Her Story
About Deborah
I've been in retail for 34 years, building a business that combines my passion for women's and children's clothing. I started out in the children's business for 12 years, and then expanded to women's wear before bringing both together. I'm self-made - I had children and enjoyed dressing them, so I brought my desire into a business. I've always had a good eye for things and knew this was kind of a path for me. My brick-and-mortar store, Bianca Mone, was named after my mother who was my inspiration and always loved to dress. She instilled that in me. I developed a loyal customer base through one-on-one personalized service, helping to style people with the latest fashions. After retiring from my physical location on November 30th, I brought my business to my home where people still come to me. The greatest thing for me is when people are satisfied with my customer service and my product, and they send me thank you letters.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Deborah
01What do you attribute your success to?
My mother was my inspiration. My woman and children's store was named after my mother, Bianca Mone. She's deceased now, but she always loved to dress, and she instilled that in me. I was self-made - I had children and I enjoyed dressing them, and I brought my desire into a business. I always had a good eye for things, and I loved dressing myself before I had children. Once I had children, I loved dressing my children and getting them in the latest fashion, and I just turned it into a career.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say never give up on your dream. If it's in the hardest times, you'll make it. It's a lot of hard work, a lot of time, but the rewards are so worth it.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The change in the industry is online business. As much as some people want to see and feel the product, some people just like ordering and sending back. I feel like ever since the pandemic, the industry has changed.
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