When college student Brooke Borden was met with the question of how she would fulfill her dreams, she took her plans to the next level—by doing whatever was necessary to create her own fashion boutique. Rather than put aside her goal of creating and owning her own business until she was older, Borden jumped at the chance to define herself and form her unique brand.
“Honey and Haven started as a daydream,” said Borden, “A daydream about finding fulfillment in doing something I was truly passionate about every day. Like many of us, I found myself with a lot of unexpected free time on my hands at the start of 2020, and it made me slow down to think about some bigger goals I wanted to pursue.”
Borden seized this opportunity to perform extensive research on starting a business while maintaining involvement in her sorority and classes at the University of Oklahoma. “Being college student-owned, Honey and Haven has a unique pulse on what young women are wearing,” she said. “It is such an amazing synthesis of my love for fashion, business and marketing, social media, and people. I could tell you about all the work that goes into ensuring your business is legal, or setting up websites, domains, social media platforms, marketing tools, or learning how to buy wholesale at market. I could tell you about how to brand your business, or why it’s important to study strategy on social media, or how to make authentic connections with consumers. I could tell you about how physically hard it is to move around inventory, host pop-up shops, or learn accounting.”
With an already demanding amount of responsibilities, Borden didn’t let the weight of Honey and Haven’s startup slow her down. “Instead, I will tell you that it takes a lot of work, commitment, and learning how to be a human Swiss Army knife who is able to do it all,” she said. “I will tell you that you will never be more thankful for your support system and the people who show up for you. I will tell you that you may feel silly at times for pursuing something you love publicly, but that you will have a strong sense of purpose and fulfillment too. Lastly, I will tell you that being authentic and kind to people will be rewarded. I feel so fortunate to be living out these experiences every day. So, if I were to do it all again from scratch, I would—every time.”
Honey and Haven offers the newest trends of the season, with a youthful flair in every restock and new arrival. For women who don’t yet know how to navigate their own sense of style, Brooke Borden has you covered. “I want to be known for being a place women can go to and feel supported and excited in every step of their shopping journey,” said Borden. “The beauty of a small business compared to big box retailers is the transparency and open communication between the business and the customer. In the future, I hope this business continues to grow organically. I plan to remain true to myself and our brand, keep providing the most authentic and positive interactions with customers, and to challenge myself to evolve to the next level.”
Contact:
Website: www.shophoneyandhaven.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shophoneyandhaven/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shophoneyandhaven
Email: hellohoneyandhaven@gmail.com
