We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Saleema Hunter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Saleema below.

Saleema, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The story behind my mission is to always motivate people. To always believe in yourself and keep going. There will always be obstacles, there will always be doubters however there will always be people that believe in you as well.That will support you and that will be there to give you the motivation or push that you need. No matter where and when if you want something or you want to achieve a goal stay consistent, stay true to yourself and never give up.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My name is Saleema, I reside in New Jersey. I have two daughters and I am the owner of Boujie Aesthetics an online women’s boutique. I have always had a love for fashion. I love that it is always changing and that you can be creative in your own way. Growing up I always had my own style I didn’t want to look like everybody so I would always have something on that stood out. I would look for clothing that would stand out but on the simple side. Like I could have on a simple white shirt and jeans but my boots would stand out or a jacket would stand out. I like to call it simply chic.
How I got into the industry

As I stated earlier I have always had a passion for fashion. However this year I became very serious about it. With both my daughters being out the house it was just me and I decided this was the time. I had been talking about starting a business for years however there had always been something to get in the way or I would just talk myself out of it and also FEAR. YES FEAR. I’m older so I’m thinking how will I compete in this industry now. I didn’t know where to begin or what to do. I knew I wanted to do it online because less start up money of course but then with an online business I had to be active on social media which I was not . I didn’t have a huge instagram following like most so again I’m thinking is this even a good idea. By chance I met someone in the same industry and as we began to talk more about the topic I felt I was ready and the time was now. I was the only one holding myself back. I began to learn about LLC’s, how to apply. I started reading up on instagram posting, when to post what to post, how to post. I even took a photography class to learn how to take better pictures.

What types of Products do we provide?
Boujie Aesthetics is an Online Women’s Boutique. Boujie Aesthetics provide quality contemporary apparel, that includes denim,tops, outwear and everyday essentials for your wardrobe. We will be expanding into jewelry and accessories.

What sets you apart from others?
I have worked in retails for over 10 years and over time I have met so many women and the two things I have heard the most is you don’t carry my size or I could never wear that , What or how would I wear it. Although ideally the goals is to sell the apparel. I listen. I take time in selecting quality apparel for my boutique. I look for pieces that fit into your everyday wardrobe and that will last. We also look at materials does it stretch. Is it tall friendly. Is it curvy friendly and quality is key.

What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of taking a risk and betting on me. This business is hard, the trends are changing constantly and it’s very time consuming. I get discouraged sometimes but it’s my love and passion for it that keep me going. If I make one sale or 50 I always say a win is a win and I keep going.
The main things I want my followers to know is that I am real. I’m a mom, I now have two full time careers and I’m just like them. You can message me with questions about our apparel and I am the one responding. When I select apparel for my boutique I am choosing quality over quantity. I also want them to know when you shop my online boutique, you are not just making a purchase, you are supporting my passion, my hard work, my sleepless nights, my successes, my losses and it’s motivation to keep pushing in this big industry. Thank you for supporting Boujie Aesthetics

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I guess a time that I can say I had to illustrate resilience is when I had a collection that I was dropping in the summer. I was so excited about it. However when I received the merchandise it was horrible. I was devastated because one I had been promoting it and people were looking forward to it. Also I used my own money to purchase it. I was also newly starting with my boutique and I felt like this collection would reach many. I ended up pulling the collection and returning the items. I took a loss however I refused to put something out that I couldn’t stand by. I would rather pull the collection. Then sell something and ruin the name and quality of my brand.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best sources right now for me is Social media, Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook to name a few. I am a lot more active on these platforms now. As I am a very private person I have opened up more with word of mouth, referral, posting, promoting, doing videos and photography.

Contact Info:

• Website: boujieaesthetics.myshopify.com
• Instagram: shop_boujieaesthetics_
• Facebook: Boujie Aesthetics
• Other: TikTok : boujieaesthetics_

Image Credits
I credit myself I took the pictures