#18 Are you a Clothes Flipper or a Brand Builder? The Art of Being Authentic with Ali Dee

Welcome to episode number 18.

You guys, I can't wait to dive.

Into this entire conversation about being a clothes flipper versus a brand builder. You're not going to want to miss this. Get ready to have a boutique chat with the one and only Ali D. Let's talk about your business strategy and the juicy details of what actually works, from mainstream fashion to fashion on Main street and the entire ecosystem behind it. How do we scale your company and do it with a balance and the happiness, happiness that we all seek. Let's hear from those insiders, experts and strategists that actually make it happen. I'm your host, Ashley Alderson from the Boutique Hub and I can't wait to chat. Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of Boutique Chat. It is a special one. This week we are just back from the 2018 Boutique Summit in Dallas, Texas. We are running on a few hours of sleep and nearly 10 days on the road. But you guys, I can't even begin to tell you how amazing the last week was for not only me, but our entire team. All of us flew to Dallas to be with you. Over 500 of you and for 35 speakers, 28 partners, wonderful new friends who we met from all over the world. I can't even begin to tell you how alive you and how strong the retail boutique industry is. We talked about everything under the sun in the last week from strategy and social media, Pinterest, Shopify, SEO, everything you want to know and then some in terms of POS and data, your numbers, buying plans, inventory.

Holy smokes.

There was a lot of information to cover, but you guys came, our speakers did a wonderful job and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next year. For those of you who were there, you heard me tell many stories of boutique owners who are sitting in the audience, listening, taking notes, and just in one year's time, what actually happened to their business? You know, I heard once that for those of us who are learning, right, we're learning. We're trying to grow our business, learn a new skill. The fact is, 97% of people consume content and 3% of people take action. So my big challenge to everyone who is in Dallas, and honestly, it's my challenge to you too, listening to this podcast. Podcast. Are you going to be a part of the 97% who just listen or are you going to be a part of the 3% who actually take action, who take what you learn, you write.

It down on paper and you have.

Time to implement it and implement it.

The right way tomorrow.

Which one are you guys going to be? You know, there's a lot of information that you can find, whether it's through podcasts or blogs, anywhere on the Internet, any course that you choose to take, whether it's through the Boutique hub or.

Not, there's information everywhere, right?

But it's finding the information that suits you best and then being inspired to take action on that information. Because we all have the same opportunity before us, right? So we wonder, why does it work for some and not others? Well, there's a lot that can go into that taking action, but being surrounded.

By the right people at the right.

Time I think is also so important. So not only were there people at Boutique Summit ready to take action, but. But there was people there ready to make connections. And I hope if you didn't have the opportunity to join us this year that you do in the future, because accountability buddies, and having someone to witness your journey and hold you accountable, uplift you in the good times and help you through the bad or the Internet troll times, as we shall say, is just as important to determine your success and your future in this business. So two takeaways I want you to know and understand from the 2018 Boutique Summit. First is be an action taker. Be someone who consumes content, digs in, asks questions and puts it into use consistently. Not just I tried it and it didn't work, but consistently puts that education into action and finds your outcome from there. And second is surround yourself with good people. Guys, we all need a boutique bestie. We all need someone to be there with us every step of the way. Someone who understands. And often that's outside of our family. It's outside of our parents, our sisters, our siblings and our spouses because they don't always understand the inner workings of the business. So if you haven't already, let us know inside of the Boutique hub, if you're looking for someone to hang out and be your person, we'll be happy to help introduce you. But guys, find a friend. Someone who's going to be there with.

You every single step of the way.

Now, this week on the podcast, I'm so excited to introduce someone who's a great friend of mine. So I'm someone who we've been Internet pen pals for I think some quite some time now, but finally got the opportunity to really have a deep chat and a deeper understanding about one another's business. And she is one smart cookie, you guys. This week we're chatting with Ali D, the founder of her own personally named clothing Line and also the commentator for the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Cowboys. She is a powerhouse. She is a woman with a mission.

Who knows what she loves, knows what.

She wants, and she's going for it. And she's going to tell you all about how she does it. Now, one thing she's going to talk about in this interview today and we also talked about at the Boutique Summit because I thought this line was beautifully said. She talked about our boutique owners today. Clothes flippers or are they brand builders? And really, what is the key difference between those two pieces? Right. You know, between you and I, I think that we have a lot to look forward to in this industry. Now there's Amazon, who a lot of us are competing against, to be frank. They have a huge share in digital space. But the reason boutiques are going to succeed in that fight is because we're brand builders, is because we offer something unique. We offer service and a personal touch and we're real people who understand doing business with real people.

Amazon can flip clothes all day long.

But guys, you're here to build a brand. I can't wait for you to hear Ali D's take on this entire conversation and for you guys to hear how she built her own brand because she's doing an excellent job. So without taking any more of your time, you guys, this is going to be a great episode. Get ready for it. Please welcome Ali D.

Hey guys. Whether you are a Western fashion insider.

Or not, I'm so happy that you're.

Here this week because we're about to.

Have a serious talk about building a.

