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

Nekia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

Last year I was really in a very stagnant moment in my business where I felt really stuck and didn’t really know where to go from here. I was working in my family landscape business going on my third year and I honestly thought I was only going to be working there for a few months to a year max. I got comfortable working in the basement of my new house as well and my business took a major back seat.

My sister in law who I was working in the landscape business with was selected to work in a business cohort with Goldman Sachs. She was learning so much and would implement new ideas she learned and I watched the landscape business grow to new levels. I was confiding in her how I was feeling about my own business and she mentioned Goldman Sachs had a new program she thought I would be perfect for coming up in a few months and I should apply. She sent me the email link and I got major imposter syndrome after reading the requirements. Fast forward to a couple days before the due date and I remembered I never filled it out. I filled it out along with thousands of other applicants from around the nation and I was one of the 150 black women businesses that was selected.

I got the opportunity of a lifetime to be coached by top business professionals and graduated from the program. I had a lot of firsts during this intense 10-week program personally and professionally. I got flown out to go to NYC which my first solo trip and I was beyond nervous. I gained so much confidence in my ability to make decisions within my business and to trust myself more. Had I let my imposter syndrome take over I would have never even submitted the application in the first place. Not only has my brand grown in recognition I have a brand new studio amongst other artists and have scaled my business in the process. From making one decision out of fear came an overflow of opportunity and growth.

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?

Hi my name is Nekia Whitfield aka Nikki! I am from Chicago, IL and currently reside in Des Moines, IA with my husband and 2 kids. My fashion journey started at just 7 years old when my grandmother taught me how to sew. Since discovering that I can create my own clothing I fell in love with fashion and started dressing in bold looks. I noticed others would be interested in how I dressed and would ask where my outfits came from. By high school I was styling others, making clothes, and producing fashion shows. That’s when I knew I wanted to go further and started looking into fashion colleges and landed on Iowa State University.

In my freshman year of college I was able to model in the nation’s largest student run fashion show at ISU and I was hooked. During my senior year I presented a senior line that was judged by industry professionals. They approved all my designs and I got the opportunity to present in the same fashion show that was viewed by thousands of people. At this point I had been working in the fashion industry for several years. I founded my business because I noticed different body types struggled to find unique pieces that fit their unique body shape and personality.

I graduated not only with a degree in Apparel, Merchandising, Design & Production but with a business as well. When I was in high school I got the nickname Nik Star because I would always dress to stand out and was set on being in the fashion industry. When it came time to give my business a name it was so obvious that Nik Star should be the rightful name

I created Nik Star to address a missing market of people who like to stand out and be seen as their authentic selves but also a great fitting garment. Nik Star specializes in high quality stretch fabrics that form to the body with lots of bling and sparkle. I love fully creating handmade special occasion clothing for those who love to celebrate milestone moments in life.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I first launched my brand I was wholesaling ready made trendy clothing. I am a first time entrepreneur in my family so I wasn’t sure how to create a business from scratch so it was trial and error starting out. I maxed out credit cards to get inventory and would buy new merchandise before I sold out of old merchandise. I thought I was a boss but I was struggling to keep up with the current trends and old merchandise would eventually stop selling.

I decided to go back to my roots and create 1 of 1 pieces while still selling wholesale ready to wear. I quickly noticed that the custom was taking off much better and clients would come back for more unique pieces for events. After some time I only offered custom made pieces and would eventually donate the rest of my ready to wear inventory to a shelter.

This meant I had to start over completely and rebrand. It was beyond difficult getting my finances back in order and raising my credit score but I took my time and eventually got there. I ended up rebranding to Nik Star focusing on 100% handmade garments for women. I loved how women would come to me for a big event in their life and the joy they had talking with me about how they wanted to look. This fulfilled me in a way like no other, I got to really know my clients and offer help to them like they have never experienced. As women would talk with me about their personal style and dream outfits I gave knowledge on how I will be taking those elements and applying them into their garment.

I enjoyed educating and celebrating with women on how to rock their pieces and that’s where my slogan ‘Rock it with Confidence’ comes from. If I had not gone through that rough patch I would not be where I am today. That pivotal made me understand my customers needs better and helped me better reach them. I learned to listen to who my brand was serving and make changes to better serve my clients.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I was in customer service jobs for 18 years and for the most part I really enjoyed them but I didn’t like working for big companies. I always knew I would have my own business but I was a really fast learner when I was actively applying what I was being taught. I started to learn a lot on my day jobs that I would apply to working on my own business that I would launch one day. Once I was in college I continued to work and learn and apply until I had an ok business plan to launch soon. I created social media pages, websites, and flyers to post the only thing I was missing was the actual product.

I was now in my senior year and hadn’t really had a plan after graduating other than to stay where I was living and keep working while working on my business. I had to travel to NYC for a class and decided to file my business legally before I left for the trip so I can do business while I was there. I brought a folder of business filings to NYC and visited tons of vendors, designers, fabric stores, made local connections, and had the time of my life. I now had everything I needed to successfully launch and I did just that!

That was 9 years ago. Today, I work as a full time fashion designer out of my own studio in downtown Des Moines. Those networking connections I made are some that I still use today. I always did my business as a side hustle until I bet on myself and put my energy into creating something I can call my own while sharing with others. The main point is that I had to build up myself until it was time to launch. I just recently became full time and while I am still just as busy I get the freedom I was working towards.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nikstarboutique.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/nikstarboutique
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/nikstarboutique
• Linkedin: Nekia Whitfield & Nik Star Boutique
• Other: www.tiktok.com/nikstarboutique

Image Credits
Ward Creative Studios Jams Creative Photography Anthony Arroyo Photography Alfelino Santiago Feliciano Photography