How to Serve Your Ideal Customer | Small Business Tips

Hey guys. Welcome to episode number 287 with my friend, Jasmine Bowdry. 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 that actually make it happen. I'm your host, Ashley Alderson from the Boutique Hub, and I can't wait to chat. Hey guys. If you took part in our virtual retail summit happening this summer after our regular boutique summit was canceled, you had a chance to meet my friend Jasmine. She was one of our guest speakers on a panel during the summit and ever since then, I've been so excited to have her on the podcast because not only does she have big box buying experience, she also has her own boutique and she helps others through her platform, the Boutique Teacher, learn how to run successful and profitable stores. So, without further ado, my friend Jasmine is a speaker that is highly regarded across our industry and she shares so many helpful tips every single day, you guys, on her Instagram when it comes to marketing and profitability in every angle in business. Now, through SHIFT Style House, she is able to test a lot of the theories and strategies that she shares with her real life clients. So today on this show, I was really excited to ask Jasmine about assortment planning and inventory management, open to buy plans, and how to make sure that not only do we know our customers, but we're serving our customer exactly what she needs. So get ready. This is such a great episode. I know you guys are going to take a ton of notes on this one. Meet Jasmine Bowdry.

Hey guys.

Welcome back to the podcast this week. You. You get a two for one this week because my guest today, Jasmine Bowdry, is not only a boutique owner herself, but she is an expert and helps other people with their boutiques as well. So welcome my friend Jasmine, the CEO of Shift Style House and the boutique teacher, Jasmine. Thanks for being on the show today.

Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to chat with you.

Oh, well, we're so excited to have you here. You were a part of the virtual summit that we hosted earlier in the year, which was awesome to have you. And I know you've been super busy because this has been such a crazy year in the boutique industry. So I'm pumped to hear your background story. If anyone hasn't met you yet, I would love to hear how you got Started really in the fashion industry. And what led you to where you are and how you're helping people today?

Definitely. So I started. My degree is in fashion, merchandising and buying. So I've always wanted to be in the space. Even dating back to when I was a little girl and probably dating my age some. You know, my mom would always buy me paper dolls. I don't know if you remember paper dolls. Actually, I don't know how old you are. You know, when you had. It was like a magazine, but of. Of paper and they were dolls and they were little cutouts and you could put clothes on them and dress them up and things like that. So loved and been inspired, you know, by fashion, by, by clothing kind of on the front end of things. So I used to do fashion shows and, and help put together fashion shows, but never understood the back, the back end process of the industry. And so I studied fashion, merchandising and retail buying. That really taught that, you know, that, that behind the scenes. And after I graduated with my bachelor's, I moved to New York City and I wanted to live this fabulous fashion life. I wanted to live in the city of fashion and be a fashion buyer. So I started as a merchandise assistant for Tiffany & Co. And then moved to Saks Fifth Avenue as a merchandise assistant. And then, you know, just kind of worked my way up. And while it was great, Saks is really an amazing discount, honestly, but the best discount ever. And then they would have sample sales. So you buy the samples.

Did you have that at Tiffany too? I mean, I would take a little Saks and a little Tiffany samples.

I had a discount at Tiffany, but it was, I want to say it was like 10%. Saks was like 30. And they would have an additional. They had like associate sales at this time four times a year. So it was like where you could double dip. So you get your associates discount plus an additional like 20 to 30%. Like, it was crazy. It was, I'll take it. It was insane, but it was amazing. But that's why I was poor and, and you know, I really wanted to just learn, you know, that, that part of the business. And so that was really my end into the industry. And during this time, you know, living in New York City is very competitive, especially in fashion, because that is where most fashion houses and headquarters are located. So you have, you know, and then you have three, three fashion schools there as well. So there's all this competition of people wanting an opportunity. So it was very, very much a competitive environment. And if if you've ever seen the movie the Devil Wears Prada, that's. That's how it was. And I, you know, at that, at that time, just didn't know if this was something that I wanted to do. I wasn't sure, you know, this is the path that I wanted to continue in. So I moved and went to graduate school and got my MBA and did a stint of some finance work. So I worked for a consulting company doing finance, and I absolutely hated it. Like, I like numbers, but what I was doing just in terms of finance is very, you know, it's very kind of blah. There's not a lot of interaction with people. There's definitely no creativity, but you're just looking at numbers and spreadsheets all day. And so from there, I decided that I did want to get back into buying because I love how it. It really uses your left and right brain, so your creative side and in your analytical side. But I didn't necessarily go back into the fashion space, so I moved more into what is called hard lines. So, you know, when you think about the Home Depots of the world, the, the, you know, the Walmart, some of the, you know, bigger box brands that have a mix of soft lines, which is clothing, home decor, things like that, and then hard lines, where it, you know, it's kind of more of your not so sexy things. And so I moved more into the hard line space. And as I grew more in my career, based on salary, you know, based on growing within companies, I moved further away from my love and really passion for fashion. And I hate that cliche like, I have a passion for fashion, but it's really no other way to say it. And so I just started to research. I saw a lot of online. Online stores starting to pop up. And I'm like, how are they doing this? How are they running these online boutiques? What is this? So I started to do some research and started my own in 2016. And that's really where the passion started to come back because I was living again, I was able to create again, I was able to be inspired. And so I started my brand shift style house in 2016 and have been running that for about four and a half years. So it all kind of comes full circle. You know, I feel like me having my degree in this space, me, you know, having over 15 years of experience in the industry really helps to drive the businesses that I own today.

Yeah. How did you make that shift? So you started your own boutique. How did that start to take off? And then at what point did you decide, you know what? I want to start helping others do the same thing?