Brand using Instagram, working with influencers, and what it means to have a successful boutique from a brand's perspective. Plus, we're going to talk about the elephant in the room surrounding the graphic tee trend. Are you guys ready for that? This week I'm so excited to be welcoming my friend, a designer, lover of vintage, an award winning singer, songwriter, and did I mention she's an Emmy award winning host, commentator for the Dallas Mavericks, the Cowboys, the Tuff Hedeman bull ridings, and so much more. She's got a lot on her plate and I'm not quite sure how she does it all. So we're about to find out.

Say hey.

Please welcome Ally D to the show.

Hey everybody.

Hey, girl. I'm so excited you're here today.

Thank you so much for having me. Yeah, it's nice to get a little break from the office for a minute and the chaos in here and we've been doing a lot of cutting of Fringe today. So my hands are getting a little break. So thank you. Perfect.

We'll take it. We were just chatting before we got on the show that it's so funny when you have like an Internet pen pal. Like what the Boutique Hub is basically how I feel like I already know you. Although I'm not sure we've really. We've maybe officially met in person once at Market, I think.

Right?

Yeah, I know, but I just, I feel like, you know, I've seen your. Your videos so many times and I just, I feel like we chat on a regular basis on Facebook. So it's so weird how I feel like I'm already like besties with you, but we don't really know each other that well outside Boutique hub land.

Oh, man. Well, we're gonna have to fix that. Well, I have a lot of questions for you today and I know you've got some really awesome insight to share both with listeners who are boutique owners and those who are brands and designers like yourself. So before we jump into some of those topics, I'd love to hear kind of about the milestones that you're hitting right now with the brand because you just got picked up by Boot Barn. You're in over a thousand boutiques nationwide, and you've got all kinds of things on your plate, which is pretty cool to see you manage all of this. I'd love to hear from your perspective just kind of how the company's growing right now.

Yeah, it's definitely been a journey. There's been lots of ups and downs. And you know, I am not someone who went to business school or really knows much about business. So any little milestones we do reach, it's really exciting for me and I try to keep it in perspective and celebrate those wins. And because I do think, you know, coming from really a creative, music oriented background, it has been a bit of a challenge learning how to be an owner of a company and a CEO. Things that I never in a million years thought I would become. I really thought I was going to run away to Disney World and, you know, be like Cinderella on the weekends or something like that. Growing up, that was my plan. But yeah, now here we are five years into it in Boot Barn Cavenders. We've been in buckle in malls across the country. So really just had a lot of big wins that, you know, were definitely not easy. It's taken work. I know a lot of people. It seems like it comes so easy and it just doesn't for us. We have to, we have to work really hard for everything. And so I think it does make it more exciting when things do work out.

Absolutely. I want to hear more about that because, you know, looking from an outsider's perspective, you've got this really cool company, this really cool brand that you've built. You're an entertainer, musician. Right. And you're this commentator for two professional sports teams, which is pretty wild. Not one, but two. Is that something like, are you someone who has a vision board, and is that something you've always tried to attract into your life? Or how do you think some of those pieces have kind of fallen into place?

Like, they have. No, I don't have a vision board. And, you know, this is something I often talk about with one of my best friends who's also an owner of a brand. She owns a swimwear company in Florida, and she very much is the type that has, like, visualizations and a vision board, and she knows where she wants to go. And I sometimes feel guilty because I really don't, like. I don't visualize what I want for the brand. I kind of just. I don't know if it's that I fly by the seat of my pants or if I just, you know, I kind of enjoy rolling with the punches as they come. But it's something that I'm working on, and she's helping me with that because I do feel like there's a lot of advantage when you do, you know, visualize what you want. I just kind of knew early on the things that I was not good at and the things that I didn't like, and I stayed away from that, and I went towards the things that I was good at and that I enjoyed doing, whether I made money at them or not.

Yeah.

So was it out of, do you.

Think, like, being a musician and then the TV show and the commentating, like, all those things kind of fell into place and then the brand to follow.

Absolutely, yes. So none of this was planned. I didn't have, like, a master scheme. I just knew that, you know, I loved music and I love songwriting. So, you know, that is basically the base of everything for my brand is the music. I mean, that's what it all comes from. That's where it's, you know, was born. My love for performing on stage and for interacting with fans and all that. And then from there, all these other pieces kind of fell into play. I also loved being in sports, and that was, like, my main. In college, that was my focus. I was like, okay, I'm never gonna make it in music. So I'm going to, you know, just wholeheartedly dive into the sports world and grew a great career from that. But of course, at the same time, always in love with the music. And after college is really when I pursued music, so I had this great degree, and then I was like, all right, I'm going to go be a musician now, so. But I was able to do both at the same time and have continued to do that my entire career, though many people have said not to. I just love. I love everything that I do, and I just can't give up one thing.

Oh, I don't blame you. That's so cool. So we've got to talk about the Mavs for a second, because I was asking you beforehand how long you've been doing that and really, you know, running both sides of what you're passionate about. And you said, was it 10 seasons you've been with them already?

Yes.

That's wild.

