#821: The Truth About Boutique Growth, Burnout & Staying Consistent

Welcome to the Boutique Chat Podcast, where we're gonna help you build a profitable, sustainable business without you having to sacrifice your profitability, your family, or your sanity. Each week we're gonna dive into real conversations with retailers who have been exactly where you are and industry experts so you can learn and know exactly what to do next, all in community over competition. Whether you're just getting started or you're growing past an 8-figure business, you're in the right spot. So let's get into it. Welcome to this week's episode. Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast this week. Uh, this is a special anniversary episode. Ashley, welcome back to the podcast again.

Thank you so much for having me.

Oh my gosh, so you've been on before, but not only that, it's been 10 years that you have been a part of the Boutique Hub and in business. Is that not crazy?

So crazy. Little me, 18-year-old, and now 28-year-old. It's just Almost a whole decade. It's crazy.

Oh my gosh. Well, we have a lot to dive into because a decade in business and also like starting a business as young as you did, and now you're a mother, like you're chasing like both sides of this crazy busy life. We've got so many things that we could cover. So I'm so glad that you're back. Remind everybody, let's go back to the origin story. If they didn't hear the first episode, take me back to your journey as an 18-year-old starting a business.

Yeah. So in high school, I didn't really know what I wanted to do in college. My mom and I were really close. We wanted to do something together, so we were like, let's start a boutique, let's do it together. She loves like the numbers and the computer side. I love showing up, you know, modeling the clothes, social media already at that time, which really was just getting started, I feel like, Instagram. Um, and so we started online because I was still in school, and then we just slowly started adding in like little pop-ups here and there. Facebook groups was big back then. We did do some lives in the beginning and then we launched our full brick and mortar 5 years later. So right after I graduated college, then we opened up our first brick and mortar.

Oh my gosh, this is crazy. It's taking me all the way back. So when you first started online, 18, like tell me the— then it was Facebook group and Instagram, but What do you feel like when you first got started were the things that really helped you consistently show up and consistently grow the business to the point where you could open the brick and mortar?

I think it was definitely like the wall drops, if you will. So you would share like, this is what's new, comment below, get first dibs on it, and we'll invoice. At that time we were invoicing everybody, which is so funny. I know some people were too. It would take hours, you know, and it was just so exciting. Um, and then we slowly started doing lives, but at the same time that was still just invoicing people. So you would say, just comment green top and what size you want and then your email and we'll try to send you an invoice. And then we slowly started having people ask us, you know, we want to come in and shop with you. So we opened up a basement in my grandma's house and people would come on Thursday nights and they would shop, um, in person with us. And that was really cool. And then people were like, you've got to open a store. Storefront. It was kind of like the next step. I'm like, you know what, we do. I want to. I'm gonna be here. This is my career now. I want to be here present with everybody and create those relationships. And so we took the plunge, which was like right— like COVID hit, and then we opened that August. Um, and so it's kind of right when everybody started wanting to get back out. People were still scared. And yeah, I think that was just like what we needed though. We needed that fresh started. Like, we're real, we have a storefront, come and see us. And then you can shop online too if you need to.

Yeah, you had to get out of your grandma's basement.

We had to get out of my basement. 100%.

Oh my God, I love that. Okay, so then and now, like, things have changed so much, but I think something that remains true is it's still so important to create a personal brand along with your business brand. Like, you've got to show up and be present in both. And like you said, you had built that online, but that's what made the transition to the storefront so much easier because people already knew you, followed you, you had the reputation, you had the brand. What advice would you give to others when it comes to being present and building that brand consistently before opening a storefront?

Yes, I think you just have to start. I know some people are so driven naturally to show up on social media, so my biggest advice is like, if it's not you, then find someone who can be that for your brand. I mean, there's lots of successful businesses where their main face of their business isn't the owner. For us, it always has been me. I enjoy it. I thrive. I just find so much joy in showing up and sharing on my personal page and on my business page of what I'm doing that day. If I am buying, what am I buying? What are we styling for the next photo shoot? You know, what are— like, people see my life and they relate to it. And so then They want the things that come with it, you know, the clothes that you're going to wear to these events. And so just, just starting, you know, get those accounts made. And if it can't be you, then find someone who can show up for your brand.

