Exploring Life & Business with Ramona Davis of De La Shey Corporation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ramona Davis

Hi Ramona, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
De La Shey Lingerie, started with an idea based on a bra boutique I had shopped with for over 20 years located in Austin Texas. When I moved here to Colorado I needed to find a place to buy my bras because I’m not an average size that you can go to a department store and pick up a bra off the shelf. I also noticed that my youngest sister was in the wrong bra so I convinced her to try on one of my bras so that she would be willing and open to the idea of us opening a local bra shop. When she tried on the bra she was convinced that she needed a new bra. First we searched out to see how many fit bra shops are located in the Colorado area. There were only two. But I noticed that they didn’t cater to women who go beyond a double H cup and they don’t cater to plus size women. So my younger sister and I embarked on a research project to see how we could fill a need that so many women have. In the midst of our research we found that there are no facilities or organizations that really teach you how to become a professional bra fitter. So we ended up finding a consultant in the UK. We worked with Helen Masters who is the owner of Pudding Lingerie. So we spent about 6 to 9 months researching our Colorado market based on her guidance and direction. In the midst of that we found that there was another need here in Colorado; there are very few mastectomy shops. So after attending our first trade show for lingerie we found that there was not only a need for mastectomy shops but also a need for lymphedema fitting facilities or a place for lymphedema patients to come for their garment support. So, again we went back to the drawing board and we decided that we will open a boutique that not only help support everyday women without any medical needs but we will also support our mastectomy women as well as our lymphedema patients both male and female.

After returning from the first lingerie trade show and our first mastectomy and lymphedema training event, I knew we could not do this business out of our homes. Originally we started with pop-up events to get people used to the idea of us being present and offering such a large selection of bras. But, we found that these events were very tiresome because we were pretty much opening and closing a store in a single day. So we started searching for a facility that could accommodate the needs of the business. With the help of some local Real estate agents we were able to find our space here in the Aurora town center shopping strip. The management here knew we were a new business and they decided to take a chance on us and we are very grateful for that. Being a new startup business definitely comes with its challenges. It is not easy to get going when your business is new and the idea of your business is new and you haven’t yet really generated enough revenue to show the vitality of the business.
Most of my business was self funded. I put in all the money. My sister who was my business partner at the time was really more of an assistant to me and in exchange it was for a small percentage of the business. Since then unfortunately we had to sever the partnership because what I needed from her, she was not able to give in terms of time and energy. We still have a good relationship and that I’m happy for. But for me this business had to go on. There are many doctors and patients who really like the fact that they have a place to send their patient and our ladies. they love having a place to come and buy the bras, breast forms and lymphedema garments. We try to make it as comfortable as possible so that they can enjoy the process while they’re getting what they need.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No the road has not been smooth. Starting out my credit was excellent, A+, and along the way my credit went down hill. Because as I mentioned before, I self funded my business. Using my savings, my credit, as well as my retirement. I barely got my first loan eight months ago. And that money didn’t last long. I’m now in the process of applying for my second business loan and a line of credit. During the course of the last year and a half I have struggled to maintain the bills at home and in the business yet we are staying afloat. While struggling to pay our bills I was still working a full-time job as well as suffering from health issues that the doctors still cannot figure out what is going on. During the process I had to make sure I was fully accredited and properly insured to continue to offer the medical services that we offer as a lingerie boutique. And yes, we have fully accomplished all that I have set out. Now we are in the process of contracting individually with each insurance carrier so that we can better support our patients as well as our doctors and other medical facilities that refer patients to us. I trust as we prepare to start the nonprofit side of the business there will be more hurdles to cross and more challenges to face. All of which I am prepared to do. I truly believe that each challenge and each trial only prepares us for the next one that lies ahead.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
So De La Shey Lingerie happens to be the only boutique within the Colorado area and surrounding states that services Women from size 28 band to a 54 inch band cup size double-A cup to double-L cup. We also service our mastectomy patients, by provide fitting services, off the shelf breast forms as well as custom breast forms. Along with mastectomy, we provide the measurements and garments for our lymphedema patients whether it be off the shelf or custom lymphedema garment. We do more. De La Shey Lingerie it’s also a full service lingerie boutique that provides bridal lingerie, sports bras and custom fit bra sized swimwear, as well as shape wear. In addition to those services we also offer the ability for brides to come in and have a bridal party and we provide bridal services to their party for a fittings on site. And in the near future we will also start a nonprofit portion to the business in an effort to help our mastectomy patients and our lymphedema patients to pay for the garments if they do not have insurance or if their insurance does not cover these particular items. I am proud to offer such extensive services to our community. I love to here that we really make our customers and patients feel at ease and comfortable with the services we provide.

I am proud to say that the brands and products that we carry are high-quality and we make it so that it is affordable by all people, no matter what their financial situation is. We offer various financing options such as Afterpay, Care Credit and Affirm pay. We also offer layaway for persons who may not qualify for those programs. I believe that every woman should have a perfectly fitted bra to her body type. For that reason we have a huge selection of brands and bra styles so that we can meet at least 90% of the population’s needs that we encounter at our boutique. We make it very convenient for our customers to book an appointment online through our website at www.delalasheylingerie.com. We asked that when you book an appointment plan to be at your appointment at least one hour.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something surprising. Most people who know my brand don’t know that before I started this boutique I actually baked for a living when I lived in Houston Texas. I worked out of my home I had two ovens two refrigerators and lots of baking material. When I moved here I decided not to do baking again. I wanted something outside of my home that would be much more needed by the community. I also have a medical background and currently work and a CT/X-ray Tech with Advent Healthcare. The other thing that people don’t know is that I have seven siblings, one brother and six sisters. I call my family a his, hers and ours family. And I am a single parent of one daughter and a fur mommy of one dog.

Pricing:

• Bras start at $54/each
• Bra Fitting: $25
• Mastectomy and Lymphedema Fitting: $0
• Bridal Fittings/Tapings: $30/Per person/hour
• Alterations: $30/per hour or each bra

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.delasheylingerie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delasheylingerie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Delashey1

Image Credits
I would like to thank our customers who agree to do before and after photos. This allows us to give testimony to what we stand for. Thank you for your support.