Yeah. So when I first started out, although I knew the fashion and retail space, I did not know entrepreneurship. And so I, you know, found myself wasting hours and hours trying to Google, trying to watch YouTube videos, reaching out to people who claimed to be coaches, who weren't telling me anything different than what I had found on Google. And so I had just gotten so frustrated with, with feeling like nobody understands, you know, nobody, nobody gets it. And it wasn't really until I started investing in my business at a higher level. So, you know, paying multiple figures for coaching in the areas that I didn't know, I didn't know anything about, like email marketing or even. And I'll even say that even though in the buying capacity, so the categories that I was responsible for, even though you have ideal customers for that, I never translated that into my business. So when I started, everybody was my customer. I didn't, you know, I didn't know anything about ideal customer and having to really, you know. And again, what most people think is I'm selling clothing so I can sell clothing to everybody instead of understanding that you need to niche down. Right. And so I decided that I wanted to start helping others around. This was about 20, end of 2017, going into 2018, because I was like, if I have all this experience and, you know, I was struggling at this, at this point. I had run my boutique for about two and a half years, so I was starting, I wasn't necessarily struggling anymore. So I probably struggled that first year. Definitely struggled that first year. But I was like, if others are struggling or if I'm struggling and I've been doing this, you know, for years, what are others going through? And so I decided to start coaching and start my business. The boutique teacher. To really kind of merge my experience and background of knowing that that foundational piece of running a retail, you know, business for Fortune 500 retail companies and running multimillion dollar categories and merging that with, you know, this, this new online space owners. So that's really why I decided to start helping people. Because I was like, if I was going through it, then, girl, I know.

Yeah, for sure, for sure. What do you, as you think about, like the industry today and boutique owners that you meet today, what do you think your number one struggle is? And, and what is the thing you really want to help them overcome the most?

So honestly, it's a few things, but when I think about the number one, the number one is always the ideal customer. They have no idea because they think how I was thinking, that it's clothing or it's beauty or it's, you know, it's makeup. Who doesn't love that? And. And when you don't have that, you know that. That avatar, top of mind. When you don't have that person top of mind, then that means you're trying to serve everyone, and you just can't. You cannot serve everyone. And so that's always the kind of. The first step, in addition to mindset that I go through with my clients is, no, we really need to zone in on, you know, who this brand is for, because that's who you're serving. Like, it's not even. It's not even about you. Some things I bring in my boutique I wouldn't. I wouldn't wear. But it's not, you know, it's not necessarily about what I wear. It's about what my customers are telling me that they want. Right. So that's the biggest struggle is that, you know, thinking that you don't have.

To have.

That customer in mind, that because you sell whatever product that you sell, that you can sell that to everyone. And you.

Oh, man.

I often say inside the hub, when you target everyone, you reach no one.

No. Yeah.

I think what you're saying is so spot on, and I think it's so funny. One of the biggest struggles in buying is just like you said, you buy these things and you're like, oh, I'm going to go deep in this. And then because you love it, and.

Then no one buys it, and then it doesn't sell. Yeah. And you're stuck with it because you. You purchase that based on your emotion and how you felt, not what your customer told you they want.

Exactly. Exactly. So take that a step further for me because I know product assortment is huge for you, and using data is huge for you. How do you start to break that down and plan your ideal product assortment? Really using your data and understanding that ideal customer is.

Yep. So I. I think I talked about this during the virtual summit, but I can't remember. But I always send surveys. I always send surveys. I mean, getting direct feedback from your customer is the best feedback you're ever going to get. And for me, you know, some of. Some of the feedback I get, it might hurt my. Hurt my feelings sometimes because they get, you know, really real. I want to see more of this. I want to see this. I want to see this. Why don't you have. And that's, you know, that's the level of engagement that you have to have with your customers. You have to, you know, talk to them. So I'm always sending out surveys, doing polls. If they're, you know, the style I think they might like. But I'm not too sure I'll do polls and like Instagram story, But definitely using that feedback and looking at the data in terms of what categories are selling the best, you know, is it, is it tops? And if it's tops, is it, you know, sleeveless? Is it long sleeve? If it's dresses, is it midi or mini dresses? So really, you know, looking at my product assortment down to an item level of what my customers are buying and then using that information to make the purchasing decisions going forward. So it's, you know, it's, it's never about me. It's always what, you know, what they tell me they want. I, I'm very big on not having a trend focused boutique because, you know, trends, you know that that's gonna be out of style in next season. So I always recommend to my clients is, you know, having more staple pieces, having more wearable pieces, and then sprinkling trend inside of that.

That's so good. Do you have like a formula in mind when it comes to like mapping out your ideal assortment and what that should all include?

I do. So I have like a product assortment model that I actually teach inside of my program. So your product assortment should be a mix of four different things. And I'm giving your audience the gems here, Ashley, because I usually only share this. Oh, this is good. Hey guys, the gyms here. So your assortment should be a mix of four different things and one of those things should be the trends, like I said. But that should only be a small subset of your assortment. You should not have an assortment of 80% trend items. So you have your trend and then you have something that is signature to your brand. So for instance, with my boutique, I'm always known for having a good suit, like a bomb power suit. And so my customers know that no matter what season, there's going to be a suit of some sort in there. So yeah, having some signature item that your customers are always going to look forward to. So I definitely always recommend having signature items. So we have signature items and then few trends. Then you want to have the, the items that are going to bring you profit. So these are usually lower cost, but you can move a lot of units. So think about, you know, having like basics, so, you know, white tees or, you know, different, different tees, V neck shirts, things that can Kind of move with. Without a customer having to think about it. And then the last piece is having those different basket builders, so things that complement what's in your store. So this would be, you know, something like accessories, having, you know, necklaces that match the different shirts, having earrings, things like that. So those are the four things that you need in your product assortment. So yeah, there's like a whole. There's an entire matrix that I follow to, you know, make sure that I'm not over assorted in the trend item that, you know, I have enough of the pieces that are going to really move the profit. And did I say. I said for. Right.

