YEDaily: Genevieve Allen

Genevieve Allen is the owner of South Granville’s Violet Boutique, offering the fashion-forward of Vancouver an excuse to put away the yoga gear. What was the inspiration for her entrepreneurial endeavour? Find out in today’s YEDaily…

Elevator Pitch: Describe your job in a nutshell.
I own Violet Boutique in Vancouver on South Granville. It’s a small boutique for women looking for well-curated pieces that celebrate colour, individual style and contemporary designers from New York and Paris. 

Why did you start working at your company? What was the inspiration for this career route?
It had always been a dream of mine to have my own shop. I envisioned creating a beautiful space where I could take my dog to work, chat with clients and putter around surrounded by amazing clothes and beautiful things.

What is the best part of what you do on a day-to-day basis? The most challenging part?
The most rewarding part of my day is when I work with a client to create a look that is inspiring to them. Also researching and keeping up to date on trends for my store while working on our blog and periodically taking indoor ball throwing breaks with my Boston Terrier dog, Beatrice.

The most challenging part is the business side, the number crunching, and the enormous (yet rewarding) responsibility of owning my own business.

The best part is the freedom to carry out my own vision.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Continuing to bring new and exciting lines to Vancouver and doing my part to keep Vancouverites fashionable and out of yoga wear!

What does success look like to you?
Success is feeling satisfied that I’m doing the best job possible and seeing the results. It’s also in the small victories; finding someone the perfect dress for their occasion, building people’s sense of confidence in how they look and feel, making a client feel special because we called to tell them about something that we knew they would love, and inspiring others to have fun with fashion.

What is the most memorable milestone in your career?
There have been so many, from our opening party to being written about in Flare and Fashion Magazine, to celebrating four years of business this October. 

Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
Don’t be afraid of failure and accept help when you can. Get as much practical experience as possible before taking the plunge! Know your strengths and weaknesses and be prepared to adapt quickly when things aren’t going as planned. 

Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is that important to you?
I’m a huge advocate for the defence of animals. The SPCA, Big Heart Rescue Society and the British Columbia Foundation For Non Animal Research are charities that I believe in wholeheartedly.

What is Notable to you?
Showing kindness and thoughtfulness. Living life with style and grace and making time to enjoy the beauty in the world.

Blackberry, iPhone, Android, or Other?
iPhone.

Describe your ideal retirement: how old will you be and how do you plan on spending your retirement years? (Sponsored by the TD Redefine Retirement Contest)
Retirement seems a long, long way off still. I really love my job and I think I would miss that connection with my clients and traveling to New York, getting to see the collections before anyone else! I hope that I will always have the store but it would be nice to be able to step back and just do the fun stuff and let someone else handle all the numbers and stress!

What are you looking forward to most about retiring? (Sponsored by the TD Redefine Retirement Contest) 
Time to read the entire paper, having coffee in bed, taking my dog for a long leisurely walk, reading, cooking and traveling.