Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Vivo.
Shannon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Initial Styles has been around since 2009 and I took over the brand in 2018. Prior to that, I had been staying home with my newborn son. I started an Etsy shop as a creative outlet for myself and my husband noticed how much joy being creative brought me. He encouraged me to open a store, rather than going back to work as a therapist, which at the time seemed like a very far-fetched idea. A few weeks later, I saw that Initial Styles was for sale and here I am!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been a winding road, for sure! The first obstacle we faced was learning how to use the industrial embroidery machines, which was intimidating. Luckily my mom is a lifelong sewer and caught on quickly so she’s in charge of the embroidery aspect of our business. Our whole first year was about gaining a deep understanding of the business and building a strong foundation. Now, we are ready to grow – our customer base, our offerings – we have lots of ideas! And we just moved into a new space double the size of our last.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a personalized gift boutique that specializes in helping people celebrate the special moments in life – a birthday, wedding, new baby, bridal shower, house warming, or simply the everyday. Our thoughtfully curated offerings include personalization, whether embroidery or vinyl, at no extra cost. This is special because people LOVE receiving a personalized gift! It shows that time and thought went into choosing just the right one. We are most proud of the relationships we have with our customers. Because we offer a gifting experience that goes above and beyond (with customization, quick turnaround, complimentary gift wrapping) we have been able to build a loyal client following. People keep coming back because they never want to give a boring gift again!
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, my whole life revolved around ballet. I trained from age four and moved away from home at 13 to attend boarding school to further my training. I was rather serious, because I was so focused on my goals – I feel like I’ve loosened up a bit with age. I no longer dance but ballet taught me so many valuable lessons that have carried on through my life – that success requires hard work, countless hours, sacrifice, perseverance, and that nobody else is going to do it for you. That you will hear “no” many times, but it’s not the end of the world. And to always work hard & do the right thing, because you never know who’s watching.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6743 W. Indiantown Rd.
Suite #30
Jupiter, FL 33458 - Website: www.initialstyles.com
- Phone: 561-222-2022
- Email: initialstylesinc@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/initial_styles_monogramming/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InitialStyles/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/initial-styles-personalized-gift-boutique-jupiter
Image Credit:
Eve Greendale Palm Beach Creative
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