Episode #235: Starting Your Own Business and Foundation with Julie Allen, Owner of Mary Rose Boutique and Mary Rose Foundation

It's time for episode number 235 with my friend Julie Allen, the founder of.

Mary Rose Northwest Boutique and also the Mary Rose Foundation. Just in time for Giving Tuesday. 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 the balance and the.

Happiness that we all seek?

Let's hear from those insiders, experts and strategists. 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.

I hope you are surviving the chaos.

Of Black Friday weekend today as we drop the podcast.

I'm so excited that you're here to.

Listen because it's an important day. It's Giving Tuesday. I know that so many of you and so many consumers are well aware of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. But what maybe not, as many people are aware of, is Giving Tuesday and the importance of Giving Tuesday, the day when after all of the hustle and bustle and the sales and just the commerce that happens, is a day where so many retailers give back. And so it's so fitting that today on the show we are joined by my friend Julie Allen, a longtime member of the Boutique Hub and Retail Bootcamp and so many programs we do at the Hub is here to talk about something very special to her mission and to her why. And I think a story that so many of you are going to be able to relate to. Oftentimes we start our businesses because there's a greater mission that we want to impact in the world around us. There's a legacy we want to leave. There's a cause that we want to champion. And Julie's story is just that. She wants to spread a very positive message with the community around her and also change lives in the process. So if that sounds like you and you've ever wondered how to start a foundation or how to just give back more in your own business, Julie is going to tell you exactly how she did it today on the show. Guys, welcome my friend Julie, the founder of Mary Rose Northwest Boutique out of Oregon and also the Mary Rose Foundation.

Hey, guys. This week I'm so excited to cover a topic that I think is essential for business owners to know about today. And really, it kind of goes back to the reason we're all in business in the first place, and that is how important it is to have a why associated with your business. So Julie Allen is joining me today from Mary Rose Northwest Boutique. Hello, Julie.

Hi, Ashley.

I'm so pumped that you're on today.

Oh my gosh, me too. I could not wait. Really. I was very excited.

This is going to be such a good conversation. And you and I have messaged each other about this for a while just how important it is to have a bigger why behind your business. And I know even though your business is new, this has definitely helped you spread your message. Not only your business's message, but your bigger why, which we'll cover. And it's helped you because you were also the runner up storefront boutique of the year in Oregon this year and also a runner up for overall boutique of the year in the state of Oregon, which is amazing. So congratulations.

Thank you very much. It's quite the honor.

So talk to me about in true boutique chat podcast fashion, about how the business first came to be and about your background coming into retail.

So I started the boutique right about a year and a half ago. So when I say we're a baby business, we really are a baby business still. So I had my first son, he's two and a half now. So I had him two and a half years ago. And about a year into motherhood, I decided that I could not stay at home anymore. My previous career was in physical therapy. So I'm a physical therapist by trade. And I did not want to go back to the health care field. It wasn't sitting right with me anymore. Right. There's a lot to health care that I just, I just didn't really want to be involved in that career anymore. I had an idea and I told my husband, okay, I'd like to open a women's clothing boutique. And he said, you're crazy. I said, I've heard that before. But he let me. We talked about it more. So I opened online only year and a half ago. So two clothing racks in my bonus room. And it was very, very small. But about six months into the business, we opened our nonprofit and then another few months went by and we opened our storefront. And we've been in our storefront for almost a year now. And things are just continuing to grow and grow. And it's been really fun to learn business and learn marketing and all that stuff. It's quite the change from healthcare, which is really quite refreshing.

Man. Well, how cool that you get to combine a couple of your passions basically into three different businesses. Right? Your online business, storefront business.

Yes.

And then the foundation. And I know Setting up a foundation is no easy feat. That is definitely a process in itself to go through.

It is. I was honestly not quite prepared for the process for setting up a nonprofit. There's a lot to it. I am so thankful for the board. I have a wonderful board of directors, and my husband, honestly, has done a lot on the back end of setting it up because that's naturally not my strength. Like, I'm the idea person, Right. I come up with these fantastic, crazy ideas, but I've had a lot of support in actually getting all the T's crossed and I's dotted. So that's been great.

