We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelsey Settle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kelsey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

As with most businesses, I can pinpoint a couple key moments that shine through as pivotal moves that helped me “scale up”.

First, it was the year I realized it was ok to invest in both my business and myself. As women, we’re not always taught to make the investment (whether that be time or money). We’re often instructed to pull ourselves up on our own and just “make it work”. But once I realized it was ok to make capital investments in my business (and therefor carry some debt), I was able to start increasing my buying power, which in turn increased my sales.

In the same light, when I made an investment in a business coach and mastermind program, I saw the ROI almost immediately. My entrepreneurial fire was relit and I began reconnecting with my customers, showing up for my business in all aspects (especially marketing) and began to see numbers grow.

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?

I’m the owner and driving force behind Green Roost, a Virginia boutique with a heartfelt mission to curate purposeful goods.

I always like to say that retail found me, not the other way around. I’m a third generation entrepreneur, so I come by my spirit honestly, but I originally thought I would be in the food industry. Coincidentally, I’ve been involved in some aspect of the retail industry for over 20 years, which includes time in boutiques, big box chains and on the road as a sales representative. Once I realized I could thrive as a boutique owner , I took that opportunity and ran with it.

The shop is stocked with brands that make an impact. For me, “making an impact” is comprised of a litany of things, which could be a giving model, fair trade, social responsibility, eco-friendly, etc. From clothing and accessories, to gifts and home goods, everything is chosen with love and care. I aim to solve a simple yet significant problem – providing products that align with the values of my customers.

What sets us apart is a the blend of style and substance. I want my customers to not only look good but also feel good about their choices. We’re not just a boutique; we’re a community.

I’m incredibly proud of the positive impact we’re making, fostering body positivity, and creating a space where everyone feels seen and valued. What I want people to know is that we’re not just about selling products; we’re about building connections, embracing diversity, and spreading joy.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2022, I made the risky decision to pivot the entire product line up of my store from mainly gifts to mainly clothing and accessories. I had always dabbled in clothes, but never fully committed to selling as a “boutique”. Earlier that year, I started working with my business coach and found a new sense of confidence in my ability to source and buy for the shop.

I started a series of weekly “try-on” videos on social media and quickly started realizing that my customers wanted more. I was authentically showing up each week on camera, even if it meant stepping out of my comfort zone, and I was giving honest feedback on the clothes we were selling.

My online business sales started to take off and customers asked for more. Since then, clothing sales have risen to represent about 80% of my annual sales.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

One of my favorite touchpoints I have with my customers is my weekly email. Each Friday, I send out a newsletter style email to my customer list and it focuses on everything from being a working mom, body positivity, business tips and occasionally sales information.

I’ve really benefitted from the serve, serve, serve, sell model of marketing. I try not to always be pitching a new product or selling something to my customer base. I want to value the time it takes to read each newsletter and want it to be a way that I can connect to them beyond selling.

I have been sending these emails every week for almost two years and I continue to get positive feedback from them. The interesting part is I generally see the most feedback and sales come in from the emails that really have nothing to do with selling. I truly believe that people just want to be seen and understood and making that personal connection keeps them loyal to my brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: shopgreenroost.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenroost/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenRoost/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsey-settle/
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greenroost pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/greenroost/