#617: From Chaos to Clarity: Navigating Big Changes in Small Business

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Business can be a lonely game, but it doesn't have to be. Welcome to Boutique Chat where we explore community over competition and how to scale your company with the balance and the happiness that we all seek. We'll hear from product based businesses of all types, retailers, e commerce and wholesale brands, along with industry experts shaping the future of our industry. I'm your host Ashley Alderson from the Boutique Hub and. And I can't wait to chat. Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast this week. I love stories like we're going to get to share today what a journey your life has been and your business has been and your opportunity just to see this industry from so many different perspectives. I can't wait to share what we're going to get into today. Thanks for being here, Nicole.

Thanks for having me, Ashley. I'm so excited.

This is the second time you've been on the podcast.

It is. And I was thinking maybe I should have listened to that episode because I'm an entirely different person since that episode.

We both could probably chuckle. I think that was during COVID wasn't it? Or right.

It was. It was. I was like in the thick of COVID with the business and just in full on trying to make it work mode. Yeah.

So much had changed for you. I think you had. Did you have a storefront then and you closed your storefront?

We did, yeah. I had a storefront. I had a warehouse. I had a staff of over 15 at that point. Like, it was chaos.

Okay, wow. Fast forward from then to now. These guys know you are a huge part of our team here at the Hub with so much insight and knowledge, obviously, because you've been in everyone else's shoes before. So we've got to like back the train up for a minute and go back to tell me a little bit about your boutique. And let's talk about the journey of going from boutique owner to not being a boutique owner anymore. That just. Where do you even want to start today?

Oh my gosh. Where do we even start is a good question, Ashley. I'll just kind of back it up to even before the boutique. I've always had like a thing with fashion. I started sewing in middle school and then that led into high school, which I made like my own prom dresses and homecoming dresses. That's so cool. Yeah. And then I like, race dirt bikes on the weekends, so it was kind of interesting. But I knew I wanted to study fashion. So a month after I graduated high school, I moved to New York City. I'm from Delaware, so That was a big change. I interned and really worked my butt off while I was there to learn as much as I could about the industry and just what I liked, what I didn't like. After college kind of wrapped up, I decided to bring small. I decided to bring fashion back to my small town. So I moved back to Delaware at this time. I was working for a buying office in New York. So I was commuting back and forth a few days a week, and I was like, you know what? I feel like I could do something with this here. I was designing still at the time, making gowns for people in my local community. And then I found out I was 21 years old at this time. I found out I was going to be a mama. And that was very much a surprise. So I had this moment of like, oh, my gosh, okay, do I give up on my dream? Do I kind of put this on the back burner and in quotes, get a real job? But I just had this overwhelming feeling that I could never look my daughter's. My daughter in the eyes one day and tell her to follow her dream if I had given up on mine. So I was just kind of in it. I'm like, all right, here we go. I decided to switch gears from designing to purchasing inventory. And I launched my online boutique on my daughter's first birthday. Love that. Yeah, that was 2012. We were doing pop ups at the time. I had, you know, I would pack whatever I could in my trunk, go to people's houses. We were doing home parties and events. And an opportunity came to open a location. So I did. We was probably within. Within the first year of being online. I opened a storefront and quickly outgrew that. I expanded into a second location. We were there for a few years. Yeah. Which is led into having a warehouse at one point. And then, like I said, during, we had that location, the warehouse, and eventually a staff of about 15.

Man. Well, that's incredible. So before we talk about decisions that came after that, I want to just go back. I mean, that type of growth doesn't happen by accident. It happens because you are so diligent and very, like, thoughtful in how you built your brand and your community. Talk to me about that, because I know there's people listening going, man, I'm still new, Nicole. Like, how do I even get, you know, to one warehouse or to one storefront? So what do you think? Major boutique successful at that time? What was really working for you?