Absolutely. The dreamer and the integrator, right?

Exactly.

So I know your foundation. Obviously you created it because it's something very personal to you, but also now impacts so many women across the state. Right. Not just in your local community.

Correct.

So give me some backstory. I know there may be some people listening that have had a battle similar to yours, so I'd love to hear kind of the story of why this foundation and how it came to be.

So our foundation is the Mary Rose foundation, and we work to help fund treatment for people suffering with eating disorders. So I personally had an eating disorder, anorexia, and bulimia for about 15 years growing up. So I was, you know, before I was a teenager is when it all started. And then it persisted into my early mid-20s. I spent my entire high school years just in and out of the hospital, in and out of different treatment centers, different therapists, different nutritionists. And it was honestly the hardest thing I've ever had to do is getting better, even though that's kind of a whole nother story. But the last time I was in treatment, I had to go to a residential treatment center, and I actually went to one up in Canada because the ones in the US Were so expensive. Like, I was in and out of treatment for 15 years. Right. My parents had to take out a second mortgage on their house in order to pay for my treatment. And I needed treatment like I was going to die. I mean, it was medical hospitalizations and medical. And insurance doesn't cover it that much. And what they do cover is not enough. The access to treatment is so limited. I recognize that need. And, you know, now being able to give back to that community is something that. It just fills my cup every single day. Like, when I was a kid, I always thought, like, okay, someday I'm going to pay my parents back. You know, I always had that in the back of my head. I recognized all the risk that they took financially for me to go to treatment and I thought, okay, I'm going to pay them back someday. And I had no idea that it would turn into this much paying it forward.

Julie, I can't imagine. I mean, 15 years. And you know, I think what frustrates me, you and I were talking about this before we started to record. I had a niece that battled anorexia for a number of years and I lived with my sister and my niece while this was going on. And I had dealt with cancer.

Right.

And that's something that people openly talk about, but eating disorders are something that people do not talk about. And it is such an injustice what's happening with insurance. And granted, this is off topic for the whole podcast, but, like, you're not cared for in the way that another disorder or disease should and could be correct.

The amount of people that actually go to treatment is not that much. Like anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all mental illness and a huge portion of those are from suicide. So it's very clear that this population really needs serving. There are, aren't really. There's like, I think there's one other nonprofit that does what we're doing, but there's hardly any resources available for people that need this life saving treatment.

Man, I'm so glad that you created the foundation that you did. I was telling you too, my sister, her husband's company ended up funding my niece's treatment because basically they kick you out of your residential treatment before you're well, because you're definitely not well, but the insurance runs out and you're left to sink or swim.

Yep. And more than likely you're going to sink because it takes a very long time to get in recovery. It's a really difficult illness to battle and it's a shame that the insurance companies just kick you out. And I saw it happen so many times too.

Yeah. So was there a turning point for you, like where you felt like you kind of rounded the corner in your battle that kind of got you to the later point in your life where you decided you did want to give back in this way?

For sure. Yeah. The last time I went to treatment, like I said, I went to a residential in Canada and I was at this point in my early 20s. Right. And so most of the other times I had been in treatment, I was a minor. It was one of those, I don't want to get better, screw you, I'm not going to do what you say. But by the time I actually decided for myself that, oh my Gosh, I need to do something different or I am going to die. That was the point which I was finally able to start working on myself. It's a huge, long, long journey, but it's definitely possible. Recovery is totally possible. I never thought I would be where I am today, and it's slow, too. Like, I still have days where I'm like, I don't even want to look in the mirror. Right. But it's a process, and it's a huge part of our culture, too. Honestly. Women in general are really, really hard on themselves and are not easily allowed to say that they feel beautiful. So that's another thing that we're working on changing. Like, I want all women, all people to know that they are gorgeous and they deserve to feel that way.