Did you stood for?

Yep. I was like, I feel like I'm missing something.

No, you got it. You got it. Take that a step further for me in terms of if I was going to sit down and I'm really mapping out reports every week. I think reports can be overwhelming to a lot of boutique owners because I think we all get so caught up in like the artsy side of our brain, you know, fashion and the photo shoots and the trend and all these things. Nobody wants to be analytical. So if you were going to spend your time diving into reports, where would you suggest people go?

So I use Shopify. That is that. That's the platform that I use for my business. And their reports are really good. When you're on the. The $79 plan and up. I would say the reports on the $29 plan are a little basic, but I always dive in there. And then one of the. Have you heard of Delirious Profits? That's like my favorite. Have you heard of that?

Yeah, we use that too.

Yes, that's like my favorite app ever. Just because it really gives you everything, you know, at a glance of how your business is doing and if it's actually profitable. So you see so many, you know, boutiques, and they're like, oh, I made 50k this month, I made 100k this month. But what was the profit? Yeah, what was the profit? So in terms of really digging into your numbers, I'm always looking at a few things. First being the return customer rate. So it's easier to get a return customer to come back and continue to buy than it is to acquire a new customer. So I always want to make sure that I'm still serving my current customer. So making sure that that percentage is always increasing of customer return rate. Then I'm always looking at my average order value, my aov, because again, this is how if your alb is low, then you need to move a lot of product to really even make any money. So I'm always trying to increase that average order value. And then again, looking at things that customers are adding to cart and not buying. Because to me, when you're looking at numbers, you always have to go beneath the surface. Like, if I see customers are adding to cart, you know, most people, just because they don't like to dig into the numbers, it's not the sexy stuff. They say, oh, I'm getting a lot of traffic to my site and people are adding the cart, but they're not buying. I don't know what's going on, and they just stop there. But it's, you know, you have to take that a step further and really dig into, okay, what are some reasons that they could be adding to cart, but they're not going all the way through the checkout process. What is my shipping? Shipping rate is the number one reason customers abandon cart. And what many boutique owners don't consider when they are putting together a shipping rate is that they really don't have a strategy for that. They just kind of look on other sites and say, oh, okay, Fashion Nova is free over 75. So that's what, you know, that's what I'm going to do. But if your average order value is $35, right, and your shipping is free over 100, that customer has to purchase, you know, three times what they normally would in order just to reach the shipping threshold. And at that point they're going to say, is this even worth it? An abandoned cart? So that's kind of like, that's how I think. And that's, you know, what I, what I teach is to really, you know, look deeper, look, look at other reasons why some things might not be working in your business. Don't just try to follow what everyone else is doing. Know your numbers for yourself. Know the reasons why, you know, things could be happening because you've done the research and due diligence to really try to find out. But that, that's one of the biggest things that I see and hear is that, you know, I get traffic, but they, they don't check out. They, you know, they abandon cart. What's your customer journey from the time that they go to the homepage to the checkout? How many steps is that? I think the statistic is like, you have less than two seconds when somebody comes on your page for them to not bounce. So to not leave your site based on what they see. So if you don't have a, you know, A banner that, that stands out and you know your logo and really telling them who you are, they're going to leave. If throughout the journey from the homepage to the checkout you have 25 different pop ups, which is just a huge pet peeve of mine. It's like, get this out of here and then it comes back three seconds later. That is a deterrent. They're going to leave. So it's really looking at a few factors, looking at understanding your customer journey from homepage to checkout, digging into underneath the surface of why some things could be happening. So that was. I can go down a rabbit hole. Didn't mean to, but no, I love the rabbit hole.

I'm so all about it and I completely agree. I always feel like, you know, this isn't the field of dreams. This is not. If you build it, they will come. But it's all the strategy that goes into it and you might be getting traffic but why isn't it converting? And you're spot on with everything you've said. I want to follow up with that because I would say 95% of the people in the community that we serve use Shopify. So we've talked about Delirious Profit, we love dp. Do you have other apps that you love and you feel like are essential to Shopify as well?

Yeah, there is one, there's another one called Stocky. It's a little on the higher price side. But what I like about it, 85%.

Of the people in the community that we serve use Shopify. So we've talked about Delirious Profit. We love dp. Do you have other apps that you love and you feel like are essential?

Is that if you are a very SKU intensive brand, if you have a lot of skills, I love that it gives you that ABC analysis because that's what we, we used to do, you know, in my buying days at stores is that you look at where your A sellers are, your B sellers, your C sellers. I love that it tells you Shopify as well. Yeah, there's one, there's another one called Stocky. It's a little on the, yeah, higher price side. But what I like about it is that if you are a very skew intensive brand, if you have a lot of skus, I love that it gives you that ABC analysis because that's what we, we used to do, you know, in my buying days and gives you like a forecast of when you should start to replenish your items. You know, again, kind of focusing on those A and B items, hey, these are your top movers. So that's definitely another app that I love. I'm trying to think of what's in my stores is that you look at where your A sellers are, your B sellers, your C sellers. I love that it tells you, it gives you like a forecast of when you should start to replenish your items. The other apps that kind of encourage the customer, again kind of focusing on those A and B items, hey, these are your top movers. So that's definitely another app that I love. I trying to think of what's in my stores to buy more. So again increasing the, the basket or the other, the other apps that kind of encourage the customer. So the one I use I think is called Frequently Bought Together. Yeah, love it. Frequently Bought Together. So it, you know, if you bundle mers to buy more. So again increasing the basket. So things that will give you an additional discount. So if you buy, you know, two. So the one I use I think is called Frequently Bought Together. Yeah, Frequently Bought Together. So it, you know it. If you bundle things it'll give you an additional discount. So if you buy, you know, two shirts and a necklace, you'll get a discount. But if you, if you buy those different bundles, shirts and a necklace, you'll get a discount. But if you, if you buy those different bundles then you get discounts. There are a few others. Bold has some really good apps. I mean they have like a whole platform of apps. They have like different. So you get discounts. There are a few others. Bold has some really good app sales, cross sales, those things. So those are the top ones. Oh the other apps, I mean they have like a whole platform of apps. They have like different upsells, cross sales, those things. So those are the top ones. Oh the other one, my other favorite is Shop Message. So that's a great retargeting app for Facebook Messenger. So not everybody is going to give you their email address. So it's hard to send abandoned cart emails if you don't have an email address. So Shop Message is my other favorite because then it retargets you in the messenger. So that's good.