Over 10 seasons now. And it's just. I can't. I just absolutely love working for the Mavericks. It's such a creative organization, obviously run by Mark Cuban, who is so incredible to work for. And I feel like I learn a lot from being there and just witnessing how things go and how to entertain and how to build a brand and what things are important and not important and how, you know, every single customer, every single button, every seat in that arena matters. And, you know, that's something that Mark is really passionate about. And so I've, I guess, learned that from him. Just making sure that, you know, you're taking care of everybody like they have a courtside seat, you know.

Yeah, absolutely.

So.

And did you say earlier when you were hired that most people didn't last but a couple of months and you've managed to sustain this long, plus have a gig with the Cowboys?

Yes. So when I was hired to become a part of the Mavericks as an in arena host, they had. Chris Arnold was there, and he had been there for many years, and I think they had dabbled in other co hosts with him, but no one really worked out. And so I ended up. I can't verify this, but this is what the NBA tells me, is that I was the first female NBA host in history. I just, you know, they often will say that, and I can't believe that, but I guess. I don't know. I guess it's true. But yeah, they were like, okay, you know, no one really lasts longer than two or three months. It's just, you know, they're very particular about how you resonate with the fans. And it's nothing personal. I mean, they warned me basically to be gone within a few months.

Wow.

So I took it. I was a nervous wreck every time I was on the mic. I just thought, don't mess up. Look happy, look. I mean, all the things that I would want to see if I was sitting in one of those seats, you know, because it is experience for everyone that goes to watch a Mavs game. So luckily, I just hung on and, you know, the end of the season, next thing I know was there and I thought, oh, my gosh, I can't believe I made it through a whole season. And then I was a nervous wreck all summer until I had the call saying they wanted me back. And then now they're like, you know.

Stuck with me forever, perfect and lucky that they are. Right. And it transitions so well into what you've created in the off season for yourself and this company that you've built. You were telling me beforehand also, or I read this somewhere about you that dating back to when you were in, was it high school or college? You caught the bug early for designing, and you once even got kicked out of a hometown football game for a shirt that you designed. Is that true?

Yes.

I had some language that was unbecoming for a woman, but it was actually in college. I went to the University of Miami, and we were playing Florida State University, which the amount of hatred that you grew up for Florida State when you're University of Miami hurricane is, like, immeasurable. It's like an intense rivalry. And so there's this, you know, chant that they do. So I kind of made my own lyrics on a T shirt involving some cuss words. And they were. And, you know, of course it made it on tv. And they were like, oh, you're out of here. And I was like, no. So that's my claim to fame was getting kicked out of a football game for my creative writing skills.

I love it.

You got to turn that negative into a positive. That's priceless.

I hope you kept the shirt and framed it as well.

No, it's long gone. The beginning of something great.

Oh, man.

So kind of on that note, I mean, starting out with just owning who you are and your own creativity, you've kind of talked about your specific customer and your ideal customer, who you and I both know is a lot like you. Right. And you talked about this attract and repel concept and what that means in building your brand. Can you talk more about how you've done that?

Yeah. The first time I Heard about this particular marketing strategy, attracting and repelling, I was like. I mean, I was just so confused. I never in a million years would want to repel anybody. That was like, my biggest fear, especially as a musician. You just have the personality where you want everybody to love your music and love your designs and love your lyrics. And that spilled over into my fashion brand as well. But now, really, four and a half years, it took me to learn the importance of that lesson, because I feel that it's so important that the people you speak to are your people and that they understand your brand and your message and what you stand for, and they feel the same way and that you repel people that don't necessarily line up with that message. And it's not a bad thing. And it's actually helped grow our business tremendously in the past six months. Just kind of understanding that concept and learning that, you know, it's okay to not be everybody's cup of tea. I mean, you're just not gonna. You're not gonna be able to satisfy everybody. So if you kind of just really hone in on the people that resonate the most with your brand, it's gonna. I mean, you're gonna have big rewards in return. So it was a weird thing to learn thinking about, oh, I want to, like, repel people. But it's true.

It's so true. I say a lot, and you've probably heard me say this in the hub, that when you target everyone, you reach no 100%.

And I totally fell into that trap, because when the graphic tee market started to get flooded about two years ago, I felt I was just confused. I just, you know, it was a weird thing for me. There had only really been a few of us hanging around for a while, and then we slowly started to see, you know, overseas companies coming in and, you know, cutting prices and cotton just being able to make stuff copying you. Exactly. And recreating it and selling it for so much cheaper and not having the, you know, the brand or anything to go behind it. And then we started seeing that happen domestically as well. So it was just. It was just a weird time in the graphic Tees land. And I felt like I need to start, like, being able to offer more to more people because I will have a better chance of survival through this weird phase. And it turns out it was completely opposite. That really hurt my brand when I decided that I was going to try to do some more mainstream stuff and fit in and do this. And we really do one thing. We make really awesome western Graphic tees. And we have from the beginning. So I don't know why I thought I could compete with people who make mom style teas or faith based teas. Not that we did that much of that, but, you know, it just, it kind of spread us really thin. And then I think our customers felt abandoned and like, what is going on? I mean, they never said that because, you know, I'm sure they didn't want to hurt my feelings. But the people that were close to me did tell me that. And it was once I heard that that I realized, oh, my goodness, I can't believe I did that. And I was. I was upset with myself. But it was the best learning lesson because now I feel like we're so laser focused on exactly who we. That we've just like shot off like a cannon again. And it's been nice. It was, it was a little bit of a rough lesson for me.

