Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marcella Prieto. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Marcella, thanks for joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Early on, as student at Florida State University studying Fashion Merchandising my path had always been the route of corporate retail, working for large organizations in various buying roles. For many years, that path worked and was fortunate to had been in those roles in various retail industries, learning a lot about the industry and techniques one needs in order to be successful.

As the years progressed and certain facets of my personal life changed I began to explore the idea of shifting my business goals away from a corporate environment to one that would allow me to balance some of the other factors that were introduced in my life. At the time, it was apparent that there was an opportunity in Miami to make the experience of shopping at a woman’s clothing boutique more accessible and affordable, only a few key areas in Miami had the appeal of boutique shopping and I knew there was an opportunity to leverage that gap, based not only on my preferences but that of friends and co-workers. At first I focused my buying capabilities and style assortments on friends, family and coworkers often times selling product that I had purchased from Miami’s Fashion District out of my car. My car turned to a room in my townhouse where I would setup time by appointment for customers to come by and try on items. As this was clearly not a scalable solution, I decided to turn my idea into reality, leasing a dedicated store space and quitting my corporate job to focus on this endeavor full time, 14 years later we are still going strong.

Marcella, 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?

The Miami clothing boutique market before I opened was very concentrated in select areas of the city. You had your hot spots such as South Beach and Coconut Grove, however one of my strategies was to target an underserved market I knew had the desire for the types of fashion I was going to provide. I sought to balance fashion with affordability, all merchandise at Cocoa Couture Boutique retails for less than $100, yet continues to remain fashion forward and timely. Generally speaking, buying clothes is challenging, more often than not you are researching and buying styles several months in advance. Decisions based on seasonal trends coupled with my geographic location makes fall and winter buying in particular interesting and factors such as material, color, fit and form are all factors taken into careful consideration.

Not only is starting a small business difficult, more importantly sustaining one over the course of 14 years is perhaps the larger of the challenges. You certainly learn a lot along the way, from the minor ones such as method of bookkeeping, insurance limits to maintain, etc., all are aspects you take for granted when you perhaps work for an employer. You become everything all at once, wearing multiple hats professionally and several personal hats as well. My brand is simple, we provide fashion at an affordable price, our styles remain timely and ever evolving. Additionally, I hold dear to me the simple concept of relationships and fostering those on a continuous basis. I am active in the community supporting local charities, have seen many of my customers children grow up along the way and am proud that I have been able to balance this journey with my responsibilities as a daughter, wife and mother

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The onset of Covid-19 was a very difficult time for my business. At first, the unknown about the extent and impact of the pandemic turned to reality specifically as it related to my store closure. I was very concerned about the financial impact this would have despite some of the programs the government instituted. I knew almost immediately I had to construct a plan to mitigate the obstacle that I was up against. As a result, I had to to quickly revamp the approach I took to servicing my customer base. Although government limitations were placed on many establishments for in store activity, there was still a desire of my customers for online shopping. I was able to pivot to a larger online presence, revamping my website and altering some of the products I was offering. I introduced lounge wear, comfy attire, cheeky t-shirts and broadened our selections of casual blouses all to accommodate the stay at home trend both personally and for work that transpired as well. Furthermore, we took our local delivery service to the next level within Miami, offering same day service for most items in addition to arranging pick up of items our customers wanted to exchange or return. My home became my store. This approach was geared around customer convenience.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

My business truly was in peril at the start of the pandemic. I know earlier I discussed the shift in strategy I had to implement in order to ensure I was still servicing my customers. However, I knew that wouldn’t suffice or offset the costs I was still obligated to pay as a result of Covid. The future was unknown at the time and I was frightened about my ability to sustain my business moving forward, not only for my sake but for my staff’s sake and the community I was in. I had rent to pay, utility expenses, internet / marketing costs and payroll. I recall the police coming to my store effectively asking me to shut down. Waiting around was not an option, I had to jump into my savings to continue pumping blood into my store’s life line. It was a pivotal time for my store. I have amazing clients who supported me through a very challenging environment and I will forever be grateful to them. As I reflect on this period and compare that to 2021 and today, I am confident that the decisions I made then has made my business stronger and more sustainable for future growth wherever that leads me to. This experience also enabled me to become a more composed business woman, capable of tackling any issue that can arise and having the confidence to execute quickly.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cocoacouturemiami.com
• Instagram: cocoacoutureboutique
• Facebook: Cocoa Couture Boutique
• Youtube: Cocoa Couture Boutique