Today we’d like to introduce you to Raisa Ffrench.
Raisa, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
The idea of entrepreneurship was something that never crossed my mind when I was growing up and even well into my adult years. My formal education began at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where I was a Psychology/Pre-med major. Upon graduation in 2011, I entered the healthcare industry workforce and began building my professional experience. After working full-time for several years, and my parents’ persistence in reminding me of my dream to become a Physician (at that time), I decided to enroll in a Master’s degree program praying that this would buy me additional time to determine if I wanted to attend medical school.
This may sound strange to some people; however, when you’re a descendant of Caribbean parents, the expectations for success are heightened. It wasn’t necessarily the notion of becoming a Physician equating to success. But more so, immigrant parents wanting their child to take advantage of all of the opportunities available in the U.S. And whatever dream I shared with them that I wanted to accomplish, they would support me the very best that they could and make sure that I was doing my part in accomplishing my goals and dreams as well.
In 2015, I began my journey to becoming a Physician. I successfully completed the basic sciences years of medical school and was now preparing for the standardized licensing board exams that every Physician in training must pass in order to continue into the clinical sciences years of medical school before graduating. I have always been an average standardized exam taker throughout my years in academia; therefore, I knew a guided study program was going to suit me best to be prepared for the licensing exams. It was after one year and a half of additional study time and failed attempts at preparation for this exam that I decided to leave clinical medicine. By this time, I had experienced anxiety, depression, daily migraines, and severe insomnia and I wanted more for my life and mental health.
Although my academic and professional life was at a standstill, my personal life and relationships were thriving and bringing me joy. My best friend became engaged and married, along with three other girlfriends. I was planning bridal events and weddings, which was the highlight of my life. It wasn’t until I attended the Small Business University entrepreneur course sponsored by the Houston Area Urban League that my desire to turn my hobby into a full-time business was manifested. And that’s how Effervescence Bridal House was officially born. I am so grateful for my life experiences thus far and how they have molded me into the woman, I am today. I was once ashamed to share my testimony and introduce myself within the industry for fear of being judged by my setbacks and unclear period of transition in my life. But thank God my past does not define me. The best is yet to come.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Becoming a small business owner has not been an easy road. The biggest challenges I’ve been faced with is the marketing aspect of the business. One sector of my business is to provide Day/Month of Wedding Coordination. This service is a basic necessity for brides and grooms on their wedding day, but with any newer business gaining clients is tough at first. The other sector of my business is Bridal Styling. This can be viewed as a luxury service and not necessarily a need that brides and grooms traditionally budget for. Therefore, my struggle again with the new business is to gain clients and convince them why this luxury service will benefit them.
Please tell us about Effervescence Bridal House.
Effervescence Bridal House specializes in Day of Wedding Coordination and Bridal Styling. I ensure that on the day of the client’s wedding, the management of all the vendors and coordination of the wedding party are handled as seamlessly as possible. And as for the Bridal Styling specialty, I assist each bride/groom in selecting the best wedding day look that they have for themselves with the proper attention to detail in silhouette, fabrics, and accessories from top bridal salons in the city or abroad. What sets me apart from others is that I have over five years of fashion industry styling experience from top companies in the industry: Juicy Couture, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Nothing. I value the mistakes that I have made in my business development because every mistake is a valuable lesson learned. And I’m very meticulous when it comes to preventing errors, so I try to anticipate what could go wrong and have a contingency plan ready so that I can tackle what is being thrown my way.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1980 Post Oak Blvd
Houston, TX 77056 - Website: www.effbridalhouse.com
- Email: eff.bridalhouse@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eff.bridalhouse/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/effervescence.bridalhouse.5
Image Credit:
Trinitistudioshtx-Titianna Richards
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