Meet Laura Browder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Browder.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always loved fashion but didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do in it. I decided to start an online boutique a few years ago and it was tough to start out because I had no idea on where to get my inventory. I tried to reach out to a few boutique owners I had knew and they helped but only gave me so much information to go off of. Which I totally respected because why should I expect anyone to give me information they worked hard on getting for themselves. So with limited information and me wanting something so bad it pushed me to do my own research and find my own vendors to buy from. I took trip after trip to L.A. and the first few times I had no luck. One of the first time I went I actually had pneumonia and here I am walking around the fashion district sick and frustrated because I was getting nowhere.

At this point, I literally almost gave up. However, I came back to Houston and put my nose to the grindstone and researched every single business card I picked up in L.A. Finally, I was getting quality clothes from vendors that I actually loved. Now I’m not saying I have the boutique business all figured out because there are days I can’t find exactly what I’m looking for but my point is if you do the work and research and stay consistent, you will get the results you are looking for. I don’t drop new items as often as bigger online boutiques but when I do almost every time I sell out. I’m going to continue to put my all into my online business so that I can grow it to be as big as some of my favorite women stores. Actually Zara is a store I really look too for inspiration and ideas. I just love their pieces and the marketing and how they make the most affordable luxury clothes ever! My goal is to be as big or ever bigger then Zara or H&M or TopShop one day.

So another part of my website and business is blogging! I love to give my point and ideas of the latest up and coming trends and fashions. Blogging give me the creative freedom to say whatever I want and give my sometimes unpopular opinion about whatever is in fashion news on Instagram or some other social media platform. I read magazines like Vogue and Elle to keep me updated or give me an idea as to what the tread forecast will be for the new season and I compare my notes and believe it or not sometimes trends listed in Vogue are the same trends I have written down and thought about. So when that happens, it gives me confidence that I am doing exactly what I love and I’m doing it well.

The last but not least part of Sense of Style by Laura Browder is the styling. Styling is really like my first love. I’ve always loved putting different outfits together on mood boards way before I had clients to do this on and I would always think to myself I can’t wait to style a real person besides myself. I remember I would DM (direct message) different photographers and creative directors on Instagram all the time but with no response. Finally, I was blessed with a great opportunity to style an individual who had a huge following and I was a nervous wreck. I was so nervous I even second-guessed, was I even good enough to do this? The creative director who I am so grateful for had so much confidence in me. At the time, I would wonder what did she see but the more and more I did it, I finally had the confidence and I seen exactly what she saw. From that one opportunity, it opened the door for so many others and I will always remember and be so grateful for it. It truly pushed me and gave me confidence in all aspects of my business and is still pushing me to the person I am destined to be. When I started all of this, I lacked confidence and I lacked it so much that I gave up several times but every time I always ended up back at the drawing board, ready to restart. I am the biggest believer that confidence changes everything.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been smooth, every day a new problem pops up and before I would get really frustrated and cry about almost everything. A big part of my struggles and challenges are trying to find balance. I am trying to figure out how to juggle everything because I am a full-time student, a mom of 2 kids and a business owner. It gets stressful and tiring. There is honestly not enough time in the day is often my everyday thought. So this is my biggest challenge right now just trying to balance it all.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
My biggest lesson I’ve learned is to stay consistent.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.senseofstylelb.com
• Email: info@senseofstylelb.com
• Instagram: @senseofstylelb

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