If you’d told me on my first day on campus at Auburn that now I’d be married and living in Florida, running a business I’d dreamed about since I was 13, I would have said that is impossible. But here I am. There truly is something in the air in Auburn that makes people dream big, work hard, and achieve more than they ever thought was possible, and I can attest to that.
I transferred to Auburn as a junior, coming from a small college in Minnesota. I’d never even been to the state of Alabama, much less visited Auburn when I decided to transfer. I was studying business at my other school, but I just didn’t feel like it was enough. I saw that Auburn had one of the best fashion programs in the country, and it was what I’d always wanted. So I applied…and then I got in… and I moved. I drove all the way from southern Colorado where I was born and raised, and pulled up to my apartment in downtown Auburn 22 hours later, having never even visited before. But I knew I was home the minute I arrived. When I stepped on campus, I felt like all the pieces were falling into place. Studying Apparel Merchandising was the exact thing I needed to bring my business idea to life. I learned so much in and out of the classroom at Auburn that prepared me to start my own boutique. When the pandemic hit, our professors pivoted with the new circumstances, and prepared us for what life and business would look like post-pandemic.
Fast forward to 2022. I moved to Florida, I’m newly married, and I finally took the leap to start my business. I wrote the business plan for this during May 2020, and I kept waiting for the right time. My husband told me there was no time like the present, and I went for it. I opened Base-ics Boutique; the online boutique for women on the move. As a new military spouse, I realized that with every new station we may move to, the number one thing that we need is community, and that is exactly what Base-ics is. With social media keeping everyone more connected than ever, this community can reach beyond what I ever dreamt of at 13. My boutique is based (pun intended) wherever we are stationed. I created it to help people fill their wardrobe with basics, (again, pun fully intended!) while sprinkling in one of a kind, unique pieces that give them a confidence no one can take away. Through Base-ics, I also want to educate people on the carbon footprint that the fashion industry creates, and give people sustainable clothing that is shipped right to their doorway with recycled packaging.
If it hadn’t been for my huge leap of faith to move to the loveliest village on the plains, I don’t know if I would have had the confidence to launch my boutique. My love and gratitude for Auburn will travel with me no matter where the military takes us, and Base-ics Boutique will be a constant reminder of the confidence I gained, the incredible professors who educated me, and the amazing relationships I built as a tiger.
Instagram: @baseics_boutique
Website: www.shopthebaseics.com
Email: shopthebaseics@gmail.com