I've not heard of that one.

Oh yeah, it's, I think It's a free 30 day trial and then maybe I think nine to ten dollars a month. But you can, you can send retargeting messages like hey, you left something in your cart. They can get their order updates from this. You can, if you are running a sale you can send out a campaign through messenger like, hey, today off, we're, you know, during 25%. So it's just another touch point for you to engage with your customers. So I love that as well because everybody, you know, everybody doesn't sign up for your, your email address. So being able to target there is a, is another, another app I love.

I'm gonna look into that one for sure. That's awesome. So we're kind of talking financials. Let's shift gears a little bit. I want to hear more about marketing strategy today. So I think it's easy for everyone to overwhelmed with. I gotta be on Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest and TikTok and I have to have email lists and all these things. How do you sort through the noise and what do you feel like is the most important marketing channel and strategy for today?

So it's hard. It's so many things, but one, again, one of the great things about Shopify is it tells you where your traffic is coming from, right? So you have to pay attention to that. So my three main sources of traffic, actually about four I usually look at the top four to five is email marketing, Facebook, Instagram and then direct traffic. So I'm always going to focus on those areas. Although in the report I see people come from Pinterest, I see people come from Twitter. That's not where the majority is coming from. So I'm only going to focus efforts on where my audience actually is. And that tells me that they're on Instagram, they're on Facebook and they're using their mobile phone when they're coming to the site. So all of that is in the Shopify report. And so that's kind of how I narrow down where I'm going to focus the marketing efforts now. Usually in the slow months, you know, you know about the dreaded Js. So usually in those slow months is when I will start to look, look at other opportunities. So that's when I'll start to say, okay, hey, I really want to dig into Pinterest. You know, I really want to start here. But it's not during peak season times. And so I think for others, when you see, you know, all of these kind of things coming at you like, oh my God, it's a new, it's a new social media, it's a new tool. Where is your audience working and where can you serve them best? That's the, that's the other, you know, takeaway is where can you serve them because you don't want to, you know, we don't want anyone to have burnout and overwhelm and stress because they're trying to be on 50 platforms, right? So it's. Where can you actually, you know, serve your audience best? So for me, that's primarily Instagram and through email. Now, I will say, Ashley, that when Instagram rolls out these things like reels, like, I'm trying to get into reels. I'm still with you. I'm strugg. I'm trying. It's been a struggle, but I've done a few. I've done a few. It's the editing part. It's like, oh, my God. Like, how do you stop and then add music and then make it all flow? But I will say that when there are tools like that, so me knowing that my audience is on Instagram and they rolled out reels, Instagram is pushing reels so hard that they're putting brands on the Explorer page. You know, it used to be you that you had to have a lot of engagement and visibility to get on the Explorer page. Now if you do a reel, I've done two or three reels and they've been on the Explorer page. So that's. You're getting that extra visibility when you do kind of partake in things that are, you know, new and happening. In these instances, because of how Instagram has their algorithm set, they're pushing reels very hard right now. So if you are doing reels, I definitely encourage you to test, test them out. Just because it's putting your business and brand on so many eyes just because they, they're pushing it so hard. So, you know, when, when updates like that come out, then I do try to, you know, to explore it. And because I know that my audience is on Instagram Now, TikTok, I couldn't get with the TikTok. They, they weren't on TikTok, but my audience wasn't on there. So I didn't, you know, I, I didn't move with that bandwagon. But when they brought, you know, reels to Instagram, like, okay, now we can, you know, explore this because my audience is already on Instagram. Yeah.

Oh, my gosh, that's so true.

I love that.

And all the overwhelm. Oh my gosh. I keep thinking about, like, when am I gonna do this? When do I have time talk to that one step further with collaborating? I think, like, you talk about your ideal customer and finding her. Do you think collaboration is a huge piece of that? And how can boutiques better collaborate today?

Definitely so, definitely so So I think that when it comes to collaboration, there are a few ways, you know, that I look at it, it's, you know, collaborating with an influencer potentially. And with influencer, you want to, one, make sure that it's a fit for your brand. So oftentimes, you know, brands will go and, you know, pay for an ad with an influencer and they don't see any conversions because, excuse me, one, is that your ideal audience, like who you're trying to tap into? Is that the audience of the influencer? Three, did you ask the influencer for their metrics? You know, what, what is their engagement? What, what's their engagement? Nobody cares about likes. Are they, are they actually engaging, you know, with the content? Do they, do they have the ability to help you drive conversions by sharing your brand with their audience? So I think, you know, in terms of that business owners really have to get beyond the vanity metrics of this person has a hundred thousand followers. So I know that if they post my, you know, my, my shirt that orders are going to come in crazy and then they end up disappointed because they didn't do their, you know, their due diligence and ask the right questions. So, but I do think that it, it is a great way to collaborate and get more eyes on your business when it's the right influencer. Another way to collaborate is with others who maybe who don't sell what you sell. So I sell primarily clothes. You know, a great collaboration for me would be someone who sells shoes and we can cross promote, you know, someone who sells things that are complementary to what I already have and doing things like, you know, a giveaway together or different bundles, especially as we're going into holiday. Things like that, I think are great ways for boutique owners to really collaborate with others.

