Meet Britney Spivey

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Britney Spivey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Britney , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I think resilience comes from facing hardships in your life but still having hope. Hope comes from the trust that things will get better and that people and the world are still good despite the bad things that can happen to you and around you. I lost my mom at nine years old to an automobile accident. I have missed her for more than thirty years now and can tell you I will miss her until the day I die. As a mother now myself, there is no greater love in my life than the love I have more my children and they have for me. Your mom is the person you want to call with the good news and the bad news. Even at almost 40 I miss her in so many aspects of my life. I will always miss the person who loves me best and loves me most. Saying all of that, I still have had such a happy, joyful life. And the reason I still have hope, joy, and trust in people is because of the amazing people God has put in my life to fill in the holes and surround me with love in the absence of my mom. The community of people I was raised around were the hands and feet of Jesus in how they loved and supported me in my childhood and even adult life. Teachers, friends, family, and coaches have always cheered my brother and me on and believed in us. Because of that love and support, we had hope. We trusted that life could still be good. And because of that trust, we are more resilient people.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Simply Chic Boutique opened in Bossier City, Louisiana in March of 2010. Almost 15 years later we have 5 locations in Louisiana (Bossier, Shreveport, Natchitoches, Mandeville, and Ruston) and a mobile boutique. Simply Chic employs women from ages 16 to 75 and dresses women of all ages as well. It has been our joy to dress women for all occasions of life. Our biggest focus is making sure that every woman that enters our store feels important and beautiful.

Because of the positive impact of educators in my life, that has been our biggest focus when supporting our community. Whether giving back to local schools or creating events to celebrate teachers, we are always excited to give back to the teachers who give so much to their students.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

In highschool I didn’t think I was great at anything. I wasn’t the smartest, most beautiful, most athletic. I didn’t even make the dance line my sophomore year. But because I didn’t make the dance line, I had to venture out and make new friends. That year because I was out of my comfort zone and made new friends I was voted Sophomore Favorite. It sounds silly but because of a loss of a dream I was able to gain so many new friends. I eventually did make the dance line and was probably more grateful and excited than anyone else on the team. I still was not the best dancer on the line but I was the biggest cheerleader for everyone on the team usually getting the award at the end of the year “Most Supportive.”

In high school I didn’t see being supportive and appreciative as a skill. Those skills aren’t usually awarded like running fast or scoring well on the ACT even though they’ll get you a lot further in life than athleticism. It wasn’t until college that I started to believe I was actually talented. I’m creative, tenacious, and friendly. I love people. I love brainstorming with people and thinking of new ideas. I like to love on people and bring them into our circle. I’m not afraid to pivot in a situation and figure out how to make it work even if it sometimes involves a staple gun and a hot glue gun. I think these three things make me a great entrepreneur and business owner. To a young person these things don’t always get a trophy, ribbon, or award but these things have given me a very rewarding life and career. My advice for young people is to study yourself. Take personality tests like the Enneagram, Myers & Briggs, and True Colors. See in black and white what you excel at and how you work. Then you will see what gives you energy and what drains you. My advice is to spend your life doing what gives you energy.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

I like to encourage people to find what gives them energy and do that as much as you can. Whatever drains you in life should be the things you do the least. In the last twelve months to two years I’ve had to evaluate the relationships in my life that fill me up and drain me.

I love people and am a natural people pleaser. Being a people pleaser in retail can be great because the customer wants to be happy and you want to make that customer happy. But sometimes in life there are people who are life suckers. They take and take and can really make a person who is a natural giver feel run down and empty. It’s easy to identify the people who fill your cup. They make you feel like the most important person. They cheer you on. They offer help and support. They give you energy. In the last year or two I have evaluated the circle I surround myself with and have been intentional on spending more time and energy on the life givers. The people who are life suckers, I try to love from a distance. It has been hard because I’m a people pleaser and want to keep everyone happy but I have never felt lighter than I do now.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @simplychicbossier
• Facebook: https://Www.facebook.com/simplychicbossier
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/uPDAQCqd8q

Image Credits

Photographer Bryleigh Smith