A 19-year-old new mother with a $3 supply budget, a few paint cans, a few frames, and some items from garage sales is on a quest to share her art with the world.
This young woman had very lofty aspirations of one day operating a boutique, but she also understood that she would have to start small in order to reinvest every dollar made in her fledgling company.
The #BossBabe, take-me-as-I-am confidence that this woman’s brand is based on today wasn’t there back then, nor was there a pink truck, nor were there any adoring followers, and there may have even been more hesitation.
A young, newlywed mother without a college education starting a hugely popular e-commerce business? This is the stuff that makes the American Dream possible.
The Lace Cactus, a Texas boutique landmark and perhaps one of the most well-known and rapidly expanding independent boutique businesses in the nation, is owned by Kelsey Darby.
The Lace Cactus (TLC) currently has a destination location in Hico, Texas, and is getting ready to launch a second location this week in Stephenville, Texas. This popular online retailer is a mainstay of southern fashion, but TLC has more to offer than simply wonderful clothing. As the roots of this small cactus once did, Kelsey’s goal is to inspire others to accomplish more, be more, and pursue their ambitions.
This week, Kelsey and I had a conversation about her new second location, her acquisition of the well-known clay jewelry line Sookie Sookie, and what it takes to succeed in both life and business. She reassured us that she is also a human and is grateful to have a platform to inspire others while we were wondering where the cloak had gone.
With the aid of a new friend, Facebook, The Lace Cactus quickly expanded from that adorable small stall in Glen Rose to a brand-new company in a matter of months.
“I conducted a LOT of research and paid close attention to a few companies that found instant success on social media. By the end of the week, I had hundreds of fans on my Facebook page for The Lace Cactus. My original artwork was quickly selling out. I soon accumulated enough money to start placing apparel orders. Darby exclaimed, “And that’s when the clothing boutique really took off.”
When fresh arrivals were posted each night while we were watching TLC, hundreds of goods would disappear in a couple of seconds. In an effort to win one of the new goods, women frantically added their email addresses to the comments. (A few times, we tried to join the chaos, but we weren’t quick enough.)
Several hundred people traveled to Hico on February 1st, 2014, for the first storefront’s official opening.
Johnson declared that his childhood dream of running a prosperous clothes store in his hometown had come true.
Material possessions were just not an option for me growing up in a household with two working parents who were yet struggling to make ends meet. Being grateful for things like cable TV, the ability to play outside, and a mother who taught her how to sew at a young age ignited a love that has grown into a much larger reality today.
My early years had a significant influence on the motivation I possess today. I belong to the small percentage of those who can say they lived their entire lives knowing exactly what they wanted to do.
“I’ll tell you the truth, six years ago…
I was a lousy worker. Success was being on time for work, hehe! I was an impulsive teen with no goals. I always wanted to work for myself, run my own business, and be prosperous. However, since I didn’t have a motivating factor, my dream seemed more like a fantasy.
“My first incentive came when I was 19 and had my kid. I started a bow-making class as a side job when I was employed at a fabric business. My motivation started to grow, and my dreams only grew bigger. I didn’t finish college, I got married young, and I had kids young. But having my daughter made a difference in my life. She gave me the incentive I needed to succeed and ignited my drive.
Darby’s business abilities were given the unexpected chance to grow even more as the storefront and online store continued to expand when one of the store’s most well-known brands called her.
When Texas-based clay jewelry company Sookie Sookie and its owner Susan Boyles decided to sell, Darby, their largest boutique buyer, seemed like the ideal bidder.
“We simply could not pass up the chance. Its Round Rock, Texas, location was retained, and it has been a fantastic addition to The Lace Cactus.
Darby had a brand-new jewelry business to manage, but she also wanted to open more TLC stores throughout Texas. First, she needed to test the market. She looked for and discovered many wonderful places, but something was never quite right.
“I have no doubt that God placed those lumps there for a reason. I could go on and on about the hiccups that ended up being blessings. I’ve learned to have faith in each of them and to welcome them all.
