Today we’d like to introduce you to Meghan Lajoie James.
Hi Meghan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My interest in starting a Women’s clothing boutique began while finishing up my Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandise & Management. Joie & James Boutique was started in June of 2020 in the midst of the global pandemic. I wanted to create something positive and uplifting to keep people’s spirits high during such an unprecedented time. I believe clothes can empower women and make them feel their best and transform their mood because that is what they do for me. I want to make women feel beautiful by delivering fashionable and trendy looks with personalized tags in each item that read ”You look beautiful” so they have a daily reminder every time they get dressed. Our style has evolved and solidified over time, but the message and tags remain the same. Everyone deserves to be told they look beautiful!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being a small business owner comes with many challenges and struggles to overcome, and starting Joie & James definitely had its fair share of challenges. Many small businesses shuttered their doors in the Summer of 2020 while we were just starting off. This was a huge challenge to say the least. I had to shift my original choices for clothing items for the boutique; moving from items you might wear out to brunches, date nights or work, to a focus on cozy loungewear for working from home. It was a difficult but rewarding learning process having to shift and reassess to stay afloat. I learned that pivoting is key to keeping a business alive, and in the end our loungewear line ended up being extremely successful. I had to restock our signature cozy sets month after month.
At a more granular level, there are problems that arise almost daily. Technology problems, shipping problems, and payment processing problems to name a few. I always remind myself, “it’s not a big deal unless you make it one”. Often times we can find ourselves overreacting to problems that are out of our control and we stew on them at the expense of things that we can control. Like in boxing, “taking a punch” in business isn’t something that school can prepare you for, you just have to experience it in the moment and see if you have the strength to fight through.
Another challenge of being a small business owner is keeping my drive and determination alive during the slower and harder months of sales. It takes a lot of motivational pep talks and encouragement to get over those hurdles, but I have an amazing support system that has cheered me on the whole way and drives me to make this a successful business. The rhythm of business is like a roller coaster with ups and downs at every turn. Only those who truly believe in what they are doing have the stomach to ride the waves, everyone else finds their way off of the ride as soon as it gets tough.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My background is in dance which is actually what made me fall in love with fashion. Whenever we were working on a new piece I always thought it was so fascinating to design a costume from start to finish. My dance teacher would take me along with her to pick out new fabrics, overlays and other materials to design all of the new costumes for the season. While costuming has many differences than street style, the creative process of picking out different outfits and pieces for my own closet and other friend’s closets always excited me. I love getting to shop for the boutique; it feels like I’m shopping for myself, but the cute outfits I put together end up making other women feel just as beautiful as I feel in them.
While I am involved in every aspect of the business, buying the merchandise, styling, and naming it is definitely my favorite part. It brings me so much joy to pour in many hours of searching for the perfect dress and then seeing photos of our customers feel confident and beautiful in it. Seeing our customers tag me in photos featuring our clothes during important events in their life, like after an engagement, during holidays, and more makes me the most proud.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I consider myself a risk taker, and the risk of starting my own business is one of the many risks I have taken in life. There are a few keys to taking risks that I fall back on before I make any big decision. Everyone knows that when taking a risk it is possible to lose, that’s why it’s a risk. However, losing can be either a good thing or a bad thing. Before taking a risk, I look into the future and imagine what the world might look like if I lose. Then I ask myself a simple question – did I learn anything from that loss? If I can learn from the loss then it is worth taking the risk. I think of it as an experimental approach to decision making. Using the boutique as an example; if I put up the money to start the boutique and I give it my all but still fail for whatever reason, what would I learn? Well, I learn how to manage books for a business, I learn how to manage inventory for a retail store, I learn how to market products online, I learn how to be accountable for my decisions, and hopefully I learn how to fail and get back up again. If I can learn all of those lessons with the small upfront costs of starting the boutique, then the risk is worth taking.
Contact Info:
- Email: meg@shopjoiejames.com
- Website: www.shopjoiejames.com
- Instagram: @shopjoiejames
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shopjoiejames
- Other: https://pin.it/kXaylvj
Image Credits
Jacqueline Lajoie Madison James