Yeah. How do you balance that with everything else that you have to do day to day in the business? Because it takes a ton of time. Uh, but I agree with you. I think that showing up consistently, building content again and again and again is like one of the most important things anybody could do for their business. Brick and mortar, online, doesn't matter. Everybody. Should be doing it. But how do you do that and successfully be the CEO of the business?

Yeah. And I will say, you know, comparison's so hard. If you see someone who's been in business for 10 years like me, I have employees now that help me. But you know, in the beginning it was just showing up and I would have a checklist, you know? So I'm like, okay, I'm going to post, I'm going to start the day with stories that I maybe prerecorded or I'm doing them in the moment. And then I'm going to post all day long and I'm going to schedule them out. I was really big at scheduling in the beginning. And time blocking. And, um, you just have to figure it out. You do. There's a lot of grit and there's a lot of grind in the beginning. Um, it never truly goes away, but as you grow, you can start honing in on the things that you love and that bring you joy. And then slowly, as you can, give away some of those responsibilities that's more of, you know, the just the, you know, like invoicing and things like that. You know, you got to focus on what you're good at and what you love. And then, yeah, someone else do the work.

Do what you do best and hire the rest.

And I always learned that from you from the very beginning. I say it all the time in my head, you and Sarah. I'm like, that's what they say, you know?

I think Sarah and I take for granted, like, in Retail Bootcamp, we're like, okay, we say these things on repeat, but then we hear other people repeat them and we're like, oh man, like, we really say that more than we think we do. But we're glad that it lands and sticks.

Yeah, for sure.

And makes an impact. Absolutely. What about like, okay, so then and now, like technology's also changed a ton. How has your business evolved in terms of what tech stack you were using, what apps you were using to fast forward to what you're using right now?

Man, there's a lot more out there, which is so good. Um, the main ones we've always been, I guess I have always shown up on Instagram first. And if you don't know this, the biggest thing is to connect your Instagram and your Facebook because I post to Instagram. And it immediately goes over to my Facebook. So I'm not trying to post separately on each platform. That was like the biggest game changer for me when they integrated like that. We use Lightroom to edit all of our pictures. We do all of our pictures ourselves from an iPhone. iPhones are amazing these days. You know, you really don't need anything else. Yes, I think professional photography is amazing. They look so good. That's just didn't work for us. Um, it was really hard to connect with people when we needed to do the photo shoots and to get those pictures back in a timely fashion. And I wanted to do it all in-house, so I take the pictures, I edit the pictures, I upload the pictures. Yeah. Um, that is something I could definitely give up, but I love it. I love, you know, all the different editing stuff. I want to look a certain way, so I want to be in charge of it. Um, but yeah, so Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, everywhere and anywhere you can post your videos, you know, real life, businessy, try-ons, unboxing. It's just like any— anything is content, honestly, at this point in day. If you can just put up your phone and video yourself doing it, it's gonna relate to people and it's gonna connect to people.

Hey, you're invited to join us as a member of the Boutique Hub. I love that you follow the podcast and all of our content here at the Hub, but more importantly, let's get you inside. As a member of the Boutique Hub, you have access to 4 key areas to grow your business. Number 1, we're gonna surround you with an amazing community of retailers just like you who get it. At your size, at your business type, we wanna get you connected with the people who can help you through all of the good and the bad that it takes to to be a business owner. The second thing, we want to get you expert education, live trainings every single week, instant AI answers with our personally trained bot, and a full training library on every single area of your business. Next, exclusive savings. Hub members save money, whether it's on wholesale brands that you're shopping with at market or the apps and the tools you're using on a daily basis. Hub members have massive savings. And finally, it's all about networking and relationships with wholesale brands. So if you are looking for the best vetted, proven wholesale products for your business. We partner with over 1,000 brands inside of the Boutique Hub to get you instant access and the best savings. So come and join us as a member of the Boutique Hub. I can't wait to see you inside. So good, yeah. And are you, you were on Shopify to begin with, are you still on Shopify and using all the Shopify apps?

We're still on Shopify. We use a lot of apps that go with Shopify. We used to have CometSell, but we stopped doing lives. And then we use ShipStation to ship out our online orders. Okay, awesome.

So similar technology stack, the difference is just continuing to drive traffic and people to the website through the content every single day.

Yes.

So another then and now, going back to do what you do best and hire the rest and just having time to be the CEO of the business. You started the business before kids. Now you've got two little boys that are so busy. How have you, like, how have you changed how you manage time, how you show up, how you set your boundaries so that you can enjoy both sides of your life, business and personal?

