We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tracy Henry a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tracy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard
At Tenni Love Houston we individualize, and our clients become our friends, not just customers. We are constantly striving to create experiences for our clients, both in the boutique and through curated events to meet other like minded tennis enthusiasts.
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 back background and context?
Welcome to Tenni Love Houston! I’m Tracy Henry, proprietor and chief tennis enthusiast. I came to tennis later in life in my 30’s and was instantly obsessed. Through tennis, I have found a way to become physically fit, meet fabulous women, and travel amazing places. Tennis is an instant community, and my “tennis friends” have become my best friends. It was a long-time dream of mine to own a small store so I decided to combine my passion for tennis with my desire to be a boutique owner and Tenni Love Houston was born in 2020. It has been a long two year journey through both the pandemic and the economy, but I am proud to say we have grown each year and are looking forward to the best year yet in 2023.
Tenni Love Houston, carries exclusively the line of tennis clothing I Love My Doubles Partner, designed in Beverly Hills and manufactured in downtown Los Angeles. We are proud to be made in America. All our products are designed for real women of all shapes and sizes, and we make custom orders for those who wish for something different. We are a truly customizable line, with amazing fit, quality and value. Our clothes are manufactured with the highest quality fabrics and notions here in the USA. We continue to move forward with quality and styling each season, bringing our repeat clients new looks. We specialize in all day style with attention to comfort and function, and are specifically tailored to the woman who wants to stand apart from the crowd.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I first started my business, I received some marketing advice to do all the holiday shows in town. I took this advice and signed up for 5 holiday shows. I got my booth ready and crossed my fingers that I would receive the acceptances. I was thrilled to schedule all 5 shows, and dutifully went to all of them, hopeful that this would result in sales and repeat clients. What I realized by show number 4 is that while my unique product was great for the organizers, it was not a hit with holiday shoppers. I was happy to receive votes for best booth, and most popular booth, but my product just wasn’t selling well. At the end of 5 shows, I did not make back my booth money, but I did get my product in front of a lot of people. In the end, what I realized is, that my best clients purchase their own items. But the lessons I learned were invaluable. I met some very good friends, who became my mentors in the boutique/show world marketplace, who have helped me learn how to market to my audience. I have had my name, logo and product shown all over town now and I’m happy to say that my experiences were extremely valuable, even if they weren’t extremely profitable.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients for me have been my old clients. On court referrals are my number one sales source. Because my product looks fantastic on everyone, and functions extremely well, all of my clients are my best advertising. I know when they hit the courts, they look and feel amazing. My clients probably hand out more cards than I do and carry them in their tennis bags, and text my number to their partners and opponents. Our products are well designed, hold up well under the worst conditions, and are very versatile. They function well on the court and off the court to carry you throughout the day. We don’t make gym clothes that should be hidden in a bag. I’m happy to sell a product that speaks for itself and stands out in the crowd. It’s been a very crowded marketplace this year with tons of manufacturers jumping on the tennis skirt trend, and I’m happy to say we have survived it well.
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Image Credits
Monarch Atelier