Hidden Gems: Meet 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 was born from an idea back in the summer of 2022. We got started by first trying to find out how to become professional bra fitters, my sister and I. After researching we found that there were no organizations within the US that teaches individuals how to become professional bra fitters, unless you work directly for a specific company. Our research lead us to the UK and we found Pudding Lingerie. The owner of that Pudding Lingerie is an international consultant for lingerie stores. She helped us to research our market to see if it was a viable business plan. With her assistance we were able to form the business as it is today. At the time we opened De La Shey, my younger sister was very instrumental with helping me to get the store opened. During the opening phases of De La Shey, there are many obstacles to overcome. Since we are considered a durable medical equipment store we had to acquire proper licensing. That took us more than a year to get fully accredited and licensed in an effort to bill insurance in behalf of our patients. We are the only full service lingerie store in the Denver-Aurora metro market that services both non-medical and medical patients.

Our idea isn’t unique, it’s just that we are niche and that we offer the largest size range for bras in the state of Colorado. We are also unique is that we service both mastectomy patients, post surgery and lymphedema patients. What we did is combine non-medical lingerie with medical lingerie. Our goal is to be the only facility that women of all ages and shapes can come to and find whatever lingerie or intimates they need to meet their daily routine.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not been smooth at all. As with most businesses, the biggest challenge is always financial. We’ve only had one small business loan to help us offset some of the cost that we have incurred. I used my personal funds savings, credit cards and personal loans to finance this business. Yes my business has tanked to me. But I truly see the value in the services that we have to offer our community. It has also been a struggle with getting people in the doors. People are truly afraid of what they are not familiar with. Many claim to offer bra fitting services and yet when women go for those services they leave just as disappointed as they did when they arrived to the store. We will never be able to satisfy everyone, but my goal is to satisfy a good 90% of what walks through these doors. Other challenges we faced, was getting properly accredited with Medicare and the state of Colorado which allows us to bill insurance. Once we received our accreditation the next challenge was getting contracted with each individual major Insurance provider. Now my next biggest challenge is getting caught up with all of my medical billing. For that, we have contracted with a medical billing company to assist us. This will better allow us to serve the patients who come for their compression garments and mastectomy needs.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
De La Shey is a specialty lingerie boutique that offers bra fittings, mastectomy fittings and lymphedema compression fitting. We are non-medical /medical facility. We offer bras of every sort – nursing bras, sport bras, everyday bras, bridal/formal wear bras, compression bras, first bra, mastectomy/pocket bras and bralettes, Our bras range in a variety of styles and sizes ( AA-LL cups and 28-54 inch band). We measure for custom compression garments for patients with lymphedema, lipedema, venous insufficiency or other edema concerns. Last but not least we even offer bra sized swimwear, to ensure a properly fitted swimsuit.

What makes us different is one, we care about every person that walks through our doors. Our customers is our business. Without them we do not exist. That being said, we strive to ensure that we meet the needs of our customers, by taking the time to fit them in what works best for their needs. We prefer to work by appointments to make sure each person has the needed time for a proper fitting and not feel rushed while being serviced.

De La Shey offers many brands to help meet the demands of our public to ensure customer satisfaction. Our biggest brand would be the qualities we show to our customers, patience, empathy, compassion, kindness and love of people.

How do you think about luck?
I don’t necessarily believe in luck as much as I do blessings. Before starting this business I prayed fervently for a business idea that would be able to support my family. I am a single mother of a daughter and a dog and I take care of my disabled father. I only wanted a business that would replace my work income and allow me to spend more time with my daughter and still be able to support my father while increasing my service in the ministry and service to Jehovah. There was a lot of sacrifice involved to get here. I can’t begin to tell you the amount of work it takes to keep it all together and not loose your mind when you have to work full-time and turn around and run a business full-time. There were many prayers and lots of hard work involved. My friends and family were there to support me along the way. I know for a fact that my God, Jehovah, blessed my efforts. We are still a struggling business, but somehow every month we make it to the next month. I don’t call it luck at all. I call it determination and drive to succeed, so I can take care of my family. With that being said, I keep Jehovah as my first priority and move on from there. This is how we have made it.

Pricing:

• $25 – One-time fitting Fee

Contact Info:

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

Image Credits
These are images of customers, friends and family who have supported me along the way.