Yes, I love this question because I do think it's so important. And I think, you know, family is such a big thing. Being a mom for me is such a big thing. And if I start losing that part of myself, then I can't show up in my business the way that I want to. It's just, you know what I mean? And so I just, I just had to say, you know, I'm gonna work as hard as I can after school drop-off until school pickup. And like, I'm not doing lives anymore at night because that's stealing my joy. And I'm not closing the storefront down every night because that's stealing my joy. And the thing is, if you've built that brand, people know, people are okay with it. They cheer me on. They're like, yes girl, you go home and be with your family. Or yes girl, take the weekend off to go to your kids' games. You know, you can always find someone else, a teenager, to work your storefront to close or to work your storefront on the weekends. Um, I know we all want to be there.

I do.

I want to be there for my business at all times, every day, all day. But in order for me to show up and be really good at my job, I have to be really present at home and be a good mom and a wife too. And it's just a boundary that I set, and I'm really glad that I have really great team that lets me do that.

Yeah, I love that you bring that into your content every day because I feel like, let's go back 10 years, right? When, when you started, when The Hub was brand new, I feel like women that were women in business, leaders online, on Instagram, all the things at that time, you really didn't see any of them with kids. It was a lot of like working women, no kids, or they didn't talk about family life, kid life. Like it was just like, I'm a, I'm a female business owner, watch me grind. And I'm so glad we have moved past that. I've tried to make it a point to showing my kids and everything, like I'm at every basketball game, I'm at every rodeo, like I'm doing these things because I truly believe like the word balance is BS. Like it's not a perfect balance, no, it's setting a boundary. Like I'm gonna have both sides of this life and I can do both and it's possible for everyone to do both, but you have to be ruthless with your boundaries. And as you said, you have to ask for help. So what advice would you give to others who, you know, they're consistently trying to build this business, build this brand, but they're maybe intimidated by hiring, or maybe they feel like they've hired and it hasn't worked out because they haven't trained. What lessons have you learned along the way in terms of asking other people for help so that you could set that boundary for yourself?

Yes, there is so many good trainings out there, and seriously, I took the Hubs training on employees before I opened the storefront. Like, it took me a long time, but I was so intentional. I'm like, yeah, you do have to trust these people to treat your customers the way you would treat them, and that's really hard. But after doing that, like, we have a big checklist that we do. Um, it's a very intensive process where we're interviewing the people once or twice, um, and being very upfront. I think sometimes when you're hiring, you can just go like down the checklist and you're not even giving like context of why you're asking these questions. But when I'm training my employees, I'm like, one of my main things is you're not allowed to stand behind the counter. And I know that seems so just like whatever, okay? But I'm like, seriously, when I went and I went to other stores one day, there was like 4— this isn't locally or anything, um, but the girls were young and they were behind the counter on their phones. And I just thought to myself, I would die if someone came in my store and a girl stood behind the counter on her phone. You know, I want to be greeted. People want to be greeted. People these days are coming into a boutique to be appreciated and talked to and made to feel like that they're welcome there. And if they don't receive that, why would they come back? You know, our— the way we have to sell things now, we're gonna be more expensive than Walmart, you know, like, but I'm okay with that because I love these clothes, they're quality clothes, and I'm going to give people that experience when they come in my store. Um, totally. It might not be right at the beginning that you can afford to hire someone, but the moment that you can start like even just taking a little from yourself to give it to someone else to help you, you'll be able to do so much more. You know, like we always said, I have to do the things that are like the bigger money-making things and let someone else do the sewing. Do the tagging. You know, the time will come. My time was there. I was the one who did it all for so many years, you know. Um, yeah, but you do, you just have to take that leap of faith and do it.

Yeah, that's CEO mindset, right? That going back to do what you do best and hire the rest. But CEO versus entrepreneur, I think this happens a lot where people get really stuck in this idea that, well, I just can do it myself. "Or I don't want to take the time to hire someone," or, you know, "It costs too much money," whatever. Like, there's so many excuses. But I think if you really want to grow and build an opportunity to have a personal life and a business and consistently grow your business over time, you have to be willing to let go of the control, stop being the control freak, and train other people to do your business, you know, just as good as you can.

Yes, and in the beginning, there's going to be sacrifices. You know, I didn't really take a paycheck for like the first 2 years. 2 to 3 years. You know, I was constantly pouring back into the business. And so maybe it's not time right then, but hopefully, you know, over time you'll be able to invest in someone else.

