What’s it like to work in social retail? Hmmmmm…it’s only the best EVER! You might be wondering, “What is social retail??” There are a lot of definitions out there—most having to do with what it once was and less about what it’s turned into. In my book, social retail is sharing products you love on social media, keeping it real, and engaging with people personally. And for me and my family, it’s been life-changing! I love my social retail boutique for a million and one reasons, but the main reason, the key ingredient, is the PEOPLE.
I run a family business on every level. My family runs my LuLaRoe boutique. From unloading boxes, hanging inventory, going live, taking pictures, folding up orders, packing, and shipping. Everyone in the house has a job. My girls are usually on unboxing duty, although Ada (4) loves to hop on our live streams and chat with her “friends.” And after seeing what we do, the girls have even started up their own businesses: Iley started selling her handmade earrings on Etsy to rave reviews and Ada resells honey products from a local vendor (catch one of her live sales on our Facebook page).
Running a LuLaRoe boutique also means I run my business with a band of sisters. We all work together. We help each other find the pieces our customers want (and the ones they don’t know they want yet 😉 ). We support each other. We do fundraisers together, literally changing lives. We even sell for each other. Yup—when one of us is down, others will actually step in to help run our business. We’re not coworkers, we’re not a team, we are SISTERS. We care about each other more than the bottom line and for that, I am SO GRATEFUL. I’ve made my very best friends in this business.
My customers? They’re my family. Having a group on social media and being able to chat with and get to know my customers is a giant blessing. I love trading stories with my customers. My group of customers is the first to know everything that happens in our life. When my daughter was diagnosed with diabetes we literally told our parents and then gave the play-by-play to our shopping community, not on our personal pages. Our group is literally our family. I can’t even explain how amazing it’s been to create a community with these women. Especially now, when people can’t get out, can’t socialize, can’t shop—we can do all of those things virtually. Now more than ever it’s been really special to have this close-knit community to connect with.
I consider LuLaRoe family too. I’m not a “top dog” in the company and I still have the founder’s personal number in my phone. I get messages and texts from the LLR Home Office just to ask how I am. They’re rooting for me on the good days and the bad days. They know my kids’ names. I couldn’t be more fortunate. The clothes are amazing and allow to me serve ALL women. The added bonus of feeling like family? Priceless.
I’ve been in this amazing circle of FAMILY from every angle for almost 4 years now and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I love the clothes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten compliments on an outfit and heard, “That’s LuLaRoe? Really??” Yes really, this stuff is CUTE!! I love that I can make outfits for any woman. Any size, any style, any occupation: I have something for you. I love the inclusivity.
I love that I can work from anywhere that has wifi. I love that I can provide women a safe space to share stories and make new friends. Seeing my customers become friends outside of the Facebook group is MAGIC. I love seeing them comment on each other’s posts and getting to know one another. I love that I can fundraise for any cause, knowing I can make an impact. And guess what—LuLaRoe also matches my donations. YES! So if I raise $100, LuLaRoe will also cut a check for $100. AMAZING.
Did I mention I get to travel ALL OVER?! I’ve been to so many places with LuLaRoe I can’t even list them. It feels so weird not having been on an airplane in 7 months! The LLR Home Office is in California so I go there a few times a year. I’ve been to Wyoming, New York, Phoenix, Orlando, Atlanta, Dallas. I got to meet Rachel Hollis! I’ve heard Randy Zuckerberg, Lisa Nichols, Brendon Burchard, and so many other leaders and CEOS…it’s NUTS! LuLaRoe sent Mike and me on a seriously LIFE-CHANGING journey in Wyoming. It wasn’t even business-related, it was more like therapy. It was about identity and life, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and we got to apply lessons to working with horses. I can’t explain it properly but just know it was awesome. All of these crazy, amazing life experiences are because of Lularoe.
So why am I writing this? First of all, because I get sooo many questions about social retail that I figured I’d answer here in case someone’s too shy to ask. And mostly because I want everyone to enjoy the same awesomeness we do! If you haven’t already, join our Facebook group and see what I’m talking about. You know I love chatting with you, so please please please don’t be afraid to ask me ANYTHING about the clothes, the company, being a boutique owner…anything! I hope this answered a lot of your questions about social retail. Stay safe and be kind to one another.
xo,
Katie
The Pearl Pages 
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