We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Desiree & Gary Roberts a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Desiree & Gary , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Our store Laces and Pages was created to intertwine my interest in literature and his interest in art through fashion, hence, Laces is for fashion and Pages is for books.

At our store, we are dedicated to making sure that all children have access to stories about characters that look like them and share their experiences. We are committed to amplifying the voices of Black and Brown authors who are often sidelined in mainstream publishing. We want to create a safe space where BIPOC authors can find an audience for their work and be celebrated for their contributions to literature. We also understand that BIPOC authors are being disproportionately banned and removed from libraries, which is why we strive to make it easier for parents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers to discover these books. We believe in the power of stories to create meaningful connections between people and encourage understanding, empathy, and equity. We want to create a world where all children can see themselves reflected in the books they read. With every book purchased, we are one step closer to that goal.

As far as the clothes, we want to make sure that your children are always dressed in something uniquely yours. We offer clothing options specifically designed for parents who want their children to stand out from the crowd. Each piece of clothing is carefully chosen with quality fabrics and attention to detail. The brands we choose strive to create pieces that reflect your child’s personality and style. With our commitment to quality and unique design, parents can be sure their children are always dressed in something special and truly one-of-a-kind.

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

As a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Mental Health field, I work to help my clients understand, through literature, that they are not alone in their struggles. I encourage them to explore stories and characters that resonate with them personally, and to take comfort in the fact that others have gone through similar experiences and come out stronger on the other side. On the business side, my husband Gary (co-owner) brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. His passion for art and fashion is evident within our online store’s presentation, where he created visually appealing displays to give our customers an enjoyable shopping experience. He believes that art through fashion can be a powerful form of expression. He wants our customers to use clothing and accessories to express their individuality and show off their personality, while at the same time inspiring others to do the same. Through this medium, he hopes our customers will gain confidence in expressing themselves, explore new styles, and learn how to value their own unique beauty. Ultimately, we want our customers to understand that there is no one way of being and that everyone’s story matters. Together, we strive to create an inviting atmosphere where customers feel welcome to explore our wide selection of books and unique children’s clothes.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Gary and I met in 2007 while in college through a mutual friend who I met through facebook and was Gary’s roommate. We went to different colleges in different cities and we were in a long distance relationship for 3 years with only one car! We literally grew up together in our young adult lives and learned a lot of hard lessons together. We’ve always talked about “what we wanted to be when we grew up” and one of those things was business owners. We never planned to own a business together but we now know that this was our purpose to support each others dreams. We’ve been married for almost 6 years and we are excited about what’s to come. We believe in our marriage and pray for and With each other often.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When we started our social media journey, we had no audience to speak of. We knew that building an engaged community would take time and effort, but we were undaunted. Our approach was simple: be genuine and patient. We created content that resonated with our target audience, including children’s book suggestions, cute kid’s clothes and shoes. Wherever possible, we tried to add value. We also responded to comments and questions in a timely manner and followed people who shared similar interests and values. With consistency, our followers slowly began to grow. As we put out more content, the engagement on our posts grew too. Our audience was becoming an active community, and the connections we had made were a testament to our patience and dedication.

These days, social media plays an integral role in our marketing strategy. We have a large and engaged following who support us through every post. It all goes to show that with the right mentality, anything is possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lacesandpages.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/laces_pages?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087271189217&mibextid=LQQJ4d