Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Mason.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My love for fashion started when I was 10 years old. My favorite thing to do was to dress up and put outfits together. I would cut pictures out of magazines of blouses, jeans, dresses, and shoes just to put together outfits for fun; If I loved how the models were dressed, I would cut out the models and tape them on my wall for decoration. The older I got, the more my love for Fashion grew. When I graduated High school, I had planned to attend college for Fashion Merchandising. Unfortunately, I changed my major because I did not believe I would make good enough money in that field. Instead, I chose to pursue a degree in healthcare.
Throughout the years, I obtained different jobs, and I realized how miserable I was becoming because I wasn’t doing what I had a passion for. My vision was to start my own business where I can provide the latest fashion pieces to help woman look and feel their best. I believe Fashion is a way to express yourself and it reflects who you are. At the age of 26, I decided to make my vision come true and turn my dreams into reality. I quit my job and I began my own online boutique. I began to take risks and follow my heart in what I had a passion for. I have learned over time that it is not always about money. I would rather wake up every day doing something I loved, as opposed to having an occupation where I am making good money, but I am miserable…
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Maintaining my small business has not been a smooth road. While maintaining a small business, you realize you’re the front and back end of your brand. You wear the hat being the creative director, the sales and marketer, customer service and hold the responsibility of planning and strategizing. While wearing all of these hats, it becomes overwhelming but you can’t lose sight of your vision.
We’ve been impressed with Certified Beauty Boutique, 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?
My business is an online boutique that sells the latest trends of Fashion. What sets me apart from others is the way I conduct my business. I make sure I provide the best customer service possible, which includes fashion advice as well. I’m all about celebrating woman and cheering them on to look their best even on their worst days. I not only promote fashion, but I promote lifestyle also. We all live different lives but there’s so many of us that go through the same things. There are so many things that we go through as woman and as a CEO, I want to let me my customers know they’re not alone. I connect with my customers through my marketing strategies. I promote self-love, self-worth, etc. Certified Beauty Boutique isn’t just about Fashion but it’s about lifestyle as well. I was able to get to where I’m today by bringing my vision to life and most importantly doing research.
It most definitely has not been easy because being in an industry where so many people do the same thing as you, you must ask yourself “what will set your business apart from others?” I overcame the challenges I endured by staying true to myself and my vision. Most importantly, I stood consistent. Some lessons that I’ve learned along the way is to not pay attention to who’s not supporting you but to pay attention to those who are. I want the world to know that Certified Beauty Boutique is a black-owned business. It isn’t just about the latest fashion pieces, but we value quality as well. I want people to view my story as motivation. As a young single mother, it’s hard to stay focused on your dream at times. There are days where you want to give up and get discouraged because you’re pressured by the things you’re going through. But I want my story to uplift woman to keep going and to follow their dreams.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned throughout my journey Is to never give up. You will have good days and you will have bad days but always stay consistent. Stay true to yourself and your vision. You will have critics and you will have people that wholeheartedly support you but never let the bad discourage you and make you lose sight of what you’re working towards.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.certifiedbeauty.store
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shop.certifiedbeauty/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/shop.certifiedbeauty/