Mm, I love that. I love the piece about the influencers too, because not everyone really thinks about that and how critical that piece is.

So let's shift a little bit, you know, their due diligence and ask the right questions. So, but I do think that it, it is a great way to collaborate and get more eyes on your business when it's the right influencer. Another way to collaborate is with others who maybe who don't sell what you sell. So I sell primarily clothes. You know, a great collaboration for me would be some.

I want to hear more about you personally and where you go to fill your cup. So do you have a favorite mentor or podcast or YouTube channel that you love to follow?

That is a great question. How do I feel my cup? So my Favorite podcast ever is how I built this.

Oh, I love it.

Oh my gosh. And the reason why I love it so much is that in this world, right in the, in the one who sells shoes and we can cross promote, you know, someone who sells things that are complementary to what I already have and doing things like, you know, a giveaway together or different bundles, especially as we're going into holiday, things like that I think are great ways for boutique owners to really collaborate with others space. And I'm. And I'm always praying like, God, I don't even know like why you put this in me. You like, I. There have been times actually I've tried to go back to corporate and God, like, just take me back, just give me a check. Like, let me just do it like normal, like, nope. So when I listen to podcasts like how I built this where you hear.

I love that. I love the piece about the influencers too because not everyone really thinks about.

That, that starting story, you know, of, of where these now multi million dollar businesses, you know, where they.

And how critical that piece is. So let's shift a little bit. I want to hear more about you personally and where you go to fill your cup. So do you have a favorite mentor or a podcast or YouTube channel that.

You love to follow started? It just gives me so much inspiration. It just gives me so much, you know, it gives me so much hope that, that when you just continue on this path, when you do not give up, that things will shift, things will change. It's a great question. How do I feel my cup? So my favorite podcast ever is how I built this.

Oh, I love it.

Oh my gosh. And the reason why I love. So that is my favorite podcast. I just, I love it so much. Is that in this world, right in the, in the.

Love it. I think it's so funny going back to your story though, about how you can either chase the check or space.

And I'm. And I'm always praying like, God, I don't even know like why you can chase your passion.

And you're prime example of God's got you where he wants you, right?

Exactly. Exactly.

All right, how about favorite book?

So favorite business book? I have a few, but currently I'm really loving Super Fans by Pat Flynn. Have you heard of that one?

I haven't, but I love Pat Flynn.

You put this in me. You like, there have been times actually I've tried to go back to corporate and God is like, I'm like, just take me back. Just give me a Check. Like, let me just do it like normal. Like, nope. So when I listen to podcasts, guys, like how I built this. Were you here? So Super Fans is a really good. A really good business book. I like to read a lot of devotionals, so that's kind of how I get my. My day started. So I have a devotional by. It's actually a pastor here in Atlanta, William Murphy, and it's called Praying Through It. So each day is a daily devotional that I just really just used to start my day again. You know, you can get caught up in just the. Just the ins and outs of being an entrepreneur, the highs and lows, the peaks and valleys. So, you know, I really. That starting story, you know, of. Of where these now multimillion dollar businesses, you know, where they started, it just gives me so much inspiration. It just gives me so much, you know, it gives me so much hope that when you just continue on this path, when you try to stay grounded in my faith and in prayer. So that's how I really start my day. But I would say those are my two faves.

I love it. We'll link that up in the show notes because I feel like someone was just asking in the hub the other day looking for more devotionals.

So it's my. It's my favorite in the. The thing about it is that do not give up, that things will shift, things will change. In that devotional, you. He. He talks to businesses there, you know, so that is my favorite podcast. I just. I love it.

I love it. I think it's so funny. Going back to your story, though, about how you can either chase the check or you can chase your passion and your prime example of God's got you where he wants you. Right?

Exactly. There. There are devotionals that are, you know, that are about praying for your business and, you know, just. Just pushing through with your dreams and things like that. So. So even when I bought it, I didn't know, I was like, hey, I just need. I need a devotional for just every day, you know, motivation. I love that, you know that it has that component in there as well.

Yeah, that's really.

Exactly, exactly.

All right, how about favorite book?

So favorite business book? I have a few, but currently I'm really loving Super Fans by Pat Flynn. Have you heard of that one?

I haven't, but I love Pat Flynn. It's kind of on that topic. Thinking about daily devotionals. Do you have a daily routine or something that kind of helps you stay intentional every day?

So I would say my routine the consistent part of the routine is probably from between 7 to about 10. That's really the only consistent I can get. So it's I make my coffee, you know, I get up, make the bed, one, make coffee, make coffee, cannot function. And then I do, I read my Devotional. So Super Fans is a really good, a really good business book. I like to read a lot of devotionals. So that's kind of how I get my. My day started. So I have a devotional by. It's actually a pastor here in Atlanta, William Murph, and it's called Praying Through It. So I kind of set my intention for the day after reading that, after meditating and prayer. So those are the consistent things that happen on a daily basis. And then from that I kind of write out the to do list. And with my to do list I use a planner called the Full Focus Planner. By each day is a daily devotional that I just really just used to start my day again. You know, you can get caught up in just the, just the. Is it Michael Hyatt?

Yeah, Michael Hyatt has a ton of.

Planners, ins and outs of being an entrepreneur. The highs and lows, the peaks and valleys. So you know, I really try to stay grounded in my faith and in prayer. So that's how I think. It's Michael Hyatt. So full I use that planner which is broken out into it, one planner per quarter. So throughout the year you have four planners. And what I love about that is that it, although I can have a ton of to do's for the day, only focus on the top three. So I really start my day. But I would say Those are my 2 favorite.

I love it. We'll link that up in the show notes because I feel like someone was just asking in the hub the other day looking for more devotionals. So.

