Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Destiny Mitchell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Destiny, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I was a Business Management student and working at a retail clothing store as a store manager in our local mall for five years until the store went out of business. When that occurred, I thought to myself “I can start my own online boutique and make my own money” I had all of the necessary skills and drive to make it happen! The first step in executing was applying what I had learned in my business classes and what i learned from experience! I registered my business name with my state, obtained an EIN, logo,etc and completed all of the necessary paperwork to make my business legit. About two weeks after that , I started researching vendors and purchasing merchandise that I wanted to sell and packaging! Back then photoshoots weren’t really a thing so I used product/vendor photos for my site that I completed myself lol! Shortly after I finished the website , I just launched and here we are! To my readers, here’s what I learned during the process…research/study your business field, good customer service goes a long way and start over as many times as you need to, just DON’T quit!

Destiny, 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?

Hello world! My name Destiny! I am a full time mother and entrepreneur with a background in business management and finance! Since I was a young girl, I can remember my mom dressing me up in pretty little dresses ,taking glamour shots and entering me into shows and pageants! I’ve always had a strong passion and love for all things fly and fashion!

At Eleven Twelve Boutique our motto is “Boosting your confidence ; piece by piece” We pride ourselves in providing quality ,unique pieces for our clients! We provide the vibe for the fierce, urban chic women! I’m mostly proud of the amount of supporters and the business growth thus far! I’m forever grateful for everyone that has helped Eleven Twelve grow! In 2023, we will be expanding to private label and manufactured pieces , designed by yours truly! We’re looking forward to this addition as it will definitely set us apart! We are constantly evolving and it’s a beautiful thing!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for Eleven Twelve has been word of mouth and vendor shows! I enjoy getting tagged on social media or just randomly being out and someone asks business related questions and etc! I also enjoy taking Eleven Twelve on the road! We get the opportunity to gain exposure and network with people from all over the world! It’s truly a great feeling to expand our clientele!

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

In 2018, I was working a full time job when I opened a storefront for Eleven Twelve! I had the vision and a plan in place until I didn’t! In the beginning, I had a team of three but somehow I couldn’t balance being a full time mom, working my 9-5 that was funding the business and finding long term help! I battled with it for a year and then I decided to close shop. I knew it wasn’t the end, I just knew it was time to go another route! I made the business decision to go online which in turn limited expenses and freed up more time! I remained resilient throughout the transition but I learned that in order to grow your storefront you have to truly lock in and be present! I’m not opposed to reopening in the future, however the game plan has changed for Eleven Twelve!!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shopeleventwelve.com
• Instagram: Eleventwelvebtq
• Facebook: Eleven Twelve Boutique

Image Credits
Derrick Hairston Photography. Alcov Photography and D’’Frame Me Photography