About the owner......

People are always asking me- ‘How did you get started in this industry? What is your story?”

So, here it is. THE “glamorous” life of a small business owner……

I was a small town girl growing up in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Fashion? What’s fashion in NH?  At the age of 12, I started modeling for The Limited Too. It wasn’t until then that I realized the real definition of fashion. I know you think “Limited Too?  Fashion?” But YES! It was an amazing experience for a 12 year old girl to walk a runway while having hundreds of eyes staring at you and learning what really goes on behind the curtains of THE fashion industry.

It wasn’t until my second year of college that fashion caught my eye again. At the time, I lived in Melbourne Beach, FL and was attending a community college to one day pursue a career in criminal justice. Studying crime investigations/technology would make anyone need something to bring them back to reality. My escape while in school was shopping at this AMAZING boutique called Downtown DIVAS. After years of spending my life savings every week at this boutique, the owner confronted me and asked me if I wanted to work for the company, I was honored. However, being little Miss Independent I had one request. I would start working for her but would like to franchise my own store by the first of the year, which was only three months away. That quickly changed when Downtown DIVAS went from having one store to having three stores overnight and I agreed to stay on as the regional manager. Three short months turned into three long but wonderful years! After years of late night hours, early mornings, buying trips, merchandising the stores floors until 3am, managing three stores and their employees, I decided it was time I traded in my title.

In the fall of 2004, at the young age of 24, I bought the Orlando location. I went into purchasing the Orlando location knowing it was going to be a long road ahead of me and knowing I would have to turn the business around. There was never a thought inside my head that told me I couldn’t do it. My first month in business, I doubled our sales. My true belief behind my success as a business owner is passion. Without passion, uniqueness and individuality you will never remote to your full potential. Owning a business is a 24-7 job! All the hours, tears and sleepless nights are worth every second the feeling I get when I walk into my store, still 6 years later.

What do I see in my future? I would love to have a consulting firm for people who would like to one day own their own business. Fashion is definitely one of my main passions but running the business would have to be my first choice. Fashion fades and comes and goes, owning a business, being unique and original is all in the individual. Business never fades if you desire a true passion for it. The passion, drive and determination I have for my boutique has no limit. I have learned so much in the past ten years and cannot wait to see what the next ten years has in store for both myself and Downtown DIVAS. No matter what I do, I will always keep this store, knowing that this store alone got me to where I am today. I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything. I look back now at my ten year journey with Downtown DIVAS and feel honored to have accomplished so much and the experiences I have been through.