That's so true, though. Do you think that that same concept is true with price too? Because you talked about everyone trying to be cheaper, to be better, rather than just being themselves and being better. Right?

Yes. I mean, I can't explain enough how important that sentence was that you just said, because I fell into the trap, of course, price as well. And I was like, okay, well, I'm just going to find cheaper blanks and I'm going to do it cheaper because I need to be competitive and everybody's selling t shirts for $12 and $13, and I need to be there, you know, if I want to make it. And that just again, totally backfired. It's almost like people didn't even care about that stuff. They wanted the shirt that they can sell for $38 in their store because if they want the other stuff, they can go on fashion, go and get that all day. But what we offered was, you know, something special. Exactly. Speaking to their customer, because we are their customer and there's value in that. And I just totally didn't see that at the time because all I wanted to do was just stay afloat, you know, just try to survive in this market that was so saturated. It was even to the point of where, like, when you were at Dallas market, buyers would be like, ugh, more graphic tees when they walked by your booth. And you'd be like, oh, bad. Like, don't say that. We're out here trying to survive too, you know, but it may, you know, it was a strange time. So, yeah, I would definitely say that knowing, you know, that you can charge more for a better Product is, you know, absolutely a possibility and even more so a necessity to, you know, if you want to stay afloat.

Oh, absolutely. And we were kind of talking beforehand, you and I, just about one of your mentors and a mentor of mine as well. Kim with Bling a Go Go, who, you know, same. Same type of thing. Who has really owned who she is and who her brand is and doesn't apologize for a price point because there's so much value that comes with it, so. Right on.

Yeah. And, I mean, Kim was one of the people that I learned from, you know, she was. It was. I literally. There was like, maybe three or four companies back in the day, and she was just immediately, like. She introduced herself. We just hit it off. Like, we are both very. I don't know, you know, just kind of down to earth. We're not scared to share secrets or anything weird like that. So we just hit it off. And I remember thinking, like, she is so awesome because she is charging a premium, but her shirts are premium. Like, they are so great. And, yeah, I just. I know. I always look up to her for that.

So the elephant in the room, I think, in the graphic tee business today is basically what you alluded to. This whole idea of copycats and people coming in and just trying to be cheap and knock off your ideas. What would your advice be to someone who's listening, who has their own brand, graphic tee or not, or a boutique with another boutique owner copycatting whatever they're doing? What's your advice to them?

Just to.

To stay in their own lane. How do they do that and keep moving forward?

I think the important thing, I was definitely there when I started. I would have knockoffs left and right. It would make me so upset. My sales reps would send me screenshots from their phones. I mean, literally exact copies. I even had some of the biggest Western brands copying designs. And I was just. I was like, okay, well, I guess I'm flattered. I don't. I don't know how to feel about this. But once I learn to just let go of that and stay in my lane and stay ahead of the trends, which I think is something that's key to just keep moving forward. Like, you can't look back.

Great.

Someone just copied a design that I did two years ago now. Okay. You know, And I do sometimes get sucked into it, you know, once or twice a year if someone is an exact copy. And I do just feel like, come on. You know? But for the most part, I think you just have to. The More you worry about that you're spending time away from growing your business. You know, how is worrying about someone copying you going to grow your business? It's not. So I just have had to learn the lesson that I need to 100% stay laser focused on things that help my business and not worry about the things that I can't control.

Absolutely. You were telling me a while ago we were talking about building strong boutiques, not just strong brands. And you said one of the strongest attributes a boutique has to learn is how to build a brand. I think you define them as clothes flippers or brand builders. Can you talk about the difference in the 2? In the retail market, yes.

So clothes flip. So that's kind of how we've separated boutiques. Or I say we, me mainly I see them as either there's clothes flippers and there's brand builders. So clothes flipper. And both are fine. And either business model is totally fine. But it just depends on who's going to work best with our brand. And it tends to be brand builders and not clothes flippers. Clothes flippers are just, you know, they want cheap, they want fast. They're not really into a personal connection with you. They just want, they're just flipping clothes like they would flip a house. There's no emotional attachment to the design or the features. You know, that's kind of what I can compare it to. If you look at like, you know, a house flipping show on hdtv and it's just they, they make it look nice, but there's no emotional attachment. Whereas the brand builders are more attached to their store. They're, they're concerned about, you know, the message they're communicating, the customers that they attract. And those type of people do want a personal connection, typically with, with a company. They want more attention. They want to feel connected to the brand. They want to understand, you know, why is the price what it is, all those kinds of things. And those are. The brand builders typically are the ones who connect the best with ali d brand. Because we're on the same page. We both understand the importance of brand building. Whereas clothes flippers, I tend to want to repel them and not in a rude way, but I just think there's a lot of other people out there that can service them a lot better and provide what they need, which is fast and cheap. That's not our specialty. We try to be as quick as we can, but we're not the cheapest and we're not the fastest, but we are the best at trying to build A brand, I feel. So that's the difference for us. That's.