It'S my favorite in the. The, the thing about it is that what are the top three things that you must accomplish today? And usually I. People don't want to do, you know, the hardest thing. So I always do the hardest thing first. You know, this is. I don't want to do this, so I know this is what I need to do. So in that devotional, you know, he, he talks to businesses there. You know, if anything, if I've gotten through those top three for the day, then I'm good if nothing else gets done. So you know, throughout the day it might, it might get a little crazy and off track, but the consistency routine is from about 9 to 7 to 10. And then after That I can't, I can't guarantee anymore. There are devotionals that are, you know, that are about praying for your business and you know, just, just pushing through with your dreams and things like that. So, so even when I bought it, I, I didn't know. I was like, hey, I just need, I need a devotional for just every day. You know, motivation. I love it has that component in there as well.

Yeah. That's really unique. Oh man, that's about right. I tell you what, like before 10:00am That's I call it tiger time. Like that's the only time there's a consistent routine. And then it's whatever meeting or whatever else is going to come the rest of the week. It's kind of on that topic. Thinking about daily devotionals. Do you have a daily routine?

Exactly, exactly. It's like okay, what calls do I have? What, you know, what do I have to do with everything else? But the consistent part is really only from bus 7 to 10.

Since we.

Both love teen or something that kind of helps you stay intentional every day. Fashion. I'd love to know what's your favorite trend at the moment.

Oh so, so I would say my routine. The, the consistent part of the routine is for me if, if every day I could wear this I, I would be happy. And I had actually had posted about this. If I could wear a dad hat prob to about 10. That's really the only consistent boyfriend jeans, a kimono and slides every day. That's like, that's my uniform I can get. So it's. I make my coffee. You know, I get up, make the bed. Step one, make coffee. That is what I still feel fashionable in when I still feel coffee cannot function. And then I do I, I read my devotional, you know, chic and presentable in but I just have not been.

Able to find like.

So I you know, kind of set my intention for the day after reading that after, you know, medic a bunch of kimonos, I'm like who, who sells, who sells the kimonos? But that, that's my, my staple uniform. But in terms of, of meditating and prayer. So those are the consistent things that happen on a daily basis. And then from that I kind of write out the to do list and with my to do list I use of real trends going on right now. I, I do like exaggerated collars. That's a huge fall trend. So if you think of, you know, how, how a normal collar is the exaggerate a planner called the full focus Planner Planner by is It Michael Hyatt, I know he has a bunch of.

Yeah, Michael Hyatt has a ton of planners.

Collars for the season really come all the way down to probably, like the middle of your chest. Yes. I don't know if you've seen them. It was, they were, they were huge on, on the runways. But obviously, you know, Runway fashion, I think it's my Michael height. So full. I use that planner, which is broken out into fashion, then trickles down to. To us. And so I'm seeing a lot of that. And I'm not mad at it because I'm seeing it on jackets, I'm seeing it on, you know, dresses on different shirts. I really do like the exaggerated collar. For right now, it's one planner per quarter. So throughout the year, you have four planners. And what I love about that is that it, although I can have a ton of to do's for the day, only focus on the top three. So I like that, you know, and.

I feel like, I don't know, Maybe it was like 2019ish, but I feel like so much boutique fashion wasn't really fashion.

Like, what are the top three things that you must accomplish today?

And usually it got way too casual for me. So when you earlier you were talking about, I.

People don't want to do, you know, the hardest thing, so I always do the hardest thing first. You know, this is. I don't want to do this, so I know this is what I need to do.

So, you know, power suits. And of course, I was on your website earlier, and you have, like, this beautiful sage green one right now. And I'm all about the power suit, but working from home and quarantine, like, that's just ruined it for me. I need more reasons to wear an exaggerated collar and a puff sleeve and, like, all these things, I get so excited.

Yeah. If anything, if I've gotten through those top three for the day, then I'm good. If nothing else. So, so that, so here's the thing. And, and I, I get it gets done. So, you know, throughout the day, it might, it might get a little crazy. And. But I, I, it's funny because I posted on Facebook, on my personal page, fall is my favorite and off track. But the consistency routine is from about nine to seven per season. I'm a male wet girl, so although, you know, I don't like snow. I like a little bit of cold. And so fall is my favorite season. The layering, knee boots, fedoras, I mean, I just love it all. And so I Had posted out to 10. And then after that I can't. I can't guarantee anymore.

Oh, man. That's about right. I tell you what, like before 10am That's. I call it tiger time.

Like, that's. I don't care if I am walking across the street. You are going to get all of these fall outfits that I have. Every last one.

Like, the only time there's a consistent routine. And then it's whatever meeting or whatever else is going to come.

The rest of you didn't have a summer. Couldn't really wear. You know, you're. You're wearing. I pretty much wear biker short sets the entire summer. And I'm like, no, I am not doing it. Exactly. Exactly. It's like, okay, what. Cause do I have? What? You know, what do I have to do with everything else? But because. Because the thing about it actually is that fashion makes you feel good. So. Yes, but I need to still feel good. I still need. And looking good makes me feel good.

Yeah. And it makes me more productive too.

Productive. And so I'm like, no, I need consistent part is really only from about 7 to 10.

Since we both love fashion. I'd love to know what's your favorite trend at the moment?

Ooh. So I need this fashion. I need these puff sleeves and exaggerated collars because that is going to make me show up. That's going to make me show up and perform better, honestly. And it really does for me. If. If every day I could wear this, I. I would be happy. And I had actually had posted about this. If I could wear a dad hat. Does people think that, you know, it. It doesn't make a difference, but it really does.

Yes. I am also going to start using that line on my husband. Like, I need this to be boyfriend.

Jeans, a kimono and successful. Right.

This order that just dropped off at.

