Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Washington.
Teresa, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a proud Dayton Ohio Native, lived in Cincinnati Ohio for 18 years and relocated here to Illinois almost 7 years ago. I was and still am motivated by an overwhelming need for freedom to help others, to make a difference, make enough money to support my family all while leaving a legacy. I’ve always loved Fashion, Make-up and the creativity of hair and how all of these three forms of Artistry can create such a transformation would always leave me intrigued and wanting to learn more. For many years I would always dream and write in my journal ideas of Owning my own business. In 2008 l stepped out on Faith, left my corporate job and opened the doors of Paris J Boutique. I was scared to death, I had no clue what I was doing however I honed in on my STRENGTHS, MY God given gifts and talents.
I was very passionate about Fashion, Beauty and Style, I had excellent customer service/communication skills, I knew how to negotiate and I had Faith so With all these things I felt confident I could run a successful business. I read a lot of books on entrepreneurship, Visited different boutiques speaking with the owners, Google became my best friend, I basically learned a lot on my own by trial and error. Unfortunately I had no mentor…. Which I highly recommend.
In 2011, I closed the doors of Paris J Boutique relocated to Illinois and ran the online store. As I sat and brainstormed, I knew I wanted more than just a boutique, I wanted to design and create my very own women’s apparel brand, I wanted to offer women a memorable shopping experience. So again in 2013 after doing extensive research, attending workshops/classes I launched my very first Wholesale/retail brand STMT™. Then the vision of a Showroom came to me one night in a dream, I mean it was so surreal the entire layout, the business name everything was spelled out… in April 2016, I opened the Very first Members Only Wholesale/Retail Showroom ….Style Room 326.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being an entrepreneur and running a business is never a smooth road, however when you’re Passionate and love what you do it all balances out. Failure and success interchangeably goes together. You can’t have success without failure. I’ve encountered many struggles that I know other entrepreneurs can relate to whether it’s being a one man show, no customers, Low funds and the list goes on and on. There’s time where You basically want to throw the towel in and give up… However, when you’re passionate about what you’re doing and know your WHY…. giving up is never an option.
Please tell us about Style Room 326.
Style Room 326 is a first Members Only Wholesale/Retail Showroom. We offer in-house see now buy now fashion shows, educational, entrepreneurial fashion, beauty, & style workshops, Pop-up shops, image consulting, private style parties & more. We also carry our very own in-house women’s apparel and accessories brands which are carried at specialty boutiques Nationwide.
Our goal is to offer a luxury lifestyle Experience by way of an annual $69 Membership fee for all things Fashion, Beauty, and style. Our members receive exclusive discounts on specialty apparel, priority access to special events at the Showroom, discounted beauty services and products from participating merchants nationwide,
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would definitely recommend having a mentor to all new entrepreneurs. Someone that has experience in the business that you’re interested in. Having an experienced mentor will definitely prevent you from making costly mistakes that could hurt you long term.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1722 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, Il 60657 - Website: Www.styleroom326.com
- Phone: 855-727-4751
- Email: info@styleroom326.com
- Instagram: _styleroom326
- Facebook: Styleroom326
- Twitter: @326room
- Other: Mobile App available on ITunes and google
Image Credit:
Elizabeth Monge Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago 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.
