#BEYOUROWN MEETS SELENE BARRON

Meet Selene Barron, wife, mother, entrepreneur and social media influencer living in Brownsville, TX. Selene currently runs a small e-commerce business called Shop Diary of a Fashionista, known as a women’s clothing boutique. So we chat to her about the how and why behind her start-up, the marketing push and why the overall customer experience is important for the brand. 

Great to have you, Selena! Can you tell us about you how and why you launched Shop Diary Of A Fashionista?

I had been contemplating the idea of starting my own business for quite some time. I felt like I needed something more in life, something of my own where I could get my creative juices flowing, something that would push me out of my comfort zone and challenge me. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do anything I set my mind to. As a Social media influencer I had already been collaborating for years with other women who owned small businesses, they would send me clothes, or whatever it was they were selling. In return, I would post on my social media for exposure. I strongly felt that supporting other women was important. I thought why not support other women who are reaching out to me for help. I cost me nothing to help and post. So eventually I thought, why not do it for myself?! This is when Shop Diary of a Fashionista was launched a couple years later.

How are you fulfilling orders and working with your team to make sure you give your customers the best purchasing experience with you?

I like to personally fulfil all of the orders that come in, I like to make sure that everything is perfect and runs smoothly. I am a very hands-on person so I pretty much am involved with almost every order that comes in. We are currently a small business so I have trained my family to know every single aspect of the shipping process. Giving my customers the best purchasing experience is extremely important to me, I make sure they know that they can reach me at any given time through my personal and business social media pages. I feel that once you have that personal connection with your customers it becomes easier for them to reach out and ask questions before ordering from my website.

What are your marketing methods and what platforms are you using to increase sales?

My marketing methods are simple, you need to connect with people, with your followers on social media. It’s important to me that they know that I read every single comment or question. That it’s easy to connect with me, with my brand. What if they have an issue they don’t have to email a department and wait for a solution for days or even weeks. Posting constantly throughout the day, working with other social media influencers, and collaborating with other women in business is also part of my marketing methods for Instagram and Facebook which are my strongest social media platforms.

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day for me would be to make sure I get everyone going in the morning. To make sure my kids don’t miss the school bus, have a little powwow meeting with my husband to see how our day will look like. What we need to get done, basically plan our entire day. I then head to the office and get my day started by checking my emails and messages. Package orders, order inventory, ship out orders, look for new vendors. I then head home after a long day to now put my housewife hat on and start dinner, clean, do laundry help kids with homework.

Who is the most influential female fashion powerhouse that you admire and why?

There are so many women in fashion who have inspired me so much, but I have to say the most influential one has got to be fashion designer Vero Solis founder and creative director for Josefinamexico.com. I admire her work, her unique designs.

The best lesson learnt throughout the business building so far?

Don’t ever be afraid to start small, everyone starts somewhere. Always take risks, scared money won’t make you money.

What does #BEYOUROWN mean to you?

It means to be my own competition, to be better than I was yesterday. To stay in my own lane and never compare myself to others.

In which areas are you looking to grow and expand Shop Diary Of A Fashionista within the next 3-5 years?

I would love to continue to grow and maybe open a physical boutique in the future where I can hire women whom I can empower and perhaps start designing my own clothing line.

Instagram: @diary_of_a_housewife @shopdiaryofafashionista

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shop-Diary-Of-A-Fashionista

Website: Shopdiaryofafashionista.com 

Image taken by Alejandra Davila/@amd_photography_ 

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