Yeah, let's talk more about that, because over time, again, we've talked a lot, you and I, about just consistency. Just, you've shown up again and again and again. And over the last 10 years, you've seen a lot of roller coasters. Like, there's always ups and downs in this business. How have you managed to keep yourself sane, grounded, and just continuing to show up consistently through all the highs and lows that are naturally a part of this industry?

Yeah, so one thing that we've done really well is we'll have like a list of things that make our business work. So one is going to be like our margins. Like we think of this as like, this is a career. This is not just who— how many things of this can I sell to everyone? Um, like, I have to make money. This is supporting my family. I'm now supporting other women that work for me, and I don't care what a boutique, you know, another state is selling this product for. If I believe in it and I can sell it for $2.6, then I'm gonna sell it for $2.6. Um, you have to have those margins. So like, setting like what means the most to you in your business Ours is going to be making money to survive, you know, um, showing up for our customers. So even if we don't have something new launching that day, what else can I post about? You know, is it just bringing you into my life? Is it reshowing items? Is there an event coming up? Um, just having that checklist to show up, have our margins. You know, we always look for what's coming next in this business. I feel like you're always on to the next thing. You have to make yourself stop be present in the moment and that's okay, but you do have to always be thinking about the future and, you know, what collection am I buying for next? Just so you can get ahead. Now I forgot the question.

No, it's just about what's helped you maintain consistency throughout all the years, all the highs and lows. So, Margin, it sounds like your systems and processes.

Yeah.

Planning ahead.

What else? Yes. Um, yeah, I think, and just going back to your why, honestly, like, staying consistent is going back to your why. And, you know, for me, it's always, it's had to work. Like, this is my career. This is what I went to school for. This is what I'm passionate about. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. And I'm always thinking about what else can I do so I don't get burnt out. So I see so many businesses—

that's good—

who close, and you think they're thriving, and you're like, why in the world would they close? Is it burnout? Yeah, I don't know, but I don't want to ever get to the burnout. I want to do the things that I love and enjoy. And like we're saying over and over again, you just hire it out. You give up something, or maybe you've tried something for so long because you think someone else is doing it the good way and what you need to be doing, and it's not going to work for your business. Lives are still amazing for so many businesses. It is not my jam anymore. I gave up lives probably 2 years ago because I was having to do it at night on other people's time, and that was my time. You know, I wanted to be at home snuggling my babies, watching a Netflix show, but my time is morning. I'm a morning person, so getting up in the morning, having my stories ready to post I launch my new arrivals now at 7 AM because I know it's up, it's done for the day, people can shop it throughout the day. Um, I just, I just, yeah, stay to your why and what works for you and keep going.

I think this is so good. I want to—

I—

let's keep talking about this because, right, two things I want to combine that you just talked about. Over 10 years, you've seen a lot of businesses come and go, and it's easy to start comparing yourself along the way to other people. And to your point, you know, some people get burnt out and have left, but what you said right away was margin. Some people, their business didn't work because they never charged enough money to make it an actual business. So I wanna double down on that. How have you really focused in on your numbers and, and making the numbers make sense?

Yeah.

Gotten comfortable with your numbers, even if as that 18-year-old who started the business, I'm sure probably wasn't very comfortable with her numbers. How did you get to the point where you are now? So question number 1, and then question number 2, how did you just drown out the noise of comparison online?

Yes, that's so good. Okay, so 2 years ago when we really started seeing inflation again, or whenever it was, 3 or 2 years ago, um, we had to decide, are we going to continue to carry the brands that we love and adore that are more expensive? Are we going to go try to find other brands that probably would appeal to way more people, but they're going to be lower quality and cheaper. And that might be people's business, and that's okay. But for me personally, my customer, my brand is gonna be a little bit more expensive because it's going to be more quality. Um, I was like, this is what I personally want to buy. I want something that's gonna be more expensive, that's going to last me years, and that is going to be timeless.. And I'm obsessed with brands like Intro and Easel and all these more expensive brands for myself. And I just had to hone in on that. And it was hard. It wasn't easy because you still have all these people like, well, I can get this here for this much less, and I can't believe you're selling that dress now for $80. Or— but I'm like, it's okay. You know what I say? I say, it's okay. I know it's expensive. Like, it's so quality, and I just loved it so much, I just had to get it, you know? I'm like, I'm not— when people say that, it doesn't scare me. Um, I just acknowledge it because it is expensive, but it's expensive because it's quality, and that's what I want to sell, and that's who my customer is, and that's our brand. And then, yeah, you just get— you, once you find that and you're so confident in it, it's easier to kind of like You know, knock out the noise. Um, yeah, but really it's—