Yeah, you said it, Ashley. It was really about the community. Like, that was so important to me from really leaving my town to go to New York all the way up until the very end. Like, I was always sharing with my community, my journey, what I had been going through during that time. I had also become a single mom to eventually two kiddos. So I was really open and really vulnerable with my audience, I guess you could say. And they related to me more so because of my story and my strength and my bravery and all the things. So I really think that just connecting with your community in a way that's more than just close. It's so much more than selling a product to your community. It's about getting to know them as people. They're humans.

Yeah. You know what's interesting is, and I think this is like, if you're listening and you're an online retailer, you sell apparel. This is probably a little bit more natural to you. And if you're listening and you're a legacy, you know, brick and mortar, home and gift, this is maybe a little more foreign to you, I think, where we bridge the gap and come together in the middle. From your story and your point of view is when someone's in person, I'll say, like in an old school brick and mortar.

Right.

You, like, are so used to having these deep conversations with your customers who come in the store, and it just feels so natural. But when you transition that into an online setting, like a Facebook group or Instagram stories, all of a sudden it feels very foreign. But it's essentially the exact same thing.

It truly is.

I think everyone, no matter what you sell and no matter what type of business you have, you have that opportunity to build that community and to be vulnerable. It's just doing it through a little bit different medium. But it's something you would do in person anyway.

Yeah. We always say, get to know your customers. So then it's like, okay, well, how do I do that? It's by having conversations. And whether you have a brick and mortar store or not, you can go on an Instagram story and connect with people there. Getting in person at events in your local community and connecting people there. Word of mouth is truly everything. And usually word of mouth comes from a genuine conversation from the business owner versus what they bought and their customer service experience.

So, yeah, so good. So you built this incredible brand. You had a wonderful community. But at some point you started to weigh this decision of, is this still, for me, should I make a change, a big life change? And that's a. You know, a lot of people weigh those options. And I Think there's probably some challenge in feeling like this is my identity, this is who I am. How did you walk that road?

Yeah, my. My boutique was literally Nicole J Boutique.

It was.

My name attached. And it's funny, now I say, you know, my family, like my mom, my husband, they call me Nikki. But I'm so used to introducing myself as Nicole that, like, in my community, it's not Nikki, it's just Nicole J. It's not even Nicole. It's Nicole J. You know, so it's true. It becomes so much a part of your identity. And for me, it was like, well, who am I without the business? You know, I had started my journey with fashion in middle school, so it's like I felt like that's all I was known for. And like I mentioned, when Covid hit, we had the warehouse, we had the retail location, the staff of 15. Our doors were shut so fast. At the time, my husband was a paramedic, so he was really facing the pandemic head on. We have three small children. We were doing virtual learning. I had to furlough all of my employees. I quickly became a one woman show again. So it was like really back to the basics. And for me, what happened was when we were able to open the doors again, I realized that my priorities had really shifted over the last year or so. And I enjoyed having slow moments. I enjoyed not having a huge team underneath of me. I enjoyed having the freedom of, you know, stepping away from the store without the store hours. And so I had to make a big decision of, okay, are we opening back up seven days a week again to be able to afford the overhead that we have now. Hiring was a whole different ballgame. I had lost a lot of my employees. I still love them so much. Like, I. Team building was a big thing to me. I love my girls, but they had to move on, right? Like, they had to provide for themselves and their family. So I had this point of like, all right, is there a possibility of me not being a boutique owner anymore? That's scary.

It is scary.

After 10 plus years of being Nicole J. The boutique owner, and when I realized that I was basing the decision off of what other people would think, off of letting my customers down, letting my community down. Because I have been their staple for fashion for so long, when I realized that was what was my decision maker, it became a no brainer for me. They will understand. It's time for me to prioritize my happiness and really see what else is out there for me.

Man, that's a gut check moment right there.

Yeah.

