Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Brown.
Hi Erin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started my company in December 2020. I was a senior in high school 17 at the time. I had multiple journals filled with sketches of clothing that I had created. I was determined to find clothes that were cute and affordable. I searched everywhere and could not find anything that I truly liked. So, I decided to start my own boutique, and sell clothes I loved at an affordable price. That is when Miss Smile started.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I definitely had struggles along the way. A big struggle was when I went to college. My mom and sister had to sacrifice a lot and helped me out with shipped and dropping off orders when I was away. But, we overcame this. I figured out a way so that my company could be all online and I did not have to ship from my house anymore. Another obstacle we faced was marketing.
We needed to figure out a way how to become known in the teenage girl world. That is when we took advantage of TikTok and started to find well-known Tiktokers to post our clothes on their socials. This was a big help and has led us to our highest month of sales in July of 2022.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a full-time student at Creighton University going into my sophomore year. I am the CEO of Miss Smile Boutique. I am a marketing manager for several St. Louis-born companies, and a graphic designer for Creighton university. I am also about to launch my new sister shop to Miss Smile Boutique called Shop Beaded Bags. I am most proud of all the support I have had from family and friends.
I am also very proud of how much I have accomplished at such a young age. Something that sets me apart from most is that I journal every day. I journal my goals, what I am thankful for, and what my day was like. Another thing that sets me apart from others is networking. Networking has to be one of the most important things in life. Every opportunity I have gotten was through networking.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
The most important piece of advice for those that are just starting out is to accept failure. Everyone has failures, but it is the ones that know how to deal with failure that succeed. I wish I asked for more help when starting out. You do not have to prove that you can do it all by yourself. Help & support are what grow a good company!
Pricing:
- Use code VoyageRocks for 15% off on your next order.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://misssmileboutiques.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misssmileboutique/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/misssmileboutique/