I love that you had mentioned that you have a saying in your business, and that is that there's no crying in the fitting room. Could you talk to me more about that?

Yeah. How many times? Well, you don't have to answer this, but I feel like everybody has gone into the fitting room and cried.

Yes.

We all have those days where it's like, nothing fits. Right. And no matter what you put on, everything looks wrong. Right. And so we focus in the boutique a lot on that personalized. I call our sales associate stylists. Right? Like, they are our stylists. They're personal stylists for our clients that come in. And so if they're trying on something in the fitting room, we want them to come out. We encourage them to come out and talk to us about the fit. Like, if they don't like it, there's nothing wrong with you. It's just not the right piece of clothing for you. So then we'll try again, right? It's like, it's not you, it's the clothes. And we'll try again. And also, one of my favorite parts about our shop is I call it our affirmation mirror. So it's just a huge mirror, right, that you come out of the fitting room, and then you see people have written on it and just these dry erase markers. Like, you're beautiful, you're worthy. Like, love yourself. And just. You can write. Anyone can write on the mirror. Oftentimes my. My kids will come in and draw over in the mirror. You know, that's cute, too. But it's just one of the most encouraging, uplifting things that we have is because we're all hard on ourselves, and it's nice to see, like, women surrounding other women and lifting each other up.

Oh, I Absolutely love that idea. It seems like women today are so at war with their own bodies. And I know this is the foundation of the business that you've built, that we all deserve to be served and loved and, you know, help finding things that fit our body. And this is why boutiques work in a world where big box stores are failing. Because we can do that one thing that nobody else can do, right?

Definitely. Yeah. It's that, you know, our girls know that whenever somebody comes in the door, like, the number one thing, like, make them feel welcome, they need to feel welcomed and loved and supported. Like, whatever it is that that person needs, we are there to serve them. And I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful staff that has really gotten behind me and the. In the mission just to help women, you know, empower women, help women feel good about themselves and know that they deserve to feel good about themselves. Because also, like, you know, as a mom, I think we can often put ourselves last most of the time. And it's. That's just something we're. We're fighting against.

All right, so talking about the foundation, I know creating the 501C3 can be a nightmare in itself, but you survive that part.

Talk to me.

How do you raise money for the foundation? And then how is it physically tied in with your business? How do you market the two of them together?

Okay, so we do a couple large fundraising events a year, and we actually just had our second annual Mary Rose foundation gala this Saturday. So I'm still, like, recovering from that. But that was a. It was a large gala. Like, we raised about double the funds we raised last year, which was very, very exciting. And so what we do for that gala is we have dinner, we have drinks, we have silent auctions, which our board members go around and collect silent auction items from our local community. And then we do this really kicking fashion show with women of all shapes, all sizes, all colors, all ages. And that's just. It is such a fun, up, uplifting event. It's very empowering. We had a really great keynote speaker that just talked about, like, her speech was called the Price of Perfect. And she has talked about, like, you can strive to be, quote, unquote, perfect, but the cost is going to be you. And so, yeah, that's how we raise money for that event, the silent auctions. And then I also donate very large portion of the boutique sales that we do that night to the foundation. But day to day, how we fund the foundation is through the boutique. So the boutique, a portion of all sales that we do, through our shop, are donated straight to the foundation. So that's how we're funding it all year round, in addition to our events that we put on.

That's amazing. And then, you know, do you just listening to you speak, do you feel like through the foundation and through your Facebook group, or just like your ongoing marketing with the boutique, do you feel like that that's really given a voice to people that have battled eating disorders? Like I said, in a time when it's just not spoken about, really, no. Mental illness is really spoken about today, like other physical illnesses, let's say.

