Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Alexander.
Erica, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My background is in the Entertainment Industry. I studied Communication at USC and afterwards worked in LA in feature Film Production for 3.5yrs. I was working 12hr days and traveling non-stop and living what I thought was my dream until I started thinking about my long-term life and goals and what I really wanted. So, I decided to quit my job working for a big name director and went to business school, because I had literally never taken a business class in my life. Meanwhile, I helped manage a cute little boutique in Manhattan Beach, got to travel and met my future husband. After we got married we decided to move back to my hometown of San Diego. Once we decided to move I knew that I wanted to open up my own boutique in La Jolla.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have definitely been struggles, and I have learned so much from those challenges. I got pregnant like a month after I opened the store and my son ended up having health complications so I was definitely taken out of the mindset of growing my business pretty early on. It took some time for me to feel like I was able to get my mind back on the business and make it a priority in my life.
I also feel like I just missed being a part of the social media generation (I’m almost 37) and have definitely had to learn how to incorporate and apply that to my business and now it is literally the most important marketing tool I have but it is not intuitive for me and I really have to educate myself and learn how to make it work for me.
Finally, I have had to learn a lot from the school of just doing. Even though I had 6+yrs of retail experience plus an MBA there was so much I didn’t know and just had to figure out, which is a really liberating way of running a business.
With all of this said, I am so proud of the success RICA has had and that we have been in business for 6yrs.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the RICA boutique story. Tell us more about the business.
RICA boutique is a women’s clothing and accessories boutique located in the beautiful town of La Jolla, CA. We opened our doors in May of 2012 and launched our online store in 2014, www.shop-rica.com.
We are known for selling beach bohemian styles that really represent the So. California lifestyle. Most of our designers are from California or Australia. I think people love coming to visit La Jolla and finding a small independent boutique that really speaks to the aesthetic of where we are. We also try to keep our prices close to the $100 range or under. Our customers range from young teens to moms in their 40’s and people from all over the world so we really try to have something for everyone.
It makes me so proud when I overhear girls saying how cute our store is and how they want everything in it. I’m also proud to be one of the few independently owned boutiques left in La Jolla. I think the locals and tourists appreciate that!
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Oh wow, I don’t really like to think that luck plays a part in anything we do. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and whether that be things in our control or out of them, there is always a learning lesson there. The successes I have had I believe are from hard work and perseverance. They started with a good foundation because I have wonderful parents. The “failures” have been from missed opportunities on my part and mostly from missing that chance to “think outside of the box.” Both instances have taught me so much.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7944 Girard Ave. La Jolla, CA 92037
- Website: www.shop-rica.com
- Email: info@shop-rica.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shoprica/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopRICA/?ref=bookmarks
Image Credit:
Photography by Aysia Norris
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