We were lucky to catch up with Savannah Mincey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Savannah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I know it sounds cliche to say that I’ve been dreaming of this since I was young, but it’s true! 8th Grade Savannah in the small town of Wells, TX just decided one day that entrepreneurship was what she wanted to do and even in that moment I knew it would be through a boutique! When you’re 13 there’s not much you can do except see what life throws at you and go from there. So for the next few years, I did just that! In 2017 I graduated high school and drove off to Edmond, OK to continue figuring out what the life of a business owner would look like. I guess you could say I took the long route by going to college, but I’m so glad I did. It was there that I really started figuring out life and grew into who I am now. That development gave me what I needed to finally open the boutique. On a warm, sunny day in June of 2021 I sat wondering what was next. I thought to myself “What’s stopping me? Why not now?” So at that moment I opened up my laptop and hit the ground running doing anything and everything it took to open The Tailgate Boutique! From there it’s been a journey to say the least – I’ve seen God move in my life in various ways and God Willing he’s not done yet!

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.

Getting into the Western fashion industry only required a passion for the lifestyle and the drive to leave it better than you found it. Growing up I was a bigger girl. It took going to multiple stores to find something my smaller friends could find in just one shop at the mall. If I was lucky enough to find a store that carried the size I needed, it was likely tucked back in a corner with less than 1/2 the selection available in the other sizes. Fashion didn’t cater to the chunky little girl who was trying to love herself. No one should ever have to feel that shame just because of the body they live in. In adulthood, I realized that I had to be willing to get my hands dirty if I wanted the system to change. My shopping experience growing up, and even now drove me to opening The Tailgate Boutique.

The Tailgate Boutique offers Western fashion clothing and accessories in sizes XS-3X. We aim to be attainable, inclusive, and supportive all while using God as the driving force. We provide a place for that chunky little girl to love herself. Customers don’t have to doubt size availability due to our hanger system; black hangers represent small through large while turquoise hangers represent 1X through 3X. Implementing this system prevents the feeling of being misled by an advertised size range only to find out it was too good to be true.

Our devotion to being inclusive, reliance on Christ, and authenticity set us apart! What you see is what you get. Being transparent is something I rely heavily on. No one has only good days. Not everything I try on looks stunning on me. I have cellulite, acne, and so many other flaws that I refuse to hide. People deserve to see the genuine, raw version of myself so that they too can understand no part of them has to be concealed or reshaped to be accepted. Come as you are!

One of the things I am most proud of is the sisterhood that has come together through the boutique. My comment section welcomes transparency. Going through a breakup? Tell us all about it! Need prayer? We got you! Want an outside perspective on something? We’re listening! Shopping doesn’t only have to be a transaction, it can be a relationship.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I wish I could tell you I have some intricate strategy, but honestly….no! Sure I read a bit into the best times to post and I try to keep up with the trends, but truthfully that’s a minor factor for us. Pretty early on in the life of the boutique, I noticed that content that included a human, with a voice, being genuine was the content that my followers interacted most with. Sometimes it doesn’t get the reach that we shoot for, but I’ll take active engagement with a handful of people over tons of views and no interaction with hundreds or thousands of people. I know I might sound crazy. Who’s making content that doesn’t have humans in it? Surprisingly, a lot of small business owners will do anything to avoid being behind the camera. I won’t discount that good content can come from product-oriented videos but in my experience, that type of video is most advantageous when done in moderation.

My advice for anyone just starting to build their social media presence is to define your target market, niche down, and be yourself!

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

Recently I fell in love with the band Chapel Hart. These ladies know how to make good country music and man do they own that stage! They are definitely on their way to full-fledged fame yet still keep a humble attitude. One evening when scrolling through Instagram I saw that the band was live and hopped in the comments. They are just so personable it felt like we were in the same room! I commented offering the idea of a PR package, something I don’t tend to invest my capital in, and they were on board! I got their sizes, scrolled through their feed to try and gauge each one’s style, and got started putting together some outfits. I’m a big believer that anything can be content, so I hopped on TikTok and went live! With Chapel Hart playing in the background I told my viewers about the PR package and showed them different ideas of what I was considering sending. My viewers got to play an active role in putting that package together and I could tell both them and I were loving it! It was so much fun! After hours of putting different fits together, trying new styles, and checking sizing I finally had the package ready.

Flash forward two weeks and Chapel Hart makes an Instagram and Facebook post 100% dedicated to the clothing they received. Someone pinch me!! It still doesn’t feel real! The band has a coupon code users can use to save some money on their purchases, and this helps me track how much of an impact that post had. As cool as it would be to say that I gained thousands of followers and got hundreds of orders, that isn’t the case. BUT I don’t mind, I got to build a relationship with the Chapel Hart ladies and get my name out there a bit. It was hands down one of the coolest experiences I’ve had with the boutique to date.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tailgateboutique.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/tailgate_boutique
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068930889288
• Other: VIP group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tailgateboutique/

Image Credits
Kylie Ann Photography and Cassie French Photography