- Words by TessVan StraatenPhotography by Lia Crowe

Devon Bird never thought of herself as an entrepreneur, but after launching a successful clothing store in Sidney two years ago, she91裸聊视频檚 now preparing to open another boutique next door91裸聊视频攁nd she couldn91裸聊视频檛 be happier.

91裸聊视频淏uilding this business and being connected with what I love to do91裸聊视频攊t91裸聊视频檚 not a job,91裸聊视频� says the 31-year-old owner of Moden Boutique. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 entirely consuming in the best possible way. I91裸聊视频檓 doing exactly what I want and what I should be doing.91裸聊视频�

Devon started working in retail when she was just 16 years old91裸聊视频攊t was her first job91裸聊视频攂ut despite her love of fashion, she didn91裸聊视频檛 think it would be her career.

91裸聊视频淚 always worked in retail because I liked the discount, and it was somewhere I felt comfortable,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淚 got my degree in sociology with a concentration in health and aging, and I thought I was going to run an assisted living facility for independent seniors.91裸聊视频�

But after getting into merchandising a few years ago, Devon found her passion and decided to push herself out of her comfort zone. She packed up her life in Vancouver and moved back to her hometown of Victoria to open up Moden, which means 91裸聊视频渕ature91裸聊视频� in Norwegian (a nod to her grandmother who came to Canada after the Second World War and had a unique fashion sense).

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not an age to me, it91裸聊视频檚 a mental space,91裸聊视频� Devon explains. 91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 really relate to my millennial generation much, so mature was a state of being, a state of mind, a comfort in oneself91裸聊视频攁 mature place to be. You know who you are and you91裸聊视频檙e living that truth and that91裸聊视频檚 what Moden meant to me.91裸聊视频�

That philosophy, of being true to oneself, is also how Devon is running her business. But it91裸聊视频檚 a lesson she had to learn the hard way.

91裸聊视频淲henyou start a business, you don91裸聊视频檛 have somebody telling you what91裸聊视频檚 right or wrong, and I think I started trying to be everything to all people,91裸聊视频� she admits. 91裸聊视频淎fter I opened, people would say, 91裸聊视频極h, the store is too empty91裸聊视频� or 91裸聊视频榶ou need to carry this91裸聊视频� or 91裸聊视频榶ou need to carry that91裸聊视频� or 91裸聊视频榳hy don91裸聊视频檛 you carry skirts?91裸聊视频� and I would think, 91裸聊视频極h gosh, I need to carry more skirts and dresses, I need to do more evening stuff,91裸聊视频� and it started to impact the vision I had for the store, which is everyday comfortable dressing.91裸聊视频�

Devon felt like she was being pulled in too many directions and had to stop, re-evaluate, and learn to trust her gut.

91裸聊视频淵ou can91裸聊视频檛 let people tell you who you are,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淵ou need to know what your business is about. And it91裸聊视频檚 a reflection of you, so you have to be true to that, and everything91裸聊视频攆rom how you decorate to what you have in the store91裸聊视频攈as to come from that vision, or the message is totally lost.91裸聊视频�

For Devon, who says she always thought she91裸聊视频檇 make a better employee than employer, learning to run a business has come with a steep learning curve. But she says the key is not being afraid to ask questions.

91裸聊视频淚 think what you learn is that you have to be quite shameless and ask questions and not be afraid to look silly,91裸聊视频� she advises. 91裸聊视频淚 had to really get over not looking qualified, which was a very humbling experience. But it was also encouraging to see how willing people are to help you when you do ask.91裸聊视频�

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic just 15 months after she opened the store posed a unexpected and unique challenge91裸聊视频攐ne that many new businesses struggled to survive. But it91裸聊视频檚 also been a valuable learning experience.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 made us more nimble and one of the positives out of COVID-19 is that people91裸聊视频檚 habits are broken up,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淣obody wants to go to a big mall full of people now, so they91裸聊视频檙e looking for their outdoor shopping centres; they91裸聊视频檙e looking for their local, independent boutiques.I91裸聊视频檝e been so encouraged to see people coming back, people really worried about my business and buying gift cards or shopping online for the first time just to support me.91裸聊视频�

Devon91裸聊视频檚 so encouraged, she91裸聊视频檚 planning to expand and open a new store91裸聊视频擬oden Essentials, which will carry lingerie, loungewear and basics91裸聊视频攊n March.

91裸聊视频淥pening a business at anytime is a risk, but you mitigate that risk by being really clear,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淎re you offering something that people need? I want to continue to do what Moden did, which is offer what91裸聊视频檚 missing and I think the next space that could really be elevated is lingerie and lounge.91裸聊视频�

It all comes back to Devon91裸聊视频檚 approach to business and life91裸聊视频攌nowing who you are and being authentic.

91裸聊视频滻f you91裸聊视频檙e doing exactly what you91裸聊视频檙e supposed to be doing, you91裸聊视频檙e using your skills and your heart is in it. So it91裸聊视频檚 really difficult to fail because you91裸聊视频檙e using all of your strengths and putting that out there,91裸聊视频� Devon says. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 really the key to success.91裸聊视频�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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