What if you woke up one morning and decided to leave your family, friends, job and entire life behind to go to another country? Martha Shick, the owner of Ooh La La Boutique, chose to do just that. A Venezuelan woman who moved to America in search of opportunity left everything she knew in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. As a result of her hard work, she founded her business Ooh La La Boutique which now has two locations in Bannerman Crossings and Gaines Street and has been recognized as one of the top boutiques in Tallahassee. The following are some of the points I discussed with this successful independent woman during our interview:
Her Campus (HC): How and when did you start this line of work?
Martha Shick (MS): I moved from Barquisimeto to Boston, Massachusetts to learn English and began my college education at Boston University. I ended up transferring to Alabama University to be closer to my cousin, the only family member I had in this country. Upon graduating college, I moved to Tallahassee, Florida, where I had my first business venture- a vendor cart outside Governor’s Square. My vendor cart gained a lot of recognition and success, so I saved up enough money to open my own store, Ooh La La Boutique.
HC: How did you come up with the name of your company?
MS: When I was shopping for potential merchandise for my store, I came across this beautiful dress and thought, “ooh la la”. That was the moment I knew this was the name of my business. Any time someone sees something they like they have that overwhelming “ooh la la” moment and I wanted this to be a staple.
HC: What methods do you use to promote your business?
MS: I promote my business using various social media apps and social events. Technologically, I use social media including Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok. It has even been a pleasure to be on television and radio to promote the store. Socially, I have been a part of pop-ups and events at various locations. One of the biggest ongoing events is during FSU Football season where we set up booths outside the stores for parents, students and the general public.
HC: How would you describe your employees?
MS: I have been extremely lucky to have such an amazing group of girls to work for me over time. They are all sweet, fun, intelligent, hard-working, funny, motivated, and beautiful. They truly care about the success of the store and display this by making sure customers’ needs are taken care of and the store is organized and presentable.
HC: Have you previously run a business prior to Ooh La La?
MS: Before moving to the US, I originally owned a business in Venezuela under the name of Ooh La La. I left this original location in order to expand my business and grow as a person. I wanted to succeed even if it meant I had to overcome my own struggles, such as language barriers, and I knew that America was the place to do this.
HC: How has your company approach evolved over the last few years specifically regarding competition?
MS: COVID-19 profoundly impacted many people, many of whom were left in financial hardship. Because of this impact on the community, I wanted to improve the store to serve our customers better. I try to keep the prices of merchandise lower than other retail stores. Regarding competition, I make sure that Ooh La La is unique in product selection and affordable prices.
HC: Where do you see the boutique in five years?
MS: I have put my heart and soul into the retail business for countless years. I plan to retire soon and pass the store on to a new owner who has all the right intentions for a business I built from the ground up.
HC: What is your favorite part about owning Ooh La La Boutique?
MS: I love to travel to different places like New York or California and go to the market to buy clothing and accessories for the store. There is something fun about sitting down and trying to figure out which outfits customers will respond to during different seasons. This is one of the perks of owning my business.
Martha Shick took a leap of faith by leaving all she recognized and pursuing her goal to start her own retail store. She took the term of an independent woman and completely ran with it and in doing so absolutely succeeded. The success of Ooh La La Boutique can be attributed to Martha Shick’s ambition of making a better life for herself.
You can check out Ooh La La Boutique on these social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram (Gaines Location, Bannerman Location) and Tik Tok.
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