228
7 min 21 sec

Fashionista Starts Boutique After Getting Fired While Pregnant

Upon losing her job, this Washington, DC government analyst and fashion lover didn’t panic… she started a side hustle.
Design LLC Manufacturing Product Retail

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What It's About

A government analyst utilizes her eye for fashion and perseveres after losing her day job.

Business Model
Manufacturing
Skills Required
Design & Attention to Detail
Complexity
Medium
Profit Potential
Medium

Words of Wisdom

Part of Kiesha's success can be attributed to how incredibly thorough she was in checking out manufacturer websites, client reviews, and following up on referrals.

This is your product—it will be representative of you, so make sure that you order samples in order to check the quality and visit their showroom!

Fun Fact

Kiesha recently presented her designs at the Stylist Suite for the BET Awards. It went extremely well and led to a lot new connections with the stylists of many of her dream celebrity clients.

Notes from Chris

Episode 228

Kiesha Nelson-Harris works as an acquisition analyst for a government agency in DC. Her side hustle is Klashaa’s Closet, a boutique selling custom apparel and accessories for the modern and sexy woman. Opening a boutique had been running through her head since she was 12, and after losing her job, she took a flying leap into building one.

Kiesha spent about $500 to get her LLC, logo, and website started. She also bought a small amount of inventory with her savings and the last check from her job. Once she got the site, she uploaded a few items and designs and did a soft launch, marketing herself through social media, word of mouth, and vendor shows.

In fact, she got her first sale through a vendor show and then they started pouring in through social media and word of mouth. It took two months to sell her inventory and make back her initial investment. After about six months, she started earning about $500/month. Her monthly income varies from $500 to $1,500 a month depending on the season and vendor shows, but lately, she’s been earning around $1,000 to $1,500 a month thanks to additional custom orders.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Klashaa's Closet: Get a peek of Klashaa's fashionable selections on her website!
  • Shopify and Wix: The two website platforms that Kiesha experimented with for Klashaa's Closet
  • eBay and Poshmark: Two e-commerce sites that helped give Kiesha her start and drive traffic to Klashaa's Closet
SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

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Resources

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Quote of the Day
"I work hard to be unique and different from other boutiques—we should always celebrate our differences."
—Kiesha Nelson-Harris #SideHustleSchool

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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau