Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Gomez.
Hi Emily, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in San Angelo, TX, about 4 hours west of the DFW area. I graduated from Angelo State University in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. I wanted to become a counselor, but life had other plans for me. I moved to Arlington, TX, in 2005 and my first daughter was born in 2006. My younger daughter was born in 2011. I had a variety of Accounting and Admin jobs while my kids were young. While they paid the bills, I had yet to find something I enjoyed doing. I desperately wanted a career that allowed me to stay home with my children and not miss any of their school events during the day. I had no idea what kind of job would allow me to do that.
I was between jobs in early 2017 when I thought of starting some sort of online business. After brainstorming with my Mom, I decided I would launch an online boutique. I loved the little stores back in west Texas that had the cutest things you couldn’t just get anywhere. I wanted to offer that in the big city. So Texas Dazzling Boutique was born! I had no idea if it would work and it was very scary. I remember driving for Lyft to help pay the bills while my boutique was getting started. I used to deliver packages to customers, meet them for drop-offs, basically anything I needed to do to get their business. Well, it paid off!
Texas Dazzling Boutique is still going strong today in 2021. We survived and thrived during COVID, which was very surprising. Our sales have been over six figures for the last two years with over 100 packages going out each week. We have over 8,500 members in our VIP group on Facebook, a website, and an app launching soon! We are also on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. I am very thankful to all my loyal customers and fellow boutique friends that have helped me grow along the way. I am finally able to be home with my daughters and attend all their school events! It is very exciting and I hope to pass the business down to my girls one day.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I literally had no help when I was getting started. I didn’t even know the best way to ship back then. I remember my first package was over $20 to ship at a local shipping store, which is not ideal when you’re shipping a lot of packages each day. Luckily I met some amazing women through Facebook and we helped each other find great vendors to use and of course shipping hacks. I actually run a Boutique Owners group on Facebook to help other women connect. I always said if I ever can make this work, I definitely want to help others when they are getting started.
We’ve been impressed with Texas Dazzling Boutique, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Texas Dazzling Boutique is an online boutique. We strive to offer great quality apparel and more at affordable prices! I wanted my boutique to be affordable for everyone, not just high-end pieces. We offer clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry, and more. Our customer service is top-notch and is what sets us apart from others. We are like family here at TDB. Your email or message will never go unanswered.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I absolutely love Arlington. I never thought it would feel like home after living in west Texas so long. It was definitely an adjustment when I moved to the city, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else. My family, as well as myself, are also huge Dallas Cowboy fans, so I love that we are home to where they play! You’ve also got the Texas Rangers, Six Flags, and you are right in the middle of Dallas and Fort Worth. It’s a great place to live!
Contact Info:
- Email: texasdazzlingboutique@gmail.com
- Website: https://texasdazzlingboutique.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasdazzlingboutique
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/texasdazzlingboutique
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@texasdazzlingboutique
Image Credits
Photos by Texas Dazzling Boutique
