TBH: There’s always a back story, tell us about life before Wild Bleu?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n TP: Gosh, I was going through a lot of change when Wild Bleu came about! I was a newlywed with a newborn who had previously resigned from a job in PR\/Marketing to move to my husband\u2019s family\u2019s ranch – so diapers, cattle and supper fails were what consumed me lol.<\/span><\/p>\n Any fun stories behind your name?<\/strong><\/p>\n Naming came easily for Leslie and I since we already had the \u201cBleu\u201d in common. I named my son after her youngest daughter – Berkleigh Bleu and Barron Bleu. I didn’t think it through because it gets confusing when they\u2019re together\u2026at first we said their whole names but my niece and nephew couldn’t say \u201cBerkleigh Bleu\u201d so they said \u201cSparkly Bleu\u201d and that stuck! Its kinda perfect though \ud83d\ude42 We usually just holler “Bleu” and roll with the 50% success rate.<\/span><\/p>\n Tell us about the woman who shops at your boutique? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n She\u2019s different, for sure. Conscious of trends but not led by them…she loves combining old pieces with new, creating a look all her own. Her appreciation for nostalgia inspires her own modern-day heirlooms. She\u2019s versatile – a charming gumbo of classic femininity, nonconformity, Southern culture, timelessness, music, love & spirituality. Ever the lady, always the rebel.<\/span><\/p>\n What tips do you wish someone would have shared with you as an new entrepreneur?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n I once heard that entrepreneurs are the only people who will work 80 hours a week for themselves, so they don’t have to work 40 for someone else. So true. Things like 5:00\u2026vacation\u2026Saturday & Sunday\u2026lose their grandeur because there\u2019s no such thing as completely disconnecting for an entrepreneur. Its easy to get caught up in your responsibilities but find a way to walk away and live life.<\/span><\/p>\n What has been the most fun or exciting part of owning a boutique for you? The most challenging?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n Its always fun spotting someone in their Wild Bleu – that never gets old! <\/span><\/p>\n As far as experiences, having a local lifestyle magazine from back home, Heartland Living, do an editorial on us was really cool! So many special details – I grew up rodeoing with the editor\u2019s daughter, so we shot it at Leslie\u2019s parent\u2019s home. Friends I grew up with and played sports with were hired for things like hair and makeup and my cousins brought an albino gator named Ivory because, as ya do! It was a really special moment for me because of everyone involved.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another highlight was probably my Mom making a custom guitar strap for Kacey Musgraves. She performs with it and follows us on social media now so it can be a crazy day and we\u2019ll randomly get a \u201clike\u201d from Kacey. Day made, every time!<\/p>\n So many big moments that I hate to leave out when I think about it….being featured in Cowboy’s & Indians’ Western Storefront…remodeling an old Hostess Twinkie\/Wonderbread delivery truck into a mobile showroom – its been a fun ride! <\/span><\/p>\n Would you say Wild Bleu is a reflection of your personal style?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n We don’t have to waste more real estate on my everyday style ( \ud83d\ude00 ) but when its time to shellac myself for an event, what you see on my model\u2019s is some version of what I would wear myself. Personally, I tend to have a propensity for reckless fashion and that doesn’t resonate with the masses – I mix textures, colors and easily find alternatives to how a piece was meant to be worn. I’m quick to grab the scissors and do a little adjusting…wear a belt around my neck…I’ve learned that kind of stuff can freak a shopper out so I keep my mad tailor skills to myself or Elle (our nickname for Leslie). She’s always down for a last minute v neck too. In any capacity, you can expect my personal style to be saturated in the pieces we carry and how I style them. I used myself as my canvas all my life but customers are my canvas now, so, naturally I extend my aesthetic to the brand.<\/p>\n We would assume your personal closet is pretty sick. What’s in it?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n Black. Custom leather. Pieces I think this Mama shouldn’t wear again but I can’t let go of lol. Boots. Heels. More black. Kolt\u2019s (my husband) denim Wrangler shirts. <\/span><\/p>\n My go-to style may be channeling Johnny Cash? I think people would be surprised to know that I usually wear the same thing unless its a special occasion – black on black with brown boots and alternating jeans or the hub\u2019s denim shirts. I started wearing my husband\u2019s faded denim Wrangler shirts when I was pregnant and I haven’t stopped! \u00a0I started wearing all black after college when I did a work abroad program in Australia and lived in Melbourne, which is like their New York City. I wore black a LOT. I was broke, had to look polished for work and my coworkers were super posh so black was a life saver. It stuck, needless to say, but I definitely have this everyday uniform that is \u201cme\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n You also have to take into account my lifestyle – we live on a ranch in Timbuktu and I style looks constantly so having a basic palette on myself actually works for me. I hate that it may be a disappointing insight though\u2026feel free to picture me perfectly coiffed in 6 inch heels and full hair and makeup. Incognito uniform sighting below!<\/span><\/p>\n Who\u2019s been your role models – both in business and in style? