07/27/2023
Hello, lovely Verdant tribe. We have big news to share today so thank you for taking a moment for us.
After 18 months at our Gulfport Florida 49th St. location we have decided to close our doors, one year exactly from our grand opening. As a next step, we will be shifting to online sales, sustainable event consulting, and also popping up throughout the states and internationally, so stay tuned.
As I reflect on this decision, you can imagine that there are a flood of emotions, thoughts, facts about the realities and trials of entrepreneurism that come to the forefront of the mind.
However, as small business owners, we went into the opening of a brick and mortar after 7 years in business, eyes wide open. Being a smart business owner is knowing when to hold them, fold them, and pivot. I am so proud to say that the Verdant bridal boutique experience has been top class and we have been able to truly build community in our adjoining V-Spot warehouse here in Gulfport.
With much gratitude, I give God thanks for this journey, to be a part of this community and the first bridal boutique in the City of Gulfport. I thank my mama, Joyce, for her continued inspiration and partnership on this venture and all of my family for their support and love during this chapter of the journey.
Thank you to our friends at the Gulfport chamber that have been championing us since we joined. And helping to bring recognition to small businesses and to the Gulfport, FL black-owned businesses that have felt unseen forgotten here on 49th St.
To Ernest Hooper/St. Pete Life Magazine, The Morning Blend, Weekly Challenger, Green Book Tampa Bay, and especially our friends at Suncoast Wedding and Event leaders, thank you for the coverage and opportunity to highlight our expertise.
We thank all of our clients and the brides that came through our doors to consider a pre-loved wedding gown, or even our Pantora Bridal luxury gowns created by an Afro-Caribbean designer. We especially want to give props to our very first Pantora bride, Marisa, influencer extraordinaire with Retailwhileblack, for helping to spread the word about Verdant in the US and Canada.
We especially want to thank our women’s collaborative retail partners, Debraca Russell with , RAMWI
refugee womens project Sew Much Hope St. Petersburg and especially our partner in the creation of The Queens and Teens BIPOC mental health program, Dr. LaDonna Butler with The Well. I am so excited to see where we take our queens and teens program next.
Thank you to our faithful volunteers, supporters, and Verdant champions, Jasmine with Grand Creations, Tamika with Mitchem Services, Shundra with Urban Drinkery, Antonio with Barbershop Book Club, and Liz with Empact Solutions.
To our neighbors, friends and vendor partners, especially Island Flavors And Tings, Miss Helena, thank you for your friendship and partnership through the years. Chef Kate with Wheat & Bee Bakery, and Jordan with SWEL - Suncoast Wedding & Event Leaders. I know we’re going to continue to do great things together.
Finally, to you, tribe - and all those that come across this video, I can’t stress enough just how important your support of local businesses is to keeping a community thriving, local economic growth a possibility, and keeping small business dreams alive. While yes, it is convenient to purchase online, I implore you to give a local business a chance, and this means you have to be intentional.
I close with saying thank you again and please stay tuned in to see what’s next in the Verdant chapter!
Anysia McDowall | CVO
Verdant + The-V Spot Warehouse
Verdant Bridal & Wedding
VerdantLingerie
Visit Gulfport Florida