It's so smart. There's a lot of insight right there. And like you said, there's definitely those two types out there, and it's important for brands just to recognize what fits them best and go after it. How do you think boutique owners today can build better relationships with brands? Because we've talked about some of the struggles of the new way of doing wholesale.

Right? There's.

There's market and there's digital platforms and there's Facebook groups. There's all these ways to connect. But at the end of the day, people want to do business with people, and we have to treat other people how we want to be treated. So how can retailers build that relationship with brands in a way that's mutually beneficial to that partnership?

Yeah, I would say if you're a boutique owner and you're listening and you are, you fit into the brand builder category, and you do want to feel like you're having a personal connection and, you know, closer with the brand, that I think it is important to make sure. I mean, you're just, like you said, you're treating them how you would want to be treated. So you're understanding, you're answering your emails, your phone calls, like, when, you know, you're paying your invoices on time. Like, all of those things I think are important, you know, to make sure you do have that. That connection. And also just communicating if there's anything wrong with the order or if there's anything, you know, if you're in a bind for money and you need a couple weeks, like, making sure that you're communicating all those things to the brand or the wholesaler, I think is really helpful.

It just.

It just builds a stronger bond and it's. It's really a mutually beneficial relationship. You want to both feel like you're getting the most you can out of the transaction, you know, and then it's.

Not just.

I don't know, just not. Not that personal connection. Yeah. I don't know if I answered your question, but.

No, I think you did. I think what's interesting today is everyone's so busy, right? It's just. It's not a time frame. It's not just here today, gone tomorrow, but just the. With social media and the way that we're connected to technology, everyone's extremely busy. So I think on both ends of the spectrum, because I hear this both from boutiques and I hear this both from brands, that whoever their customer is, they just Want common courtesy, right? Respond to a message or pay an invoice when it's sent to you, whatever it is, just treat other people how you want to be treated. But I think today the biggest key is that brands and boutiques together have to form a partnership and a mutually beneficial relationship. It's not one serving the other necessarily, but they have to work hand in hand.

Yeah, I think that's exactly what you said is so true. I don't think it's, it's, it's one sided. And sometimes I think that that's one of the hardest things as a brand that you have to deal with is you don't want to feel like I'm trying to sell you something all the time. You don't want to feel that, you know, oh gosh, here she is calling again to sell me some more T shirts like that to me is like a nightmare scenario. I want it to be like, yes, she's calling. Her stuff sells so good in my store. I'm so excited. Let's see what she has that's new. Like, sign me up. You know, that's the type of customer that I strive to have every day.

Do most of your customers come and see you at Market or what's your most preferred wholesale sales channel or relationship channel?

We'll say. I would say for me, markets are still number one. And it's for several reasons, but mainly I feel like boutique owners are really spread thin these days. They have so much going on, they're running the store, they have employees, they have families, they have so much to tend to at home. So what I like about Market is when they come to market, they're focused and they're ready to buy. They're in a situation where they're relaxed, they're ready to make decisions, they're making good decisions, they're not distracted by the chaos of the daily life and the store. And it's almost like, I don't know, if you go to Amazon, you know, you're there to shop, you know, you're not there to find a cooking recipe. So it's like when you go to market, you know your goal, you're there to buy great things for your store so you can make more money. So everyone there is in that mindset, it's like you're set up for that. Whereas, you know, selling on Facebook or even just via the Internet in some other capacity. There's, there's always distractions and so it just makes the connection a lot harder. And that's such a big Focus for us is that connection. That. That's why I still prefer markets. It's still by far our best for selling. I mean, we sell an incredible amount at market. We're always busy, and that's just, you know, for. For us, that's our bread and butter. And we do also, you know, stay. Stay consistent with Facebook and Instagram and all of that. But at the end of the day, the market is where we are going.

To do our best. So outside of going to market, what's your favorite marketing ninja trick? Do you have a ninja trick up your sleeve?

Ooh, I don't.

I see.

I'm big into using many tricks. So for us, it's not like we have one single thing that we do that we know we're always gonna, like, nail it with that thing. So I'm constantly improving everything. So whether it's SEO for the website to get more web traffic, whether it's selling on Instagram, DMs, Facebook groups, like, we're kind of into the whole gamut of it because we feel like, you know, we want the whole. The whole piece of the pie and not just focusing on little aspects of it. You know, we can have a chance to just really have the whole thing.

Yeah.

What about Instagram? I know you've got kind of a unique Instagram strategy. Yes.

