Meet TopLine Royalty Boutique Owner, Stephanie Polite
Think about what inspired you to start your journey and push through. If you need to write it down everyday until you start to accomplish something one by one then do that. — Stephanie Polite
First Generation Entrepreneur Stephanie Polite is a native of Charleston, SC, and the owner of TopLine Royalty Boutique. She has always had a passion for either being a nurse or an entrepreneur. After working in the healthcare field as a Medical Assistant for nearly a decade, She decided to pursue her passion for becoming an entrepreneur. Battling feelings of embarrassment in regards to her looks coupled with the lack of positive images of women who looked like her she — a Tall Plus Sized woman. She made it her mission to create a boutique that would cater to Plus Sized and Tall Women and show them that they too can be Confident, Fashion Icons and Trendsetters.
Now if we can, I’d like to go way back for a little while. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Charleston, SC in a single parent home with 3 of my siblings. It was a struggle because my mother only made enough to get by on a month to month basis, but we still manage to survive. I always felt left out from my peers because I was a loner growing up and the oddball. I was always taller and bigger than most children at my age, so I would be teased a lot. I learned to cope with it and still manage to be an A average student.
What inspired your entrepreneurial journey ?
My ten year old son inspired me because I wanted to show him that it is never too late to achieve your dreams and goals. I wanted him to know that even though a lot of obstacles might come his way that he must still work hard in life for everything and to never give up. I also wanted to leave a legacy to him so that he will never have to work as hard as I had to work.
Tell me about what problem your business solves?
TopLine Royalty Boutique caters to all women of all shapes in sizes. I wanted to embraced all women so that all women can have that confidence when shopping.
What do you define as failure?
I define giving up a failure. When you lose faith and give up then you will never know what it could have been. It’s important to fail so that you can learn from it and challenge you. Failure will make you stronger and more determined.
What have you felt you have failed at? What might you have done to prevent those failures?
I felt like I failed at saying NO to people and turning their baggage into my baggage. I am always worrying about hurting other people feelings and never put my feelings first. This has cause me to take on more than I can handle and cause me to stress myself out at times and caused me to make myself sick.
What is your why? Why you did you start your journey?
I started my journey because this has always been a passion of mine. I wanted to fulfill the void that plus size and tall women experience when shopping. I wanted to give women the confidence and a great shopping experience.
What advice do you have for entrepreneurs and small business owners who may not be achieving their goals?
I will tell them to don’t ever give up. They may encounter obstacles along the way, but they must always have faith and be productive. Think about what inspired you to start your journey and push through. If you need to write it down everyday until you start to accomplish something one by one then do that.
