We were lucky to catch up with Latasha Baker recently and have shared our conversation below.
Latasha, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
One night i was laying on my grandmother couch talking to God and i had told him that i wanted to start a business but i didn’t know actually what i wanted to do and i heard it clear as day Paws and Beauty and i was like huh? lol like God you want me to sell puppy clothes? and instantly i knew that’s what he wanted me to do.
so, i woke up the next day and started doing my research on like looking at different pet boutiques and what they sale, the price point of inventory, and how to market the business.
so, i started telling my friends and family that i was gone start selling puppy clothes and of course they all laughed and was like are you serious and i was like yea, God had given me this business idea and the name. but i didn’t let that stop me i just kept taking the steps to figure it out. but life started happening i ran to some really tough times in south Florida financially, i found out my only big brother was on drugs and my grandmother was getting sick so life was getting tough so i decided to pack my bags and my son and head up to Jacksonville Fl to start over, it took some time for us to get situated and i had to put my business venture to the side and focus on getting a job and maintaining my house hold. because once again life be going and you have to adapt to how life is going. So fast forward to 2023 God reminded me that i still have this business idea that he gave me and i need to fulfill my business. so, i decided to revamp my logo and redo all my paperwork and look up different vendors, i also decided to look for a location somewhere so people can come shop and that i can meet the people and they lovely pets in person because i am a people person i love meeting new people. i found a location downtown Jacksonville and i prayed and told god i really wanted the storefront and got it, everything was going well until i had to shut down the location and go completely online and i get asked this question all the time of why i shut down my location? and my response was because God told me so and i till this day i really never understood why he told me too but hey sometimes in life it’s just some things you would never get an answer to and you just got to be okay with it. so fast forward to now i online and i love it lol i get to reach millions of people all over the world and help them dress they puppies plus i remember sitting at home watching these commercials about how dogs are getting treated and how they had no food or shelter and i said to myself that if and when my business grows i want to give back to pet shelters and help people. So over all i knew that this was something that i was going to love to do because i love fashion, family, and puppies and you ask me that’s a great reason to do what i am doing.
Latasha, 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?
My brand Paws and Beauty Puppy Boutique, we celebrate individuality because we know every pup is one of a kind. Our boutique collection is thoughtfully curated with premium, hand-crafted outfits that blend style, comfort, and quality. From cozy sweaters for chilly morning walks to chic tees for a sunny day out, we’ve got your pup’s everyday adventures covered.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The lesson i have learned is no matter what goes in your life to always have faith.
everything in my life has come to distract me from what i am called to do but no matter what comes my way i always get through it. when people i thought would support me but instead, they laughed at me, when i had to make tough choices between paying a bill or buy inventory. when my brother got on drugs and i had to figure out a way to help him get cleaned and around that time my family and i had to make a tough decision with putting my grandmother in the nursing home. i mean all the things that i could have allowed to stop me but i decided to have faith.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
honestly i was working as a CNA certified nursing assistant and was taking the money that i had working and investing it into my business. of course, it wasn’t easy because some paydays i wasn’t able to buy anything for my business because i had everyday cost of living. but i just kept praying for faith and strength
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