Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Banks.
Nicole, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I had early-stage ovarian cancer some years ago and one of the things that typically happens with ovarian cancer is you suffer from a lot of abdominal scar tissue and so we knew that there was a possibility that I could potentially suffer from an obstruction. In 2013 I was in a really really stressful place in corporate America and I went into the hospital one morning and had to have emergency surgery that day to save my life and it was in the recovery from that surgery which was about two and a half months long that Pretty Pieces was birthed It was in that recovery where I could literally do nothing but lay in the bed and look up and just talk to God that I was given a vision for Pretty Pieces. God told me to go back to my first love. I’m a 3rd generation seamstress and have been around fashion my whole life so I knew that opening a Fashion Brand was what God was instructing me to do to save my life. The rest is history.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been smooth, especially not in the beginning. When I started the business back in 2014, there weren’t many resources to assist me back then so it was really trial and error! Luckily for me I had a marketing degree and a career in IT so I was able to build my own site and figure out how to start marketing but I wasn’t a popular social media figure nor did I learn digital marketing in my degree program because my degree is old lol So I had to lose a lot to figure it out. I soon found a mentor and some marketing help until I could get to a place where I could do it myself. I also found that just showing up every day and truly being my authentic self helped me to overcome some of those stumbling blocks that I’d encountered early on.
Owning a boutique is very hard work and requires a lot of time, dedication and passion. Once I found what worked for me and was able to hire a team it got easier. However, strategy, consistency and authenticity have helped me to overcome some of those struggles as well.
Please tell us about Pretty Pieces.
I like to refer to my business as the place where the Pretty Girls Shop. It’s a candy shop full of pieces that really are PRETTY. I offer something for everybody and everybody. Because I understand that fashion is often times the armor we use to survive everyday life, I make sure that I curate collections that are fun, stylish and above all, affordable. Because I’ve worked as a wardrobe stylist and I’m a seamstress, I understand textiles and fashion from the perspective of science, so I take body shapes and skin tones into account as well. My approach to inventory selection includes some psychology also because I know that what you wear can turn a frown upside down.
I’m most proud of being able to connect with women all over the world and bring them a fashion experience that keeps them engaged and coming back. I have a private Facebook community called the Pretty Posse where, I intimately connect with my tribe EVERY DAY and really get to know them as women and not just customers. I think that the VIP experience sets me apart because I stay connected. Even though I have a team I still remain the face and the voice of the brand.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would have become the face of my brand earlier on. I waited a few years before I came from behind the scenes and I really wish I’d done that sooner. I also wish that I’d tapped into my own power sooner. I knew what I wanted and knew what God had called me to do but in some respects, I think I was scared of being successful and that’s honestly a real thing. Being so afraid that you talk yourself out of the very thing you know you were called to do. One last thing I’d have done differently would be to not try to compare my chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 15. I now know the power of keeping my eyes on my own test because the test proctor (God) gave me a different set of questions!
Contact Info:
- Website: shopprettypieces.com
- Phone: 904-518-9818
- Email: info@shopprettypieces.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/shopprettypieces
- Facebook: Facebook.com/shopprettypiecesdotcom
Image Credit:
Adrian Bracy
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