Rising Stars: Meet Monique Marshall of metro Detroit

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Marshall

Hi Monique, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always been creative and worked to express myself through different mediums. I’ve self-published books, created clothing and jewelry, as well as, curated events. Creativity allows me to connect with myself in a deeper way and then with others through my products and services. Swanky Lady Couture was born out of a desire to bring to life ideas on how to use beautiful fabric prints and turn them into skirts, dresses and jackets. I was bored with the clothing that I saw in stores and I wanted things that were bold, inspiring and shared a strong message of empowerment. In addition to making clothing, I started dabbling in jewelry and styling services. I then evolved into hosting events and pop-up shops so that I and others could have a place to showcase our brands. Swanky Lady Couture has been all over the country and its always fun to see the response when interacting with the public. Today, I am moving away from clothing and accessories and getting more into decor and event management. A few years ago, I became certified in holistic health, so my events have a self-care aspect. While I will always love fashion, I am more in tune with the need for healing and bringing forth products and services that allow people to feel empowered to heal themselves. My events celebrate our lives and welcome those who are willing to look at themselves in totality: mind, body and spirit.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Nothing in life worth having goes smoothly. There are always ups and downs when building a brand or just in living a successful life. Early on, of course finances were an issue. I bootstrapped my brand to be able to purchase inventory and secure vendor spaces. I did not have any frame of reference in my family or community so I had to read books and follow strangers online for inspiration. Another challenge was finding events and networking with reliable event hosts. Paying fees to be present took time to learn and I struck out a lot because I didn’t understand the value of my target audience and how to get in front of them. As with any other business, sales are at the center of it all and can make or break a brand. In order to really level up, I had to be willing to travel outside of my local area and attend larger shows in other places. Anyone who vends will understand all of the work that is required which is why I started hosting my own events. As a host, I can curate a high level experience that is beneficial to my brand and others without the worry of if this will be a good fit. Sometimes artists are ahead of our time and it takes a little while for people to catch on. One of the ways that I worked around that was having multiple products and services available so that when one thing was slow or not working, I could pivot. They key is that everything that I do is complimentary so my work flows.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My full time job has been an educator. I spent 18 years in the classroom serving all grades from elementary through college. I am now working as a project manager at a major university in Michigan. For 11 years, I served special education students and then pivoted to college prep and social studies. I am very proud of my work in the classroom because I directly impacted thousands of students and families. My event planning skills actually come from my time as a teacher. As an educator, I get to inspire young people and adults and speak life into them. I get to show them creative ways of looking at their problems which gives them tools to broaden their perspective. I am a problem solver at heart and once I learned the technical side of teaching and delivering instruction, the rest is human heart work and relationship building. Now, don’t get me wrong, teaching is the most stressful job that one can sign up for because the demands on our time and the thousands of decisions that we make throughout the day can be exhausting. But I have to say, showing up for my students and really digging into shaping them as people in a positive way had tremendous awards. Teaching is not a 30 year career though so I now encourage teachers to master the classroom and then move in to other roles. Evolution and advancement in my career parallel my work as an artist and entrepreneur. Knowing when to move on is critical to living my best life.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My husband, Mike, and my children have always had my back. I don’t think I would be who I am without them. My husband is right there by my side with every idea that comes to my mind that I want to bring to life. My children show up and work and learn right along side me. In fact, my two adult children both have hobbies and side hustles of their own. Having support from my family means that I can bounce ideas and get feedback. It also means that when I go too far or something is not successful, they are there to check me and give me a soft place to land. I would also give credit to anyone who has ever purchased from me because their support encouraged me to keep creating. I have been blessed thus far with customers who see value in what I offer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.swankyladycouture.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swankyladycouture
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swankyladycouture