We were lucky to catch up with Tonisha Walden recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tonisha, appreciate you joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

How did I start? Boy it was a journey. I started selling clothes in 2018 while working as a Licensed Medicare Sales Agent. I would walked around and show the girls what I was selling while also taking orders for drinks that I sold as well. I would buy a bulk load from a China vendor online and sell out quickly but at the same time it was a gamble doing that because the quality was a hit or miss. So, I started doing my research on vendors in the States that I can shop with and found a few, but, they have strict rules on shopping with them. So at that time me and a very close friend of mine shared a Business Consultant so we got together and did all my necessary paperwork and I became official in February of 2019 as Touch of Sass LLC. I wanted my boutique to broadcast that my fashion was for women to be themselves no matter what society said. I wanted them to know you can wear what you want. I sold more classy and chic with a splash of sexy. I then started to explore the world of LA Fashion. I had access to over 100 stores and I felt like a kid that just got dropped off in a candy store. I immediately started just ordering everything I wanted. At that time I was still just selling locally to my co-workers and whoever they sent my way. Even with me being legit I didn’t think to promote on Social Media or build a website because I felt the money I was making was good enough. That was until November 2019 hit and I got into the worse car accident ever which left me with a broken femur, pelvis and hip. I couldn’t work or do anything and it left me hopeless as ever because I didn’t take the time to learn marketing the correct way to build clientele to keep money flowing in while I was down. So I made a New Year’s Resolution to make a website and to start marketing via Facebook and Instagram. 2020 became the year I started making progress and felt like I was seeing the money I was spending roll right back in and I told myself “Okay Tonisha time to kick it up a notch and spread out further than just Florida” I started joining groups from different states and just promoting my brand and got into doing photos for the merchandise. I started getting out more and more and meeting women and getting their confidence to shop with me. The one I loved is that my friends and family supported me every step of the way even when I felt I was driving them crazy. 2021 was the year I stepped from behind the camera and joined in and started taking pictures in the outfits it was definitely a different feeling. I wanted to showcase different bodies to show what Touch of Sass stood for which my motto is “Be you no matter what society says.” Fast forward to 2022 I’m still going strong. Ive branched over to fully plus size after looking at sales and my audience. I have introduced myself to TikTok and am doing very well. The plus size community is very amazing and supportive. There is so much more in store for Touch of Sass Boutique and myself. I definitely am super proud of myself to see where I am right now versus 2018. I have grown so much over the years.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Tonisha Walden but I go by Toni. I’m 35yrs old born and raised in Miami, Fl. I’m a mother of 6 great kids (3 Boys 3 Girls) As a kid I’ve always doodled and drew out different designs that I said one day I’ll became a fashion guru and make designer clothing for celebrities. I grew up watching my great grandma sewing clothes for me and my siblings to wear and I knew fashion was the route I wanted to go. But growing up I took a turn and went to the Medical Field. After staying in Miami for awhile I took my talents to Jacksonville where I branched over to working in the Health Insurance world as a Licensed Sales Agent and did that until November 2019. While doing that I went back to school and got my A.S. in Business and my B.S.M in Business Management with a minor of Human Resource Management. These days I have branched out and have opened 3 more businesses and adding another soon. You will soon see me in worldwide. Touch of Sass Boutique is definitely my biggest brand I have and is geared towards my plush size community because we definitely don’t have fashion like we want and need, but, I’m determined to provide fashion for us other than floral outfits. I’m most proud of just never giving up on my goals and kept pushing forward even with the obstacles that came and tried to block me.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social Media is a tricky algorithm there. I’ve been on Social Media for about 3yrs on Facebook and Instagram. I post to talk to my customer and go from there. I also learned to always have a call to action with your post. Engage with your potential customers, talk to them, do polls, do Q and A’s. Trust me it works and it will bring you the clientele meant for you and brand.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I’m currently using Shopify for my site. I was previously using Wix. The one thing I love about Shopify is the fact that we can use just about any Buy Now Pay Later option on the site. They also have their own version as well. I also love the different integrations we can use to build our customer base, while also giving our current customers the option to join our loyalty program and collect points. The only con I have is that a lot of this stuff can’t be done in the app it has to be done on a desktop.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.touchofsass.org
• Instagram: touch.of.sasss
• Facebook: Touch of Sass Boutique
• Other: TikTok: Touch of Sass Boutique