Meet Carolyn Ayinla of Chic by Bella in Norcross

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolyn Ayinla.

Carolyn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
So it all started when I was working a call center job a few years ago and was talking to a former friend at the time about wanting to branch out and be my own boss. I was tired of putting my energy into a company that was only benefiting them and I was tired of bending over backward for others instead of something with my name on it. At the time I asked my friend if she wanted to go in half with me and be a co-founder, to my surprise she said yes! However, that also came with it a stipulation, she wanted to wait until she was fully in her school year and then save money to it.

Well, anyone, who knows me I’m impatient when it comes to business and once I put my mind to something it’s hard to slow me down. So I told her then that I probably will be moving forward without her because I was beyond serious about having my own business. Since I could remember I’ve always wanted to have my own, first with a homeless shelter, my own private practice, a hair company, and a clothing company. So in 2015, I decided to take myself seriously and register my business name. During this time, some people surprisingly weren’t as supportive as I expected but instead of letting their words affect me I decided to continue working on my dreams.

Fast forward to now, through the whole process I was able to finally launch my clothing company and even though it took me 3 years to complete, I’m a true supporter of if you do it right the first time you won’t have to correct later. I needed to make sure my ducks were in a row before putting my brand out to the world with my name on it. It’s almost surreal and I still get nervous because when I first started this, I had no idea what I was doing I just know I had a vision of putting quality women’s fashion that also makes “smaller” females feel confident as well. Sometimes we don’t get love either lol.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth ride at all, and you can by just the mere fact it took me 3 years to launch my brand. I had to register my business twice because one year I forgot to pay the annual fee, which during that time I was in and out of figuring out if I’m really going to move forward or if I was just playing with my own emotions.

I also went broke trying to order samples from multiple vendors to make sure that the right one was chosen. Being an entrepreneur is not just peaches and cream, your skin has to be tough and although your pockets may not be deep at first, you cannot give up! I definitely had to learn the hard way over a 3-year span.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Chic by Bella, Inc. – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My fashion business is made specifically for women, with high-quality material and vegan leather handbags as well. We are known for the popular saying, “Let You Define You,” which simply means as a woman you should get to define yourself rather than society. Too many times I have been judged off of something I wore that wasn’t the “norm” for a woman to wear, but I feel it’s okay to embrace womanhood differently.

This is why at Chic by Bella we bring many different forms of fashions that cover the different sides and flavors a woman has to offer. I’m beyond proud of my company because, I really wanted to have clothing that still had some edge, sophistication, and class to them but without too trashy and boring at the same time. There are plenty of sites that have clothes you can rock at the club, but being chic isn’t a trend, it’s a lifestyle. We provide a NEW level of fashion to the new generation and a unique blend of designs for the seasoned generation.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m looking forward to expanding my brand from online to boutique stores and having Chic by Bella on multiple billboards around the globe. My mind is always turning and trying to reinvent the wheel, my main goal is just to provide confidence through apparel.

I would love to also partner with non-profit organizations as well as to help people in need. It’s a topic that hits close to home so I would love to provide to someone who is less fortunate.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chicbybella.com
• Phone: 910-889-0484
• Email: info@chicbybella.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chicbybella
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chicbybella
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chicbybella
• Other: https://pinterest.com/chicbybella

Image Credit:
Camz Visionz

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