Meet Rachel Hunt of Wild Dove
Happy Sunday!
I am SO excited to be highlighting one of our lovely clients and a local small business owner on the blog this week- Rachel Hunt, owner of Wild Dove Boutique. Wild Dove is a women’s clothing boutique located in the East Village area of Downtown, San Diego and we were lucky enough to get brought on to design and develop their second boutique location in Coronado. We e-sat down with Rachel to ask her some questions from her journey as an entrepreneur to whats next for Wild Dove (including the new location!) as well as shared a sneak peek into the inspiration for the new space. We also created some shoppable outfits for you whether you’re lounging at home, running errands, or getting dressed up for a date night at home. Treat yo’self! (Any fans of The Office out there pickin’ up what I’m throwin’ down?)
A Q&A with Rachel Hunt of Wild Dove…
Tell us about your entrepreneurship journey. How did you get to where you are today with Wild Dove?
I’m going to say persistence and passion. Being a business owner was never on my radar. I had a very comfortable corporate retail fashion job in LA. My now-husband moved to San Diego & we tried to make it work long distance, but I finally caved and took a chance. After the move, I had a really hard time finding work within fashion. I wasn’t willing to give that up & work in a different industry.
I started to look at boutiques in the area and realized there was a gap between super affordable and just super expensive stores. As we get older, we no longer want pieces we can only wear once or twice & then it falls apart. I wanted to create a curated selection of moderately priced clothing that could be versatile and add more value to someone’s wardrobe instead of just clutter. Pieces that are feminine, yet more modern than girly. After working in a few boutiques, I realized this was my calling & went all in.
Finding a lease was probably my biggest challenge during the initial process. Everyone told me I didn’t have enough money or that I was too young. But I was unwilling to let that stop me, and convinced someone to give me a chance. It was a lot of long hours & hard work for the first couple of years... and still is. We were a small team for a long time & I wouldn’t be here today without them.
Where does your love of fashion stem from?
I’ve always been really passionate about fashion since I was a kid. There’s just something about fashion I can’t resist… the texture, the colors, the prints, the movement, the hand. I wasn’t into sports & did fine in school… I think I wanted one thing that I could be really good at, so it was dressing well. And then it just turned into something more. There’s something really empowering about a great outfit. If you’re wearing something that you love and feel good in, you’re automatically setting your day up for success.
What are some of your favorite trends right now, and will we be seeing those in Wild Dove?
So after quarantine, we’re thinking everyone is going to be wanting to live their best versions of themselves. People are going to want to feel put together but look effortless.
Romantic Dresses – we know, we know.. floral romantic dresses for spring are hardly anything new, but they just feel different this year. They’re more of a midi length and more boho, but without feeling too boho! They can be worn with just a flat strappy sandal or a sneaker for a more casual look. Just the perfect thing for your weekend plans.
Tie-Dye – All the rage. The cool thing is how updated and modern the tie-dye prints are. Some of the styles are wedding guest approved & others are a cool trendy work appropriate skirt. We’re working to get this stuff online ASAP!
Loungewear- more people are going to be working from home after this, but the cuter they feel, the more work they’re going to tackle. We’re working on having a little loungewear section for the store.
Who or what are some of your go-to sources of inspiration?
Definitely our customers. Being downtown, we definitely have a strong tourist presence & get to meet so many new people daily. How do they live their lives? What are their challenges? What do they do for work etc. Wild Dove is here to support their needs and push their fashion boundaries for they are living their most fulfilled confident life.
And always travel. I love to just take in a city’s culture. I want to be able to walk everywhere, see the colors & architecture, the cute coffee shops & restaurants, and see how the people dress and just live their life. It’s just such a high.
What have been some of the biggest lessons learned from being a business owner?
Learning to delegate. It’s easier said than done especially when you think you can do it all. One of my favorite sayings is, “You are only as good as your team.” When hiring people, it’s extremely important that they really understand your brand & vision and that they want to contribute to the growth of it.
Time blocking & Scheduling. Your time is the most valuable and it’s okay to know & respect that.
At the moment, a lot of us have had to fully transition to work from home. What are three of your top tips for being productive while working at home as you navigate that yourself?
Schedule. Schedule. Schedule.
Schedule out your entire week! This has been huge for me to hold myself accountable for everything I would like to get done & just be more aware of how I’m spending my time. I’ve even scheduled my morning workouts and my meals for I feel like I’m being deliberate with my time & to limit the trips to the fridge ;). I’ve allowed myself to one 2-hour focus project a day. In the past I literally would try to jam as much as I could in one day & it is just not sustainable. You’re going to feel burnt out quick.
How do you keep a good work-to-life balance?
Honestly, I’m still trying to figure that out especially as we start to plan for a family. In light of the quarantine, it’s forced me to step back and reevaluate how I use my time...(hence my scheduling rant). I love being at the store and helping customers & if I’m not doing that sometimes there’s a fear of missing out. I think the trick is just being more intentional with your time. When you’re working, you’re working. Anything outside of that is up to you to find out what makes you feel nourished and rejuvenated and then schedule that time in. When you take care of yourself, you’ll get more done.
What advice or words of encouragement do you have for other small business owners?
Be gracious with yourself & always remember your why. Being a business owner is a roller coaster of emotions – the stakes are usually high because you’re responsible for people, you’re being vulnerable, there’s a lot of money at stake, you’re liable… the list goes on. Always coming back to my why & the bigger picture keeps me going especially as we’re in some very uncertain times. Everything you do, you can ask does this support my why & my goals. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t matter.
What's next for Wild Dove?
Well….Wild Dove #2 should be opening within the next few months on Coronado Island hence our connection to Solstice Interiors! I’m most excited to grow our team and see what we are capable of. I’d love to add one more store to the mix, but for now we will continue to grow our online presence.
A sneak peek into the inspiration behind Wild Dove 2.0…
If you’re in the market for a new at-home date night outfit, or just want to treat yourself (maybe a belated Mothers Day gift to yourself?) check out some of our current favorites over at Wild Dove below.
