Meet Laura Coates | Boutique Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Coates and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I’m a big quote person. If I hear a motivational quote I like, it sticks with me forever. “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” – Emerson

If you’re not taking risks in life, are you really living!? The more you put yourself out there, the more will come back to you. I took a risk and moved to Colorado from Ohio without having ever visited and it’s become my forever home. I took a risk leaving my secure corporate job to start my own business and I’ve never been so fulfilled and happy with my career. To me, risk taking is not just an option, it’s essential to move in the direction of my dreams!
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The obvious thing that sets me apart from other boutiques is that my store is in the back of a truck 😉 It is such an experience shopping in a mobile boutique. First time customers are always shocked at how spacious and beautiful the inside of the truck is. My vision for the boutique has always been to curate the Colorado take on the perfect wardrobe and I think I’ve done that. What makes me most proud is the amount of repeat customers I have, as I feel like that means they trust me and my style.

It wasn’t easy starting out, there were so many unknowns. Where would I park the truck? What inventory do I buy? Could I really make enough money to sustain doing this full time? When I first shared my idea of opening a mobile boutique to friends and family, I mostly got back a lot of weary eyes and concerned questions haha. And this is understandable! My advice to any aspiring entrepreneur is to keep the confidence and know that people will get onboard with your idea once you SHOW them, it’s not their job to understand your vision.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am lucky enough to live in Colorado with my childhood best friend and we are still best friends to this day – we are so close we bought houses next door to each other and have a door in our shared fence, making a giant backyard for our dogs and kids to play! So I’ll answer this question in regards to my sister Sarah visiting. When my sister visits it’s all about music and the outdoors. A red rocks show is a must. My other Colorado must-do? Tubing the Yampa river in Steamboat.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my amazing husband, Tyler. If you are a spouse of an entrepreneur you probably know that whether meant to or not, the business becomes somewhat of a family business. My husband has helped with everything from building out the mobile boutique to assisting me with accounting to working events and everything in between. I’ll never forget when he cried prideful happy tears at the success of our grand opening. It meant so much to me and my confidence in the business 🙂

Website: https://www.shopseventywest.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopseventywest/

Image Credits
Faye DeMarco Photography (photo of me in the dress with the brown hat)