Yeah. One thing I've tried really, really hard to do is break down that stigma of mental health in general, specifically eating disorders, just because that's what I personally struggled with. But our community that we have created, our community around Mary Rose is all about women empowering women, knocking off that stigma of asking for help. Mental health, eating disorders. Like, it's so important for us to talk about because I think that there' still shame around it, and there's still, like, shame in saying, I'm not okay, or I need help. And so I'm trying really hard to break that down. And I think people can look at, you know, they'll look at my life and say, okay, she, you know, she has it all together. You know, I'm married, I have a family, I have this boutique, and I have a nonprofit. But guess what? There are still some days where I have to fight to get out of bed. I have to fight because I have ocd. And so it's still a fight for me to put one foot in front of the other and keep going on some days. And I really. I want to normalize that, and I want women to know that no matter what you're going through, you're not alone. And that's kind of been the whole message behind Mary Rose, is that no matter what. Who you are, what you're going through, you're not alone and you deserve to love yourself.

Oh, I love that, Julie.

Thanks.

If there's anyone listening who has, you know, daughters that are teenagers or daughters that are pre teenagers, having been through what you've been through, what advice would you give to mothers on how they could help, you know, some of that teenage junk that we're all bound to face. Do you have any. Any advice for moms that are listening?

Yeah, the. It's so hard. The biggest thing you can do as a mom is to love yourself and to model that self. Love and taking care of yourself is important. We as A whole need to put ourselves back on our priority list. Right. And it's really hard to do as a mom and a business owner and a wife. It's like somebody always needs something.

Right?

But you know what? Sometimes I need something, too. And that's really important for us to know that we deserve to be on our priority list. And then just modeling that for our kids. My stepdaughter is 8, and she actually got to go to the gala this year. And. And that meant so much to me to. Because she got to see all these different women rocking the Runway. Like, the Runway. It was so freaking cool. It was just. It was amazing, Ashley. And like, having Addison witness that was just awesome, you know? And so she's seeing me love myself, even on. And, like, we never use the word fat in our house. We never, you know, we're very, like, clear. Not clear. Excuse me. We're very careful on what language we use around her. But it's really hard. Hard. Like, the pressures that our young daughters are facing is honestly terrifying. Addison's only eight, and it's like, what's these next. What are these next five years going to bring? I don't know. Yeah.

Even at 8, I feel like it starts and I have a 9 year old and.

Yeah.

Going to gym class and having to change shirts with other girls. Yeah, they. She came home with. With the F word, right?

Yeah. Yep.

Addison, I don't clean our house either. For the. For the same reason. Right? Yeah, but, boy, I don't know where they hear that, but they pick it up so quick. You've got to be so on guard.

Yeah. It's terrifying. Honestly, the best thing that I can say is just love yourself and make sure that your daughters and sons know that it's okay to love yourself, because that's. I mean, that's as much as we can do, really. You know, we can't control school. We can't control what their friends are telling them, but we can control what they hear at home and hopefully get enough positive love into them that hopefully they can deflect some of those negative messages. But I hear you. It's terrifying.

How do you model.

Terrifying.

How do you model as a mom who has, you know, like I said, basically three businesses, right. That you're operating? How do you model taking care of yourself or, you know, finding that word balance amongst the chaos of it all?

I. First of all, I don't like that word.

Agreed.

Agreed. Kind of annoying, actually. First of all, I love being busy. I honestly thrive under this multiple hat kind of thing that I'm doing. But I also am very good at scheduling. My schedule is, you know, dialed in. Like, Wednesdays are family day. My husband is a police officer, and so his schedule is all. All messed up, and he's on call half the week and is working nights and whatever. So our schedules are just chaos. But, like, scheduling time for myself, like, I schedule in a workout every day. I schedule in a walk. I'll schedule in one time. This last summer. Not one time time. More than one time. I scheduled in laying in the sun. I put that on my calendar. I gotta do it. So scheduling has been my lifesaver and delegating. I'm reading the book Clockwork right now because I saw Mike speak at Summit and loved him, by the way. Also doing Process, but now reading Clockwork, and it was like, delegate. Oh, I don't have to do everything. It's like, I don't do a lot of the doing work anymore. I'm doing a lot more on the designing work, but not a ton of the doing anymore. Anyway, scheduling is my answer.