The door came for a reason in order to do. Because you do. Like I find when I get. So for me slides every day. That's like, that's my uniform. Because it is hard. I mean, I'm not gonna get glammed up every day, but I have a glam day every week. Week, every third. So is today Thursday? Yes, technically, today is my glam. That is what I still feel fashionable in, what I still feel, you know, chic and presentable in. But I just have not been able to find, like, it'll move till tomorrow. But every Thursday, Friday, I have a glam day to where I am getting fully dressed. And that's when I knock out content A bunch of kimonos. I'm like, who, who sells, who sells the kimonos? But that, that's when you, you know, can do some behind the scenes videos. Because what I am learning and I think what other boutique owners are starting to notice, that's my, my staple uniform. But in terms of now too, is that it doesn't require as much as we thought it did to sell your product. Product. My. I can, I could, I still do photos of real trends going on right now. I do like exaggerated collars. That's a huge fall trend. So shoot. So I can, I can do a full out photo shoot, but if I'm in the mirror doing a video showing a look, my audience appreciates that just as much, if not more. You think of, you know, how, how a normal collar is the exaggerated. Yeah, like, guys, let me show you this new piece. This is what I'm rocking today. We have it in, you know, on the site, things like that. So when I have those glam days, that's when I'm able to get collars for the season. Really come all the way down to probably like the middle of your chest.

Yes.

I don't know if you've seen them. It'll really show up and knock out all of that content. So that's like my personal. Yeah, I like that.

And you're, you're spot on. I think it's so much more authentic that way. Like just in a mirror or.

They were, they were huge on, on the runways, but obviously, you know, Runway.

Or however you show up as you. All right, well, here's the action then.

Trickles down to us. And so I'm saying a big last question.

I can't believe it's already been as long as it has. I feel like this conversation has absolutely flown by. So thank you again for being on the show. But I always end the conversation with this question because I think it's really the truth of why we're here. You know, boutique, a lot of that.

And I'm not mad at it because I'm seeing it on jackets, I'm seeing it on, you know, dresses on different shirts. I really do like the exaggerated collar.

For right now, owners aren't just here to sell widgets. Right. Just not here to sell clothes. And we're not just here to sell a program.

I like that, you know, and I.

Feel like, like, I don't know, maybe it was like 2019ish, but I have to help them. There's so much more behind all of this mission. So I'D love to know as you think about feel like so much boutique fashion wasn't really fashion like your future Jasmine. And you're on the front porch like 20 years from now and you've got grandkids or family or whoever is surrounding you and you're talking about the life that you lived and the businesses that you. It got way too casual for me. So when you earlier you were talking about power suits and of course I was on your website earlier and you have like this beautiful sage green one right now and I'm created and the people that you helped, what is the thing you want them to remember about you the most about all that you did and who you were?

Wow. It's a deep question.

All about the power suit but working from home and quarantine like that's just ruined it for me.

But it's. But it's. But it's needed. Right? Yeah. So it's for me when I think about just everything it.

I need more reasons to wear an exaggerated collar and a puff sleeve and like all these things I get so excited.

Honestly, it really just boils down to confidence. It's everything that I. That I do and would have done when I did about so. So that. So here's the thing and I. I get it but it's funny because I posted on Facebook on my personal page fall is my thing. I'm sitting on this porch drinking coffee is really helping others unlock the confidence either to red season. I'm a Midwest girl, so although I don't like snow, I like a little bit of cold. Move forward with their dreams to run their businesses, to look and feel good. It really just boils down to. And so fall is my favorite season. The layering knee boots. She helped me get out out of my own way. And confidence is usually what keeps people stuck. They don't have the confidence to move forth in starting these businesses. Boots, fedoras, I mean I just love it all. And so I had posted I don't care if I am walking across the street. Great. You are going to get all of these fall outfits that I have. Every last one. Like they don't. You know, they don't. They don't have the confidence to showcase their looks to their audiences. They want to stay behind the scenes. So it's really just having that confidence to bring forth the boldness and empowering others to really just didn't have a summer. Couldn't really wear, you know, you're wearing. I step up and be who God called them to be. I pretty Much wear biker short sets the entire summer and I'm like, no, I am not doing this want others to say about me that they. That they did not realize that they had, you know, all of this greatness inside of them. And it's because the thing about it actually is that fashion makes you feel good. So yes, we. But I once. Once they started to. To get this confidence, you know who they became to still feel good. I still need and. And looking good makes me feel good.

Yeah.

Who. Who's the woman that they became after that was unlocked. So that.

And it makes me more productive too.

More productive. And so I'm like, no, I need. That's what I would want people to say about me.

Oh, I love it. I love it. So good. And that's what you're absolutely doing every day. So you're living out your purpose. Jasmine, thanks so much for your time today.

I need this fashion. I need these puff sleeves and exaggerated collars because that is going to make.

Me and for again for joining us for the virtual summit. If anyone hasn't had a show up.

That'S going to make me show up and perform better, honestly. And it really does. People think that, you know, it doesn't make a difference, but it really does.

Yes. Chance to catch that. I'll link that up in the show notes as well along with how to contact you and all the things you offer and can you your Instagram and everything else. So again, thanks for the light that you are in our industry and for being on the show today.

Thank you so much. Thank you for everything that you do and that the Hub does as well. I appreciate you for having me.

I hope you guys love today's episode of the pod.

I am also going to start using that line on my husband. Like I need this to be successful.

Right.

This order that just dropped off at the door came for a reason.

Cast. It was so great to have Jasmine on the show. Hey, if you are catching this in real time.

I wanted to in order to do because you do like I find when I get so for me because it is hard. I mean I'm not gonna get glammed up every day, but I have a glam day every week.

Make two quick reminders to you right now. You know we are wrapping up all of the end of the year things here at the Hub and that's actually our theme for the entire month of December. If you are a member of the boutique Hub. We are digging into all of the.

Not so fun, maybe more boring every third. So is today Thursday, yes. Technically today is my glam day. It'll move till tomorrow. But every Thursday, Friday, I have a.

