We had the good fortune of connecting with Taylor Eberhardt and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Taylor, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process for wanting to start my own business was first and foremost to see the benefits of my hard work. In other jobs I had, it was hard for me to see the rewards for all of the work I was putting in. I felt like it was going towards upper-level management and helping them with their advancement and not my own. I want to be the driving force of my business and really know that the results are because of me and receive recognition for that. I also really love Denver and want to stay here, but I know that my true passion in life is fashion and since there is not a lot of that here, I had to forge my own path and bring the “perfect job” to me, by creating my own clothing and accessories boutique.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career, like most Millennial’s, has been ever-changing. At the University of Colorado (Boulder), I studied Marketing at Leeds School of Business, because I knew I wanted to do something in the fashion industry, but I wasn’t sure what that was or how it looked in the future. That was a great decision, because I learned so much about business in general and didn’t feel trapped in any certain career path. During school, I worked at a clothing boutique and did an internship in NYC at a big fashion label and after school I worked for Nordstrom for almost 2 years. After that experience, which was a very tough one for me, I decided I wanted to change gears and work in an office in a completely and unknown industry for me. I started to work at an oil and gas company here in Denver and thrived. I loved problem solving and worked so hard to move up to the position I eventually held, but something was missing: the passion for the product. I knew I was unhappy, but stayed because the money was so good and it was a truly fantastic job. I knew it would be extremely hard to leave after 5 solid years of blood, sweat and tears, but I had to follow my gut. 3 weeks before the pandemic hit, I quit to pursue my dreams of fashion and working again with clothing. Those dreams came crashing down when the world itself shut down due to COVID. I was at a loss. I had no job and no plans. I don’t give up that easily though. I started to realize (with a nudge from my dad) maybe this is a good time to start looking for cheap leasing opportunities and researching everything that I didn’t know (which was a lot!) about starting a business. I buckled up and put in a lot of hard work and I am glad I did because seeing my dream come alive is such a blessing and the timing couldn’t have actually worked out better. Never give up and put in the work are the main lessons I have learned a long the way. The path my not be pretty or straight or easy, but the end is worth it.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my bff was visiting I would focus first and foremost on eating and drinking! I love almost all the restaurants in Cherry Creek like North, Quality Italian, and Le Bilboquet. After one of those we would have to hit the Boys and Girls Club speakeasy. I also love a lot of restaurants in Rino like Uchi and Hop Alley. And can’t forget the highlands with Uncle, El Five (for the view!) and Spuntino. Can you tell I love Italian!? In order to do all that eating and drinking we have to exercise a bit, so doing a few hikes in Boulder or a spin class at Viv Cycle is a MUST. Other activities I love in Denver are cruising the streets on scooters from Scootours and hitting some outdoor bars like Happy Camper or Avanti’s roof. I love going to Rockies and Nuggets games, as well. Always a good time here in Denver!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My story, business and vision 100% would not have been possible without my family. My parents have been such a strong support system for me in all of this and actually were the ones who made me see and believe that this dream was possible and I could be successful. My sister has also been such a huge support and has jumped in and helped with anything she can. They are such an invaluable asset to my business and I could not have done it without them.
Website: https://www.shoploucollective.com/
Instagram: @shoploucollective
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shoploucollective/
Image Credits
Images by Flynn Design Co.