Am I doing this for other people and not for myself? And it's funny because as I listen to you, like, yes, you could go through that decision making process if you're deciding, is it time for me to close my boutique? But maybe it's not even about closing your business. Maybe there's things that you've been doing, or maybe there's arms of your business or big projects that you've been holding onto that are just weighing you down and you. You didn't want to kill them and cut them off because you felt like, you know, they meant something to someone else. But really, would you be happy or just to slow down? I think about this, you know, I have horses, right? And so in training barrel horses, I often am telling my girls, I'm like, you know what? Sometimes we need to slow down to speed up. We've got to go back to the basics. We got to learn how to lope a perfect circle before we can introduce more speed and go fast again. But, boy, slowing down once you're used to going fast is really freaking hard.

It is so hard. And sometimes. I had just shared something like this on Instagram yesterday, actually, where it was like, we feel like we need more in life, like there's more goals to reach or something else that we're, you know, aiming for. And sometimes it's like, really, you need less. You need less on your calendar so you can have more time with the people that mean the most to you. And that's really what it was about for me at that time was like, okay, if I'm going. I almost felt like I had to go backwards in a sense of, like, back to what the business was pre Covid and did that make sense for me anymore when I really was just craving more time with my kiddos and just ready to be mom and, you.

Know, oh, my gosh. Okay, so fast forward. So you made this decision. You walk through this fire. What did you learn? Like, just tell me about the day that you realized, okay, I'm on the other side and I'm okay. And you started to glance back in at what you had just walked through. What did you realize about yourself? What did you recognize from your journey that you just couldn't see otherwise?

Yeah. As soon as I made that decision, I felt this sense of freedom that I had never felt before. And it wasn't freedom of, like, I've been doing the wrong thing for 10 years. It was like, I'm so proud of everything that I've Done. And, you know, back to when I decided to move forward with my dream was I was going to be a mom, it was like, I don't want to give up. So that way, that weight heart heavy on my heart, like, is this giving up? And is that a message I'm showing my kids? And when I made that decision of like, this is not giving up. This is giving yourself permission to prioritize your happiness, to try new things, like, this is one of the greatest lessons that I could give them is that you're not stuck. You're not stuck where you are. It's okay to be proud of all that you've done and then be open to other opportunities as well. So I think as soon as I made that decision, you know, I sat in the store, I emptied the store out, we sold everything. You know, we went through all that. And I brought the kids to the store that morning, and we have pictures just kind of like dancing around the space. And just like, it was. It was like really just a beautiful, bittersweet moment. I took them to school, I came back and I just sat there. I literally laid on the empty floor of the boutique, and I just kind of soaked in everything I had done and built, and I really just gave myself that moment to reflect and celebrate. And I walked out of that door that day, actually. And I just. I was so excited and just proud. Really proud of myself for the journey, but proud of myself for coming to the decision of, like, I don't owe anybody an explanation. This is. This is what feels good to me, man.

I have goosebumps. I have goosebumps listening to you. That's incredible. What a major milestone moment for you and for your family. And just the mental health aspect of all of it, like, you said yes to yourself in a whole new way. What's your advice to a boutique owner again? I don't want this to be like, a boutique owner's listening going, oh, I'm scared. I'm not going to make it. Like, you know, this is not a doomy and gloomy thing. You can have both.

You can have both.

But it's okay to say yes and it's okay to say no. You've got to do what's right for you and not for others. So what would your advice be to a boutique owner who's like, man, Nicole, overwhelmed. How can I just have a little bit more peace? How can I live as a boutique owner and just find that space for myself if I want to maintain this business or if I want to make this decision you just talked about.

