Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Parkman & Cynthia McMillioan
Hi Jennifer & Cynthia, 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?
Cynthia: I’m a Texas native, and I moved to Austin in 1995 to attend UT. My background includes being an accountant, realtor, and home builder.
Jennifer: I’m originally from Michigan and I’ve lived in Minnesota and Chicago, but moved to Austin 12 years ago. My background is primarily as a veterinary technician.
BOTH: We’ve known each other over a decade! We were both full-time Moms and we met playing tennis.
Jennifer: We met 10 years ago while playing against one another in a tennis match – Cynthia called me out on foot faulting while serving.
Cynthia: Her foot faults were EGREGIOUS!
Jennifer: We both still think it’s hilarious looking back on it now, since it was an Austin’s Women’s Tennis League, NOT a professional tennis match. I remind Cynthia she was just crabby that she was losing.
Cynthia: I WAS crabby we were losing and it was obviously my doubles partner’s fault!
Jennifer: We soon figured out that we liked being on the same side of the court better, and quickly became best friends as well as doubles partners. We also figured out that we shared more laughter than anything while playing tennis, which I’m sure was annoying to our opponents who just wanted a competitive match. We figured it out though, because our laughter serves us well while running a business together.
BOTH: We were so excited to create a warm, inviting space for women to meet and laugh. We daydreamed about people coming to Blue Suede for a glass of wine, surrounded by a thoughtfully-curated selection of shoes and accessories. We had no experience, but we knew we could figure it out, so during COVID we decided to do it! We filed the LLC in September 2020, found an amazing team to support our vision, led primarily by amazingly talented women here in Austin, and learned the rest through trial and error. We officially opened in January 2022!
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?
BOTH: NO! It has NOT been a smooth road! We’ve had challenges across the board: from filing the LLC with zero knowledge of how to do that, to figuring out how liquor licenses work in Austin, to figuring out trends and building inventory from scratch, to differentiating our brand, to delays in the build-out of our space – we had a vision, but had to figure out how we clearly convey that to our amazing team while hitting all commercial requirements.
There’s SO much we didn’t know when we first started, but our mantra has always been “we will figure it out” – we even got this as a matching tattoo, we use it so much! We’re still learning.
We’ve been impressed with Blue Suede Shoes + Wine, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
BOTH: Blue Suede is part wine bar, part shoe boutique – all under one roof! We offer a one-of-a-kind shopping experience that is perfect for celebrating special occasions or just treating yourself.
We created a place for women to escape the “real world” together, to enjoy a unique, hand-picked selection of shoes, all while sipping amazing wine and snacking on charcuterie and local cheeses from Antonelli’s.
While we do sell shoes, accessories, and drinks, we ultimately created this space to be a place where women can connect, relax, and restore themselves. We truly believe those things are the key to empowering women! Our take on shoe-shopping brings friends together over a glass of wine, and makes the experience itself fun and empowering by making all the shoe styles and sizes accessible without having to ask a salesperson for help. We also could not find many shoe boutiques in Austin that provide a wide array of thoughtfully-curated women’s shoes. We provide that plus an inviting and sophisticated space to meet with friends, have a drink and relax.
What sets us apart:
– The shoes are all out for anyone to try – low-pressure shopping environment without a salesperson hounding you!
– We have a lounge anyone can reserve at no cost!
– Everything is curated and women-focused – the wallpaper, the bathroom signage, the artwork, what we sell in the store, and the events we offer!
– We sell a thoughtful selection of tasteful yet approachable wines, as well as frosé and port cocktails, along with handmade cheese and charcuterie boards featuring Antonelli’s cheese!
– We’re proud that we’re unapologetic about being intentional and not selling just anything – everything in the store is unique and hand-selected by us!
– We are part of the community – we are very involved in building the S 1st corridor neighborhood with the city and local businesses, and we host events and donate to local organizations that support our community!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
BOTH: BE VULNERABLE! There’s so much we didn’t know when we started out, but we just never gave up and we weren’t shy about asking those around us for help. You don’t know what you don’t know, right? You just have to keep trying.
We go to shoe shows twice a year to buy inventory 6 months in advance, by season. Our first shoe show was completely overwhelming. We were in this huge convention center with a million different styles of shoes, and finally we just walked up to a vendor selling shoes we liked and asked them to show us how it works. They were so nice and helpful! We get better at buying shoes every time we go. There is a learning curve, for sure!
We personally hand-picked every single thing that went into creating Blue Suede, and continue to pick shoes ourselves for each season, but that doesn’t mean we don’t ask for help along the way from people with more experience! We still ask for help, and we don’t hesitate to say “I don’t know… but we’ll figure it out!”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bluesuedeaustin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluesuedeaustin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluesuedeaustin/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/blue-suede-austin
- Other: https://calendly.com/bluesuedeaustin
Image Credits
Bridgette Bloomquist, Kara Marie, Emily Bolf
