Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle DiMarco.
Michelle, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was just coming home to Florida after graduating from FIT and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I knew one thing and that was I could never see myself working for someone and I wasn’t afraid of hard work. Asking myself “what if” or “I wish I would have” wasn’t an option. So in 2009, in the midst of a recession, I decided to open Lilac And Lilies Boutique.
I am happy to say that for nine years, Lilac And Lilies has flourished as an innovative fashion boutique and lifestyle destination in South Florida. Catering to not only local shoppers, but fashionistas all across the nation. It’s where up-and-coming designers from New York, Los Angeles and overseas share shelf space.
Every week I meet amazing women doing amazing things in their community and I thought, “how can I connect these women beyond the clothes on their backs?”
My blog, which serves as a platform to unite my female-focused community and share their unique stories. As an entrepreneur mentor, I want to share my personal and professional trials and tribulations with other women. I give back knowledge, encouragement, and inspiration and showcase incredible people who are redefining roles and doing amazing things.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not all the time. When I first started my price points were too high and I didn’t have the proper merchandise classes. Therefore, sales were lost and heavy markdowns happened.
Lilac And Lilies Boutique – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business is a boutique that I handpick everything for. Expect to find reasonably priced and sought-after dresses, tops skirts, and jackets nestled among embellished displays of accessories, gifts, and other stylish curiosities. We encourage women to create and relish in their own personal style while also gaining a confidence through our shopping experience.
I have a degree in fashion and have styled amazing celebrities and the whose-who. I have now taken that knowledge to my own business helping the woman in my community.
I am most proud of how we have helped the woman. Through my own selections in my store to my blog. I am helping empower women, which I love.
What sets me apart is that I didn’t just create my business to sell clothes. I created it to make a woman feel confident and feel amazing in clothes. When they come in, we make them feel like true VIP.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success by how I have helped people every day. If I can put at least one smile on a customer’s face or hear that they are empowered, I have done my job.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2541 E Sunrise Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304 - Website: http://lilacandlilies.com/
- Phone: (954) 530-3109
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilacandlilies_boutique/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilacandliliesboutique
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lilacandlilies
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lilac-and-lilies-boutique-fort-lauderdale
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
