instagram account for RetRO, I was overwhelmed with the idea of building a social media presence from scratch. How do I get people to follow me? How often do I need to post? Am I gonna have to spend more time making tons of new content? Then I remembered some tips from my background in radio that said “The average person has to see something 7 times before making a decision.” Frequency, repetition and consistency. Those are key details when you’re building a social media presence. In this fast paced digital world, the mentality is outta sight outta mind. People forget, people ignore and people don’t remember things if they don’t see them often. So I started with my personal social media followers and asked everyone to follow my business account. Not once or twice, OFTEN and every week. Some did follow, people who love you want to support you. Some didn’t follow, either because they aren’t on social media that often, they don’t care or they don’t have the capacity. All of which is fine, the people who want to simply will. Then there’s the dreaded task of content creation. Since my brand is all about nostalgia and retro culture, I don’t have to create new content with just my brand. I can share content that’s adjacent to my brand to keep my audience in the retro mindset, whether it’s an instagram account that’s all about the 80’s or an old tv commercial, it’s content that fits the brand and content I didn’t have to create. Last but not least, engagement and visibility. No one wants to give something and get nothing, right? So why would social media be any different? If people took the time out to follow your business, take the time as a business owner to watch their stories, comment on their posts every once in a while and like their photos. You’ll not only create visibility but you’ll build a connection. Social media can be your best free tool when it comes to building your brand and your business. Even if you’re “not a social media person” if you’re a business owner, you should learn to be. What’s the one place you can reach people all the time, anytime and anywhere? The one place where everyone spends at least 3 to 4 hours a day of their time every day? It’s not in their car or tv or radio, it’s social media. Use it to your advantage. It will take time and it won’t happen over night but if you’re consistent and engaging it will happen.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Supporting others, being visible in the community and living my brand daily is what I think built my reputation within the market. People typically buy from people they know, trust and recognize and they want people to walk the walk. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love retro pop culture and nostalgia. So when I came out with my brand, most people were like “That makes total sense.” They can tell I love it and the passion resonates with people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.retrobyrobailey.com
• Instagram: @retrobyrobailey

Image Credits

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