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n In business it would be Lynn Wittenberg. I worked under her at PBR and I have so much respect for her personally and professionally. She\u2019s the type of lady boss all young women professionals need to work for at some point. For style we would be here all day but my style icon is and always will be Mista Ralph Lauren. Not only is it the one label that I’ll still be wearing when I’m 60, but I can think of at least 10 items, right now, that I’ve worn regularly for over a decade. RL is glamorous in a very natural way. Of course, his affection for the West plays out in his brand so I’m smitten by default. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What scares you the most in life or business?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n That I may never find the balance between the two, for sure. I’m humbled and so grateful for Wild Bleu but some nights it means cereal for dinner. My husband works very hard and our son is moving mountains in his own right so not being the wife or Mama that one of them needs on some days, wears on my conscience. I think, as women, its our inherent nature to do it all and do it all well. At the end of the day, we could all probably use a good dose of self compassion. Just gonna leave this dandy visual of those guys right here <3 …..<\/span><\/p>\n Owning a business is hectic, how do you unwind?<\/strong><\/p>\n Unwinding?? Is that a thing? haha. I\u2019m working on that. Building the brand these past years, while starting a family, have left me with little time to unwind but I plan to get back to it in whatever capacity I can. Kolt raises our horses here on the ranch and its been a long time since I\u2019ve hit the saddle on a regular basis so that\u2019s actually first on my \u201cwoosah\u201d wish list. Its the best therapy. Hopefully my next interview I’ll have all these interesting places I\u2019ve been traveling to, to report, and how much help I\u2019ve been starting colts with the hubs but this year I would just settle for a nap or hair appointment! Lame, I know.<\/p>\n Is there anything big goals for you as a boutique owner that you are excited about reaching?<\/strong><\/p>\n Im actually finally feeing like I\u2019ll have my ideal team and facilities in place so thats huge but there are a few things I\u2019ll be switching up in 2017. Our new building is the last piece of the puzzle to get in place. Its the center building of our downtown square and apparently was once the town mercantile back in the day. It has a garage in the back for our truck where we can load in and out without stepping outdoors with inventory so that will be sooooo nice. Here’s a sneaky peek of the front (tisk tisk disclaimer: please pardon our neglected columns and trim when this was taken \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n If you could give advice to a young person, interested in fashion, and maybe one day hoping to start their own boutique – what would you tell them?<\/strong><\/p>\n If your motivation is getting clothes at a discount or modeling, you might consider something like blogging. <\/span><\/p>\n As with any business, your motivation should be to turn a profit so I would really encourage them to do a gut check about what it is they\u2019re looking to fulfill with this venture. A propensity for fashion is not the only prerequisite for going into the field. For example, most of us like to eat and dine out several times a week but it doesn’t mean we should run a restaurant, right? On the backend of fashion is any other business and all of the responsibilities therein. Legalities, taxes, employment agreements, long work days, sacrifices, etc. They\u2019ll be going into a saturated market with a spectrum of standard so its important to identify what they would bring to the table that is unique or unprecedented. <\/span><\/p>\n I would say, figure out what roles you will take on yourself and what you need to outsource. For example, if writing is not your thing, you\u2019ll need to hire someone to write your brand copy. Do what you can and outsource the rest, whether it be photography, accounting, branding, etc. Under no circumstances should you like what you see in another brand and help yourself to their work though. Its not fair and if their work is under copyright or trademark – its illegal and you could find yourself in a lawsuit. I would encourage someone to truly approach it like a profession by getting to know parameters and legalities – especially intellectual property.<\/p>\n Some people create physical things, like furniture or machines, and some people produce their work through writing but its their trade and their livelihood just like anything else but its name is Intellectual Property. I\u2019ve seen companies copy and paste our Policies and as menial sit may sound, they took me a lot of time to write! I cultivate everything to fit the brand and make sacrifices, whether it be my time or money so for someone to just help themselves to our content with a copy\/paste or switching out wording, is not right for many reasons. 99% of the time an owner\u2019s response to any infringement is that they\u2019re new to the industry and had no idea they were doing anything wrong. Fair enough if you\u2019re an intern but when you step out into an industry and ask people to take you seriously and hold you to the professional standard, you really have a responsibility to know your professional parameters.<\/p>\n Even with a storefront, intellectual property will be a central facet since you will likely have social media accounts with photos and or graphic work. You cant use someone else\u2019s work on a professional platform and sit back and collect compliments. If you do, you\u2019re putting yourself and your business at legal risk but its also completely unprofessional. Even if you cite the source of your content, its still technically illegal to use it without permission. Probably surprising? Intellectual property is a thing – you want to know it implicitly before you embark on a career driven by creativity.