We recently connected with Devon Bradley Roof and have shared our conversation below.
Devon, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
Having a clear vision, setting achievable goals and being resilient. It’s not just about following a business plan and working yourself to the bone. Dedication and perseverance, especially in the face of uncertainty, is what truly pays off in the end.
One story I cand share is when I decided to change the Belle Row business model from a traditional brick-and-mortar store to a traveling boutique. It was a big risk, but I believed in our vision and was willing to put in the work to make it a reality. I spent months building lists of potential B2B partners, promoting private shopping parties and pushing traffic to our online storefront.
When we finally hosted our first pop-up shop at a winery, we were met with unexpected challenges. The winery was in a completely different city than our “base” following and we had to work hard to attract new customers. We faced setbacks along the way, but always pushed through, adapting our strategies and learning from our mistakes. Today, our traveling pop-up shops are one of the most lucrative parts of Belle Row, and we continue to reach new customers in different markets.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
After graduating from Michigan State University, I dove straight into a career in Public Relations. As I grew into the profession, I couldn’t shake the dream of starting my own business, one that I held since childhood.
In 2013, my PR work allowed for a trip to New York City. After walking through the small SoHo boutiques, I found the inspiration I needed to make the jump from PR life to entrepreneur. After my return, and many months of planning, I launched Belle Row Boutique in a traditional brick-and-mortar fashion in East Lansing, Michigan.
In 2018, I moved back to my hometown of Jackson and transformed my business into a combination of online sales, traveling pop-up shops and Girls’ Night Out events.
Fun fact: We were one of the first traveling boutiques in the state of Michigan! As a traveling boutique, we partner with other small businesses like wineries, breweries, coffee shops, salons and distilleries to host pop-up shop events, where we have a temporary storefront inside of their business for the day. This business model has been tremendously successful for both the small businesses we partner with and Belle Row, resulting in repeat visits and annual pop-up shop events.
What sets us apart from others: The philospyhy behind my business. Even though we are a clothing boutique, I believe we are in the business of people, not products. How our products are delivered, and how we make our customers feel, is just as important as the product itself. It’s all about connecting with customers to build a community and connecting with partners to help grow and support each other’s businesses.
Additionally, every year, we donate unsold Belle Row merchandise to ‘Aware Second, a shelter in Jackson providing domestic violence and sexual assault services to women and children.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Belle Row was self-funded. I used a combination of personal savings, business credit cards and income earned through my full-time PR job to get things up and running. Because of my marketing/communication background, I knew how to grow businesses on tight budgets. I became laser focused on who my target market was and how I was going to reach them organically. Meeting my customers where they were in order to generate momentum quickly was key—especially in the early stages of my business.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Word of mouth! Building a strong relationship with my customers and providing personalized service has been a main pillar of my business since day one. Additionally, partnering with other businesses for pop-up shops and fundraising events allowed for cross-marketing opportunities, making it a win-win for both businesses. These partnerships essentially allowed us to reach wider audiences on social media and in person, gaining more customers and followers.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bellerowboutique.com
- Instagram: bellerowboutique
- Facebook: facebook.com/bellerow