Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie Mulligan.
Annie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
There are two things I have always had a passion for in life: fashion and law. My passion for fashion started during high school and my curiosity about law and justice manifested during college. When I moved to Atlanta in 2013 to start law school, I decided this would be the perfect city to also pursue my passion for fashion. As if law school was not challenging enough, I decided to start a boutique. I started #OOTD Boutique in 2013 online while I took law school classes at night and studied. The days of eight hours of sleep no longer existed. I found myself falling asleep around 4 am and waking up around 9 am on most days. I lived in a state of exhaustion for three years, but I was happy doing two things that I love.
I decided to have an online boutique was no longer enough and we opened our Buckhead location in May 2016. We share our Buckhead location with Lashful and we are located at 2115 Piedmont Road NE, Suite 1203, Atlanta, GA 30324. I graduated from law school in December 2016 and decided that while I was studying for my bar exam I wanted to open another boutique location. I have always been the type of person that felt that my plate was just never full enough and I thrive on challenges and feeling like my life is a whirlwind of organized chaos.
I found my second #OOTD Boutique location in August 2017 and we renovated the entire building and opened in October 2017 at 7855 Roswell Road, Suite 105, Sandy Springs, GA 30350. We love our new location and cannot wait to expand. We offer affordable clothing for women sizes small through 3X and we also personally shop for our clients for their special occasions. We have dressed people for small events like date night or larger events, such as New York Fashion Week. Currently, I am studying for my bar exam with the plan to open my own Family Law Office once I am licensed and running both our Buckhead and Sandy Springs location.
I love helping others, whether it is finding the perfect outfit or gaining access to affordable family law legal services. Everyone has told me to pick one career and be successful at it, but who said that I cannot be successful at both? I will leave you with the motto I live by: “build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.”
Has it been a smooth road?
The road less traveled is usually never smooth, but it often has the best views and provides the biggest reward when you meet your final destination. Of course, this journey has not been without obstacles, but if it had been quick and easy and I may not have chosen to take the journey. I lived in a chronic “lack of sleep” state for years while I attempted to simultaneously build a business and graduate law school. There were times that I wanted to give up when business was slow or I got a less than perfect grade on an exam. However, what kept me going was thinking about the bigger picture of being able to work for myself and doing two things I love.
I lost many friendships because I was no longer able to put my friends first, but I kept in mind that the sacrifice would be worth the reward and if they were truly my friends, they would come back around to support me in my endeavors. Many times I longed for more support or people in my corner cheering for me, but the right people came through at the right times. I would not change the journey even if I could and the journey is not even over yet because I still have unaccomplished goals. However, is the journey ever really completed? I feel like as soon as I accomplish one goal on my long list of goals, I quickly add another so my goal list never gets too short. Like I said, I thrive in organized chaos and feeling like my plate is always overflowing.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with #OOTD Boutique – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
#OOTD Boutique is a women’s clothing boutique with locations in Buckhead, GA and Sandy Springs, GA and a thriving website. Our #OOTD Boutique team is comprised of sales associates, shipping department staff, photographers, models and website content staff, which are all led successfully by the owner, Annie Mulligan. We offer affordable everyday wear for women from size small through 3X.
We also personally shop for our client’s for special occasions from date night to the wedding day. Our team is comprised of some very versatile women who each bring something new and different to our customer’s experience. Many of our customers come from word of mouth, but we are also known for our Thursday night Facebook live feeds and “Outfits of the Day.” We are definitely known for having affordable prices. The most common client comment when they enter our Sandy Springs location is, “wow, this looks like such a high-end boutique and luxurious shopping experience, but the prices are so affordable.” “I almost didn’t come in because I figured I couldn’t afford anything in here.”
We carry a few items around $50 to $75, but most of our items are under $50 and we even have an extremely popular $10.00 and under rack at our Sandy Springs location. You can find a two piece set for $10 on that rack, how many boutiques can dress you from head-to-toe for only $25? When you shop our $10 rack, you can find tops and bottoms for $5 each, a piece of jewelry for $5 and a pair of sale shoes for $10. You can have a whole new outfit for only $25.00! You will also be greeted and helped by enthusiastic women who want to provide you with a fun and successful shopping experience. Want to see what else sets us apart? Come visit us in Buckhead or Sandy Springs and see for yourself!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the fast-paced and opportunistic vibe of the city and the motivated, entrepreneurial personalities of the people I have met here. I love the wide variety and availability of good restaurants and unique shopping. If you cannot find a job in Atlanta, you must not be looking because there is an opportunity in every corner.
If I had come from anywhere else but California with the Los Angeles traffic, I might say that my least favorite part of the city is the traffic, but coming from somewhere with 6 lane highways that are continuously backed up, Atlanta traffic does not seem so bad.
I wish Atlanta was closer to the beach, which is the one item I feel like I am missing, but for all the other positive aspects of Atlanta, I don’t mind taking a pretty 3-4 hour road trip to enjoy the beach every once in a while. I love Atlanta and I plan to call it my permanent home and continue to build my legal and boutique empire throughout the city.
Pricing:
- Most items are $50 and under
- Find $5 steals on our website and at our Sandy Springs location
Contact Info:
- Address: 2115 Piedmont Road NE, Suite 1205, Atlanta, GA 30324 (Buckhead)
7855 Roswell Road, Suite 105, Sandy Springs, GA 30350 (Sandy Springs) - Website: www.ootd-boutique.com
- Phone: (678) 718-5518
- Email: ootdboutique@yahoo.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/ootdboutiqueatlanta
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ootdboutiqueatlanta
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ootdboutiqueatlanta/
Image Credit:
Traci Yoshimura
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