So Instagram for us has totally been, like, flipped upside down. So we used to be really focused on having the perfect feed and what our numbers were like, all the things you're not really supposed to focus on. But let's be real, it's hard to not focus on those things. We just, you know, that was just. Everything had to be perfect. The perfect editing, the perfect shoes shot. I mean, it was just. It was so overwhelming. I'm like, how do these people do this? Like, this takes up, you know, 30 hours a week, just planning your. Your perfect content and your photo shoots and your models and your styles. I mean, it was just. It was. It was drowning me. It was just not something that was feasible. And. But then I started realizing the part that I enjoy the most is actually just chatting with people that like the brand. So I started investing a lot more time into just chatting and being social on Instagram as opposed to focusing on having the perfect feed. And I feel like everything, again, changed for us because then all of a sudden, they were connecting with, like, a real person at the brand, and I feel like that just made them want to buy from us more, I guess. I mean, I'm still in the middle of this Whole transition. So it's, I'm still learning from it, but I have noticed a huge growth in terms of conversions of sales from when we went to focusing on having like a perfect beautiful feed to focusing on being social and engaging with real life customers and, you know, thoughtful conversations. It's been totally game changing for us.

Do you guys work with several influencers on Instagram as well or what's that look like?

We have, we have worked with influencers in the past. I have also run the gamut of that and you know, had to be successes and failures mainly because of me not being specific on exactly what I want. So I think if you are going to work with an influencer, you just have to be really clear with each other on expectations and more importantly, be clear that that person is someone who's going to speak to customers that are your ideal customer. Because if they're not, if they don't fit into your niche, then it's not really worth it to me to make that connection because I feel like at the end of the day they're not going to be that into the brand. So I don't know. So that's something that you really have to be careful with is look at who their followers are and check out their feeds and you know, what type of celebrities are they following. Does that fit into your ideal customer? And if it does, I think it's a good fit. And if it doesn't, then you gotta move on.

So true, so true. I want to echo that. Such an important point. So on that note, because you're in the western industry, I have to ask this question. Who do you think is capitalizing most on the western industry and Western fashion today? Is it Western brands or is it mainstream brands?

Hmm, I think it's probably a little bit of both. I mean, I get really excited when I see western trends in mainstream fashion. I mean, when you see western styled shoots in Vogue and Cosmopolitan and all the big magazines, I think that's really exciting for us. But I still think there you have to maintain that core western base and then you can, you can pull from the others. But in mainstream it is a trend, whereas for us it is our brand. So we like to try to stay focused with, with western influencers and Western, you know, niche. But we also are so excited that it's, you know, you can walk into Nordstrom and see a pin, a pair of fringe high heels.

Pretty cool. Absolutely. So you've got to tell us about vintage because you're obsessed with vintage. You have a vintage line and now you're manufacturing some of your own pieces that look vintage.

What.

What is that all about?

Yes.

So I just love old things. I always have. I've been obsessed with vintage forever vintage clothing. Like, right now, I'm sitting here looking at, like, this really crazy 80s denim jumpsuit that would be like straight up in the honky tonk in the 80s, dancing to Reba McIntyre. It actually looks like something she would have worn. And it's just been. It just hangs here in my office. Not that I think anyone's gonna ever buy it, but I just work of art because it's just so funny to me. But yeah, just my obsession with vintage is real. And last summer I began a LED vintage line where I would, you know, curate and sell vintage western items. And it just blew up like crazy. We were in Cowboys and Indians, Cowboys and Indians magazine.

Just.

It was just a really exciting time. And I was making these fringe shorts from old Rockies. I just was obsessed with Rockies and became obsessed because I saw a waitress in a steakhouse in Cheyenne, Wyoming, wearing a pair of Rockies that I know she'd owned for probably 20 years. They were awesome. And then from then on, it just kind of grew. And so I started adding fringe to them and adding turquoise accents. And my stores were all wanting to carry them in their stores, but the problem was obviously they were just one off pairs of Rockies that I would find and decorate. So. But I did promise them that by this summer, I would be manufacturing fringe shorts that had the exact same feel and vibe as the Rockies, but, you know, our own brand. And so those just came out and we've been selling hundreds of pairs and we hand cut all the fringe right here in the office. So it has been quite the undertaking, but I was just determined to make it happen.

I love it. And I'm also loving your obsession with Reba McEntire. She also is one of my favorites. I'll never forget being 8 years old, and my mom and one of my sisters went to one of her concerts and they came home and said, guess what? She changed clothes 23 times during that concert. How amazing is that?

So amazing. She's just. She's awesome.

Yes. So I've got to know, kind of on that note, what's your go to piece that's in your own closet?

Ooh, vintage or non vintage? Both. Well, if I. I would say any. For non vintage, anytime I add a Charlie 1 horse hat to an outfit or a Kirkman belt. Those are two of my favorite western brands. I just feel like your Outfit goes from drab to fab, as they say. That's one of my favorites. And then in terms of vintage, it's gone to its new home. But I had this amazing yellow leather, buttery, soft leather fringe skirt, and it was. I'm just obsessed with anything yellow or mustard, and that's probably one of my favorite items. And then also I have this wide, vintage tooled leather belt that I put one of Cory's when he won Pendleton. I put the buckle on it.

But on the.

My friend found it actually in South Texas. In the back, the word D, like my last name, is embroidered in it. So I was like, oh, my God, get it for me. I know. So she brought it home and been living in my house for years, and it's probably my favorite thing. You'll see it in photo shoots all the time. Just because I feel like it makes everything look amazing.