That's a big. We've got to talk about this more. Because of all the books I've read in 2019, I think clockwork is probably my favorite.

I love it.

So if you're listening and you haven't heard it yet, Mike Michalowicz wrote Profit first, which a lot of people in our community have read and implemented. And of course, he spoke with Summit. But Clockwork, man, it's all about the queen bee role.

Right? And. Yep. And that's like. So I, you know, figured out what our queen bee role was, and that's what I've not pushed on our stylist, but made sure that they all know what the number one priority is. Right. And I'm telling it works great. He's onto something with that book. That's a very good book.

It's such a good book. I think that I'm gonna just really nerd out here because I just love this conversation. But I think that's the number one struggle I see with business owners today, whether they're new or experienced, is we all are a bunch of walking control freaks a little bit, and we think nobody can do it as good as we can. And we're the ones with the vision.

I know.

And the truth is, we just need to get out of our own way. The only way to grow a business is to understand processes and procedures and to train people for whatever your queen bee role is. And it's not that you're the queen bee. Like you're, you don't have to be the queen bees, but there's a queen bee role, and that is the most important role to serve your customer.

Right.

And then just, just, just let go of the reins for a second. Train your people, delegate.

Yeah. It's been the most freeing thing. Now I have someone else doing everything that was taking up all my time. Oh. Now I can actually, you know, work on my. I'm looking for a director of fundraising now for the foundation. And it's freed me up to be able to do all the big things, which is really the number one reason we're in business is to do the big things and design our futures.

Absolutely. Would you say along the way, you know, the process of self discovery of being a business owner?

Right.

Would you say that one of the biggest obstacles you faced has been fear? Like the fear of letting go or what's been your biggest challenge so far in business?

Yeah, I want to kind of back up just to skosh, like, so fear used to dominate all of my life. I was afraid of everything. I remember being in therapy when I was like, I don't know, 18, 19 years old. And my therapist asked me, she goes, what, what are you afraid of? And I was like, well, let me tell you. And I just listed literally everything you could think of. Right. So the, the last time I was in treatment, 10 years ago, I started implementing, doing one thing every day that scared me. Just one thing. And at first it was the smallest of things, like, okay, I ate a bite of. I ate a bite of food and didn't flip out or it didn't, like, immediately do whatever behaviors I was doing at that time. So I started doing one thing every day that scared me. So by the time I got to this point in my life, I can honestly say I'm really not afraid to try. I'm not afraid of failing because, you know, I don't have anything to lose. And I've built that, quote, bravery muscle over the last 10 years because, like, what do you have to lose if it doesn't work? Try again or try something else. But not letting fear hold me back has been really good because my husband, he biggest supporter of me, but he thinks I'm nuts half the time. He's like, you want to do what? You want to open what? You want to do this? Okay, okay, you're crazy, but I'll support you. But it's because I've built my bravery muscle over the last 10 years. So it's doing one thing every Day that scares you is really one of my favorite things to say.

I love that you call it the bravery muscle. I think that makes so much sense. I just was visiting with my friend Marie Earthman on the podcast, and she was talking about. Actually, we were having whole conversation about mental health, and she was saying how part of her journey, similar to yours, was that in therapy she had to go through all of her biggest fears, and then she literally had to, like, be in that moment and then walk through. Okay, what do you do in that moment? Do you think that, you know, so many business owners are scared of, like, the fear of failure is so alive for entrepreneurs. So, you know, what lesson is there for boutique owners that are listening? Do you think it's important for them to face the fear of. Of walking through, hey, here's my plan A and plan B. If things don't go quote unquote, as planned, what's my next step? So that you can flex the bravery muscle and get through that possible scenario?

Oh, totally. Yeah. And things never go as planned in a perfect world. Like, okay, sure, maybe I planned X, Y and Z, and maybe it actually went X, Y, and Z. But that's not the reality. It's a lot of flexing that. Flexing that bravery muscle. That's the perfect way to say that. But it's important to do.

