Rebecca and Danielle Peplinski of Glow Fashion Boutique on expecting the unexpected in business
Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:
We are Rebecca & Danielle, Co-Founders of Glow Fashion Boutique. We know firsthand how overwhelming and frustrating it can be to have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear. We have created a simple system that has helped thousands of women transform the way they look at getting dressed.
What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?
Being a part of a community in which women share so many similarities is the most exciting part of being a member. It’s also wonderful having a group of women that you feel are supportive and in your corner.
What made you take the leap to start your own business?
After implementing our capsule system in our own lives, we knew other women would benefit from it as well. This simplistic approach to solving our “nothing to wear” problems was a game changer and we knew we had to share it.
What was your background prior to starting your own business?
We both had different backgrounds, Rebecca in Design and Danielle in Retail Buying. The two combinations have really complimented each other.
Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
Danielle: As a young adult, I was inventing different products and had a concept notebook of all my inventions that I would create “someday.” I always dreamed about being an “Inventor!”
Rebecca: Not being a risk taker by nature, becoming an entrepreneur sounded scary to me (honest answer). I knew that pursuing what I loved had to be bigger than any fear. So for me, becoming an entrepreneur was more of an unexpected surprise.
Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?
This is actually funny to talk about now, but when we first launched our website, we thought that if we just posted on Instagram, we would start racking in the orders. We then collaborated with some influencers and thought that we would get hundreds of orders from their massive following. This was not the case and it took us over a year after our initial launch to really understand that we needed to do more.
What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?
Our proudest accomplishment is the community of women we have built that believe in our concept and implement it. Their kind words of how we have helped them makes us feel so proud and fulfilled.
Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?
I think we all strive to achieve that perfect balance that doesn’t exist. For us, it’s a willingness to give and take a little. Some days, our personal life outweighs work life and vice versa. We have 7 children between the two of us and besides our intern, we do not have any employees working for us. We feel the pull.
Some best practices we have implemented in order to achieve a more balanced work/home life:
1. We alternate social media days/email days. This allows us to get get a few days off from posting and replying to emails.
2. We take 1-2 full days off a week. It’s necessary to step away to regroup.
3. Figure out how to multitask like it’s nobody’s business. I am currently playing Snakes and Ladders with my 7 year old as I type this.
What’s a piece of advice you can share that you wish you’d known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?
Expect the unexpected. We all start with a perfect business plan and expect it to be a straight path to our goal. As we all know, this isn’t at all how it works. Anticipate and welcome the rollercoaster ride that is filled with setbacks, detours and new paths. It will take you exactly where you need to go.
What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?
We are launching an educational course called “Nothing To Wear Solution” which will really benefit women who are unsure of how to outfit and style. There are so many tips and tricks as well. This has truly been a labor of love and we have poured our hearts and soul into it over the last 6 months.
What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?
As we mentioned, our business has evolved and we are providing educational resources in addition to our having our boutique. We hope to launch more courses in the future. We would also love to grow our team. This would allow for us to have the freedom to spend time on the areas we enjoy most.