Today we’d like to introduce you to Bria McIver.
Hi Bria, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Hello, my name is Bria McIver. I am a fashion buyer, business owner, licensed cosmetologist, educator, and coach located in the Dallas area. I am fairly new to the DFW, but it feels like I have been here forever. I moved here in the summer of 2019 to begin teaching and to expand my clothing company, Vanity Collection Boutique.
My journey began in Killeen, Texas, and I would eventually find my way to Dallas. Being raised with a mother who is also a hairstylist, I was introduced to hair, self-expression, and entrepreneurship at an early age. I learned how to braid hair at about age 7 or 8, and I remember having my first “client” in the 4th grade. Around this same time, I became interested in fashion. After begging for my first sewing machine, I started off trying to learn how to make clothes. I quickly learned that was not for me. However, I always knew I still wanted to work in the fashion and cosmetic industry in some capacity.
I earned a track scholarship to run hurdles for Stephen F. Austin State University. There, I studied to be a fashion buyer and received my bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising and my master’s degree in Business Administration. After almost two years of not finding a fashion or MBA position in my respected fields, I grew motivated to begin my own career as a fashion buyer and business owner. In March of 2018, I launched Vanity Collection Boutique with literally a dollar and a dream.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road for me and it still isn’t today. Time, or the lack of it, is one of my greatest challenges right now, but there have been so many other obstacles along the way. As many entrepreneurs will tell you, starting a business is like having a baby because of the heightened sense of anxiety you feel about protecting something you have developed, and care so much about. Since the birth of Vanity, I have been on an emotional rollercoaster full of exciting highs and extreme lows.
With being a full-time educator and coach, I do not get to invest enough time into Vanity during the school year or into doing hair like I would like to. I enjoy working with kids, but it can also be exhausting after a long day. At times, I do not have the energy to create or post content like I should. Although I receive an overwhelming amount of support from my loved ones and from strangers, behind the scenes there is only me. I have worked as a company model, photographer, brand strategist, social media manager, and every other role in the company since I launched in 2018. I have invested a lot of myself into something that I love to do: create and make people look and feel good.
Even with my tight schedule, the creative in me still wants to do everything. I am very meticulous and want things to be done a certain way. Sometimes this can be a good thing, but it also makes me overthink. I am learning to ask for more help and to hire other people to do what they are great at doing. I think a common misconception for most small business owners starting out is that we think we have to do everything ourselves and that is not true, just exhausting.
The everyday struggle is to keep going and to not give up. It does get discouraging when my followers are not growing or my sales are slow, but I also know that there is always more that I can be doing.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the sole owner and CEO of Vanity Collection Boutique, an international online women’s clothing store offering popular contemporary pieces that are hand-selected to fit the self-assured woman. We are most known for our bold product collections, incredible customer service, and our authenticity within the online fashion space. At Vanity, we aim to promote a healthy sense of self-assurance and self-pride in our customers and to become the one-stop shop for all women’s fashion needs. We offer everything from date night and vacation sets to loungewear and dresses. The More Vain Collection is set to release this November and will feature more size offerings and a few must-haves!
What sets Vanity apart is that our goal is not to show our products on a perfect body type but to show how perfect every person can feel in our products. We place an emphasis on self-love and self-esteem in a time where it is often so easy to compare ourselves to our peers and societal images. Our models represent diverse women, with relatable body types. Our customers are multifaceted women, from full-time college students, professionals, bosses, mothers, and all of the above. At Vanity, we really care how all women feel about our products.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Throughout this journey, I have grown substantially as a person and as a business owner. I have educated myself a lot and learned a lot of invaluable life lessons that I could not have learned in school. I have gained many new skills and connected with some amazing people all over Dallas. Even still, the most important lesson that I have learned along this journey is to stay true to myself and the person that I was created to be. I have learned that you will never be happy if you do not learn how to be happy within yourself and do the things that you are sent here to do.
Pricing:
- Sets: $20- $60
- Dresses: $15- $40
- Jumpsuits: $20- $40
- Tops: $5- $30
Contact Info:
- Email: Vanitycollectionboutique@gmail.com
- Website: https://vanitycollectionboutique.com/
- Instagram: @vanitycollectionboutique
- Facebook: @VanityCollectionboutique
- Twitter: @_VainBrain