So I love it. Absolutely. So who are some of your mentors in this industry? I mean, you've got so many things happening all at once. Is there somewhere you go just to kind of fill your cup and come up with new ideas?

Yeah, I would say. I don't know if I consider them mentors, necessarily, but people that I learned from from that, I don't know. Like, do you have to know your mentor, or can they be strangers? No, I don't think so.

Like, Gary V. I would count him as a mentor.

Right? Yeah. Okay. Well, I was gonna say Gary V. I love him. It's really hard for me to connect with business people because since I don't have, like, an unnaturally innate business sense, I feel like I have to really connect with someone on a different level. So I love learning from Gary V. Jenna Kutcher's grades. There's just something about Gary Vee and the way that he speaks. It's a little crass. Obviously, he does use a lot of foul language, but I think he just has a way of speaking to young people that really just motivates you and helps you understand, you know, what's important, what's not important, and how to focus.

Absolutely. And I mean, the fact that you.

Got kicked out of a football game.

For a crude word on your shirt, you have so much in common already.

I know. We're a match made in heaven. Sometimes I get so excited because I'm sure he has ten hundred of people running his Instagram, but he's someone that's really good, actually, where I learned the skill of communication on Instagram from, now that I think about it, it's from him. Because if you see something funny on a story and you write back like you message like, oh my gosh, this is hilarious. He'll always respond with like a smiley or a thumbs up or like, you know, obviously we're not having in depth conversations, but just that, like that moment that he or someone took for his brand to recognize the fact that like, I enjoyed the content, like, it's like, you know, lasts a lifetime for me. I'm a fan forever now. Thanks for that little smiley face.

It's all about making the other person feel special, right?

Yeah. Social media is really like a dating game. I mean, you don't want it to be one sided. You know, there's nothing worse than feeling like, I really like this guy and he doesn't like me at all. So the same goes for social media. It's, you know, it's a relationship, it's a little dance. Yeah.

So advice that you would have for someone, either a brand or a retailer that's maybe nervous about stepping in and being the authentic leader of their brand, like you have, what's your advice for them to take the first step and just to be comfortable in their own skin and lead who their brand is.

I think it's really important for them to understand that people want to connect with somebody at the brand and most of the time that's gonna be the person who created the brand. And I actually have this conversation all the time with my friend Michelle. She owns a swimwear company in Florida and she is, you know, a lot. She's, she's shy and she's not as willing to be the face of the brand. But we're always having the discussion. I'm like, Michelle, it's so people want.

To hear your stories, like, where did.

Your designs come from? What made you, you know, cut the swimwear like that? Like all those little things are so important. And so, you know, she's been working to implement that into her brand because people, they don't, they don't know why you do something unless you tell them. And, you know, if it comes from the person that actually had the idea, it's just so much more genuine and authentic than like, you know, some, you know, random, I don't know, person telling the story for you. Like, I feel like it's a lot stronger when it comes from you. And then, you know, like when she told me some stories about why she cuts things the way she does, I'm like, oh my God, I have to have that. Like, I cannot live another day without that. Swimwear top, like, because I want that exact same experience. And I think that only comes from really when you show that authentic side of yourself into the brand. I mean, it is scary. It's super weird, you know, for people that are not used to being in the spotlight, I could see how it would just be terrifying. But I mean, at the end of the day, those are going to be the people that buy your stuff, are going to be the people that connect with you the most. So you just kind of have to go for it and you don't have to be perfect. That's one thing, you know, that I always talk about is the paralysis of the analysis. You cannot overanalyze every little step you make. I make mistakes all the time, every day, and I learn from them. And you got to move on. You got to have thick skin and, you know, just, just roll on from it. Because there's nothing worse than being sitting there for eight hours trying to figure out what you're going to say on your Instagram story. You know, you just gotta say it and move on. It disappears in 24 hours. Move on.

I think you said, you said to me earlier about how it's so much easier to be social on social media when your intent is building a relationship versus being narcissistic.

Yeah, it's, it's 100% true. It's like the most eye opening but obvious experience ever for me because it was just so overwhelming. Social media was just like such a chore. And now, like, I love it. Like at night, it's where I sit down and I'm like, oh, let me see what's going on on the Explore page and let me see who's, you know, talking about what type of fashion. And you just got to jump in, get in the conversation, you know, make connections. And it's just so much more rewarding because really that's what it's, it's built upon being social and building relationships and not like just, you know, so much sell, sell, sell. So that's what's been really exciting.

Amen. So what's next for Ali D? Both the wholesale company, the brand, but also Alide Music.

Well, I'll start with the music. I have a new single coming out in June, which it's been a couple years since I've had new music coming out, so I'm really excited and I'll have more. That's just like in the beginning stages. I think the release date is going to be June 15, 2018. So really excited about that. And then in Terms of. For the brand, I just want to continue to build on this momentum that we've recreated in the past six months and just, you know, I'm really excited. I feel like we're kicking butt every single day. And it's all because we become just so laser focused on building the brand and what it means to have an ideal customer and just serving them and helping them feel the best that they can be. So I just, I think that that's it. Like I said, I'm not really like a vision board person, so I don't have a big picture. Even though I'm trying to work on that, I just, I just kind of roll with it and hope for the best.

