Social media is a primary part of our business because we use it both for selling product and promoting different events and pop ups. We initially hired a company to manage it for us. It was initially helpful to get us organized but became a bit frustrating. We have since taken it back on ourselves. Although quite social, technology is not my gift, so it requires me to slow down and focus on it. I would rather be in the present than on my device. That said social media has been integral in our growth and we recognize the importance of it. Both of my sons work for me and we share the responsibilities. One is my website developer and one is my graphic designer. I provide the content and they execute. I also think that our customer is smart enough to recognize when our content is not coming from us. It just feels a bit inauthentic. We are still learning and starting to play with reels and TikTok to stay socially relevant. It’s definitely a learning curve but we have found our voice socially and work to keep evolving it.

I started in the fashion industry in college, but on the wholesale side, as a sales rep for various designers. Later I began styling on the retail side and quickly found that was much more fulfilling. I love people and connecting. I have since been styling women for 12+ years and it still fires me up. I do a Facebook live fashion show on Wednesday called “Wine Down Wednesday with Rosie” for Scout & Molly’s Southlake, a local boutique, as well as a Instagram stories with our new arrivals called “Try-On Thursday.” I also put orders together and style there every Thursday. Last year I took on a new venture and started a men’s boutique called MR. The idea came about very naturally upon noticing that men really didn’t have many options outside of corporate retail. The business model is similar in that we go live on social media with new arrivals and give examples on how to pair pieces to get the most out of an item. We have had great success since we started last September, and now have a store front in Downtown Roanoke where we host events, shoot our lives, and take private appointments. It’s meant not just to sell clothes, but to build confidence in trying new looks. Men’s fashion for the most part is simple, and we love that. We want our MR’s to feel like themselves but also fashionably relevant. So really whether dressing women or men we just want the customer lifted and confident about themselves through fashion.

I’ve had multiple pivots in my life, career, and business. From quitting a lucrative job that was no longer fun, to starting a business while getting divorced. To then 8 years later making the decision to close that same business that we still loved, and consequently losing myself for a minute.

So I have made tough decisions and taken risks and when I look back on them now I can’t believe I was brave enough to do it. I left my cush job with my families company to work in retail and gain some independence. I then left that position because it had become stagnant and decided to start my own unconventional concept boutique with a co-worker, Sande Brandt. Upon closing that business I took an entire year off to figure out what was next for me because my identity was tied up in the business and I needed to self evaluate. Eventually I dipped my toe back in the fashion industry with a tee shirt line I created called “love, rosie tees.” That helped me to find my footing again, and that was the beginning of what I do today with fashion shows on social media. It was awkward @ first because it was foreign to me, but I just figured it out and kept working on it. Also, it wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t boring so I felt inspired to improve it. Resilience is important. Reflecting back I recognize I have it but it didn’t feel like it @ the time. I guess it’s the fear of the unknown. It can absolutely anchor you. I have learned through my life pivots that it is more about making some sort of stride forward. I would rather fail but know I tried, rather than sleepwalk through life professionally or otherwise.

Authenticity. It’s the most important part of building any relationship. Because I am in fashion it can be misconstrued that it is always about the sell and volume, but it isn’t that @ all. It’s about building trust. For example, if I oversell someone who gets caught up in a fun fashion experience and they buy a bunch of clothes they won’t ever wear that doesn’t benefit either of us. Because will that customer come back to me? Hell no. While clearly any business needs to make money, it is more about customer retention. Customer retention comes with trust and integrity. The goal is to be there “go to person” in whichever industry you work in and that requires authenticity. I say the same things all the time in the fitting room while dressing women or men and I mean them. I might think someone looks fantastic in an outfit I have chosen for them, but it really doesn’t matter what I think. My job is to listen to the need, asses their body for flattering fits, and then give them good options. Through that authenticity trust is built. Word of mouth is the best way to grow clientele. My clientele has grown more from customers sharing a positive experience than any marketing dollars I have spent. The goal is connection and in my industry that translates into them allowing me to dress them. It seems like it is just clothes, but someone described it differently and it really resonated with me. It’s about building people and that is the part I love. I love the connect, building the trust and helping to create their first impressions to others. It is a big deal to me and I am honored to do it.