Every now and then, an idea comes along that makes us ask ourselves, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Renee Armstrong had all the ingredients she needed to take a different journey in her life. Using the skills she acquired from her corporate job, her love of fashion, and people motivating her to sell her stylish, once-worn clothes, Armstrong was on her way to a new career. It was the right idea, with the right opportunity, at the right time. After some time of successfully running her business, she realized it was growing, so she scaled up and brilliantly went mobile.
Armstrong set out to design a next-level company that was unique and relevant. Petal by Rose Gold was born. It is a fashion boutique on wheels. She transformed a used bus into a mobile clothing shop that delivers quality fashions to her customers. They love the personal attention and exceptional customer service when they step into her boutique. A great feature is they can sort through the fashions, try them on, and purchase them right in the boutique, which is really a convenience for her customers; they are loving it.
She has expanded so much that her online business has gone international and her client base has become more upscale.
Here is my conversation with Renee Armstrong.
Tell everyone a little about yourself and what led you to leave corporate America to become a business owner.
Hi, I’m Renee; CEO of Petal by Rose Gold. I am a military brat who was born in Kentucky and raised in South Korea, Germany, Georgia, and Florida. I’m a mother of three and currently residing in Tampa, FL. I left corporate America at the height of the pandemic after contracting COVID-19 during a travel assignment in Utah. I worked in student housing, and at the time, very little was being done to protect the employees. At that time, I figured, I’ve helped many corporations make millions, why couldn’t I do that for myself?!?!
You offer a unique service to your customers that took some out-of-the-box thinking to merge fashion and a mobile boutique. Tell us about your business, Petal by Rose Gold, and how you came up with the idea? Also, tell us the significance of the name.
Petal by Rose Gold was birthed during my corporate travels as a Regional Director. Many of my friends, co-workers, and strangers admired my sense of fashion, which has always been out of the box. I refused to conform to the norm. They knew that I had an “I only wear an item once” mindset as I easily get tired of wearing the same thing (unless it’s my Savage X Fenty Onesie). So, they encouraged me to sell the items from my closet. I sold out of everything immediately. After enjoying that experience, my friends recommended that I open my own boutique and dress others. While I love fashion, I never envisioned being in retail. However, God had other plans.
The name came about because my absolute favorite color is rose gold and I love, love, love roses and their petals. After creating a contest amongst my social media following to help me come up with a name for a business venture based on my favorite things. Some really cool names and ideas came from the contest but Petal by Rose Gold stood out the most.
After a year of successful sales and global customers, my question to God was, “Okay should we go Brick and Mortar”. His response was, “Think outside of the box.” The box became a 22-passenger shuttle bus.
Being self-employed can be challenging and is not for everyone, how did you know you had what it took?
Being a self-starter is how I knew that I could handle entrepreneurship. Knowing that I have to show up EVERY DAY to promote my business or I can’t feed my family motivates me to keep going.
What are some of the challenges you’ve experienced as a business owner including during the start-up, having a business on wheels, and operating during Covid times? How did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge during the startup was trying to determine when “outside” would reopen. Like when would I need to pivot from loungewear to actual clothing that can be worn outside to pivoting to when everyone returns to the office. Obtaining funding for the “out of the box” idea was a nightmare. Banks wanted no part of such a large liability. I’m super thankful to the Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerce of Tallahassee, FL for helping to navigate that process.
If someone wanted to start a fashion business, what suggestions can you give them?
I’ve actually mentored a few business owners to assist them with starting their own mobile businesses. My advice is to, “Inspect what you Expect.” When ordering from vendors, inspect as soon as you receive your products. If you wouldn’t wear or use it, don’t compromise your brand by selling it. Also, get over friends and family not supporting your entrepreneurship journey EARLY. The longer you allow it to haunt you, the harder it will be for you to progress forward. Trust and believe you will meet other cool business owners along the way that are willing and ready to support you mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.
How do you stay on top of the style and color trends for this summer and fall?
To find out what’s trending, I pay attention to high-end fashion shows and the patterns show what will be trending in the oncoming seasons. Currently, loud bold colors are taking over the summer. For fall, one of my not-so-favorite colors will be trending, black. I steer away from black as it’s a safe color in the fashion world, and I enjoy pulling my customers out of their comfort zones. We will see a lot of lace as well.
What’s next for you?
I’ve partnered with Karla Giorgio from the hit Netflix Series, Selling Tampa to expand Petal by Rose Gold. We are looking to open a storefront in the Tampa area soon.
And if you’re having a bridal shower, get-together, girl’s night, family reunion, or even a divorce party, and would like to book the Petal by Rose Gold Mobile Boutique, definitely reach out.
She can be reached by clicking the links:
Facebook │ Instagram │Email │ Website.
Writer, Debbie Stokes is a contributing writer. Follow her @iamdebbiestokes
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