Let's talk about things that also work well in business. I know that one thing that works well for you is obviously the queen bee role, and that's speaking to your customers with such strong affirmation. Talk to me about kind of marketing strategies that have worked for you and how you've also shared that message across social media so that your customer truly does understand your why and feels connected to you and your mission.

Yeah. So everything that we do on social media is tied back to our mission. Right. And our mission is let's help every single woman know that they are beautiful and know that they deserve to feel that way. So that. That's our mission. And so every post that we do, every Instagram story or whatever that we're doing somehow is tied back to that. And so just flooding that message in all of our content that we're putting out there is really how that we've been successful. And also, like, not playing up the foundation, but making sure that people know that, hey, we have a foundation, and every single purchase that comes through, a portion of that's donated straight to the foundation. And so it's just, like, making that message consistent and making it well known. Right. Like, if you Go onto our Facebook group. Like, you'll see just a lot of encouraging things from, you know, all of our staff. Real honest posts, and that are encouraging. So just making it consistent.

I was looking at your Facebook page a while ago, and I was noticing that you do have such great engagement. I know your group's got great engagement, too. And I'm assuming because you've got such, you know, that that old saying about it's better to have, you know, a hundred true fans than a thousand followers, and that's truly what you've built already in your business.

Yeah, no, we. We do not have a huge following following by any means. Like, our Facebook group is under 3,000. We're not big. Whatever. We're a small fry. But, like, our engagement is amazing. The interaction we have, like, these women, really, they are our friends. They know us online, and then they'll come into the shop and we hug half of them, right? Because we know them. Like, our whole staff is really, really does a great job of engaging in the Facebook group and just making everybody feel welcomed and loved, which goes back to what our queen bee role is.

So one other thing that I noticed you do really well, and I'm gonna put you on the spot here is I love your photos.

Well, thank you.

Your photos in your store are so simple and so just clean and consistent.

And I know that that in the.

Boutique hub, anyway, that's a question we get all the time is product photography, and, you know, it's blah, and I need to do more flat lays. But talk me through your photos, because they do look great.

Thank you. I love our photographer. Her love, love, love her. So I used to do all my own photos, right? But then I was listening to Sarah, you know, Sarah, and she was like, do what you do best and hire the rest. So I, you know, go like, okay, well, I'm gonna hire a photographer because I don't take photos. And so I found this amazing photographer who, first of all, like, she lines up perfectly with our mission. Like, it's the exact same as hers, right? She is a feminine, badass photographer, and I just. Just adore her. So she. Having a good photographer is key. And so we shoot every other weekend. Excuse me, every other week, new arrivals. And then I upload to the website. But that consistent photographer. And we use. So models, like, are the girls from the shop. We use real women, just our stylists, usually, and a couple others that like to come in and model for us. But it's all very simple and consistent.

And you're in A lot of the photos as well. Do you find that your customers react well when you're a part of the photography?

Oh, hands down, yeah, definitely. They love that. So Tori, Tori is our manager and she's been with us, I don't know, April, March or April. And so she's really, you know, I am not physically in the shop that much. Tori is in the shop and so having her be a part of the photo shoots has been really, really good for our in person interactions because a lot of people were like, oh, when are you going to be in the shop? You know, for a couple hours. But not, you know, I spend most of my time at home in sweatpants these days. But having her be a part of the photo shoots has been really, really good too, because then, then they also recognize her as a face of the business too, which kind of helps alleviate some of that. Not pressure off me, but just meaning to be everywhere at all points in time.

Absolutely, yeah. So kind of a big picture question and I just love everyone's viewpoints on this, but talk to me about kind of trends in business. I know you say you're a baby business, but that you still are entitled to one heck of an opinion here in terms of where you see the industry going. What do you like about what's happening now? But what do you wish could evolve in our boutique retail industry?

