We recently connected with Robin Audi and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Robin, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

I think what sets my business apart from other boutiques and online stores is that I know my customers. I know their names, how old their kids are, where they went on vacation last year, and that they need a killer outfit for their job interview next week. And the level of service you can provide a customer when you actually know them far exceeds what you’ll get from Amazon or Target. They aren’t just shopping what’s on my racks; I’m creating custom capsule wardrobes, outfits, and personal styling at their request. And when I don’t have what they need in stock, I find it for them. That’s service.

I encourage my customers to text me, friend me, and follow me, and I reciprocate. Styling is a business of knowing people and their needs and personal aesthetic. My customer community enriches my life.

One of my long-term customers lives locally, and she’s shopped off and on with me over the years. Pre-covid, she hosted traveling musicians who would play small shows in her home. I followed her on Facebook and saw how much fun she was having at these events. She invited me to a show once, and it was such a cool, unique experience.

About a year into Covid, I saw that she was going through cancer treatments. Without hesitating, I sent her a sweatshirt from our Breast Cancer Awareness Collection with a little note that we (my customer community) were rooting for her. A couple weeks later she posted a smiling selfie in her new sweatshirt in our customer community Facebook group, and it was awesome. That’s the kind of service and connection I aim to provide my customers.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m a boutique owner and personal stylist: I help women look effortlessly put together. Robin Audi Boutique is a Houston-based clothing boutique that I run out of my home. I carry on-trend, affordable clothing fit for every body size from XXS-3XL. You’ll find an ever-changing selection of styles and prints from denim jeans to summer dresses, graphic tees to athleisure. I also carry a selection of self-care and grooming products.

I am a social retailer. My business is built on relationships, referrals, and social media connections. I do most of my business online where I’ve built an awesome community of women. You’ll see me creating and posting outfits, styling clients, running Facebook Live shows, offering styling tips, and sharing bits of my life. I pride myself on the individual attention I provide to each shopper, online or in person — I aim to be a service business, not just a transactional one. I answer every message, DM, email, and request myself and enjoy showing women how to style themselves in every season.

I’m in my fifth year of business, and the journey has been anything but boring. I started doing mostly local shows: I loaded up my inventory in my car and set up pop-up boutiques all over town. That’s truly the hardest work! Over time my audience grew as well as my use of technology. I had to figure out how to build email campaigns, set up a website, and I am continually learning social media strategies. There is always something new to learn! Today I’m all about utilizing Reels on Instagram and Facebook to infuse my personality into styling.

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

I was teaching middle school English at Pin Oak Middle School in Bellaire, TX. I was approaching thirty and was ready to pursue motherhood. After a long discussion with my husband, I decided that this was an adventure that I felt compelled to leave the classroom to pursue. I wanted to stay home and be a full-time mom. At the time, we were prepared to take the loss in pay and figure out how we were going to deal with it, but I wanted more. How could I work a flexible job from home, raise babies, and still contribute to our household income? An opportunity presented itself in the form of an in-home clothing boutique: LuLaRoe. I could work as little or as much as I wanted in the evenings after school. I dreamt that I could build up my business while pregnant, quit teaching, and continue working my business at home. It was perfect! After much deliberation with my very supportive husband and with the money we were saving for a new car, I placed my first inventory order. I launched my boutique in August 2016 — the same month I started my sixth year of teaching and actively pursued pregnancy.

The first nine months were a blur of constant work, determination, and grit. My business was growing, and I could see the opportunity to match and exceed my teaching income quickly approaching, but I wasn’t pregnant yet. Could I justify quitting a steady paycheck that used my degree without a baby bump? I knew that if I was going to grow my business, I needed to dedicate more time to it. So, I took the plunge, quit my teaching job, and pursued my home-based business full-time!

I can genuinely say that I’ve never been happier! I spend my days styling outfits for women and inspiring confidence and body positivity. I have built a community of women and friends in Houston and across the nation who inspire one another through fashion. I still use my teaching experience to teach women how to style themselves, and I’ve been blessed to teach women how to build their own LuLaRoe businesses. It is my goal to help others achieve their goals. Because of my business, I was able to fully fund fertility treatments.

Now, my son is 3 and I am still working and growing my business. What’s great about working for yourself is that you can scale up when you need to and scale back when you want to. It’s not for everyone, but it fits our family’s needs so well.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I built my business in a Facebook group. Before I was on Instagram, before I ran ads, before I even had a website, I was opening boxes of brand new product in my group and selling items right out of the box. Our roots run deep in that group. I know my customers and they know me. It still is my number one place to connect with customers.

Additionally, I share a lot of products and lifestyle content on Instagram. I also use a texting service to alert my customers when new product arrives or when we have access to a limited-time-only selection of products.

My customer service has built loyalty amongst my customers. I go above and beyond to serve them, style them, listen to them, and treat them. When I don’t have what they need in stock, I find it for them. That’s what makes the difference. Sure, they could go find it elsewhere, but they think of me first, and that’s priceless.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://robinaudi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robinaudiboutique/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robinaudiboutique

Image Credits
Ramy Audi