We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Leya Lowery. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Leya below.

Leya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

In fall of 2022 I decided to quit my very secure full time job to pour 110% into my dreams and here is why. Ever since I was a little girl I have always loved fashion and the thought of being able to create your own style. As I grew older my love and my eye for fashion developed more and more every day but what really pushed me into pursuing this dream is the fact that I truly think every person deserves to feel beautiful in their skin and especially in their clothes! Growing up I watched my mom along with so many other women struggle to feel confident in their clothes and never going out of their comfort zone. My mom would change her shirt 4 times before going out and always ended up in an oversized T or hoodie because she just didn’t feel good in her clothes. I wanted to change this. I wanted to see everyone happy and shining in their clothes so, in 2021 I made the decision to follow my dreams and open up what is now Cowgirls + Hippies Boutique. I was going to school as well as working full time when I opened up my online boutique. I was very nervous and scared starting out. I had a ton of nights where I would lay wide awake worrying that no one was going to like my products or that this was going to fail but as time went on I noticed how quickly I was gaining loyal repeat customers, getting 5 star reviews on Google, and messages from customers about how much I have helped them love themselves again but what I didn’t realize at the time was that my customers were helping me gain the courage and confidence to do this. I got one message from a customer of mine which included pictures of her in the clothes she purchased from me that changed everything for me! I was finally seeing how much I was helping people and this is when I decided I was ready to make one of the biggest decisions for my future. After a lot of thought and prayer I made the decision to quit my full time job and take a risk on my dream! My boss being so supportive of me when I put my notice in really helped me feel as if I was making the right decision! And so it began as soon as I left my full time job I took my spare room and created a space where customers could come over and shop in person as well as an office space for myself! Looking back on everything and seeing how it all came together made this risk worth every second.

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?

My name is Leya, I am the owner of Cowgirls + Hippies Boutique. I was born and raised in South Carolina. Small town living, true southern hospitality, good vibes, positivity, and self-love is what I am all about. See how I came up with the name! I was 20 years old and had a dream of how I could help women feel good, look good and not break the bank and so I created Cowgirls + Hippies Boutique.Cowgirls + Hippies is an online boutique that’s number one goal is to promote body positivity and affordability. We know that not all women are a size small and looking gorgeous on a budget is what we do best! We offer quality clothes at affordable prices for women of all body types. We are here to make sure our customer is satisfied and a customer for life!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My involvement with my customers. I take the time to get to know my customers and their personal styles. I pride myself on giving outstanding customer service which has lead to positive word of mouth advertising and great customer feedback!

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

There are so many great resources out but the one that inspired me the most as an entrepreneur was Atomic Habits by James Clear. I found a lot of inspiration and motivation from reading this book.     9

Contact Info:

• Website: cowgirlshippies.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowgirls_hippies_boutique/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cowgirlshippiesboutique/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cowgirls_hippies

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Nikki Lowery & NS Promo