Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominique Jean-Pierre.
Hi Dominique, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Born and raised between Brooklyn and Queens, New York, in a single-parent household, gave me the hustle to dream big without limitation. I always had an entrepreneurial and investor mindset and a goal to establish generational wealth. I took advantage of my love for beauty, creativity, and zeal for branding, utilizing Chinese wholesalers I discovered on WhatsApp to launch my first business LaniQue Dollhouse. In my freshman year of college, I entered the wholesale beauty industry investing my refund check in strip mink lashes with boxes I designed, customized, and had printed overseas in China. At the time, I had no idea that this particular industry would expand and become popular today.
In May of 2019, I graduated from the illustrious Howard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations and a minor in English. Thinking back, I had no intention of ever being the person I am present day. Unlike my peers, I did not graduate with a job offer, although I spent semesters interning with local companies and agencies providing digital marketing and public relations support. With said challenges, I decided to launch my digital public relations agency in August of 2019 to bridge the gap between small businesses and their audience with public relations expertise, brand management, and digital marketing.
Confused and unsure of my next steps to secure the traditional 9 to 5, I worked part-time as a manager for my mother’s sorority sister hair salon in North Philly while interning for a local public relations agency in Center City. Though I loved the atmosphere and the people I gained relationships with along the way, it was the old fashion brick and mortar business model and accounting that I’m forever grateful to experience at Vixens Hair Studio.
The lessons I learned while working as a shadow to the owner of Vixens Hair Studio pushed me to return to the drawing board to discover the ideal dream life I wanted. Fast-forward to summer of 2020 in the heat of a pandemic, a light bulb went off in my head to chase passion and purpose. I love branding, fashion, and following timeless trends. I was already experienced in the wholesaler industry, building a business, and marketing, which made the process of launching an online women’s boutique simple. I spent the rest of the year researching, educating myself, and filing the proper documents to ensure professionalism and longevity. As of today, I’m not only the founder of Sophisticated Strategies, a digital marketing agency, but Shop Miss Dom, an online women’s boutique.
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?
The road as an entrepreneur is never smooth or straight. As with any business, there are challenges. When you take on the challenge as a boutique owner, no one explains that it is a full-time job with no days or hours off. It requires a consistent system — sharing content, processing orders, updating spreadsheets, paying taxes, and more. Some days my boutique receives five or more orders, and some days it receives none. No day is ever the same, but I’m always proud of myself because I show up and do the work. I wear all the hats — marketing, branding, public relations, customer service, and owner. If I don’t follow a strict system, nothing gets done. My businesses rely heavily on me being my best mentally, spiritually, and physically.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Miss Dom, Black-owned and operated, delivers sophistication and luxury. The multi-tier company is the umbrella of a Black renaissance housing fashion, lifestyle influence, business education and mentoring, as well as, public relations and branding expertise. Its current subsidiaries include Shop Miss Dom, an online women’s fashion boutique, and Sophisticated Strategies, a digital marketing agency.
Miss Dom LLC pivots Founder and CEO Dominique Jean-Pierre’s passions into businesses defying the odds and creating a space for the Black and Brown collective to thrive and experience luxury in its true essence. Reclaiming Black power, Miss Dom LLC seeks to change the narrative and elevate Black women and men. There is more to come in the foreseeable future for Miss Dom LLC concerning strategic investments to build generational wealth, expand assets, and provide ample opportunities and resources to the Black community.
What matters most to you?
The people. I get excited when I see people support my boutique because every order is packaged and managed with care from the moment I process to shipment. It is always a great feeling to see someone wearing my brand and believing in my vision. It is a reminder that the work is hard, but it pays off. The more my brand grows, the more I grow. I’m up late nights researching, learning new skills, completing online courses, and reading books to take my brand to the next level for them. It doesn’t feel like I’m just selling women’s fashion, it truly feels like my customers are my clients, and I’m their personal shopper.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shopmissdom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopmissdom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopmissdom
- Other: www.sophisticatedstrategies.com
Image Credits
Shop Miss Dom