I want to see more personal relationships with vendors. I don't know if I can say this. I'm tired of seeing like cheaply made things and the same thing over and over. So I really think that the industry as a whole is going to start going a little bit more towards specialty, specialized pieces and specialized like areas and just better relationships with the vendors and the designers because I love having good relationships with our vendors. I nicknamed one of mine Sparkle Shoes because she has these gorgeous Kate Spade sparkle Shoes because she's just a lovely person.

I love that. I, I think that man, you know, in such a. This is a whole other topic.

Okay.

Boutiques and wholesale vendors live very similar lives, although they don't always, always see it. You know, retail has gone so omnichannel. You've got to be online, but also in person. And wholesale, you know, used to be so in person, but then really made a shift for online. But I think what you're saying is so spot on. You have to have a great mix of both. You have to have online availability. Right. And instant access, but you have to have the personalization in wholesale just like you do in retail.

Yes, for sure. Yeah. It's my. I love going to the market, meeting with vendors that I. I work with. I love doing that because it's. It's nice to have that personal connection with vendors. It really, really is. It makes it so much better than ordering who knows what off of other websites, you know?

Absolutely.

Yeah.

All right, Are you ready for some lightning round questions?

Bring it on.

So eager.

I'm not scared. So eager. Okay.

Who.

Who's your mentor?

You know, you. Okay, this is kind of maybe a little bit embarrassing, but I kind of have a little bit of a girl crush on Sarah, you know? You're Sarah.

Yes.

Sorry. I think she, first of all, she's just gorgeous. Like, she's just the kind of. I look up to her a lot, and you too. But I really, really, I love what Sarah has to say about stuff. Like, I like how honest she is about her passed with retail stuff. And like, okay, well, this is what I did wrong and this is how you fix it. And I have learned a lot from listening to her, specifically in retail bootcamp. I have learned a lot and implemented a lot too. And we are doing much better financially now because of everything that I've implemented from what I've learned from Sarah.

That is so sweet. She's gonna love hearing that. Her and I were speaking this morning and we were planning. We've got a trip coming up where we've gotta give a presentation together. So we were writing our notes or slide notes, whatever we're going to talk about, and we're talking and she just like whips out this random analogy about business being like a flat tire. And she goes on with it. And I'm like, sarah. I just started laughing. I said, where do you even come up with these analogies? Like, everything is so off the cuff. And she's like, ashley, it's just like when you come up with Will Ferrell quotes, like, the stuff just rolls off your tongue. And you don't know. Her gift is far better than mine, but the girl is, well, feral's pretty.

Amazing too, so don't cut yourself short. That's pretty awesome.

Well, I think that's a good one. So if anyone doesn't know Sarah Burks, definitely have to give her a holler. Inside of the boutique hub.

She has taught me a lot. I remember I was in Vegas for the first time, like two magics ago, right? And I was in your little. I was brand new in the boutique hub. And we were in the. The breakfast thing that you guys did, and you guys were talking about the open Dubai Plan. And I raised my hand and I'm like, okay, what's an open to buy plan and how do I get one? That's the first interaction I had with Sarah. I don't know if she'd remember that, but I liked her immediately after that.

I think she probably nerded out on the topic.

She kind of did a little, little over my head at that point in time. But that's okay. I get it now.

All right. Favorite book.

Oh, Clockwork. Because I'm currently reading and kind of obsessed with it.

Perfect. Favorite podcast.

Well, I have to say this one.

Oh, you win.

And it really is, you know, it really is like it's what I listen to in the car when my 2 year old year old's not screaming.

Perfect. Favorite quote.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. Oh, Nelson Mandela.

That is beautiful. That's a good one.

Thank you.

Favorite trend at the moment.

Cheetah.

Every woman's favorite.

Everything animal print. Cheetah. I love cheetah so much.

Is there a trend you wish would die?

Mom jeans.

What?

I worry.

Mama jeans. They double as a bra.

I know. I just, I. I'm a mom and I just like, they don't do anything for the butt and I like, I'm all like, you gotta accentuate the booty. And like sometimes the mom jeans don't work with the booty. I was walking, not.

