Today we’d like to introduce you to Teri Alston.
Teri, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Tailored by Teri was brought to life in April 2019 after dealing with life-changing situations. I left my first job out of college after some company restructuring and decided to launch my own business. It was a little nerve-racking to take the leap into entrepreneurship but I am so glad that I did. My sister encouraged me to become a vendor at an event she was hosting. It was my first huge success as a business owner! When I first started off, my business was offering monogram apparel but now I am relaunching November 1, 2021, as a boutique that offers clothing, accessories, graphics, and custom apparel made to order!
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?
It has been a smooth road at all. I think with becoming a business owner, there’s a lot of pressure to succeed when you launch your business. It didn’t happen overnight for me. I have to continually work, market, and make decisions for my business. The most challenging one is self-doubt. Do I buy this inventory? Will my customers like it? What happens if the launch/relaunch is a failure? All of those questions come but then I stop, take a deep breath, and remember that If God shuts a door, he has another one ready to be opened for you! You have to keep your trust in him and everything will work out!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Tailored by Teri?
Tailored by Teri is a clothing boutique that is owned and operated by a black woman. I realized that there’s a gap within the retail industry and I want to provide representation to encourage women to run confidently in the direction of their dreams despite their background. I hope to inspire women to become successful entrepreneurs and make sure they look good while doing it. The boutique specializes in clothing and accessories that are stylish but affordable for our customers! I’m proud to be able to serve my customers and make them feel comfortable in their own skin!
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I follow a lot of boutique coaches on Instagram and am a member of The Boutique Hub! I’m still fairly new in the hub, but all of the members in the group are so helpful if you have a question and there’s so much to learn, they make it easily accessible to you! I recommend finding a coach in your field or joining a group where you can come together to support one another!
Contact Info:
- Email: terialston@tailoredbyteri.com
- Website: www.tailoredbyteri.com
- Instagram: tailoredbyteri
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tailoredbyteri
