Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kaylie Feist-Torres. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kaylie, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My work ethic comes from the way I was raised. Growing up I watched my parents work hard to provide for our family, and start their own businesses to be able to obtain more financial freedom to give us the best life possible. They always went above and beyond for their customers in order to give them the best experience possible which engrained in me amazing customer service and the importance of taking care of your customers and making sure their needs are met, I also watched as the relationships they built with their customers turned into long term friendships, and in doing so, those organically turned into referrals, the clients would tell their friends about their businesses and experience they had doing business with my parents, which ultimately turns into more business and growth. My grandfather was also an extremely hard worker and had his own insurance company. From a young age he would always talk to me about future goals, liabilities and assets, and the importance of owning more than you owe, he would pick my brain, and push me to think out of the box along with being a critical thinker.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Kaylie, I am the owner of a new women’s clothing boutique on El Paseo. I went to school for Fashion and earned my bachelors degree in Fashion Marketing and Management. For as long as I can remember I have always loved fashion, shopping, and styling. I always received compliments on my outfits, or would have people ask me where I got my outfit from, or girls telling me “I wish I could shop in your closet”, or how I need to open my own store. I have always shopped at affordable places and had to do majority of my shopping online because there is not many options in the desert for the style and price point that I’m looking for. I realized this was a niche in the market in my home town, so I decided I was going to bring “a shop for the girls” to the desert I grew up in, girls like me who shop on a budget but still want all the latest trends and cute outfits, a place you can depend on when you need a last minute outfit but don’t have time to order something online you need it NOW, a trendy and fun spot to shop for a decent price. The shop is named after me, Kaylie Nicole because it is like one huge closet of mine, if I would wear it, I bring it into the shop.
I love supporting other small businesses, especially women owned businesses. Something I have started incorporating into my shop is collaborating with other small women owned businesses and doing “pop ups” in my store, where they can bring whatever it is they do, matcha stands, coffee, permanent jewelry, etc. and it has been so fun to meet other business owners in the community and share each others customers, as well as offer our customers a fun and different shopping experience unlike anywhere else, it really is a fun time and a great way to build relationships with other small business owners and our customers.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, I think three skills and qualities that have been most impactful in my journey would have to be:
1. Mindset. Your mindset is soooo important, it can make or break you! Having an optimistic and positive mindset is crucial, and so is doing things that will feed positivity to your mind, focusing on how things can and will work out, always looking on the positive side, willing to improve where you can instead of give up, and believing that you are capable of anything you put your mind to. I also love to start my mornings with positive affirmations and listening to positive and motivational speeches and informational podcasts instead of listening to music that does nothing for me and my mind.
2. Persistence, consistency, and patience: These qualities are a must! Nothing happens over night. What’s easy won’t last, and what lasts won’t come easy. You have to be consistent and work hard for what you want, and you also have to be patient while you wait to get to where you want to be, being able to be content with what you have while working for what you want is a game changer. Although opening my store seems like it happened quick, it was an entire 11 years of work I put in previously to get me to the point that I was ready to go out on my own and open my own store. I started at the very bottom, working at Forever 21 as a sales associate during college, making $8 an hour, and moved on to work in other retail stores which also did not pay great because that’s retail for you, but I still went to work everyday and gave it my all like it was the most important job ever, moved up to managing stores, and gained so much experience by starting from the bottom it has shaped who I am and what I do in my own shop, things I learned that I took with me to my store, and lessons I learned of things I’ll never do at my shop, I learned all the ins and outs of retail by starting at the bottom and working my way to the top.
3. Having faith. When you have faith you take risks, you’re calm, you stress less, because you believe everything will work out the way its meant to.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was love me unconditionally and instill in me that I can do whatever I put my mind to, that I’m worthy and capable of great things, and supported me every step of the way. They taught me not to be afraid of failure, and to never let the fear of failure get in the way of going after my dreams. They play a huge role in me becoming a business owner and entrepreneur and never settling for less than I deserve, they raised me to be ambitious and hardworking, but also generous and humble.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shopkaylienicole.com
- Instagram: @shopkaylienicole
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