05/14/2020
On March 16th, 2017, I signed a lease, picked up keys, and never looked back. I was scared, nervous, but most of all excited to embark on something I knew would be one of the most rewarding challenges of my career. My very own storefront - a boutique I named, “INSPO”; a space where people would convene, be inspired, and leave feeling better than they came. Two months later, on May 13th, 3 years ago yesterday, we opened our doors. Sharing my baby with the world has been one of the highlights of my life. INSPO was more than just a store, it was an experience...a home away from home. It was fun...it was warm, it was peaceful... it was a safe haven for guests of any age, race, size, or background to come shop, talk, laugh, cry, or simply just be. It was a vibe, a society, a “people-hood.” And it pains me to say that just over a week ago, we had to close.
Any Entrepreneur will tell you that running a business is hard. Running a storefront is that plus some. You are the face of your brand, but also the person running the store, doing the buying, hiring, firing, managing events, website, paying rent, taxes, maintaining compliance, etc. It was a never ending job but I loved it. And although we’ve had rocky times, I was optimistic about the Spring market. And then came RONA. Not only did she impact my business, but I’ve spent the last month+ nursing my husband back to health from contracting it himself. It has taken an unimaginable toll on our family. Even now, I’ve received no gov’t assistance for the store, & was still paying rent bc our landlord is...some words I won’t say. From a business standpoint, we feel the nature of some non-essential Brick & Mortar businesses, esp retail, may be changed indefinitely. With our rent & overhead, it was a gamble we would not continue to take.
The good news is we WILL continue online! Stay tuned for an improved website & fun new Style & Life services at shopinspo.com. 20% of sales will go into a fund for someone in need: cashapp $INSPOCARES. For now, we’d like to say THANK YOU. To all of our customers, “MOPS”, friends, & ppl who’ve supported us from afar; YOU ARE INSPO. Thank you for 3 yrs of magic. Love & see you soon. Xo💋 @ I N S P O