Yeah. I think it really comes down to figuring out what is best for you. Right. We get into this comparison game of seeing other boutiques and what their success looks like. It's really not about what success looks like. What does success feel like for you? Right. And, you know, we. I'll just give you an example. When I was a boutique owner, and like you said, Ashley, I don't want this to be doomy and gloomy by any means, because I absolutely loved being a boutique owner, and that's why I'm a part of the hub teams, because I just. I love this industry so much. Yeah. But when I was really at my growth period of the business, I saw other boutique owners, you know, growing and expanding into warehouses. And, like, pre Covid, that was the thing. It was like, you know, you're really making it. If you have a warehouse, you build your online presence. So I was like, all right, here we go. Let's do that. Then. I had this goal of hitting a million dollars in sales before I turned 30, because that seems like, you know, another goal that a lot of boutique owners put on themselves. But attached to that goal was no real reason why I needed that number. It was just like, I felt like that would be success to me. The year before I turned 30, I lost my grandmother, who is, like, my person. We opened the warehouse. Our business was killing it. We were, like 10k short of a million dollars, and it was, like, crushing me. Like, what can we do to get to. It's ridiculous, right? But then when I stepped back and I looked at my reports, over the last previous years, we had done, like, $3 million in sales or something. I'm like, this is ridiculous. Like, you know, why am I so stuck on this goal? And let me tell you something. That year, I have never been so stressed out. I was literally losing hair, you know, and I was just fighting for this goal of what I thought success looked like and dismissing what success really felt like for me. And that was a big learning curve in my boutique journey, I would say.

Have you ever wondered if someone else in business is going through the exact same thing you are right now? Whether it's an obstacle to overcome or a new opportunity you aren't sure if you should pursue or not? Or maybe just some of those same questions about, man, am I really getting the most out of my inventory or my Facebook ads or my team? How can I do business just a little bit better and enjoy life just a little bit more? Well, those are a lot of the questions that we answer on a day to day basis inside of our community at the Boutique Hub. If you're listening and you aren't yet a member of our community or I want to invite you to join us. We have 14 different niche Facebook groups to connect you with store owners at the same level. And just like you, no matter what you sell home and gift apparel, children's specialty, we've got groups for all of that. Plus we want to get you up to date with the latest training, the latest information and strategy on what's working right now in our industry. With our weekly education plus our maxed out training library, we also have hundreds and hundreds of vetted amazing wholesale brands who have been proven to do business in boutiques. We don't like trademark infringement, we don't like brands with poor customer service. We handpick the best of the best and the best of the best. Love working with Boutique Hub members as well. So they offer numerous discounts and free shipping whether it's at market inside of our groups or on our own wholesale platform hubventory.com with thousands of dollars in savings and just for Boutique Hub members. So if you aren't yet a member, we'd love to invite you to join us@the boutiquehub.com backslash join to be a part of our community on a daily basis. I can't wait to see you inside and I can't wait to see you connect with amazing business owners who are serious about their business just like you. That is so, so well said. And I, I feel like I see, and I know you see people chasing the same thing today, right now. And what happens then is if I'm chasing what I think it looks like that's leading me to make some dangerous decisions and I'm just going to call it out. Taking Shopify Capital, PayPal Capital, fair terms and basically garnishing my wages and then end up paying 30% interest because I thought I needed to have a little bit more inventory so that I could, you know, look like I was successful or so that I could have this top line sales number that was leading to a zero profit number. It's not what you sell, it's what you make, it's what you keep and what you pay yourself. So man, any other thoughts or advice for those listening that are just like they're in making scary investments right now and you're like no, no, no, go back to the basics. What, what do you think people really should be focused on that would actually lead them to the type of success that's sustainable.

Oh, my gosh. A few things come to mind, but I want to back up to, like, social media for a second because I know I've been guilty of this as well. As a business owner, like, it's. We. We do a really good job of making it look easy. And, you know, it's. It's one thing to be on social media as a boutique owner and sharing behind the scenes, but, like, you're not really seeing the true behind the scenes. And there's a lot of things that, you know, we kind of brush under the rug because it doesn't seem like it's what we should be sharing. And that's okay. Like, you have to be true to what your audience wants to see on social media. But I think it's important to know that some of these boutiques that are doing, you know, big things, they've had these moments of putting themselves in crappy situations as well and going towards those loans and things. And I don't think the goal should be more inventory, more sales, more followers. The goal should be how am I connecting with my audience and my community, whether it's in person or online. Like we were saying, actually, it's like, how can you provide something that makes them feel good? You know, and it's so much more than the clothes that you're showing. It's showing up as a true person. We're craving connection right now. We want to connect to people in a real way, you know, So I think the focus should really be, who are you? And are you the same person online as you are in person? Right. Like, are we meeting that. That same person? And it's tricky. It's tricky to do. But I think that really is where boutique owners are going to stand out right now, is just being true to themselves.

