Today we’d like to introduce you to Jana Boyles.
Jana, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
For as long as I can remember, I have torn outfits and images out of magazines and created binders full of looks, fashion pieces and inspiration. I loved shopping and dressing friends. I never thought about making a career in fashion; I just loved it.
While living in NYC in my 20s, I stumbled into a job with Jones New York. I became a Brand Manager in the Licensing Department and loved it! I took full advantage of living in the city and studied Styling at the Fashion Institute of Technology and even worked backstage during Bryant Park Fashion Week in 2006.
Upon moving to Dallas, I worked for a local designer and a Mom & Pop boutique and realized I finally knew exactly what I wanted to do! It took almost a year, but I opened the doors to my own retail boutique July 2010.
I operated my boutique for eight years with two locations in Dallas and one in Austin, Texas. Closing out 2017, I decided to move to an online only boutique, leaving me more time to work one-on-one with clients doing Personal Shopping, Styling and Closet Organization.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There is nothing smooth about running a small business. There is a lot of reward, but it is not easy. Part of my vision for Brooklyn + West is offering the newest fashions, even if it isn’t seen on everyone yet. I think it’s important to know trends and styles first; however, most people like to see it everywhere before putting it on themselves. And even though I have spent most of my life Styling, getting people to trust me was the hardest part.
I also found quite a bit of difficulty hiring and motivating staff. No one will ever work as hard as the Owner or care as much, but it became increasingly tough to hire and train individuals who were self-motivating and strove to excel each shift. Most employees seemed to just show up and wait for a paycheck instead of take any ownership in creating sales and building relationships with customers.
Running a business and being responsible for everything from CEO to Janitor will never be easy, but I think moving to an online boutique and working directly with clients will help with the two biggest challenges I seemed to face with a brick and mortar space.
Brooklyn + West – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Brooklyn + West is a curated lifestyle collection for the modern & fashionable.
Inspired by our favorite places, the independent thinking, fashion forward Brooklyn, NY, and the laid back, trend setting West Coast. We believe funky and different as a style is an important part of individuality and free thought.
Our retail store experience encompassed the laid back vibe with a little bit of a funky attitude. You could grab a glass of champagne or beer and toast to the dreamers. Now you can personally work with someone who will style your closet to accompany your best life.
We carefully curate brands that envelope the lifestyle and speak to our culture. We love individuality and independence. We buy minimal quantities of each selection so what you get is truly yours.
Some of the brands we represent include: Honeypunch, Love In, Sweet Pea, BuDha Girl, Hyde 47, ban.do, James Jeans, ban.do, johnnie-o, Emu Australia, Yosi Samra, Seavees, Melissa Shoes, Flying Tomato and more…
In the future, the brand will expand to include a lifestyle blog offering healthy living tips, recipes, style hints, unique products and more.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Defining success is a tricky thing. I began my business thinking I would be considered successful after grossing a certain annual amount in sales. I gave up focusing on personal relationships, friendships and even myself to spend all of my energy on store sales.
I’ve learned to redefine my vision of success. I owned and operated a boutique for eight years. I built amazing relationships with clients, some of which became friends. I worked hard to motivate employees and joke that I “adopted” half a dozen little sisters I will keep in touch with and be proud of forever. That is great success.
And now I have a new set of success goals: Making money doing what I love, spending time focusing on myself and my family and friends, being healthy and fit and living my best life.
Pricing:
- Brooklyn + West Quarterly Fashion Box delivered right to your door: $250 – $750 value
- Personal Shopping, Styling & Closet Organization: Prices Vary
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brooklynandwest.com
- Email: jana@brooklynandwest.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/brooklynandwest
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/brooklynandwest
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
