Now that our boutique series has come to an end I really wanted to think about how I wanted to close it out. I couldn’t think of a better way than to tell you my why. I remember going to the fashion district with my grandmother as a really young child and being mesmerized by the oceans of colorful fabric we floated through. I would run my fingers through as much of the clothing as I possibly could. I felt in my soul that I wanted to grow up to do what she did. She wasn’t just a boutique owner but she was a seamstress who delicately and beautifully created some of the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever seen. She owned a “pop up” boutique more than 30 years ago before owning a boutique was a thing. People would come from all over the city to peruse through my grandmother’s distinct taste; she was the definition of a hustler. Not in the let me take your money sense but in a how can I serve my community to make money sense. I mean we lived in the hood and my grandmother made a name for herself.
As I became an adult I had lost that passion of mine; the dream had died. Somehow, I came full circle and there isn’t a moment that I don’t feel like my grandmother is smiling down at me as I follow in her entrepreneurial footsteps. I have held jobs as a paralegal, accounting assistant, retail management, office management, and almost every other position other than the food industry. I never felt fulfilled until I started my journey as a boutique owner. Let me be honest, I got fired from quite a bit of my previous positions and I’m not mad at it. Serving women has become a wild fire in my life. My love for Jesus burns madly in the way I run my business. I literally scream love yourself, don’t put yourself down, you are beautiful, you are worthy, and YOU CAN at The Black Daisy. As a woman that has overcome homelessness, drug addiction, trafficking, and abuse I want you to know that YOU CAN. The Black Daisy is much more than just a place that sells you clothes; it is a place where you gain friendship.
Why did you choose your boutique name and what does it mean to you?
The color black is seen as something so dark but also so beautiful. A daisy is often a wildflower that is seen as a weed. People usually pull them from their roots and throw them away. When I see a daisy I see a wildflower that bloomed without being planted. No human intervention; just a flower that freely bloomed. Beautiful, independent, and able to bloom wherever the wind takes it. And so The Black Daisy literally means beauty coming out of darkness. Something beautiful coming out of something dark. That is how I often view my life and how I see the girl looking back at me through my reflection.
What is your purpose as a business owner?
I feel completely ridiculous sometimes when I say that my purpose is not the money that the business makes. I believe that God has made The Black Daisy my ministry. As a business owner I’m able to reach so many women that come from many different walks in life. I don’t live quietly in shame. I live loudly in my testimony and my love for Him. I want others to see what is possible and that your circumstances do not define your future.
What is the biggest misconception customers have about you as a boutique owner?
That it’s easy! I have watched so many women start boutiques who have shut down almost as quickly as they started. There’s so much behind the scenes work that goes into this. I work 7 days a week from the moment I open my eyes to the moment I go to bed. And sometimes my part time girls make more money than I do. THAT is the loudest testimony that I’m not in this for the money. I don’t focus on the monetary aspect but on the how can I help my community aspect. Through that mindset I have been blessed!
When you hear the words “empowering women” what does that mean to you? And do you feel you play a role in it?
I used to be the girl that would so quickly judge you or dislike you just because I felt like it. I was constantly trying to be the best and I was so focused on coming out on top that I never stopped to pick up the ones that were falling behind me. Becoming an owner of a woman focused business has completely changed me. God has completely changed me. I much rather help someone that is coming in last finish the race than I am about being first. It literally tears me apart when a woman walks in the store and puts herself down. I can’t stand women tearing other women down. I will wash your feet and lay out my best clothes for you to not get your feet dirty. I live to cheer women on, to embrace their flaws, and to rebuild their pedastals when society has torn them down. I am women’s biggest cheerleader in my mind!
Anything else you want people to know about you and your boutique?
I am not like a lot of boutiques when it comes to my mission; and that’s okay! I never want anyone to feel like they have to out me. Yes I was a drug addict, yes I slept behind dumpsters, yes I was trafficked, and yes to probably anything you’ve heard about me. I don’t want anyone to ever feel like they know secrets about me. My loud testimony was given to me by God so that others may find hope in times that hope feels dead. Hope is never dead friends. There is NO situation that can keep you from living your dreams. Your future is bright! Hold on to that!
I was really excited to do this series and want to thank these ladies one last time! I have no idea what I’m doing in this blog world but I love life that way! I just dive in feet first and swim against the current. It’s how I roll!
– If you’ve read this far; THANK YOU. I am doing this blogging thing my way because the rebel in me doesn’t live in a box. I hope you continue to walk on the edge with me!
Check out The Black Daisy Boutique here:
Storefront:
10412 China Spring Road Suite G
Waco, Texas 76708
Also find us at:
The Vibe in McGregor, Texas.
Junque Queens in Uptown Waco, Texas
The Hub in Temple, Texas
Website: The Black Daisy
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/blackdaisyboutique
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/blackdaisyboutique
Thank you Christiana for your photography skills! Check her out here: Christiana Vega Photography
theraddaisy.com 