I think that's one of the best lessons I've ever learned in business. And I. And I hope that boutique owners are learning exactly what you're saying. And that is when you're creating content, your content's not about you. No one gives a crap about you and your highlight reel and the products you're selling. Like, if you're just like, buy this, buy this, buy this. Nobody cares. But when you can really shift your focus and to make content that's about them. Like, what does my community need today? How could I fill their cup today? How could I solve their problems today? What content can I create that's super relatable today? And sometimes that content's really hard to make because you don't want to be honest about it, yeah, that's what really resonates with people.

I had this message come to me recently, and it was, do you want a pretty Instagram or do you want a powerful Instagram? Oh, yeah, like, oh, okay. You know, and for me, just speaking back to identity and making the shift of boutique owner to where I am now, I had this boutique, you know, Instagram page that was my big page with I think we're at 18,000 followers on there. And I just recently decided to just kind of let that page go because it's a past version of me. And I realized I'm only showing up here because there's 18,000 followers, but, like, I don't know, 18,000 people. And I don't really need to connect with 18,000 people. I just want to show up as myself and take the pressure off and let social media be a source of inspiration. And I think there's something there. There's something there with that. Yeah.

So good. So you have this incredible vantage point today.

So.

So you, obviously, you've walked through this journey we have already talked about, but then you've joined our team at the Boutique Hub, and we're so grateful for you because your perspective's unbelievable and you treat everybody how you would want to be treated. You know, it's just ultimate, like the golden rule with you. And I admire that so much in you. But you have a tricky job because you are truly like the front line of the Boutique Hub. You meet every brand new boutique member that joins our community, and truly, like, if you're listening to this, if you want to be a part of the hub and be a part of the community, it means joining membership. Like, that's where everything is for us. And so you meet boutique owners every single day that are either brand new or maybe they've plateaued or maybe they're, like, kicking ass. Like, you see it all. So what do you think the most successful stores that you're meeting have in common? And second part to that is, like, what's the biggest lesson you find yourself sharing with those who are either new or struggling that are coming in?

Ooh, okay. I think we failed to mention that I've been a hub member since the very beginning. So, like, a lot of what I learned about my boutique, you guys, and my growth was from this community, which is why it was such an easy yes for me to join the team. When the opportunity came, I'm like, I get it. Let's. Let's help our members as much as we can. Yeah. So like Ashley said, my job right now, I'm welcoming our new members and existing members too. Like I am an open book and I know how lonely it can feel and to be on this journey as a boutique owner and just needing somebody to talk to, needing somebody to ask those questions. So I'm in my inbox all day long chatting with members and I think the biggest question that's hitting my inbox and I know within our community as a whole right now, Ashley, is how do I increase engagement or how do I boost sales? Right. Like really just sales. And to the point of going right to getting a capital loan or whatever, it's like, no, no, no, no. What do you have right now? What cash do you have sitting on your floor right now or in your bins in your spare bedroom or whatever? What inventory do you have right now that you can restyle and sell? I think that's the first thing to focus on there. Connection. Like we've been talking about getting in person to meet people in your area, whether it's in a store or not, collaborating with other businesses. There's so much power there. Any events? We're headed into spring, summer in my area. I know that's like hot time for events. A huge topic I'm covering is drop shipping and how to start with inventory. And I think it's really important to use drop shipping as a tool but to really connect with brands. We have so many amazing brands for you to connect with at the Hub and on Hubventory. It's really important to do research and connect with brands that spend. Speak to your style and get those samples in and photograph them. Get, get photos of you in the clothes or every customer in the clothes. Yeah.

You gotta pause on that and just hit that a little harder for everyone who's listening. It's dang near impossible to build a brand on drop shipping alone. It's a supplement, but it's not the main course. It's the green beans. But like, where's the beef at the end of the day?

