Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Cook.
Hi Michele, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The story of my business starts from a vision I’ve always had of wanting to own a boutique. I decided to bring that vision to life in 2020 as an additional source of income and a way to possibly leave my 9-5 and work for myself. I originally started my t-shirt business with drop shipping and was strictly designing the products while the company I worked with would print and ship all the orders. This was helpful in keeping my costs down as a new business owner. After a few quality control issues, I decided to bring the business home and personally make all the t-shirts to ensure the quality of my products. Once this happened, I quickly started receiving orders and obtained contracts with local small businesses and schools, and received custom order requests for birthdays, work events, fundraisers, and more. As more orders started coming in, I realized I wanted to add more inventory, such as glass cups, tumblers, beanies, accessories, and more. Since then, I’ve been interested in the idea of opening a store but wasn’t ready for storefront property. Luckily, a friend I was working with showed me a retail space that was exactly what I wanted, and I jumped at the opportunity. I now have a store in a great community I know, love, and live, Downtown Cuyahoga Falls.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I don’t think anyone that starts a business ever has a smooth road. There are always struggles and obstacles that you hope you don’t encounter but know are a part of the journey. Personally, I haven’t had many obstacles other than foot traffic which started off slow due to being new to the area and not having the recognition I do now. It all takes time and patience, and I can happily say I’ve seen an increase in sales since opening and continue to see an increase in foot traffic.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Wild Heart Designs Co. Boutique is a woman-owned boho-styled small business established in 2020 and named with my grandfather’s initials in mind. I take pride in creating custom, sustainable, and trendy high-quality graphic t-shirts, accessories, gifts, and more. I recently expanded our inventory, thanks to our customers’ requests. We now have a larger variety of men’s apparel and also added kid’s apparel. We increased our selection of tumblers, skinny can coolers, accessories, and shoes that are coming soon!
My business specializes in custom and trendy graphic t-shirts and are known for creating custom apparel of all kinds whether it be for local businesses, personal apparel, gifts, sports teams, bridal parties, or baby showers, we can do it all. I think what sets us apart from others is that we don’t have a minimum order requirement, which is great for those individual requests.
What I’m most proud of with my business is the growth and continued support from family, friends, and customers who gave me the opportunity to obtain a brick-and-mortar location in an amazing community. To learn more about the store, our location, and what we have to offer, visit my website, www.wildheartdesignscompany.com, and if you’re interested in custom apparel, fill out the email request form via the link provided on the website.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wildheartdesignscompany.com
- Instagram: @wildheartdesignsco
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/wildheartdesignscompany
