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

Mi’Destini, appreciate you joining us today. Do you manage your own social media?

As funny as this may sound, although I often refer to my business as “we”, I manage my own social media and everything else “Ethereal Apparel” alone. I recently began posting more content where I am speaking, as opposed to the daily affirmations (text) that I would post in the past. With this type of media I appreciate being able to ensure everything is to my liking and has my personal stamp on it before sharing with the world.

However, I have faith that once Ethereal Apparel grows beyond a level where I am able to manage social media, the website, and sales on my own, I will be willing to hire a team or a company.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I was in undergrad, I was around people who had brands and I was inspired to create my own. Taking my personal experiences of not feeling confident in myself and then leaning on words of affirmation, optimism, and realism to carry me through, Ethereal Apparel was born in 2019. Ethereal is a word, an affirmation, and a lifestyle meaning heavenly, spiritual, beautiful, lovely, and divine, and I want everyone in this community to constantly be reminded of how Ethereal they are.

Such a reminder may come through the various apparel created to be work with pride or the social media content shared to motivate through the form of affirmations or me speaking thoughts I have as I go through my days. With Ethereal Apparel, I am most proud of the connections I make with my audience. It empowers and motivates me when someone comments “I needed this”, “Thank you for this word,” or something similar.

The main thing that I want potential followers and listeners to know about Ethereal Apparel and me is that this is all authentic; I am not sharing words that did not first apply to me in my own life. After all, Ethereal Apparel is a product of my experiences and I am sharing in hopes that my words will connect with and motivate someone wherever they are in life. No matter who or where we are, we all need a reminder of how heavenly, spiritual, beautiful, lovely, and divine we are.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Owning my own business has proven to be a challenge and has required much resilience. In a previous interview with Voyage, I spoke on my challenge of going from “planning” to “doing”. This time around, my challenge and resilience is being shown in being willing to continue believing in my vision when something doesn’t work. A couple of years ago, I worked really hard on a collection titled “All of the Above” and I still had a few items left over. However, instead of allowing myself to be discouraged because I put so much work into the collection and it didn’t leave the shelves with a snap of my fingers, I still honor my work and incorporate it into all that I do today. Maybe those last shirts are meant for somebody special down the line!

This experience aligns directly with what Ethereal is and words that are spoken on several occasions across our platform; although something did not work out for me, I have to continue motivating myself and trust that as long as I am doing my part to persevere, something is bound to stick. I truly do think that a major part of being a successful business owner is being resilient and not allowing pride to conquer what can be when facing a lack of desired success. I am excited to see where this mindset continues to take me.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

My mom has been a hairstylist for a while (shout out CJ1andOnly), and for years before moving to Memphis for college, I was her shampoo tech and then I was promoted to her assistant braider. By the spring semester of my first year of undergrad, I was the campus hairstylist. So, doing hair as my side-hustle while being a full-time student and student-leader allowed me to save the initial capital needed to start Ethereal Apparel as well as begin creating a cushion for myself for those next few years. I remember vividly going to the supply store to choose t-shirts and hats, and then working with my mom (shout out 22/7 Printing, LLC) to get my first items together. It’s been on since that summer!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://etherealapparel.weeblysite.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/etherealapprl/