Haley and her sister Hannah were at home one evening sitting side by side on the couch. It had seemed like a fairly normal night. But in a moment of the most remarkable coincidence, both Haley and her sister Hannah realized they were having identical thoughts at the same time.
That was perplexing, exciting, and even a bit scary if you think too hard about it. But they were intrigued. Both girls were thinking how fun it would be to start their own online boutique. “Both of us, since we were young, dreamt of one-day selling clothes that we liked in our own store. And now we were both thinking about it at the same time.”
The girls knew that it wasn’t going to be easy, but they wanted to give it shot. They filled out the necessary paperwork and filed with the state. “We went through the proper channels to make sure we did it right,” Haley said.
We got a business license, set up a website https://southernsistersboutiquebristol.com/, created social media pages like (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/southernsistersboutiquebristol, and (Instagram) Southernsistersbtqbristol. The girls then put their first product up for sale. It was a t-shirt that they liked and felt others out there would wear too. As they sold trendy clothes, they put the money back into the business.
With each passing week, the girls watched as their business grew. “Before we knew it, we had 10,000 customers. We have shipped products to nearly every state and even as far away as Italy. It is very exciting but involved so much work and time. We started this in June of 2019. Everything happened so fast.
Haley’s favorite part of being an entrepreneur is the freedom that comes with being your own boss. “I don’t have anything tying me down except the work, but it is ours. You set your own hours and do your own thing. We do have partnerships with big vendors primarily located out west.” Building their own business has been a great learning experience to how the world works. But if your hobby is your job, the work doesn’t always feel like work.
“I love shopping for the inventory, and learning about the back ends of retail,” Haley said. “One challenge I face is that being in college, juggling a business and everyday life can be difficult sometimes and it is hard to manage my time, but I do.”
Work-life balance is tricky when you are an entrepreneur. It is a significant challenge. Another challenge we faced was Covid, as did so many other retail businesses. Right when we planned on opening a location in Knoxville things started shutting down. I assume we will open a location or a warehouse building eventually. These times are just so uncertain. Everything now is so much online, but it is great because we are reaching so many people. We are so happy and excited with how much we have grown, plus, overhead is cheaper.
Ever since Haley was young, she dreamed of one day becoming a teacher. For those that pursue a career in education, especially for young people is a calling from God, because it takes a special person to mold the minds and characters of young people that aren’t their own children.
Haley said that when it was time to decide on a college, “King was my first choice.” Both her sister Hannah Light ’13, and her uncle Bradley Salyers ’13, graduated from King. She was drawn by all the wonderful things her family said about King, she was drawn in by the welcoming nature of the students, faculty, and staff when she visited and the scenic beauty of the campus. But money was an issue and to be able to attend King Haley needed help.
King wanted Haley to attend the school as much as she desired to come, and she was awarded the C. Bascom Slemp Scholarship provided by the Slemp Foundation to aid in the betterment of the people in Lee & Wise counties in Virginia. Haley is very grateful for having received financial assistance. In pursuit of her childhood dreams, Haley declared her major to be education, and even though she is a successful entrepreneur she still doesn’t want to completely give up on one day sharing her knowledge and experience with the next generations.
“I still will pursue being a teacher while keeping my business thriving,” Haley said. Along with dedicating her life to service and improving her community through education, Haley hopes to be able to travel. She especially wants to visit Utah and the enchanting Zion National Park. Her personality and behavior encompass that of a successful person. She is curious and enthusiastic about the world and the people within it, accompanied by boundless energy.
Haley is a junior and plans to graduate early and matriculate straight into King’s graduate program in education. It will be exciting to watch her grow and develop in both of her career aspirations.