Yeah. And when I'm doing, when I'm looking, you know, I'm talking to a member and I'm like, send me your socials. Let me just take a peek at your website and give you some suggestions. A lot of them are stock photos. Now it's like, no, no, we have to get away from stock photos. You have to build authenticity and authenticity. And that's how you build trust with your audience is by having branded photos of your own. And a big one is that I go to a website or social media. And I'm like, well, where are you? Where is your story? Why did you start. Start this boutique or business? So if you don't have that on your website right now, or if it's not like at the top of your Instagram feed or, you know, a pin post on your group or whatever, I highly recommend sitting down and really thinking about it and write it, write it out from your heart. Like, people want to know, who are you? What's your background, why are you starting this business? And if that's because you want to provide income for your family, that's okay. People relate to that, you know. And I bet that will be your most highly engaged post.

Yeah, so true. Such good lessons. So would you say then on the flip of that, like, the most successful stores that you're seeing, they have that in common? It's like the authenticity and the realness of their content.

Yeah, I feel like the, the boutiques that are really standing out right now have photos of their own, have videos of their own, really have an understanding of who their customer is because they're showing up, asking questions, really getting to know them and what they, you know, what they're needing, what they're shopping for. I don't think you have to be the face of your brand, but I do think it's important for your audience to know who you are as the, as the business owner. And I think that's where boutiques are really finding success and standing out right now.

So good. So good. Okay, how about boutiques that you're seeing that have a lot in common with the old you? The one that was like hustling and grinding and her hair was falling out. How can those boutiques that you're seeing take a step back and get more systems, processes, and time and peace in their life? What do you see those stores having in common?

I ask myself this question a lot as I'm talking to members. Ashley is like, if I were starting over again or if I were still in it, what would I be doing right now? And it is truly getting back to the basics of when I first started my business in 2012. And that was showing up as much as I could, but around my family schedule. Right. So, like, if you're not somebody who wants to go live every week, you don't have to. But it's still important to make that connection with a quick Instagram story. Once a week, twice a week, daily, if you can. I feel like there is power in try on sessions still. Those did really well. For me, I had a schedule that my customers kind of got used to. I would do a try on session on Wednesdays. They knew those styles would be online Thursday evening and then in store Friday. So really just getting into a routine so your customers are aware of it, but also so you can save your sanity too. So you can kind of time block and know when you need to have full hair and makeup done. And you know, like every Wednesday was my glam day because I knew that's the day I was getting content. And then Thursday, don't even look at me. Friday, forget about it. I'm shipping orders and I'm in the back room.

Yeah, honestly, that's a huge piece and I, I feel like a broken record because I feel like I talk about that all the time because it's how also how I grew the Boutique hub from early stages on. And I ironically, I was just on a coaching call yesterday with like the most amazing husband and wife team out of Arizona. Shout out to them. The Farmhouse. They're amazing. And as we were going through like their content, which is really good, they're both burnt out. They're like, how do we do more? But they were using all these different scheduling tools but kind of just going day by day with what they were posting. And they've got like three small, beautiful kids. And so I was like, guys, we got a batch create this. And I just walked through the systems that we share in the Boutique Hub and in Retail Bootcamp when it comes to the six essential pieces of content. And I shared our content planning spreadsheet, which you, you know is massive, right? But they had a template. There's free templates inside of Retail Bootcamp. And I shared the boutique boss planner and the content planner. Like here's how we can batch so you can do everything on a Monday and it's all pre scheduled for you and then the rest of the week you can operate your business and have a life. And both of them were like, wow, thank you so much. And I mean just that one little strategy is so life changing when you can truly execute it and every single person listening, every single retailer has the opportunity to do that and to save time.

Yeah, that's really the value of the hub membership right there. Ashley is like little things that you're not thinking about that could be a game changer for your schedule and within your business, you know, and the membership is full of them. So. Yeah.

