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

Fatima, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I came up with the idea to become a boutique owner because I love fashion and I love the journey of curating a unique and colorful closet for people to shop from. I wanted to create a community of fashionistas that love color and prints and ones who love mixing the old and the new to create their own style. I grew up surrounded by Fashion because my Mother was a Fashion Designer and I use to help her in her studio and that is where the love for fashion began. I would often find myself hitting local thrift store because I wanted things no one else had and I wanted a lot of colors and prints and I just couldn’t find them in a regular store. Then I thought to myself there must be other fashionistas like me so I decided to start hosting shopping parties in my home and to my surprise people loved the selections that I curated and from there I decided to start showcasing my collection at a local flea market and after a couple successful of years I opened my very own boutique and the rest is history. This year I celebrate 19 years and I still get up everyday with a smile ready to service my clients!

Fatima, 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 am most proud of all the things I have learned about myself and how brave I am. Being an entrepreneur isn’t any easy thing. You have to be a risk taker, multi-tasker and problem solver and wear so many hats. All of this scared me but I love a challenge and how much I have learned and will learn because things are constantly changing.

The thing that sets Runway apart is that we love mixing Vintage, Handmade and Contemporary Fashion together to create an unique look. We are big on bold accessories, colors and prints to showcase ones character in a fun way. We love introducing people who may not normally go for color into this vibrant world of fashion through color and prints.

We also love to build community by curating community experiences by offering other local businesses to collaborate in markets and festivals to showcase their business,

Have you ever had to pivot?

In this modern day of fashion pivoting is a regular action. Retail has changed so much and people have so many more ways to shop now, so as a business owner I have to be open to new ways to attract customers. To navigate this new era I worked to create a more personable shopping experiences through popups, Instagram live presentations and private styling sessions creating a stronger connection with existing and new clients.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is listening to their needs and providing a solution, venturing out of the storefront to do popups to attract new clients and reconnect with past clients and providing a memorable environment that invites them to tell a friend,

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shoprunwayboutiquela.com
• Instagram: runwayboutiquela
• Facebook: runwayboutiquela
• Linkedin: Fatima Dodson
• Yelp: Runway