We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chantrece Mcknight a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Chantrece , thanks for joining us today. Finding those key vendors can often be make or break for a brand. Can you talk to us about how you found your key vendors?

Manufacturing your own products is the holy grail of ecommerce, and retail in general. When looking for the right manufacturer/distributor Google will always be your best friend. I found my vendor just by searching on Google and I reached out and ask questions about them like, “What other companies do they currently produce products for? From where are they sourcing their components? Etc… Make sure you request a quote and getting samples is key. You want to make sure you have great quality material that feels good when the customer is wearing your design.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was born and raised in Marrero, Louisiana then during my senior year of high school Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. I moved to Stone Mountain, Georgia graduated from high school, then moved back to Louisiana for love. I got married to the love of my life and my husband joined the United States Marine Corps and I became a military wife. I became a mother to a beautiful daughter and a handsome son. When I had my children, I decided to be a stay-at-home mom and still till this day a stay-at-home mom running my Online Fashion Boutique, I want to be the mom and entrepreneur my kids can look up to. I wear many hats, Im a stylist, I do hair, cook etc….. but my Online Fashion Boutique is just my main focus right now.

Fashion has always been my passion since High School and after years of personal online shopping and a desire to find fashion that stood out among the crowd, I started Forever Blessed Boutique. My vision is to empower women to not only feel beautiful but to look beautiful while doing so. When you look good you feel good. I’m a Thyroid Cancer Survivor, healed and forever blessed. That’s how I thought of the name for my business “Forever Blessed”. Forever Blessed means to me “Everlasting Favor of God”, you have to keep God in everything you do, I know I can’t make it without him.

Forever Blessed Boutique is an online fashion boutique our clothing gives you confidence. My brand has no discrimination for whoever loves to stand out from the crowd. Our motto is looking good and stylish without breaking the bank. I’m all about self-love and looking good makes you feel good, not only on the outside but on the inside. We show you all the latest styles at an affordable price.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As a self-taught Entrepreneur, I learned everything from merchandising to content creation without mentorship. It’s hard not having a team behind you to help you. I take my own photos, pack and ship orders, I do everything behind the scenes on my own. It’s a struggle at times with me being a mom and my husband deploys for months at time on top of everything else I have to do. Tough situations come and goes but giving up is never an option for me because I trust in God. I pray and see what I can change and what I can do to make my business better. I’m determined to figure it out point blank period.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele and customers is getting out in the community doing pop up shops and attending events to network. Even though Forever Blessed Boutique is an Online Boutique it’s good to get out and let potential customers see what I have to offer in person and meet the owner behind the Brand. I love doing pop up shops because the customers can ask me any questions about the item/ clothing they want to purchase, they can touch feel the material, and it’s just a good feeling to interact with people and be there to assist them, and style them in what they are looking for.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.foreverblessedboutique.com
• Instagram: Forever Blessed Boutique
• Facebook: Forever Blessed Boutique