WELCOME 2: TWENTITY.COM ~ The Home for Twentysomethings

Stepping Up The Game - 6-20-07

"Every artist was first an amateur." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Name : Carla Rutledge

Age: 24

Occupation: Advertising by day; Entrepreneur by night

Where do you work?
The Advertising Council, Inc. is my 9 to 5 and Boutique Finesse, my company, is my passion and takes up the rest of my time.

Where are you from? Detroit, MI

Why did you pick this career?
I love my job at the Advertising Council; we are a non-profit agency that produces amazing public service adverting. But, I would like to speak to Boutique Finesse. I am a bargain shopper that loves accessories and loves creating an outfit with funky earrings and a cool necklace to match. My passion for accessories became my inspiration to start Boutique Finesse. I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur, so I tested out my home jewelry party idea with friends and family. They seemed to really like it so I just went for it!

What are your future plans for your career?
My future goal is for Boutique Finesse to become a household name for affordable and fabulous accessories and home jewelry parties.

How did you get involved in this career?
My passion for accessories led me to this industry and my faith gave me the strength to start my own business.

Did you go to college? Yes, I graduated from Howard University in 2005.

What did you study? Advertising

How did you prepare yourself for this career?
Once the idea of Boutique Finesse came to me I started researching companies and small businesses that do home jewelry parties. I Googled information on accessory trade associations and magazines, so that I could become an expert in my field. I conducted focus groups with friends and family to have tangible results on whether or not this could actually work.

And if you just happened to land in this career what made you stay?
Since I am speaking to Boutique Finesse I will say that patience is a virtue, for there are many days where I second-guess my progress because I am so anxious to see the final outcome that I envision for my business. What keeps me moving forward is my faith because if God brings you to something, he will bring you through it. So, I have learned and continue to learn to be patient and to keep working hard.

What are the downsides to this profession?
Working independently for your own company is very challenging because you are the business and in order to make things move forward you have to push it and keep pushing it because know one else will ever believe in your company as much as you do.

What is a typical workday for you ?
Work on Boutique Finesse begins after my job at the Ad Council and consists of updating my website, shopping for new accessories, conducting research on new products, doing outreach for new clients, continuous evaluation and re-structuring of my marketing plan and most importantly, maintaining client relationships.

How might this job be a stepping-stone to other professions?
I want to switch gears for a moment and talk a little bit about advertising. Studying and working in advertising has played a huge role in having my own business. Anyone can write a business plan, but it takes advertising and marketing to sustain the momentum of your business idea. With that, I feel that all of the different marketing techniques that I use for my business are a direct correlation to my experience in advertising and marketing.

What is the single-most important piece of advice you can offer a person pursuing this career? With God as the number one person in your life you can do all things.

What steps do you recommend to someone who is planning to pursue this career?
If you have a business idea research your idea, test it out, and don't give up because it definitely takes time to see big results!

What professional or community volunteer organizations are you currently a member of?

Sister Net Mentor, Children’s Aid Society

Tutor, First Corinthian Baptist Church

Member, Give N Take Women’s Networking Group

Member, North Manhattan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

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