<\/p>\n A big one in terms of photos is that people say, \u201cI got it from Pinterest\u201d but Pinterest is not a free market for photos and Pinterest will not be the platform held accountable if you’re hosting illegally sourced content. It doesn\u2019t matter if its a random picture of a flower – someone, somewhere snapped it with their camera and if it wasn’t you, let that be your deciding factor. If you really love someone\u2019s work and it speaks to you to the extent that you simply cannot live without it, consider reaching out to them and hiring them as a consultant to do yours! Or maybe licensing their work to you for use. Even if its just Policies. Yes it costs money but the payoff is getting what you want, keeping your integrity intact and gaining the respect of the peer you obviously admire. Its a win, win. Do the right thing.<\/p>\n Do you use outside models and photographers or do you keep those things in house?<\/strong><\/p>\n I use models who are friends or family. Ironically, none of the models I use are actually aspiring to model – they do it because I asked them to, which I love. I like looks that are slightly left field of the expected and there\u2019s no better version of that than non models. <\/span><\/p>\n Camelia is the one you\u2019ll see most and she\u2019s modeled for us since Day 1. Our husbands are buds and ranch rodeo together. I guilted her into letting me vamp her up one day and the rest is history. Some days its just her and I with a rack of new inventory and a camera but that\u2019s how we\u2019re comfortable. We could shoot all day without speaking if we had to lol. Its funny because she\u2019s so incredibly photogenic but she\u2019s a horse trainer and shows up in a cap and mud boots some days to go into hair and makeup so you probably wouldn’t even recognize her on the day to day. I love that girl. She\u2019s also who I call if we\u2019re in a pinch and need extra hands. She knows the operation well enough to fall in with us at the drop of a hat for anything from shipping to the website. Camelia always has my back. Fun fact: my manager, Donna, is married to her brother! Her cousin Haley also helps when we\u2019re busy so its a family affair lol. <\/span><\/p>\n My other models are Sparkly Bleu (namesake and Leslie\u2019s daughter) and Summer Andrews (my husband\u2019s cousin).<\/span><\/p>\n Ok Tierney, Lightning Round time!<\/strong><\/p>\n Year your boutique was founded?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n 2011<\/span><\/p>\n Your boutique\u2019s brand in three words…go!<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n Can I cheat since our tag line is 4? Southern Vogue | Texas Femme<\/span><\/p>\n What is your favorite social network and why?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n Instagram, which I initially loved for its classiness, being photo-oriented, but it gets more nutters errr day too! <\/span><\/p>\n More importantly, dark or milk chocolate?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n Ghirardelli 60% is my jam! But lets be honest, I will snatch a vintage Snickers off the bottom of the feed truck if the opportunity presents itself.<\/span><\/p>\n What\u2019s your favorite retail season?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n Fallllllllll!<\/span><\/p>\n What\u2019s the best marketing strategy you\u2019ve discovered?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s no better testament to a brand than happy customers.<\/span><\/p>\n We’ve got to show off the goods right? We drool\u00a0every time\u00a0we come to your website, so show us some of your\u00a0current favorites!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tierney, thank you for sharing your story with us, you’ve build such a captivating brand and it’s so much fun to get to know the woman behind it!<\/strong><\/p>\n If you would like to visit Wild Bleu for yourself, stop by online at\u00a0www.shopwildbleu.com\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n or visit their Clarksville Showroom –<\/p>\n 113 W Broadway, Clarksville, Texas<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Follow on Instagram: @WildBleu<\/a><\/p>\n Follow on Facebook: @WildBleu<\/a><\/p>\n Follow on Pinterest: @WildBleu<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Want more boutique style stories?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Make sure you’re on our VIP list of insiders<\/a> who hear it first and are treated to 20+ boutique coupons when they sign up, or hop into our Facebook Group, Shop The Best Boutiques<\/a> anytime to hear style tips, must-see trends, deals and shop our threads by product from hundreds of boutiques in one place. See you there babe!<\/p>\n PS – have a unique boutique back story you’d love to share? info@theboutiquehub.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are some names who become synonymous with a style, a genre, a feeling or a moment in time. \u00a0Well this Texas boutique has securely established itself as a leader and an icon among western fashion – Texas Femme, Southern Vogue. We wanted to hear the story behind Wild Bleu and it’s undeniable attraction for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":890,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2],"tags":[14,15,23,13,32],"class_list":["post-823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-boutique-business","category-shop-the-best-boutiques","tag-boutique-owner","tag-boutique-tips","tag-boutiques","tag-texas-boutiques","tag-wild-bleu","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Wild](\"https:\/\/theboutiquehub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/240994_10151078049728515_1226298366_o_1024x1024-1024x448.jpg\")
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