Meet Brittne Gowdy: Business Owner & Buyer

My thought process behind starting my own business was a no-brainer. I’ve worked in retail since college. I started by doing an internship with Nordstrom during my sophomore year of college. After my internship was complete I stayed with the company because I enjoyed the values of Nordstrom as well as the business side. Nordstrom has multiple departments, each department having its own Manager. I worked my way up from intern, to interim manager, then assistant manager then finally having own department as a Manager. After having success in my first department and the others to come, I was able to manage different departments. Each department was different but the overall gist was me owning that department’s business. So, once I decided to part ways with Nordstrom after 12 years, I knew it was only right to start my own business. I combined me owning my own business with the type of person I am. I love to keep classic pieces in my closet, as do many other women. So I figured why not offer that to other women. Classic pieces go a long way – you can keep them forever and always mix with trendy pieces for the season. To keep the classic aspect of it, my business stands on not offering restocks so women feel like they have a seldom piece & that they won’t see literally everyone wearing the same thing they have. I want women to feel good in what they have on, feel confident, and ready to take on the world fashionably.

What sets Vault 5.21 apart from other online boutiques is that Vault 5.21 is an upscale, online clothing boutique for the modern day woman looking to add classic & versatile pieces to their collection. It was created by a true fashionista herself who wants to provide other women with confidence & a chance to embrace their own sense of style. Like a vault, we like to keep the exclusivity, this boutique only drops collections once every month, giving you 5 monochromatic pieces/ looks every 21st of the month. Certain months will include special vault releases in addition to the collection. This way we are able to ensure each piece is individualized & we are really able to embody our name Vault 5.21. My business actually just started but I have been building and perfecting my brand since April 2020. It was slow when I first launched. I only had about 5 orders and they were from friends. It crushed me because I thought I would have more support than that but as I started having conversations with people outside of my friends and continuously promoting along side with my PR Branding Loft, Tearra High, I received more orders which made me feel like I’m doing things right. It was hard not seeing some people close to me support whether it be a post, repost, or placing an order but I realized my brand may not be for everyone and that’s ok. Those that like my brand or that its intended for will be repeat customers due to my fast shipping, amazing customer service and the packaging (the experience they get once they receive their order in the mail). The main challenge I had to overcome was my launch of my brand. I was solely focused on the products and creating and experience for customers that I forgot how imperative social media was. When I launched, I just launched the promo video on that day everything went live. Instead I should have created hype by posting sneak peeks of the collection to give people something to look forward to once the promo video and website actually dropped. What I want the world to know about my brand is that this brand is to instill confidence in women. The Vault woman is always on trend, looking to collect classic staple/ statement pieces to her collection. She’s bold, confident and a fashionista. The Vault woman loves to show her sense of style off at weekend brunches, lounges, dinner dates and of course daily outings. The Vault 5.21 woman should always embody the brands motto “Clothes are your Beauty ticket.”

If my best friend were visiting the area for the weekend and I wanted to show them the best time ever I would first take them to 54 Thirty for happy hour. 54 Thirty has the best rooftop to oversee the city, grab some good drinks, lively music and just enjoy the vibe. Then we would hit the Selfie Museum. The Selfie Museum is so much fun. You get to take selfies/ fun pics in multiple themed rooms. For dinner, I would most likely do Shanahans, Eddie V’s, or Jing. They all have great ambiances. Shanahans and Eddie V’s are great places for drinks and steak/ seafood. Jing is an asian infused restaurant. The bar area/ lounge is great because they have this long fire place with dark lighting that just sets the mood. Oh and I can’t leave out True Food Kitchen. A great healthy option and the food is amazing.