well, competing on, competing on price is a race to the bottom, right? Like, if you want to be the cheapest person in town, you're not going to beat Walmart, so don't, don't try to compete with them. You have to find like, what is the level playing field that I'm going to compete on? And for every boutique, it should be value. Whether you're selling the entrees, whether you're selling like a lower, you know, quality, slightly lower quality brand, you You can still show up and provide value no matter what the price point is. So compete on value, not on price. I love that you're doing that.

So sorry, I had to add that piece in there. And just like when you're being so real and raw with people like that, because that's what we're doing. I mean, we're, we're a boutique. We're not this big corporate business. So I'm like, you know what, girl? Yeah, you can spend $80 on this dress and then go buy a $20 dress. Like we gotta have balance in our life. You can't have everything. You know, all the time. So I'm like, that's totally fine. You just buy what you want and go here and buy that too. It's— Yeah. It's just this.

I love it. Okay, so second part of that question, how do you, so you've maintained consistency in margin, price, competing on value, not price, really knowing your numbers and knowing what to buy and how much to buy so you can serve that customer. How then do you also just drown out the noise of, of what you see other people doing online? Like, did you ever question yourself along the way? Like, I see these other boutiques doing this, maybe I should be doing that too. How did you stop that noise?

Yes, I do think being in groups like The Hub and having other boutique friends can help you so much in being like, I'm okay, this is okay, I'm doing a good job. You know, and what you see other people doing can be different than what's actually happening. Um, you know, our biggest thing that I'm trying to relate to people with is we weren't the business that just skyrocketed overnight. It has been a slow and steady growth over the years, and I have showed up on social media and I have done all things social media that I thought I needed to do and should do, and I do not have 100,000 followers, and I don't on TikTok, and I don't on Instagram, but I have loyal customers, and I have the sales, you know, for me that I'm comfortable with and that I'm proud of. Um, but if I start looking at these other businesses and they have 100,000 and 200,000 and 300,000 followers, they may not have anywhere even near the sales that I do. And you will not know that until you start connecting with other people and listening and joining groups to always like pour into your business. And so it's just that mindset of like, this is, this is who I am. This is what I want to be. And this is who I am. And I'm doing a good job. You know, you just have to just go in your lane and stay in your lane.

I love that. Stay in your lane, but also you're collaborating and talking to so many other retailers every single day inside of the hub. And still maintaining just complete, like, truth to who you are. So I love that. Okay, after being in The Hub for 10 years, you have to have some best advice. Like, if someone's going to join The Hub, if someone's in The Hub, what should they be doing to get the most out of the experience?

It's so funny, but it's like, once you read something and you're like, oh my goodness, I should do that, then do it. Like, make your checklist if you're a checklist person. Put it into action. I know so many times, and I'm guilty of it too, but it's like you have all these ambitions and you got it all figured out and you've talked to all these people and you're like, okay, this is what I need to do. And then you never do it. Like you never actually set the plan to do it. And I mean, I'm a checklist person too. So if, if it needs to happen on this day at this time, I'm going to write it down and I'm going to make it happen because that's how You gotta just keep going in this business, and you do have to be on to the next thing. And if something doesn't work, you let it go and you try something else. Like, you cannot hold on to these things that are bringing you down for so long just because other people are doing it. You know, some things are really going to work for you because other people are, and then some things are just not going to work and you gotta let it go.

Yeah, discernment, being able to decide, yeah, what's for you, what's not. That's so true. Gosh, okay, so over the years, that's your best advice for utilizing the Hub. What has been like your favorite experience with the Hub in the last 10 years? You were at the, were you at the very first Boutique Summit?

I was gonna say the Boutique Summit. I wish I could go every summer. I know this is so funny, but I swear, once you are in a room with that many people loving the same thing that you love, you just, like, you just feel this burn and passion. And I'll say, I wish I could go every year and like you had it multiple times a year because it's just what that— it's just like a little oomph that you need to just get motivated again and you get all these fresh new ideas. I think that can happen as you do start to get a little bit stagnant and you're doing the same thing, especially when you're staying consistent, which is really good. You gotta stay that way. But if you can start bringing in some newness, new ideas to bounce off, um, It is just game changer, game changer.

