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

Alright, Anita thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I remember like yesterday during the pandemic and I came up with the name Match My Chic. Originally, I was going to sell woman’s clothing, but it wasn’t until I had a daughter that changed my mind to an online baby boutique. I received horrible news back in November 2021 and I turned that pain around to focus on myself. I did a lot of research studying other baby clothing companies and wrote pros/cons on how I would like to run my company. It took me about 6 months to write my business plan and write down a lot of things I learned from graduating from Wayne State University (Bachelors in Business Administration & Global Supply Chain). The main thing when writing my business plan, is that I put myself in the customers shoes. I based my company from a customers point of view. I made sure that my site was easy to navigate, have variety of different clothing at reasonable pricing and I made sure the site looked real girly for females. Once I felt like I had everything in order, May 23, 2022 is when my life changed.

Anita, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I currently work for Stellantis and have been a production operator for almost 10 years. Working for the automotive industry, I paid attention on how the auto industry is ran. I turned that knowledge into wanting to run my own company. The first company I ran was back in 2015 called Marvelous Bundles which I sold hair bundles. I took a lot of pros and cons from that company and put them into Match My Chic. My daughter is big inspiration and the face of my brand. She keeps me motivated and level headed on wanting to become successful.

Match My Chic specializes in selling trendy clothing for infant girls. I sell a variety of clothing for each season at reasonable prices. The most expensive thing on my website is $45. We want to make the site easier for first time mothers as well. More like a one stop shop for clothing and accessories.

The main thing I feel that sets me apart from other companies, is that I put the customers first. I make sure I offer all of my subscribers a special coupon every week, I engage with my customers daily and I try to make my business fun with reel videos of my daughter. We also offer egift cards and a loyalty points program for our customers as well. I learned from my previous business that I have to market everyday. Your business is apart of you. I realized that you have to talk to people more to put yourself out there. Having that mindset, I was able to do a live segment on the news (Live In The D Channel 4) August 5th and promote Match My Chic. Another thing is that soon as I get an order, I stop everything that I am doing and I ship orders out the same day. The only thing that will stop me from sending an order the same day, is a holiday or a weekend.

I want my potential clients and current clients to know is that Match My Chic always puts the customers first!

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

I remember back in November 2021, when things took a turn for the worst in my life. I received heartbreaking news that left me confused, sad and depressed for months. I even questioned myself as a woman.  By the grace of God and the power of prayer, God made my remember how strong and beautiful that I am. Still not completely over the heartbreak, I turned the horrible news around and started two businesses called Lanae Designs and Match My Chic. The heartbreak motivated me to focus on myself and build my confidence back up. It also taught me to never blame myself for someone else’s problems.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I recommend everyone read Dale Carnegie How To Win With Friends And Influence Others and The Four Agreements by Peter Coyote. These books helped me build confidence in talking to people and its easier for me to handle rejection.

I also listen to this podcast called How I Built This with Guy Raz. Listening to all of those stories of CEOs and the struggles they went through from starting their business also gave me motivation. My favorite one is the Famous Daves story.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @matchmychicco
• Facebook: Match My Chic

Image Credits
Baby: Sahani Lanae Harris Photographer: Sean Visuals Outfits are from Match My Chic in order of photo submission Polka Dress Colorful Flower Dress Puffer vest Watermelon Short Set