Life and Work with Julia Scott

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Scott.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As a young girl, I was always interested in fashion, sparkly things, and being as girly as possible! This inspiration evolved several years later, into pursuing a college degree in Apparel & Merchandising at Colorado State University, with an added minor in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration. In a semi-desperate search to find the perfect internship in order to graduate (a full-time internship was required to walk!), I found myself in a bit of a pickle after turning down a “once in a lifetime” internship opportunity at Marie Claire magazine in NYC. As a native to Colorado, I was not accustomed to the cold, dog-eat-dog fashion industry in New York that I once glamorized as my future. I truly had hoped for a more “girl power” and uplifting spirit in my future working environment, rather than the ultimate judgment zone – think Devil Wears Prada to a T. I found myself scrambling weeks before my graduation date to find a interesting, fun internship that would boost my momentum into the real world as an adult fashionista – but nothing felt like quite the right fit. As bizarre as it sounds, I had a dream one night (after a full-blown panic attack) that I was in a bridal shop. Pretty white gowns hanging around, I wasn’t shopping for myself and I was oddly by myself (none of my friends were getting married any time soon) and the next morning, I applied to about eight bridal boutiques in Colorado. Only one got back to me – Blue.

Owning my own business was always part of the plan, but as most entrepreneurs, you don’t really know where to begin! It just felt right to work for a locally-owned boutique, located in the heart of my city, where I can work face-to-face with brides that are elated with happiness to marry the love of their lives. My internship lasted 12 weeks, where I learned the in’s + out’s of the business, consulting, styling, buying, ordering, visual merchandising, you name it. It was an incredibly informative program, and ironically enough I was hired by the owner, not the manager, who wasn’t actually supposed to interview me that day. The owner of Blue Bridal Boutique is my greatest mentor, Sarah, and she is a badass boss babe that taught me everything I know. Taking me under her wing, I fast-tracked into the store manager role 7 months later. It’s no easy feat dealing with the challenges of the bridal industry, but she trusted me and guided me, and soon enough I was running the shop while Sarah took a well-needed break from the shop life. I have been with the company now six and a half years, and it’s truly my heart & soul. I absolutely live for the smiles, hugs, happy tears and sometimes challenges that my brides bring to the table! The connectivity of this industry is magical, it’s true, getting married is one of the best days *if not the best day* of your life! Our little boutique thrives on the basis of being genuine + kind, creating a comfortable space for any bride + guest, and offering the most beautiful (and affordable) dresses for the Colorado bride. When I get the chance to attend a bridal market, it’s just as fun as it sounds! This is where the magic happens – runways full of gorgeous gowns, rubbing elbows with designers, sharing stories over cocktails, it’s all true & amazing. But what’s even more amazing, is seeing your bride put on that dress you selected off that runway in hopes it would be perfect for someone and watching her absolutely fall in love with it. That’s why I love what I do!

Has it been a smooth road?
There’s no road out there that doesn’t have it’s twisted turns or speed bumps – there’s always a challenge. The bridal industry is ever-changing, and as a small business, it sometimes doesn’t feel like you can keep up fast enough! We’ve encountered inflated costs from the influx to Denver to the transition of “buying online” – there is always a new challenge to overcome. Anyone entering the industry should expect that it’s not all glitter & champagne, but anticipating those challenges is what makes you a good businesswoman. You need that extra push outside of your limits to realize your full potential. The other realism in the industry is simply, not everyone can do it! It’s a lot of positive energy all the time – it can be exhausting! Whether you’re wanting to dip your toes into consulting as a bridal stylist, or become a full-blown business owner, be careful and honest with yourself about the commitment. There are often days it comes home with me, and I wish it didn’t. Work/Life Balance is the ultimate key!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Blue Bridal Boutique – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
At Blue, we pride ourselves on being genuinely excited for each bride, listening to her love story of how we got to this moment, and offering our expertise to find her the most perfect dress to wear down the aisle. It can sound a little corny, but when you think about your ideal bridal dress shopping experience, isn’t that what you’d want? A real person, with honest + kind advice, that can recognize your shopping doubts and fears and eliminate them with trust and stylish knowledge?! No judgey attitudes, no fake emotions, just real Bridalistas with real brides. We want you to have FUN with us! It’s an exciting time to be a bride, and we believe in indulging in that title as long as you can! We’re strongly known for our exceptional customer service, our relaxed atmosphere with unique *private* viewing areas, and our beautiful yet affordable collections! I know it sounds like I’m tooting our horns, but read our reviews! All from real brides who each had the same great experience at Blue! Weddings are insanely expensive, which is why we curate our designer collections specifically to the Colorado bride + average budgets. We also offer in-house alterations with a wonderful contracted seamstress, in order to complete the entire bridal experience from the moment of “YES!” to walking out of alterations the week of your wedding! We strongly believe that no bride should endure any additional stress once the dress leaves the boutique with a strange referral, and keeping alterations on site has allowed our brides to be inspired and customize in a farm to table kind of way! It’s a one-stop-shop in our opinion, our only focus is the bride + ensuring she’s always happy when she enters and leaves our doors. Our priority is to care and support, start to finish, and any concerns are addressed at the source, as they should be.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Absolutely! I had a great childhood, filled with plenty of opportunities to discover myself and my strengths. I particularly attribute my strong independence and passion to lead to my mother, who was also the leader of my Girl Scouts troop. I can attribute my selling expertise to our infamous cookie sales, but more importantly the lesson ingrained from a young age is success is only earned, and won’t be handed to you. There’s never been a time that I didn’t have strong women in my life, and I think that constant access to mentors, love and support is part of who I am today!

Pricing:

• Bridal Gowns $1,000-$3,500

Contact Info:

• Address: 685 South Broadway
  Suite B
  Denver, CO 80209
• Website: www.bluegowns.com
• Phone: 303-446-2583
• Email: info@blue-bridal.com
• Instagram: @bluebridal
• Facebook: @bluebridalboutique
• Twitter: @bluebridal

Image Credit:
Dani Cowan Photography, Kari Geha Photography, Sara Lynn Photo

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