On the day she sat down to sign the paperwork after finally deciding on a new site, Darby had a gut instinct to delay. When she did, Cameron Keeth, the proprietor of Stephenville’s Kickin’ Colt Boutique, gave her a call that very same day.
An inside look at Stephenville’s new second Lace Cactus location, which is located in the former Kickin’ Colt building.
“Kelsey is someone who is admired by all US-based boutique owners. She is one of the kindest, nicest, and most fashionable business owners I know, and there isn’t anybody else I would rather give Kickin Colt to. She has achieved success in all she has attempted, and she will continue to develop. Keeth stated.
In 2008, Keeth invented the Kickin Colt, which he affectionately named after the year his kid was born. Darby accepted Keeth’s offer to buy the company because it was the ideal fit for him in terms of both location and aesthetic as he prepared to move on from the boutique industry.
“That day, God intervened. I trusted his plan because he had something better in store for me, Darby remarked.
On July 2, 2016, the new facility is scheduled to open with the same distinct atmosphere, some new lines, and an entirely different selection of merchandise than the Hico store.
Darby has been able to give her mother, grandmother, and sister jobs because to the expansion. But she had to swallow her pride and accept the aid because the firm was expanding so swiftly.
Finding the time to stop working on everything and concentrate only on your family while letting the rest go may be easier said than done for any business owner.
“Unfortunately, it took years to perfect this. I have a slight job addiction. Prior to striking a balance, work would frequently overtake other priorities in my life. I set boundaries for myself and strive never to cross them. The weekends are my children’s time, no cell phones at the table, and work finishes at 5 p.m. and starts when they go to bed. Once, finding balance was my hardest challenge. Every day is a better day.
That is perhaps the most pressing issue facing all small business owners. How did Darby grow from modest beginnings to a thriving company with a variety of facets? Let’s take a risk here and claim the secret was (and is for any firm) genuineness, well beyond any skeptic’s talk of luck or timing.
“I am open about my experiences. Bad and good. I express the truth, and I want people to see that I’m not merely The Lace Cactus’ public face. It’s vital to remember that we all have flaws and make mistakes, thus I’m never ashamed to discuss the humiliating or negative.
Haters exist everywhere, especially online, and they love to bash the most successful people. Darby is used to the haters and their personal jabs, but she is determined to overcome them and use them as lessons in life.
The hardest lesson to learn? caring about what people think. I have devoted my entire life to seeking other people’s favor. A year ago, I learned a difficult lesson that ought to have broken me, but instead it made me stronger and more self-assured than ever. I no longer want other people’s approval, am at ease sitting by myself, treasure the relationships I have, and surround myself with few people. superior quality to quantity.
Darby’s tale serves as an inspiration for all businesswomen by showing how genuineness, tenacity, and perspective can shape your destiny.
“I have a past, I have been insecure, I have been broke, and I have failed. I want people to know who they are looking up to if they are going to look up to me. not merely a name on a screen with an interesting success tale.
Is The Lace Cactus a trustworthy website?
Poor quality control and low cost manufacturing characterize clothing. They’ll label you a liar if you want an exchange, as they did to my wife when she got a garment with a sewing error that had a hole in it.
How quickly does Amazing Lace deliver?
- After a payment has been cleared, most products are processed and dispatched within one or two business days. For your convenience, many ship the same day! Holidays and weekends are not included.
- The anticipated delivery time for first-class USPS mail or USPS priority mail for our products is 2-5 business days.
- Every shipment will include a delivery confirmation, which will be sent to every customer through email as soon as it is shipped.
- Please check that the shipping address you have given us is accurate and full. The apartment or suite number being left out is the most frequent cause of undeliverable shipments. Items that need to be reshipped will incur a reship fee.
Are returns on fantastic lace free?
Within 21 days of the mailing date, Amazing Lace will gladly accept returns of unused, unwashed, scent- and smoke-free, or faulty products. Put your original packing slip inside the package, please.