Today we’d like to introduce you to Mishaal Tanveer.
Hi Mishaal, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Being a first generation Pakistani-American woman definitely comes with its challenges, but I am ready to take them on. My parents lived in Pakistan for the first half of their lives, but ended up getting married and starting a family here in the US. They struggled to set rules for us as we grew up because they wanted us to have the best of both Pakistani and American culture, which would often conflict with one another.
I found myself struggling to find hobbies that were appropriate for both of my cultures, when I was inspired by my mom’s talent of sewing Pakistani dresses. I shadowed her and started sewing my own American and Pakistani dresses by the time I was in high school. I even took fashion courses for 3 years and led fashion shows for diversity events. I developed an appreciation for not only the Pakistan values, but the beautiful clothing and accessories that were associated with the culture.
I wanted to study fashion but decided to pursue the psychology and business field, because I needed to study something that would ensure the successful future my parents had envisioned for me. I became the first female from both my maternal and paternal sides of the family to have earned a college degree. After accomplishing this milestone, I started working in the business field, but ended up circling back to my love of Pakistani fashion.
I felt like I was in a position where I had to choose between achieving the American dream and pursuing my passion. Then I thought, why can’t I have both? I finally trusted the entrepreneur in my heart, and decided to open my online Pakistani clothing and accessory shop, Beauty by Mishaal.
It took a great deal of vulnerability to kick-off my small business. What if I fail and everyone finds out about it? This question haunted me but I was so ambitious that my goal was to have 300 followers on my Instagram page @beauty_by_mishaal by the first year of opening. I have dedicated a countless amount of time and effort to Beauty by Mishaal but I genuinely don’t feel like I am working.
As Mark Twain once said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” It has become my hobby and I am so incredibly grateful to say I have over 4000 supporters on Instagram in under a year of opening. I hope to continue spreading happiness through my small online business based here in Dallas, Texas.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey has been a bumpy road, but has certainly led to a beautiful destination. The biggest challenge I face is coming up with creative ways to stand out as a South Asian clothing and accessory store in the market. I’ve taken initiatives to consistently invest in and improve the packing, photography, customer service, shipping speed, and quality of my products. My favorite part is hearing feedback and reviews from my customers. It genuinely makes my day when someone tells me they finally got the piece they are looking for at the fraction of the price.
On a personal level, my biggest challenge has been balancing and shifting priorities between my business, full-time job and personal life. I have learned to balance all of these things to the best of my ability, and I’m driven to continue all of these through love and support from my family, friends, customers and supporters.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I offer the latest trends of Pakistani clothing, jewelry and accessories for my online shop. I am known for my unique or customized designs, quality of jewelry, affordable pricing and professional photography that captures the beauty of items in my shop. I even include makeup looks for inspiration while modeling the items, and this has set me aside from other businesses in the same area of work.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I’ve learned that it takes a great deal of courage, persistence and passion to maintain and grow an online clothing and accessory shop. It can be hard to stay motivated to do your best when you’re tied up in the daily routine tasks of the business. That is when I remind myself of what I love about the business. It makes me so happy to provide customers with an unforgettably positive experience and their feedback keeps me going!
Pricing:
- Free shipping is available on every order!
Contact Info:
- Email: beautybymishaal@hotmail.com
- Website: www.beautybymishaal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybymishaal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beautybymishaal
Image Credits
Sana Syed
Manal Tanveer
Lights And Gin Photography