Glam end of year checklist. How to get your books ready for the end of the year. How to make sure your taxes are prepped and ready to go and you're maximizing deductions before they come. Also how to make sure your team is prepped and they know your vision for the new year. How to map out your strategy, your.

Goals, your time day to where I am getting fully dressed and that's when I knock out content blocking and all.

The great things you're going to make happen in 2021. Now there's two things that come along with it.

That's when you, you know, can do behind the scenes videos.

That number one, the Boutique Boss planner. I know a lot of you already have Boutique Boss planners, but I'm here.

To tell you what I am learning and I think what other boutique owners are starting to notice now too is that it doesn't require as much as we thought it did to sell your product. My I could, I still do photo shoots so I can, I can do a full out photo shoot but if I'm in the mirror doing a video showing a look, my audience appreciates that just as much if not more. Yeah. Like guys, let me show you this new piece. This is what I'm rocking. Today we have it tell you they.

Will sell out and probably the next week by the time you listen to this episode. So make sure you snag yours. Plus all of the handy planning tear off sheets@boutiquebossplanner.com and the other thing I'll mention is we have the month of December left to maximize our holiday marketing strategy and where I share all of the juicy details on how to maximize your E commerce presence or how to build email automations, how to train your team, how to run your marketing, how to build engagement, engagement and most importantly you guys, how to not give away the farm with another sale. How to maximize promotions that get people buying without having to run discounts this time of year. All of that is covered, you know.

On the site, things like that. So when I have those glam days, that's when I'm able to really show up and knock out all of that content. So that's like my personal.

Yeah, I like that. And you're, you're spot on. I think it's so much more authentic that way. Like, like just in a mirror or.

Inside of the holiday marketing masterclass and the doors are definitely closing on that soon. It's a really short, easy to implement program and you can learn more@holidaymarketingmasterclass.com or.

However you show up as you all right, well, here's the.

Hey guys, thank you so much for listening listening to this episode. We hope that you loved it. Don't forget to hit big.

Last question. I can't believe it's already been as long as it has.

Subscribe and leave a rating and review down below for a chance to be one of our featured listeners each and.

Feel like this conversation has absolutely flown by. So thank you again for being on the show, but I always end the conversation with this question because I think it's really the truth of why we're here, you know. Boutique every week.

For more information on our spirit of community over competition and how to access complete show notes and bonus downloads from our guests, head on over to the boutiquehub.com and join the community. We'll see you next week.

Boutique owners aren't just here to sell widgets, right? Just not here to sell clothes. And we're not just here to sell a program. To help them. There's so much more behind all of this mission. So, so I'd love to know as you think about your future, Jasmine, and you're on the front porch like 20 years from now and you've got grandkids or family or whoever is surrounding you and you're talking about the life that you lived and the businesses that you. Created and the people that you helped. What is the thing you want them to remember about you the most about all that you did and who you were?

Wow. It's a deep question. But it's, but it's, but it's needed, right? Yeah. So it's, for me, when I think about just everything, it honestly, it really just boils down to confidence. It's everything that I, that I do and would have done when I'm sitting on this porch drinking coffee is really helping others unlock the confidence either to move forward with their dreams, to run their businesses, to look and feel good. It really just boils down to she helped me get out out of my own way. And confidence is usually what keeps people stuck. They don't have the confidence to move forth in starting these businesses. They don't, you know, they don't, they don't have have the confidence to showcase their looks to their audiences. They want to stay behind the scenes. So it's really just having that confidence to bring forth the boldness and empowering others to really just step up and be who God called them to be is what I want others to say about me. That they did not realize that they had all of this greatness inside of them and once they started to get this confidence, who they became, who's the woman that they became after that was unlocked. So that's what I would want people to say about me.

Oh, I love it. I love it. So good. And that's what you're absolutely doing every day. So you're living out your purpose. Jasmine, thanks so much for your time today and for again for joining us for the Virtual Summit. If anyone hasn't had a a chance to catch that, I'll link that up in the show notes as well along with how to contact you and all the things you offer and your Instagram and everything else. So again, thanks for the light that you are in our industry and for being on the show today.

Thank you so much. Thank you for everything that you do and that the Hub does as well. I appreciate you for having me.

I hope you guys love today's episode of the podcast. It was so great to have Jasmine on the show. Hey, if you are catching this in real time, I want to make two quick reminders to you right now. You know we are wrapping up all of the end of the year things here at the Hub and that's actually our theme for the entire month of December. If you are a member of the Boutique Hub, we are digging into all of the not so fun, maybe more boring end of year checklist. How to get your books ready for the end of the year. How to make sure your taxes are prepped and ready to go and you're maximizing deductions before before they come. Also how to make sure your team is prepped and they know your vision for the new year. How to map out your strategy, your goals, your time blocking and all the great things you're going to make happen in 2021. Now there's two things that come along with that. Number one, the boutique boss Planner. I know a lot of you already have Boutique Boss Planners, but I'm here to tell you they will sell out and probably the next week by the time you listen to this episode. So make sure you snag yours plus all of the handy planning tear off sheets@boutiquebossplanner.com and the other thing I'll mention is we have the month of December left to maximize our holiday marketing strategy and where I share all of the juicy details on how to maximize your e commerce presence or how to build email automations. How to train your team, how to run your marketing, how to build engagement, and most importantly, you guys, how to not give away the farm with another sale, how to maximize promotions that get people buying without having to run discounts this time of year. All of that is covered inside of the Holiday Marketing Masterclass and the doors are definitely closing on that soon. It's a really short, easy to implement program and you can learn more@holidaymarketingmasterclass.com. 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 community over competition and how to access complete show notes and bonus downloads from our guests, head on over to the boutiquehub.com and join the community. We'll see you next week.

Sam.