Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelsey Ziegemeier. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Kelsey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?
I honestly hit the jackpot when it came to my childhood and parents. My parents, Danny & Patty, are the two parents I wish everyone would have growing up. They taught me to be independent, strong willed, and a little bit stubborn. They have been two people that have always been there, through my failures and successes. Always pushing me forward, with words of encouragement and wisdom.
Growing up I had three brothers.. I like to think they’ve also played a role in this chapter of my life. They’ve taught me to be tough, and strong minded
In this industry, there’s a million times you want to throw in the towel. But having a support system like I do, it always makes it easier to pass those hurdles
All of these characteristics have formed me into who I am today, and the people who I surround myself have formed me into the person I am. They push me to be better
Kelsey, 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?
Growing up in a small country town, I honestly never expected myself to be in a profession like this. I grew up wearing hand me downs from my brothers, and never was really into fashion.
But as I hit high school, I got my first job at Marshalls (where I worked for six years). It wasn’t until then, when I found my style. I started as a cashier, and then was eventually trained in every area of the store (including stockroom, fitting room and floor). This made me appreciate every aspect of the business that I currently have, and gave me the knowledge to be able to go out on my own.
I am now going on four years of owning my own business. With a lot of ups and downs, it’s definitely been a crazy journey. We just opened our first storefront last April in Wentzville, where we sell women’s clothing and accessories. From headbands, Earrings, Bracelets, Purses, Necklaces we are always trying to carry the trendiest items
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I first started my company by starting a group on Facebook, which drove about 90% of my business. I started by getting traction on social media platforms by networking, and then I would do pop-ups out of my dad‘s shop in Old Monroe. Although they weren’t very successful, I still remember everyone that supported me in those first steps. Often times I would do pop-ups at my parents house, and wouldn’t see anybody all day, and it gets really disheartening. I think that that’s something that you have to push through as a small business owner.
Once my Facebook group started to get more traction, I created a Facebook page and an Instagram page. I started posting to these at least once a week. And now I’m up to posting multiple times a day. And since TikTok has gotten so popular, we now do Facebook reels and TikTok videos daily. This is something that I always struggled with from the beginning, because I was never comfortable taking pictures and videos of myself. But over the past four years, you definitely get more comfortable as you push yourself out of your normal limitations.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
I feel like in this time period, The easiest way to keep up with people is through social media. We keep up with our customers, Via Facebook, and Instagram.. And when they come into the storefront. I always try to have a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere, and I think that that’s a really important part when it comes to retail. I often learn lot about repeat customers, about what’s going on in their life and etc. there’s a comfort level with clients, were they trust me and vice versa. I think that that is a huge part to an industry like mine. You want your clients to feel safe and comfortable with you. In turn, I think you (myself), Genuinely need to care about your customers and create a non-judgmental environment.
We give back to our loyal customers by doing giveaways on our VIP Group, And give back to the community. We donate to local schools, teachers, organizations, and benefits every year. And we wouldn’t be able to do that, without our loyal customers
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thehoneycombboutique.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_honeycomb_boutique_?igsh=MmJsOTBkYWUzNWZj&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1424006754439587/?ref=share_group_link
- Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@honeycombboutique?_t=8j7NGzOPHDf&_r=1 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thehoneycombboutiqueMO?mibextid=PtKPJ9