We recently connected with Lindsey Marble and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Lindsey with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic has always been influenced by my parents. From an early age, my mom and dad both owned their own businesses and thrived at it. My dad has since passed away, but owned a dental business making dentures for people / companies. My mom has owned numerous insurance companies and has been in the business for over 20 years. She has always taught and showed us you can be successful with anything you put your time and dedication into. I give my all in any job I have, wether it be my personal business or side jobs. The hard work you put into any job will always pay off!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
A little bit about me! I am 21 years old, and I started LAO an e-commerce boutique 2 and a half years ago, going on 3 in October. I was fresh out of high school and attending college. I always had a deep passion to be an entrepreneur but didn’t know exactly what type of business I wanted to start. I always loved fashion, and for a long time fashion school was always top of mind. After lots of debating, watching countless numbers of videos on how to start up a clothing business I knew it was a perfect fit. What I love about fashion is that it can reflect you! You can express yourself and feel comfortable doing so. I love the feeling you get when you try something on and feel so confident that you never want to take it off! Getting dressed is obviously a daily occurrence, so why not love that you have in your closet.
A little bit about LAO, it was built on my passion to empower woman and make them feel their absolute best in anything they put on. We offer a variety of capsule pieces for your wardrobe that make picking out outfits easier. I believe neutrals and basics are the essential to every closet so we make sure to keep a stock of them ready for you! We bring in new products and accessories in every month. Occasionally we will attend pop up events located here in Tucson, AZ and it gives customers a chance to in person shop.
In 5-10 years from now, I hope to have my business as my main source of income. It’s such a passion of mine that it doesn’t even feel like a job or a chore! I hope to someday open a storefront here in Arizona. I am not exactly where I want to be with my business but we are growing everyday and I see that I am getting closer!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I’m no expert yet, but here is some advice I would give anyone in the same business or any business really!
One being, have dedication and patience. We all want to be overnight sensations but ultimately it’s very hard to do just that. Having patience will teach you a lot about yourself and your business. Dedicating time to not only learn and teach yourself new skills but to engage with your clientele. I started a new voting pole on my Instagram page every month, that allows my followers to tell me what they want / do not want to see. Since then, I have seen my sales increase because I am taking time to acknowledge and bring in what they want.
Two, utilize all sources. With the power of social media nowadays it’s very easy to market yourself with little to no cost and I think every business owner should take advantage of that. Making your business website, storefront, social media’s, etc., attractive and eye catching will draw more people in. In my business personally, attraction to eye is so important. I have about 5 seconds to sell someone on why they should follow me just by the way my page looks on social media or the way my website looks to get someone to make a purchase. There are so many apps out there to help with the content creation aspect of a business.
Lastly three, take advice from other people. Wether it be big or small, it can impact your business by getting outsider input. Never act better then the advice being given to you. Read books, watch videos, learn from other peoples mistakes so you don’t have to make the same ones. YouTube business videos are my best friend! I learn something new everytime I watch them and utilize them in my day to day business life.
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?
They truly set me up for success. All 3 of us. I have an older brother & sister.
I’m bragging just a little bit but she gave me the best life I could have ever had and was always pushing me to be the best. When I came to her with my idea to start a business, there was no doubt or fear in her voice. Just a simple question that reassured me I am capable of anything, “What can I do to help you?” Within the next week I came to her with my business license and website and said “I just started my own business!” No money was given to me, no advice, no help. Although I was offered all of the above, I was confident that I could do it on my own because of how my mom raised me and showed me anything is possible! She’s always been encouraging, helpful, and understanding.
Having someone who stands by you, encourages you, pushes you to do better is the most impactful thing I think you can have. There are so many people that don’t want to see you make it and be successful. It started with just my mom, but I do have to give a quick shout-out to everyone else that constantly supports me. My sister, she helps with modeling, photo shoots and new inventory. My boyfriend, he is with my at every pop up event and behind the scenes is constantly helping me. My brother, he is always buying from me and helping in any way he can. My cousins, Kelsey & Kylie they have always been there to ask how they can help me and buy from me. My friends, Katlynn, Ely, Saydee you all overwhelm me with the amount of support & business you bring to me. My boyfriends family, they are like my second family! Them too bring me so much overwhelming support, they always show up to my pop up events and his three sisters are my top customers forsure! Thank you to the owner own Lovlee Salon, Mckaela for collaborating with LAO and also helping me grow my business with the advice you give from being a business owner yourself! There’s a whole crowd of people, some of which are my family and majority being complete strangers that I also have to thank for supporting me and keeping my business growing!
Thank you thank you thank you! The supports means more then you know!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shoplao.co/
- Instagram:@laoboutique
- Other: TikTok @laoboutique