I think it's, for me personally, whether it's the summit or a mastermind or any event I've ever been a part of, like when I am just stuck in the same four walls trying to solve the same problems day in and day out, the best thing I can do is just get out, go somewhere else, change my scenery, get around those people, be immersed in like the energy that everybody brings to the same space. So I love that. Thank you for sharing this. The summit. I totally agree. Okay, Ashton, I have a lightning round of questions. Some quick questions.

Are you ready?

I'm ready.

Okay.

Um, I give you 2 hours back in your day to focus on income generating activities. What do you focus on first?

I'm creating videos. I am making reels. I'm doing try-ons of products that maybe didn't sell the first time around, but I'm getting video content.

Let me double down on that question. So if someone's like, ah, but I'm new to video or I don't like video, what would be like if someone was gonna create 3 types of video every day? What would they be?

You can do non-faceless content, like that is so big right now. So it can just be your hands unboxing merchandise. It can be you hanging stuff on the rack and it can be a mirror picture of you wearing it and you're covering your face. Like if that's not for you, Those are 3 really good ideas.

I love that.

Okay.

What's been the hardest lesson you've had to learn in 10 years in business?

The hardest lesson is that I can't be everything to everyone, and I have to hone in on what I'm buying and for who I'm buying it for.

That's a tough le— that could be an expensive lesson for people to learn along the way.

Yes.

Oh, inventory will teach that to you. Um, okay. What do you think is the unsexiest process in your business that drives the most impact?

Right now it would be running numbers for inventory. I think it's really hard to make sure you're not overbuying, but you're not underbuying when you have these big goals set. Um, but it's the biggest impact because you can't make a goal if you don't have the clothes to sell. And that's what I'm learning right now. Yeah.

I think that's so, let's like stay on that for a second because most boutique owners, and you've met a lot, so you can tell me if you agree with this, but most boutique owners come into this business not ever having a business before this. Typically stay-at-home mom, teachers, nurses, students, like nobody has a business degree. So most people that come into this are like, "Ooh, numbers, like I don't know, I don't wanna get into my inventory reports." But to your point, the second that you can take the data and the numbers and the inventory and flip it to like a marketing train of thought, like, oh, if I have this much inventory at this price, this is how I can market it, sell it, and do the fun stuff that you're really good at, then the numbers become fun. Would you agree with that? Or like, what's the train of thought to make numbers more fun?

Yeah, or if you can, to find someone who can tell you what your numbers are. That's what we have, you know. Um, which my mom is very numbers-driven, but we needed someone to break it down for us and be like, you're spending this much, or last year in December you sold this many sweaters and this many pairs of jeans, but like this December we're gonna up that by 10% and I need this much inventory. Um, yeah, it's a lot to unpack, but once you can, man, again, it's game changer. Because if you're— especially right now, like if you're running ads You're spending money to get people to your ads, and if they get there and it's already sold out, well then you, you spent money to not even make a conversion, you know. And so again, I am learning right now what this means. I'm learning to buy deeper, um, which is a great problem to have, but you do have to know those things.

Yeah, they have to go hand in hand for sure. What has been the best business advice in the last 10 years? That always sticks with you?

We've said it 500 times, but it would be to do what you do best and hire the rest. I think that is what has made me be able to keep my peace and my joy in this business, because I'm able to do the things that I love and then step away and go home to my family at night.

I think that's so good and so spot-on advice for everybody who is in this business and maybe doesn't have kids but plans to, and everybody who is just newly fighting this battle of business, family, trying to be all these different places at once. I think that's super important. Um, what do you think as a CEO is your superpower?

I think my energy. Everyone is always like, is she really that upbeat? Is she really like this at all the times? And honestly, I am. That is just one of my strengths. Like, I I love life, I love people, I love this job. And so, I mean, the Lord has instilled that in me for sure, of just like getting that joy from him. And so bringing it into my business and like give me that energy that I need to keep going is, I would say, my strength.

I think that's so true. I will just tell everybody, I'll confirm that every time I've ever seen you at a market event, whatever, like, I feel like you're glowing. All the time.

Thank you.

Yeah, so I, I think there's a lot of truth to that. I think that like one of the biggest blessings, and I think about this is true for our faith, I always think that our job is to let light shine through us for other people to see. And it's so evident, like, and so obvious when people live by that. And I, I definitely think you do. So well done.

