Located in Broad Ripple, this boutique offers a variety of boho hippie appeal at affordable prices. The vibes you get when you enter this shop are unlike any other boutique I’ve been to. Rompers, cardigans, jewelry, and summer hats are just a few of the many selections shoppers can choose from. At the Urban Hippie, the only rules are to live, love, and look good. PATTERN had the opportunity to chat with the owner, Daisha Virgin, to talk more about her responsibilities as a store owner and what Urban Hippie brings to the city!
Destany Long: When did you open the store?
Daisha Virgin: I opened the store in March of 2019. My aunt started the Urban Hippie about eight years ago in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Thankfully, now, it’s in Indy. We found the right spot. My aunt still lives in Fort Wayne and I live here and manage the Indianapolis location.
DL: What were you doing before Urban Hippie?
DV: I actually worked at Salesforce. I stayed at Salesforce for about four years. I was an executive assistant and I left there and opened this.
DL: Do you have an online store where people can shop?
DV: Yes! We have a website for this store; as well as the Fort Wayne store. We operate independently as far as our website and social media. I carry similar things in-shop but not the exact thing because our clientele is different.
DL: What are three skills/qualifications that you think are important to have before launching a storefront?
DV: I would say determination, hard work, and being passionate about what you’re trying to accomplish. You don’t always have to have credentials. It’s nice to know how to manage money and how to interview and hire your staff but I would say the biggest things are hard work and being determined to succeed.
DL: What’s more important when managing a storefront? A good cash cushion or retail experience?
DV: That’s a tough one because you need both. I think having a service background is really important. I was in the service industry for twenty years so for me it was natural for me to continue in the industry. I consider this the service industry. I was in restaurants but it’s the same, you’re still being interactive and helping customers. Retail experience is helpful but I don’t require it for my staff. I believe as long as you are a personable person and you understand how I want to operate things, then you’ll get it.
DL: How do you decide which products you want to carry in your store?
DV: I don’t care about the brand. It’s more about the texture and quality of the material. There are so many vendors out there to choose from. I love it if I can find a US-made company; however, I don’t focus on it. A big one for me is if the vibe is similar to ours. Affordability is also a huge one. I try to keep everything in the store very affordable; between $20-$60, so that dwindles lots of vendors down but I focus on the style, the material, and the quality of the products.
DL: What are some valuable business tools you’ve learned recently?
DV: I never had experience managing a team of people. Creating an environment that you’re staff wants to work in is something huge that I’ve learned how to do. Marketing is another tool I’ve learned. I worked for the marketing cloud at Salesforce so I got little tips here and there. I understood what it takes to get your name out there but that’s probably been the biggest challenge; the social media aspect of it. You began to ask questions like what social media should you be on? How much should you post? Who are you targeting? All of those decisions are made by you.
DL: What advice would you give to anyone thinking of opening their own storefront or looking to go into management in a retail space?
DV: For someone who wants to open a store, I think working at a boutique is super important; just so you have an idea of how things are run. Find a mentor. My aunt is one of my mentors when it comes to running a business. I would say find a mentor; that’s huge. Getting some experience in the type of retail that you want to open or manage is another important thing. Make sure the experience that you are getting is in that same environment. Don’t work at Sears or Macy’s, if what you really want is a local boutique. As long as you are hard-working and show great interest, the management positions will come through promotions. If you are working hard enough, you’ll stand out.
Shop the Urban Hippie Indy storefront at 4601 N College Ave #B, Indianapolis, IN 46205, or shop online at www.indyuh.com!
