Today we’d like to introduce you to Dorothy Alexander.
Hi Dorothy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have always had a love for beauty and fashion since I was a little girl. I remember sneaking to play in my mom and aunt’s makeup (mainly blush and lipstick, LOL) on the weekends when they weren’t around. I would live for the weekends, when my grandma, mom and jazzy aunts would get all dressed up to go wherever they were going. Whether it was out with friends, to an event or church on Sundays. I would sit and watch them and think to myself, I will dress like that when I get older. Their hair, makeup, the fabrics, accessories, shoes, it all intrigued me. I knew early on that I wanted to be in beauty and/or fashion one day. As time went on, I wasn’t able to pursue either, but the love for it was still there and growing more and more. Then in 2020 the world was hit with the devastating Coronavirus. This virus took so much from us as a whole, as well as me and my family personally. The only positive that came from such a trying time, was it finally gave me a chance to slow down. I started working from home in March 2020. This idle time allowed me to really allow my dream to come into focus. I had prayed on it before, but this time was different. It’s like God spoke to me in a dream, and gave me the name of my boutique, my tag line, the entire vision. I could see it as clear as day. I got to work, reading everything I could find on how to start and operate a successful online boutique, researching vendors, ordering samples, creating my website, ordering business cards, and the list goes on. Then in October of 2020, Different. Unique. Chic. Boutique, LLC., went live. My baby was born and I couldn’t be more ecstatic.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Anything worth having is worth working for. I know we hear it all the time, but it is so true. There is a lot of hard work, a lot of trial and error, a lot of ups and downs, that goes into owning and operating a business, and the same applies with an online boutique. One of the obstacles I faced, in the beginning, was ordering from vendors that weren’t reputable. I would receive items, and the fabric would be cheap and nothing like the images on their websites. This not only wasted time, it wasted money. Once I got my LLC I was unaware taxes had to be paid quarterly, this was a struggle because it was all new to me, and not doing this on time caused me to have to pay late fees/penalties. At the time, I was frustrated when those things happened, but now I am grateful because they’re all learning experiences and stepping stones to get me to the next level.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Different. Unique. Chic. Boutique, LLC simply put is, “DIFFERENT women with UNIQUE bodies wearing CHIC clothing”. I believe women are beautiful in all shapes and sizes, and I want my clothing to reflect that. Society and the media has a preconceived notion that women are to look a certain way and be a certain size to be considered beautiful. I believe just the opposite of that. If you’re a size 2 or 22, you’re beautiful and should feel as such. That is why it is so important to me to provide clothing to make women feel good. Because when you look good you feel good.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I believe finding a mentor and networking will definitely help elevate any business to the next level. Right now, I am being a sponge, soaking up as much knowledge and information as possible. I follow successful boutiques like On and Off the Runway and I’Mare Boutique. They offer mentorship programs. They are also constantly giving out information and going live with other entrepreneurs, and answering questions that can be helpful to someone looking to start their business or grow it.
Contact Info:
- Email: ducboutique20@gmail.com
- Website: www.differentuniquechicboutique.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/different.unique.chic.boutique?utm_medium=copy_link