You're, you're on the right track. That's a wonderful encouragement. I would encourage someone, if you are afraid about sharing your faith in your business, just do it. Because last year I had the urge to— I was sharing a lot of my personal page, and I have a lot of overlap of customers from a personal and business page. But I was like, you know what, I just feel led to carry Bibles and devotionals. And we started this line, and it has touched so many people. And some people in our town have been coming in and buying these Bibles, or online. And I can just tell that that was like the Lord's hand in that, and I was scared because you don't wanna do too political things. You don't wanna do things that can stir people up in your business. But again, that's your brand, that's your why, and that's who you're selling to. And it's just so relatable and it's just so good. And I would encourage anybody to share their faith on their platform if that's them.

I love that. I totally agree. I think that in order to create a great brand, worth following. You're a magnet, right? So the one side of the magnet, like, attracts the right people. Like, you're so cool, so you're sharing all those things because you're attracting the right people. But it also maybe repels others, which is okay. It's okay to be both. Actually, funny that you mentioned this, Ashton, because literally we were at the Mall of America a couple weeks ago during a basketball tournament, and my 16-year-old daughter loves Altered State. Like, why do you have to stand in a line at Altered State to get into a dressing room? Every time I'm like, listen, we're just gonna buy this stuff so I don't have to stand in this line with you. But the first thing she walked to, the first table she walked to when we walked into Altered State, you know what it was? It was these beautiful teen Bibles. Yeah. Like right in the front. And I was like, wow. You know, like here's a brand that's wildly popular that has just stayed so true to their core and their mission. And then when you're at the checkout behind the cash wrap, it's all like the missions they go on. And the way that they give back and they serve like the world around them and, you know, like impacting people living in poverty. So I love that you said that because I think that's a part of being consistent and showing up and what makes you last over 10 years is it's being so true to who you are regardless of any outcome. Like it's true and it's authentic and people can feel it. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, so good. Okay, last lightning round question is, What is one money mindset that you've had to unlearn or relearn since being a business owner?

I think that we have learned that you do have to invest all your profit and that is okay. You know, you think you're gonna sell all these clothes and you're gonna have all this money at the end, but you're really just investing it into your next month of inventory, your next season of inventory, and, and that's okay, you know. You, you gotta— I'm like, where's the money? And Mom's like, look around in your warehouse, honey. Like, there it is. I'm like, you're right, there it is. Or it's in my closet because I get to keep the clothes, you know. Um, and then it's just been— no, so just really making sure our margins are there, um, to get the profit that we need. Because for so long, you know, you try just to teeter around the 2 the 2.5, but once you start getting into all your other expenses, you know, 2.6 is a sweet spot for us. Sometimes we can do a little more, sometimes we can do a little less, but just making sure you got those margins to create a living. That's so true.

There's gotta be money in the bank account that then goes to your personal bank account at the end of the day. Agreed. All right, well, Ashley Alderson, this is awesome. Thank you so much for being on the podcast today. I just have one last kind of big question and I've, I've gotten to ask you this before, so I'm curious, uh, now if this has changed since our last conversation. But, um, let's just fast forward 30 years down the road. These little boys are now big boys, and they've got a family and life of their own. And you're sitting on the front porch with your family, your friends, and you're looking back and reflecting on the business you've built, the journey you've been on, the life you lived. What's the thing that you really want them to remember most about you and how you live this life?

Yeah, that kind of makes me emotional. I really want them to look back on my life and their childhood and just be like, my mom loved life, loved people, loved the Lord, and served everyone that she could. Like, I want to serve my customers, I want to serve my employees, I want to serve my family, and I want to serve the people that are around me. And that I just did the best that I could in those areas.

I love that servant leadership right there.

So good.

Ashley, thanks so much for being a part of the Hub for 10 years. Thank you, um, for being at the first Boutique Summit. Thanks for being on the podcast today.

This was awesome. Thank you so much. I'm glad to be here.

Hey guys, thanks so much for listening to this week's episode. If you found it helpful, please share it with a friend or feel free to subscribe. And I would always love I would love it if you would leave a rating and review. Hey, if you want more tools, education, and just support, head on over to theboutiquehub.com. Or if you have feedback or episode ideas, DM me personally, @ashleyalderson on Instagram. Thanks so much for being here and listening to this week's episode. I'll see you next week.