I guess you're cracking me up because my last question always is for everybody on the show about what is the leg they want to leave. So I was going to ask you, if you become a vision board person, where do you want that to take you? And at the end of the day, let's say that you sell this company at some point. When people talk about you and your music and this brand and how it made them feel, what is it that you want them to say about you and this lasting impact that you left?

I think one of the most important things is that, you know, it was. It's down to earth, it's real, it's authentic. I mean, I think those are the things that are going to matter the most to me at the end of the day. That it was just they felt like they had a connection with me and the brand and the music and all that other stuff that goes along with it and, you know, that they had a good experience and that it was fun, you know, it was a fun, uplifting brand.

Perfect.

Perfect.

And it is.

Well, Ali, thank you so much for being on the show today, for spending some time chatting with me. I think I can speak for everybody listening who, you know, just simply wants to say thank you and commend you for being such a. Such a breath of fresh air and being real and authentic and, you know, being an active, valued member of our community at the Boutique Hub.

Well, thank you.

Isn't she awesome, you guys? I loved having the opportunity to chat with Ali D this week. And I love the statement about being closed flippers versus brand builders. I can't wait to hear your take on it too. Please make sure send me a message over on Instagram. I love to video chat and DMS back and forth with you guys to hear your take on each and every episode. So tell me, what is Your definition of a clothes flipper versus a brand builder. And what boutiques or big box stores do you think are doing it right in either one of those categories? Because really, there's space for both. You know, there's plenty of opportunity to be a clothes flipper, and people have built great businesses off of that. But there is more of an opportunity, in my opinion, for boutiques to be brand builders and really connect with your customer. So share me your thoughts over on Instagram @ajalderson. And please give Ali D a shout. She did an awesome job this week. Right? Hey, guys, if you didn't hear the news after the Boutique Summit, we have been putting together something very special for you. And last week on the podcast, or two weeks ago on the podcast, actually, when Sarah Burks, our director of partnerships and education here at the Boutique Hub, joined me on the show, we talked about something that we were building and we're so excited to see share. You know, almost two years ago now, we launched a program called Boutique Boot Camp. And that's really our highest level mentorship and coaching program where we take on just a small group of boutiques five at a time, and we sit down for eight weeks and go through every single aspect of your business and we talk strategy, we implement Facebook ads, we run all kinds of numbers, and we watch you grow and succeed and move the needle to that next level of your business. But because of the good news and the success of those boutiques who are going through Boutique Bootcamp, our waiting list grew and grew and grew and unfortunately, it grew to a point where we couldn't take everybody on the waiting list anymore. So what's been happening now for the last year is we've been building and we've been building something new that we could share with more of you so that you could use some of these same tools and strategies and techniques in your own business. And what that's called is Retail Bootcamp. What we did is we paired everything from Boutique Bootcamp that I teach, and especially E commerce, digital sales strategy, Facebook ads, and funnels. And we paired it with everything that Sarah has used and implemented in over 20 years of operating a super successful brick and mortar boutique in southwest Wisconsin. We cover everything from team building, operations, hiring, firing, every piece of merchandising, financial management, accounting mindset, and working and being alive in your community. There's lots to talk about in terms of this business, you guys. I know just how much it entails. I know you know how much it entails to be the CEO of your business and grow it to the next level. And so our mission with this entire program is really to save you time, to save you time and headache of those costly mistakes that we all make in business. Amen. Who's made a mistake? I know I have. Right. So if I could have that crystal ball and go back and change some things, I definitely would. And so that's an opportunity we want to make sure that we share. Save you time, save you effort, and save you money. To give you some proven strategies that have worked for us in our businesses and have worked with hundreds of boutiques that we've been able to work with along the way. So, guys, Retail Bootcamp is only going to be available for about two weeks and then we're going to close the doors because we're going to use this program, which is going to be 12 weeks long, for several of us to get together through 12 modules of content, a number of awesome bonuses from not only our team, but guests like Laura Benson of Philly Flair Boutique, the team at Shopify, the team at Pinterest, and numerous others. So we can dig deeper in your business and several of us can get together in Retail Bootcamp, walk through every single step of your business and make sure that we're leaving with a strong plan and a strong strategy, something that you can go home and implement for the rest of your days in this business. We can't wait to work with you on this program. So if you'd like more information, all the details are in the show notes. Be sure to click the link and feel free to message me anytime. Either Ashley, the boutiquehub.com or over on Instagram @ajalderson. I'd be happy to help you through the questions. And guys, if this isn't for you, it is no sweat because trust me, there are tons and tons of awesome podcasts and tons of content coming your way from the Boutique hub. So let me know if you've got questions. Otherwise we will be right back here next week, same time, same place, and we have got some pretty mega awesome guests coming your way. Can't wait to share the details. So guys, have a great week. We'll be back soon. See you on the next boutique side. Hey guys, thank you so much for.

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