I was literally walking out to the car today wearing mom jeans and combat boots. Yeah, mom jeans.

That's amazing actually.

I mean, you only live once with Cheetah, I hope. Oh, you know what? No Cheetah today. No Cheetah today. No.

Okay.

Black and graphic tee, mom jeans, combat boots. And Eric's in the car because we're gonna go to lunch together. Cause it's one of our team members birthdays and I can see him, he put his hand on his mouth and then just started shaking his head like.

No, no, this is not, this is not happening.

He's just not. Not a fan.

Yeah, I know. I totally get there's a place for mom jeans. Like I love high waisted jeans, but not like, like so high waisted that they're a bra. Is that fair?

It's fair. Yeah.

Okay, I'm. I'm sorry. I know.

All right, what's your greatest piece of advice for someone who is listening? How they could go grow their business.

Find your message and say your message over and over in as many ways as you can. Really focus on building that community around your brand and attracting those 100 superfans, because those 100 super fans are awesome, and they really will stand behind you and support you. I love that.

That's great advice. Thanks. Well, Julie, you know the last question, right? Because you listen to the podcast and really, the last question has so much to do with our topic today. So before I ask it, I just really want to affirm you and tell you thank you and that I know you had such a battle in your own life, but your battle doesn't go unnoticed. And it's beautiful the way that you've been able to take that and impact, impact so many other, you know, men and women's lives because of it. So thank you for coming on the show today and sharing that with our entire community. That definitely means a lot.

Thank you. I really. That. I really appreciate that. Means a lot to me.

You're very welcome. Well, in last question, fashion, when you are an elderly grandma and you are on the front porch with those sweet grandbabies, and you're talking about the life that you lived and the business that you created, what is the legacy that you hope you leave behind and the thing that they will say about you, you at that point.

So really, I love this question. I want them to say that I was compassionate and inspiring. I want people to just my. My love for other people and my hope of empowering, empowering women.

I think that's beautiful. Thank you so much, Julie. Again, it means a ton that you came on the show today to share this message, and I can't wait to see where you can continue to grow in the future.

Thank you.

Isn't Julie's story amazing?

Thank you guys so much for tuning in today. I hope this hit home for you.

And gave you some insight on how.

You can give back more in your own community, with your own cause and with your business. You know, this is the perfect time. I wanted to close today by mentioning that this is a cause very important to the Boutique Hub. And if you've heard much of our story about how the Hub got started, I've always felt. Felt like the Hub was an opportunity for Eric and I and for our entire family to give back on a much greater level.

Right?

To offer a ministry to people, a service to people, a voice to people, but also to hear what you're interested in supporting yourself and offer a tool to be charitable in the process. So, as many of you know, our Boutique Boss store, a part of the Hub that has all of our Boutique Boss merchandise, all proceeds of that store go to charity, as voted on by our entire membership. And since we last voted, we have all been in agreement that we're going to continue to support an operation very near and dear to us called Operation Underground Railroad. Now this is a team of ex Navy Seals who have left their post to rescue victims of human trafficking, but also to work with law enforcement to arrest their perpetrators. They've partnered with people like Tony Robbins and Russell Brunson and a lot of of big names in business in the United States. They cross international borders and they do a lot of work that frankly the government isn't always able to do on their own. So in case you want to join us in our mission to fight human trafficking, Honestly, as a mother, probably my biggest nightmare I can't imagine. Then please support the Boutique Boss store. It's the BoutiqueBossstore.com this includes the Boutique Boss Planner. If you've had an opportunity to purchase a 2020 Boutique Boss Planner, the only planner on the market for boutique owners. All of these products, their proceeds go to Operation Underground Railroad so that together as boutique owners and as an industry, we can make a difference. Guys, thank you for listening to the show and thank you for giving back to the missions and the charities that you feel so strongly about.

Hey guys, thank you so much for listening to this episode. We hope that you loved it. Don't forget to hit subscribe and leave a rating and review down below for a chance to be one of our featured listeners each and every week. For more information on our spirit of.

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