Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Reyes.
Hi Marissa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I own Poppy Blu a contemporary affordable online fashion boutique for women. I have always loved all things fashion and even more at an affordable price. I have a background in Marketing and Public Relations and have a degree in Business with a specialization in Marketing. I’ve always loved to be able to problem solve and execute things in a way to have people connect with the person, place, item. My dream has always been to be own boss, but I never knew what I wanted to be the boss of. Now I do. I was inspired by friends and co-workers for starting their own passion projects, so I knew I wanted to find a passion project of my own! Of course, right away I didn’t know what that would be, fast forward to July 2020, prime quarantine time- Poppy Blu was born.
Like, I am sure many of your readers, during quarantine my time spent online shopping went through the roof. I found myself using the most time shopping online at different online boutiques, once I realized it was a habit, I just told myself that I wanted to rebuild my wardrobe. I found myself shopping and buying just to buy, I wasn’t totally in love with the items I was purchasing. Then a little lightbulb went off in my head, which led me to YouTube, and from there I completely dived into learning how to open my own online boutique. After watching at least 3 hours of videos from (future) fellow boutique owners, that’s when I decided to open Poppy Blu. Today is not much different from four months ago, as I am really learning as a I go and really trying to go with the flow.
I honestly could not have done it without the help of my friends and family for being the absolute best models! The one thing I am doing a lot more consistently than before is reading blogs, watching vlogs, and asking different boutique owners for tips and any advice they wish they had. I love being part of the small business community, most people are really rooting for each other and that is such a beautiful thing to be part of.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A smooth road? No, definitely not – it has been a very fun road though. Luckily, Poppy Blu’s launch went fairly smooth, a few little hiccups but nothing too crazy. The obstacle that I find myself facing before the launch and now is the anxiety of putting yourself totally out there for the world to see and even criticize. I remember the night of the launch, I posted the announcement and turned off my phone. At that point, only a handful of people knew that Poppy Blu was happening but for the most part, it was a surprise to a lot of people. The next day my phone had an overwhelming amount of love filled messages and I can’t even try to explain how great that felt. Most people want people to succeed and that really inspires me to keep going and trying to make Poppy Blu become not only a passion project but a career. Right now, I am still researching best business practices and always trying new things. Challenges suck but when you overcome them, it’s one of the best feelings ever.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Poppy Blu?
I launched Poppy Blu during a time of uncertainty. With big things happening around me, I was inspired to be a happier and better me. Poppy Blu is something that emulates me and that I put a lot of work into. It is something that I am beyond proud of and I am thrilled that I have something to be passionate about and allows me to emit positive energy. I started out with one little bin for clothing to be stored and now I have a few more with inventory that I am continuously adding to, slowly but surely. With website and social traffic slowly growing and more orders being made than before, it keeps me determined to keep going and growing. I want your audience to know that I put so much thought and consideration into the pieces that are part of Poppy Blu’s collection. If I don’t absolutely love it, it won’t make it on the site.
I am really considerate of the price point and the quality, I want the customer to always feel happy with their purchase. Orders make my day, and I want the same for the person who ordered. I really am just a woman who is chasing a dream. Starting a business is scary! Putting myself out there is still scary! Spending my time and money into a start-up business is scary! But, I couldn’t be more grateful to my friends and family, who believe in me and always find ways to support me. Having a strong support system is what really keeps me going. As much happiness Poppy Blu brings to me, I want that to be apparent to every person who checks out our website.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I have learned so many lessons already, but being consistent and having a plan, I think it’s one of the most important lessons. I try my best to plan out the week and stick to it. This includes social media posting plan, adding inventory, and taking time to research more about becoming a successful online business. Oh, and of course shopping for new arrivals.
Pricing:
- All items are under $40
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.PoppyBlu.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PoppyBlu_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoppyBluShop/
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