We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Verazonda Walker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Verazonda, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic comes from the feeling I get of being accomplished. I’ve been working since 14, so I’ve had that feeling for a very long time.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
At Dodge City Apparel we are much more than just a local apparel store. We strive to help and promote other businesses as we do our own brand and store. I like to think that we are a movement. Our clientele could be literally anyone. We offer a wide range of workout, casual, cocktail & formal for both men and women. We carry XS-5X. We have made all of our price points lower than the big box stores to ensure that our customers and clients can easily “dress to impress” on a budget. The big difference is you can come to the store and try your clothing on & don’t have to worry about sending the item back due to sizing or poor quality. As a service to our community, each month we host a sidewalk sale which allows local entrepreneurs and upcoming entrepreneurs to showcase their products & services. It is a small gathering, but it gives people the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be in a what I call “mini” pop up shop. We offer same day delivery within 30 miles from 70433. This is a service that I have not seen with any local retail stores. We strive to ensure that everyone is comfortable with their purchase before leaving and most importantly we preach body positivity, no matter if you are petite or plus size. We carry something for everyone. We also offer a service called DCA Concierge where we help locals find the perfect formal gowns & suits from our special vendors. I absolutely love personal shopping for other people. I believe it is my calling.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I would have to say be persistent, patient and never give up. This may seem very simple, but those are absolutely some of the most impactful things that could make or break a small business. If I had the guidance that I am trying to give others, my journey wouldn’t have been so rough. You have to be persistent. It used to annoy me when companies would send me unsolicited information because it just seemed like spam, but in reality they are just being persistent with their “job”. Now don’t get me wrong, you absolutely have to filter out the spam & scams to avoid being a victim, but you have to be persistent like they are because you never know when or where someone may need your products & services. I never wanted to be the business owner that “annoys” their clients or possible clientele. Being patient is something that is very important, but also something that I am still working on. Coming into this business made me wear several hats that I never could imagined I COULD wear. This all goes with being patient & never giving up. It could be overwhelming have to do EVERYTHING to get your company where it needs to be. When you become a business owner, you also become the -Marketing Manager
-Human Resources
-Finance Manager
-Delivery Driver
-Business Analyst
-Sales Representative
-Payroll Administrator
-Customer Service
-Merchandise Shopper
-Product Manager
-Book Keeper
-Cashier
-Janitor
-Answering Service
-Secretary
-Technical Support
-Researcher
-Operations Manager
-Administrative Assistant
Owning a business is not easy and it’s not made for everyone. So if you see someone struggling with their business just cheer them on. Talking down on them isn’t going to benefit you or them. It’s better to be a good person than a hateful one.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
In this world of gen z and gen alphas they have made it easier for us millennials & the generations before us. I turn 40 this year and I feel exactly how my mom felt when I worked in electronics & she couldn’t understand the tech. That’s how I feel now lol. Though social media is difficult to learn & overwhelming, these kids have it down packed & I am speaking from my own experience. Sorry mom if I ever made you feel some type of way about helping you with things like that. I feel your pain. I feel your pain lol. Things like TikTok, Instagram, SnapChat and even Facebook, the platform that I use the most & is the older of the popular platforms, are making and breaking the small business world. With that being said, you must collaborate with people from different walks of life and the best way to do that it through social media. You may have 5 followers and the people you collaborate with may have 500, 5,000 and even 5 million followers. Everyone has a different reach and a different target audience. With our company being as broad as it is, being Minority, Women, LGBTQ & Veteran owned, we can appeal to so many groups of people. I am looking to collaborate with anyone that represents love, not hate. So if you are interested in collaborating with us please feel free to reach out to us via all of our social media platforms. If you or your brand aligns with what we are trying to do, our handles are shopdodgecityapparel on all platforms. We are ready & willing to send out clothing, accessories & knowledge gems.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shopdodgecityapparel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopdodgecityapparel?igsh=OXpjZTA2MjQ3MTQ1&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/uw29NbWvkkDkGTRC/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/m2Hu637n-K
- Other: Google Business Page: https://g.co/kgs/FvdaqvU
