We recently connected with Jylanthia Redding and have shared our conversation below.

Jylanthia , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the toughest things about entrepreneurship is that there is almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

My most unexpected tribulation as a business owner was suddenly having to relocate from Georgia to Florida and deciding to put my business on a hiatus. Taking a hiatus was unexpected because the move was sudden, and I felt like it was at a peak point in my career as a boutique owner because I was starting to create a great deal of buzz in Atlanta doing pop-up shops. I had just launched my online Boutique! I started understanding social media algorithms and using my pop-up shop videos for content! I was in a groove! So..…… moving unexpectedly when my business was gaining its momentum brought unforeseen challenges. Even though I tried to scale my business to South Florida, I did not yet understand their demographics. That’s when I learned a critical fact about being a small business owner: you must understand that the culture of the clientele you are leaving may not be the same as the culture of your new clientele. The customer in Florida is not the same as the customer in Atlanta! The climate,  the styles, and the demands are different. In Georgia, you pretty much get about 3 to 4 seasons, so you have your Summer/Spring and your Fall/Winter. Scaling my business for the needs of the seasons in Georgia and then relocating to Florida, where it is mostly warm all the time was a challenge. Adjusting to a new place and environment was a significant undertaking, so I had to make the difficult decision to take a hiatus to rebrand and strategize on how to keep the wheels turning no matter my location! I now knew that I didn’t want Figured Boutique to be just locally known but NATIONALLY known, and taking a hiatus and relocating gave me the time and space to come to that realization.

Jylanthia , 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?

Well, for everyone that did not get a chance to read about me previously, let me take some time to re-introduce myself. My name is Jay, and I am the owner of Figured Boutique….. A boutique created with every figure in mind. I like to cater to sizes 2-24, providing pieces for any occasion! I got into the clothing industry because I am one to appreciate pieces, and I have a passion for fashion. I love to shop, and I love to style people. I firmly believe that when you look good, you typically feel good. I am a taller woman. I typically wear a size 12 to 14 and sometimes find it hard to find pieces that fit just right. So I wanted to bring something special to those who can relate to the struggle of finding pieces they love that fit them “just right.”  Figured Boutique is for every person who loves fashion and style. I am still a baby. My Boutique is only one year and nine months old, but I can tell you we aren’t going anywhere. I love being able to provide pieces that people love. I am excited and love when I receive customer reviews saying, “I got so many compliments when I wore this,” or “I never thought I could wear something like this, but I bought it, and I loved it.” One of my favorite reviews is “this piece fit just right”! That is why I do what I do because everyone deserves to feel beautiful!!!! Everyone deserves to have pieces they believe in, and it is my pleasure to bring that part of happiness to someone!!!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I come from a very long background in retail management. My experience in retail taught me that phenomenal customer service drives your business to success. It has been proven! Look at Chick-fil-A, Target, or luxury brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton. When you visit those places, it’s an experience; typically, the customer service is a positive and pleasant remembrance. I think my love for good customer service and being personal with my customers is what built and will continue to build my reputation and brand. Whenever I do a pop-up shop, I always make myself available to my customers. When you provide a service, whether it is beauty, retail, mechanical, medical, or hospitality, you must always ensure that you or someone is readily available to offer exceptional customer service. I understand that I wouldn’t have a business without support and customers.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

This is an excellent question because I am still learning but am willing to share what I have learned. Social media is a magical world. One must understand that you must pay close attention to all aspects and platforms of social media because it will show you what your customer’s interests are and what social media demands. When IG first launched, it was all about pictures. Now with the competition of TikTok, it’s all about reels. So if you’re seeing more reels popping up on your timeline, you should start doing reels regarding your business. If a new song by a very popular artist just debuted, then you should be making reels in relation to that song. Also last but not least, consistency is key. I know that it may sound cliché, but it is the truth. Staying consistent with your presence on social media will bring traffic to your business page. A business website or booking information should be available on your page, and then the right people will have access to your products, ultimately bringing in revenue. I want to also say invest in learning more about social media. Many social media gurus offer marketing classes so take advantage of their knowledge. Invest in yourself and purchase a class so that you can understand how to make social media work for you. The bottom line  – I have learned that what you put into social media is what you will get out of social media.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Figuredboutiquellc

Image Credits
@chrishoversphotography