Exploring Life & Business with Peyton McCullough of Outliar Boutique

Today we’d like to introduce you to Peyton McCullough.

Hi Peyton, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to pursue a career in fashion, but I couldn’t imagine myself in a huge city like New York. I chose to earn my Bachelors’s degree in Fashion and Textile Management at NC State University, where I fell in love with not only fashion marketing but the city of Raleigh. I had two dreams when I got to Raleigh, to either work for a fashion magazine or to start my own boutique. Both seemed completely out of reach for someone who didn’t have any connections in the fashion world, had no interest in moving to New York, and had very little savings in the bank.

After college, I didn’t have the heart to leave my favorite city and ended up working in social media and marketing. I knew, in the back of my mind, that these jobs weren’t forever but, instead, steps towards what I had decided was my ultimate goal of owning a boutique. Fast forward a couple of years, where I met the only man who could pull me away from Raleigh. My husband and I moved to Pensacola, FL, where he has been training to be a Marine helicopter pilot. Here, we have endured a multitude of changes, which, of course, included the pandemic of 2020. At the start of the pandemic, I chose to quit a new job, a job in which I knew I wasn’t properly valued, but a job that was stable and enjoyable. In just two months, I taught myself so much about running a small business and understanding the Shopify platform. When I quit, I knew I was mentally ready to start a business of my own, but, financially, not so much. My husband and I had only been saving for a few months, and our plan was for me to start my business in 2025. However, the world had different plans. With the onset of Covid19, I could not find a new job. Each day, I hopelessly searched, and each day I felt less and less confident in myself and my abilities. So, my husband encouraged me to start my business. At the end of June 2020, I did just that, and while I have definitely had my share of doubts and lack of motivation, I never look back.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t know if there are any small business owners who could say their journey has been totally obstacle-free. That certainly would not be the case for myself and Outliar. I had very limited funds when initially starting my business, so budgeting for marketing, inventory, insurance, and regular expenses has been carefully planned and, honestly, extremely difficult. However, I have been so fortunate to have the support of influencers in my area and my former home of Raleigh, as well as other small businesswomen, to help grow my business in a way that is financially sustainable.

Another struggle I have had in my business is finding the right vendors and the right style to mirror my vision. After a full year, I believe I have finally found my niche, but I am still working on pinning down the vendors I would like to purchase from regularly.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Outliar Boutique?
Outliar Boutique is a chic clothing boutique curated for the stylish shopper who has a mind of her own. She longs to stand out from the crowd without necessarily seeking attention. She considers herself a nonconformist yet takes time to study the trends. She enjoys being girly but hates the cultural confines of femininity. She is independent and strong, drawing confidence from her wardrobe. The perfect fusion of sweet and sassy, elegance and grunge, she likes to mix prints, motifs, decades, and trends.

At Outliar, we focus on timeless but unique statement pieces and the occasional vintage finds that allow our chic, self-assured customer to express herself as she dictates. Outliar is known for its vibrant colors and prints, confidence-boosting silhouettes, and the ultimate blazer dress. As a small business owner, I love interacting with my customers, in person and via social media (we spend most of our time on Instagram) and learning what they love and want from the brand. My goal is to curate an assortment of gorgeous go-to statement pieces that you feel confident wearing for years to come.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is that my customers feel confident in my clothing and accessories. I want my Outliar babes to feel like they own the room when they wear my pieces. Throughout my life, I have struggled with disordered eating and body image. I have never had a “normal” relationship with food, exercise, and my body (but I’m working on it). Through Outliar’s Instagram page, I often speak about my experience, preach out against disordered eating behaviors, and encourage women to accept and love their bodies. For so long, the fashion industry has made us feel insecure, ripping apart our confidence with limited sizing, undernourished models, and silhouettes that only flatter a certain body type. However, society is now making strides towards embracing bodies of all shapes and sizes. I want to be part of that change. I want to show my customers that they can wear what they want and feel good about it.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.outliar-boutique.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outliar.boutique/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/outliar.boutique

Image Credits
Rebecca Foster Lani Crawford Anna Haddock