Yes. What are other things? Because you know so much about the membership now and all the nooks and crannies of it. What are things that you think, man, other people need to know that this is available to them, but they often miss it. Even if they're members, they don't know this exists. What are those things?

Yeah, well, first of all, if you are a member and you feel like you're not taking advantage of your membership, I host a webinar every single week where I share my screen and walk you through how to utilize your membership. So if you are new to the hub and you're just joining, you'll get an email invite for that. So highly recommend hopping on that just as a overview of all that's included in your membership. Because there is so much. But I think, you know, the ability to ask questions and get support is. It's truly everything when it comes to being a business owner. And not just getting answers from our team, because you will, but also from the community. So connecting to boutique owners who may be just getting started, if that's where you're at. Or maybe they have two locations or maybe they're closing a location or maybe they've been in the business for 20 plus years. Like, there's such a variety of experience within our, within our community really. So having the space to ask questions and get support, also to celebrate, like, I don't think we pause enough to just share our wins. So you can just come into the members only page and be like, guys, this happened, blah, blah, blah, blah. And we want to celebrate you.

We want to see that.

Yeah, we want to, we really do. We want to cheer you on and acknowledge that because we get it. We know, you know, how hard this is to run a business and like I said, how lonely it can be. And then there's resources, there's so many resources. So as a member, you'll get access to our training library. And the way I explain the training library to our new members is it's truly a library. So you don't have to log in and feel like you need to watch everything from top to bottom. You're not walking into a library and grabbing all of the books and taking them home and trying to read them. No, you're grabbing one at a time, reading it, implementing it. So that's how the training library works. And there is a wide variety of videos and downloads and resources just waiting for you there. And if you join as a monthly member, it's $40. Like what? Yeah.

So, yeah, it's crazy how much is in there. And we continue. Everyone always asks us, every business consultant I've ever worked with they're like, why is your price so low? And I'm like, because it's going to be low and we're going to continue to add value to it. These boutique owners deserve that. And if they choose to take a course or whatever, like, those additional items are available, but, like, it's all about volume, and a rising tide lifts all ships. It's all about community over competition in the hub. So it's going to remain that price for a long, long time to come.

Yep.

All right, Nicole, this has been so helpful. All of this has been so good. Parting thoughts. I would love to hear from you just again, thinking about, like, the mental health journey that you've been on and the decisions you've made and just re identifying who you are. What. What, like, last tips or advice would you give to those boutique owners listening as they're walking that. That journey themselves and deciding, here's my business and here's my identity, and they're. They're together, but they're not the same. They're not one in the same. How else can they live and find more peace on a daily basis?

Yeah. I'd ask you to just ask yourself, am I holding myself back because I'm worried about what other people will think? And if you let go of that, the opinion of others for just a minute and really ask yourself, what is it that I want out of this business or out of life in general and really connect to that, I think the path forward will make a lot more sense. You're not stuck where you're at. You know, you're really not. And I know it's scary and safety and security and money and all that ties. It plays a big part in making big moves and decisions like this. But you're not stuck. And I promise there is happiness on the other end no matter what you decide to move forward with. But we're here and we're cheering you on. And if this resonates, please reach out to me. I'm always happy to chat.

So good. You're never alone.

No.

At the end of the day, perfect. Well, Nicole, thank you so much for the light that you are for our community, for our industry. I know. For your family as well. We're just so thankful to have you on this team and having the opportunity to do what you do on a daily basis. So thanks for sharing with us today.

Thank you, Ashley. I'm honored to be here. I saw the Hub from a member's point of view, but now being on the team, it's just confirmed. That you guys are really in it for the members and I appreciate you so much.

Appreciate it. Thanks Nicole. Thanks for listening guys. I hope you took away all kinds of nuggets and new ideas from this week's episode. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a rating and review. We love to hear your feedback and give you a chance to be featured on the show each and every week. For more information on our spirit of community over competition and to access guest downloads and bonuses and all the resources we about talk talked about on the show, head on over to the boutiquehub.com and join the community. We'll see you next week.