Today’s young women live, study and work in a climate where the timeline of the “ideal woman’s” life is picked apart with a scrutiny that intensifies every year. The traditional roles women were always expected to fulfill are now in constant flux, boundaries that seemed impermeable fifty years ago now stretching beyond recognition. The reality we live in today—women thriving in STEM fields, writing for the media we consume, running for president—is still evolving and shifting, still burdened with a long battle on the road to equality. But the effects of this shift are everywhere, from cartoon shows to high school classrooms to college campuses.
A recent BU graduate is one of these emerging modern women, stirred on not only by this transitional period in women’s history but by the sheer force of her passion and dedication to see her goals to the end (and beyond.)
Alex Shadrow is the new CEO and founder of UNItiques, a nonprofit fashion/lifestyle company born out of the necessity for a smart and safe way for girls to connect with others in their campus to buy and sell clothes, furniture, shoes, concert tickets—you name it. A combination of Poshmark and Storenvy and free of charge to students, UNItiques promises a service where the strength of community is key. With ambition and dedication as its cornerstones, UNItiques and the story behind its conception are testaments to an age where women cannot and will not be held back (and they’re hiring!) In an interview with its up and coming founder, I found it clear that Alex has all qualifications to push this movement to even greater heights.
Q: In your own words, what is UNItiques?
A: UNItiques is like Poshmark for your campus or area. Fashion, lifestyle and entertainment are our big three themes. You can trade shoes, clothes, accessories, furniture, and even Halloween costumes and concert tickets. In fact, we have a partnership with a concert company to get tickets to every event in Boston for discounted, student-only prices.
You can trade products with people at Boston University and with people nearby, for example, at surrounding colleges like Boston College or Emerson. It’s almost like an eBay for the Boston area, but the whole concept is that on UNItiques no one is a stranger and you always try before you buy. You have the face, name, and even Facebook friends of the seller and the security of everyone being in college which makes you feel much safer.
Q: What inspired you to start your own company, especially at so early an age?
A: It actually kind of happened on its own. I had clothes I wanted to get rid of and there wasn’t any safe way to sell it that wasn’t a complete rip-off. On eBay people wanted to try on clothes beforehand but that’s usually impossible, and Craigslist was super creepy since it’s inviting someone I have no information about into my home, so really I was just looking for a way to sell my clothes. And when I didn’t find one, I started UNItiques.
Q: What’s your favorite part of being a CEO? Is there anything that you love about it that was unexpected?
A: My favorite part of being a CEO is that you have to wear so many different hats. I didn’t realize that I would be getting a crash course in so many things, like legal work, graphic design—I even know how to code a bit now, which I never thought I would be doing. Through being a CEO I got to discover the things I really like to do and what I have to do, as well as having an amazing team of younger girl interns underneath me. One of our mottos is “Girls Just Wanna Have Funds,” and I really want to create a work environment that can offer great jobs to entrepreneurial, business-minded women. Being a women in tech is an important part of my message. Girls really do have a place in tech and it’s something I’d really like to see more. Having girls look up to me and me being able to be a make a positive impact on their lives is also really cool, and I love that I can give girls internships that are special to them. I see them talking about it and they’re beaming about how they can do high level work. Being able to give them a great work experience is something I especially love about being a CEO.
Q: How many interns do you have right now?
A: We have 30 at BU and 30 nationwide, and we’re actually hiring specifically in the Boston area right now. If anyone’s interested they can check out www.unitiques.com/jobs.
Q: Is there anything that’s been really difficult to handle as a CEO? Does the responsibility or pressure ever get to you?
A: Finding a coder was definitely one of the hardest things, but honestly, the pressure hasn’t gotten to me yet. My life sometimes gets overwhelming in conjunction with UNItiques, like all the things I have to do for family or friends or just living a regular life is kind of hard because I want to work on UNItiques 24/7.
I actually feel pressure when I’m not working! It’s one of the hardest things about being a CEO. I watch Shark Tank and think of how they say “the hustle never sleeps”, so I do as much as I can to work on UNItiques all the time while still keeping my sanity. Even an hour off makes me feel like I’m not doing enough. But at the same time, being that obsessed with something is a great feeling. Recently I got my nails done and did Facebook marketing at the same time, and I can’t watch TV without UNitiques marketing or design open on my computer at the side. When I say I’m “taking time off” I mean I’m just eating dinner. I try to bring in UNItiques into everything I do.
Q: Did you ever think this is what you’d be doing?
A: I definitely never thought I’d be starting my own business. I started UNItiques just to sell my own things, but then so many people got excited about it that I realized I had a business idea. So many girls needed a safe and local alternative means, and even girls from other nearby campuses wanted to get involved.
Q: What advice do you have for other young women who want to do what you’re doing, or aim for high positions in their careers?
A: If you want to start your own business, make sure you know what you know, and what you don’t know. Having a team is the most important thing because there’s no way you can do it all on your own. Know the skills you need and where you can find them in other people, and make this team initially. It’ll save you money, time and heartache for sure.
Another thing is: just go for it. But don’t put too much money or time into something you haven’t proven the market for. If you have an idea for a product, go around and ask people if they’re interested or would download an app for it. Then get a hundred preregisters for it, or ask people their opinions on different shirt designs, for example. Get as much feedback as you can before you put time and effort into something. Everyone has their own unique style but the market dictates what people buy, so you have to listen and know that they exist in the first place before you start. Prove that there’s a need or want for your product.
Q: Is there currently an app for UNItiques?
A: An app is in the works, but for now our website is mobilely optimized. We also a promotion going on where if you join UNItiques at http://www.unitiques.com/join with the promo code “HerCampus”, you’ll be entered to win tickets to see the The Weekend!
Q: What hopes do you have for the future of UNItiques?
A: I’d love to have all the Boston colleges on UNItiques.com, which is about 100,000 students, so that’s the big goal for the next two years. And then we’d expand into other cities, and eventually become a nationwide company.