We recently connected with MacKenzee McDonald and have shared our conversation below.

MacKenzee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

How I scaled up in my business is TikTok. TikTok has been one of the best and easiest marketing tools for me having a successful business. I started consistently posting content 5 times a week; ranging from BTS, how I would style my pieces and being transparent with my #GoldenBabes. This allowed people to not only shop but relate to the brand. Overall, you want your target audience to feel a personal attachment to the brand. This creates longevity in the business and creates loyal customers.

Even though my business did start to succeed, it then started to become stagnant due to me being a full time student. I am still learning so many tips and tricks for my business. The one thing I am still learning is do not give up! Owning a business is not an easy journey but it is a memorable one. If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.

MacKenzee, 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?

For people who do not know me, I am MacKenzee McDonald, CEO of ItsGoldenPiece Boutique and Aim High.us. I started my boutique July 1,2020 during the peak of Covid-19. I always wanted to create a brand that spoke volume to women’s appearance and create my definition of a “woman crowned in her robes”. My brand spiked through TikTok and I have had amazing feedback ever since.

My second brand (Aim High.us) started July 1, 2021. I wanted to create a brand that elevated the black community and demonstrate self growth and empowerment. This brand is dedicated to my grandfather, who gave me the inspiration behind the entirety of the brand. He always has been my biggest cheerleader. But, a certain quote he told me has always stuck with me. “ Aim for the moon….f?$k that! Aim for the stars and if you fall short, at least you landed on the moon.” This quote not only made me want to be more but create a brand to make others aim high. Because at the end of the day, we are our biggest enemies of failure and it is all up to us to succeed.

Both brands are clothing brands; ItsGoldenPiece Boutique is a Women’s Boutique (e-commerce) and Aim High.us is as Unisex Apparel (e-commerce). What sets my brands apart is the diversity I bring. I literally put Dallas, TX on a shirt ! With my boutique, I created a safe space to explore new fashion, instead of selling fast fashion. I sale pieces that are not only of quality but, will live through fashion for years.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

Both of my websites are powered by Shopify. Shopify has so many benefits for new business owners such as website templates, applications and many marketing strategies/tips that you can use. The reason I chose Shopify is the freedom of creating whatever I wanted. Which is a big thing about branding, is making sure everything is cohesive and how you want it to be. I haven’t ran into a problem with Shopify yet, which is amazing.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

How I funded my business is through College! I took advantage of those refund checks and put money away for my future business. I never knew when I was going to start my business but I at least wanted the money to be there for whenever I was ready. When the time came to me wanting to start my business, I started doing a lot of research on what I needed and calculating the cost. To start my business I spent around $500-$800. Which is not bad for the the return I got. I ended up taking that starting budget and made my business into a 5 figure business that first year. My advice is save a little at a time. Do not put yourself in a hole when you first start.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.ItsGoldenPieceboutique.org www.aimhighus.com
• Instagram: @ItsGoldenPieceBoutique @AimHigh.us @ItsGoldenPiece
• Facebook: ItsGoldenPiece Boutique
• Linkedin: MacKenzee McDonald
• Youtube: ItsGoldenPiece

Image Credits
Photographers _capturedbyjacob_ ShotsByCam _qtheartist Brands ItsGoldenPiece Boutique AimHigh.us