We were lucky to catch up with Talesha Austin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Talesha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Thirteen years ago, after being laid off from my job, I found myself at a crossroads. I’ve always loved thrifting, and a good friend encouraged me to start a store because of my talent for finding fashionable pieces. So many people told me I had an “eye” for style, and after trying to sell on eBay without much success, I decided to take a leap of faith and start my own store.

I believed it would work because I knew this was something I was truly good at, and social media platforms like Instagram were just beginning to grow, creating new opportunities for small businesses. What made my store stand out was my focus on plus-size clothing, especially vintage pieces, which were so hard to find at the time. I wanted women of all sizes to feel stylish and confident.

A few years into running my boutique, I discovered another passion — designing. That love led me to start my balloon design business, allowing me to express my creativity in a whole new way.

Looking back, what started from a setback became the beginning of multiple blessings, all rooted in using the gifts God gave me.

Talesha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

What sets me apart is authenticity and heart. I genuinely love helping people feel confident, stylish, and celebrated. I love to treat people like how I wanted to be treated… Whether it’s through fashion or event design, my goal is always to bring joy and confidence to others. I also pride myself on being personable, dependable, and creative, making sure every client feels valued and heard.

What I’m most proud of is building successful businesses from scratch after what could have been a setback in my life. I’m proud that my journey shows resilience, faith, and determination, and that my work continues to support and uplift my community.

I want potential clients and followers to know that my brand is built on passion, creativity, and genuine care. Everything I create or offer comes from a place of wanting people to feel beautiful, confident, and celebrated.

I will continue to grow my brand as well adding on other ways to bring them together for example mobile tea parties!!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

One of the most effective strategies for growing my clientele, especially in the early days of my vintage store, was collaborating with influencers, who were mostly known as bloggers at the time. I would personally hand-pick pieces that matched their individual style and send them items I felt truly fit their look. In return, I simply asked them to give my store a shout-out when they wore the pieces. This approach helped my business grow organically because people could see real women styling the clothes in their everyday lives, and it built trust and visibility for my brand.

For my balloon and event design business, growth has mainly come through word of mouth. I focus heavily on customer experience, making sure every client feels valued and appreciated. I always try to go above and beyond expectations because celebrations are special moments in people’s lives, and I want my work to add to that joy. When clients feel cared for and love the final result, they naturally recommend my services to others, which has helped my business continue to grow.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe what helped me build my reputation in my market is consistency, authenticity, and genuinely caring about my customers and clients. From the beginning, I focused on offering pieces and services that people couldn’t easily find elsewhere, especially stylish vintage and plus-size clothing when options were limited. Customers knew they could trust my eye for fashion and that I carefully selected items with them in mind.

With both my boutique and my balloon design business, I’ve always focused on customer experience. I make sure every client feels appreciated and I try to go above and beyond expectations. Word of mouth became one of my biggest marketing tools because people felt confident recommending my work to others.

I also believe staying true to myself and building real relationships, both online and in person, helped people connect with my brand. When people see your passion and know you truly love what you do, they support you and keep coming back.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.divaxpressvintage.com , www.divaxpressevents.com
• Instagram: @divaxpress @divaxpressevents
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AsSLcfuNQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Image Credits

Photographed @marciatheaphotographer
And Adrian Thomas