We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Devinne Walker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Devinne, appreciate you joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
I wanted a name that resonated with me and one that wouldn’t be hard for my customers to remember. I am constantly inspired by everything creative, bold, and bright so coming up with something that was meaningful was important to me. The two words that continued to come to me was “Salt” & “Sage”. Salt meaning “salt of the earth” which is what I strive to be everyday. Being a light to anyone that shops online or steps into my store. And green is my favorite color so that’s where sage come from.
Devinne, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I was 16 when I first got in the fashion industry. Not only did I model, but my first job was at a clothing store and I learned so much. My manager showed me a lot and I’m forever thankful for her. I saw all the new trends that would come out for all the seasons and it excited me. Knowing that I always wanted a boutique I told myself that once the opportunity presents itself that I would take full advantage, be brave, and go for it. In spring of 2019 God opened that door and I went all in. What I didn’t realize as a sixteen year old was how much work happened behind the scene of running a boutique. It’s glamourous on the outside but its a lot of work on the inside. One of my favorite things to do while running a boutique is getting to meet so many of you and adding more pieces to your wardrobe. When somone comes into the showroom and has a function or event that they’re going to and they need my help to look nice is rewarding! However, there are times where I run into a bit of a challenge and that’s when something is either sold out or I don’t have the size that’s needed. I love when everyone leaves happy. Salt & Sage Boutiuqe is one that offers cute, affordable, and comfortable clothing! Where dress up & dress down meets!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My business started in 2019 and the following year the world entered the pandemic. Yikes! I thought wow we have to get creative and keep going and that’s what happened, we kept going. Although that was a rough time I wanted to encourage every woman to continue to get up and get cute!
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I’ll say this, you have to do your research and truly know what you want. In order to know how much I needed I had to come up with a business plan and write everything down. All my goals and dreams of the store. I had a few thousand to get going and built from there. Not ever paying myself but investing what was made right back into the boutique.
Contact Info:
- Website: saltandsageshop.com
- Instagram: Salt & Sage Boutique
- Facebook: Salt & Sage Boutique