Today we’d like to introduce you to Jes Melton.
Hi Jes, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Before opening my storefront in 2021, I began with an online presence and I would conduct live events where people could view and purchase my products through Facebook live. In the summer of 2021, after in-person shopping and events started to open back up post-Covid, I opened my storefront. I had a strong desire to. empower women to use their talents, live their dreams, and feel confident in their style, while also breaking traditional boutique norms. I wanted to do this by creating a supportive and uplifting environment designed to make customers feel welcome and valued. Over these last five years, I have continued to try to incorporate customer feedback and continuously improve our customer experience so people feel like an old friend when they visit us not just a transaction. This has turned into my ministry. It’s not just a brick and mortar.
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?
I have never met a business owner who has had an entirely smooth ride. There have been tremendous lessons learned, challenges, and unforeseen roadblocks that I’ve had to navigate. However, they have all been worth it. As a business owner, especially when you are first starting out, you have to wear all the hats. You typically can’t afford to outsource the things that you don’t like to do or aren’t good at yet. I was certainly no different. A couple years ago, we had a massive construction project that took place in front of my store and there was absolutely nothing I could do to change the fact that at times you could not even walk into my store, drive by or park outside. As you can imagine, this was a severe deterrent to customers visiting. It was certainly frustrating, especially given the fact that there was very little support, or communication from those leading this initiative to help the business owners impacted. While my business was adversely impacted, and sales took a pretty steep dive, I used this time to invest more in my online platform and mechanisms that allow me to bring my products and services to my customer base without having them have to enter my physical location. This did help offset the impact to foot traffic to my store and it also is something that will continue to grow my business regardless of how well my storefront does. I think sometimes challenges like this motivate us to do the things we should be doing anyway, but give us some urgency around prioritizing them, and actually getting them done.
We’ve been impressed with Rebel Mimi 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?
Rebel Mimi is a fun, inclusive boutique in Grand Ledge, Michigan, founded in 2017, offering apparel, accessories, gifts, and decor with a focus on empowering women to express themselves. We love to feature local women artists and designers and provide a welcoming, size-inclusive shopping experience. It’s an “Empowerment Incubator” aiming to make customers not only feel great but a sense of belonging, offering everything from trendy clothes to unique, locally-sourced items. Our mission is to empower women to use their talents, live their dreams, and feel confident in their style, while breaking traditional boutique norms. We strive to create a supportive and uplifting environment designed to make people feel welcome and valued. In short, Rebel Mimi is more than a store; it’s a space for connection and self-expression, celebrating individuality and local artistry. Our connection to you when you visit us is what sets us apart. Our relationship is transformative not transactional.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
People are always surprised that we offer personal shopping hours. It isn’t always convenient for people to come in during our normal store hours. We are happy to have you reach out and schedule an appointment with us outside of our normal operating hours that will work for you to come in to shop. It’s also a nice and quiet time for you to enjoy having the store to yourself. We also love to personal shop. If you have an event or are looking for something very special, we would happily go on the hunt to find you exactly what you’re looking for, order it, and have you pick it up at the store or ship it to you. Another service that surprises people is that we offer subscription boxes. There are three to choose from, and depending on what price point you would like to spend, we will ship or locally deliver your subscription box each month. This is a great way to get products at a discount, receive items that you may not normally pick out for yourself, and it’s also a fabulous gift option.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rebelmimi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therebelmimi?igsh=MXJwbjYxcHd5OGE0dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/186mLyo37N/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@rebelmimiboutique?_r=1&_t=ZP-96HKmH7oFLC
