- Words by TessVan StraatenPhotography by Lia Crowe

Devon Bird never thought of herself as an entrepreneur, but after launching a successful clothing store in Sidney two years ago, she乌鸦传媒檚 now preparing to open another boutique next door乌鸦传媒攁nd she couldn乌鸦传媒檛 be happier.

乌鸦传媒淏uilding this business and being connected with what I love to do乌鸦传媒攊t乌鸦传媒檚 not a job,乌鸦传媒� says the 31-year-old owner of Moden Boutique. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 entirely consuming in the best possible way. I乌鸦传媒檓 doing exactly what I want and what I should be doing.乌鸦传媒�

Devon started working in retail when she was just 16 years old乌鸦传媒攊t was her first job乌鸦传媒攂ut despite her love of fashion, she didn乌鸦传媒檛 think it would be her career.

乌鸦传媒淚 always worked in retail because I liked the discount, and it was somewhere I felt comfortable,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淚 got my degree in sociology with a concentration in health and aging, and I thought I was going to run an assisted living facility for independent seniors.乌鸦传媒�

But after getting into merchandising a few years ago, Devon found her passion and decided to push herself out of her comfort zone. She packed up her life in Vancouver and moved back to her hometown of Victoria to open up Moden, which means 乌鸦传媒渕ature乌鸦传媒� in Norwegian (a nod to her grandmother who came to Canada after the Second World War and had a unique fashion sense).

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not an age to me, it乌鸦传媒檚 a mental space,乌鸦传媒� Devon explains. 乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 really relate to my millennial generation much, so mature was a state of being, a state of mind, a comfort in oneself乌鸦传媒攁 mature place to be. You know who you are and you乌鸦传媒檙e living that truth and that乌鸦传媒檚 what Moden meant to me.乌鸦传媒�

That philosophy, of being true to oneself, is also how Devon is running her business. But it乌鸦传媒檚 a lesson she had to learn the hard way.

乌鸦传媒淲henyou start a business, you don乌鸦传媒檛 have somebody telling you what乌鸦传媒檚 right or wrong, and I think I started trying to be everything to all people,乌鸦传媒� she admits. 乌鸦传媒淎fter I opened, people would say, 乌鸦传媒極h, the store is too empty乌鸦传媒� or 乌鸦传媒榶ou need to carry this乌鸦传媒� or 乌鸦传媒榶ou need to carry that乌鸦传媒� or 乌鸦传媒榳hy don乌鸦传媒檛 you carry skirts?乌鸦传媒� and I would think, 乌鸦传媒極h gosh, I need to carry more skirts and dresses, I need to do more evening stuff,乌鸦传媒� and it started to impact the vision I had for the store, which is everyday comfortable dressing.乌鸦传媒�

Devon felt like she was being pulled in too many directions and had to stop, re-evaluate, and learn to trust her gut.

乌鸦传媒淵ou can乌鸦传媒檛 let people tell you who you are,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淵ou need to know what your business is about. And it乌鸦传媒檚 a reflection of you, so you have to be true to that, and everything乌鸦传媒攆rom how you decorate to what you have in the store乌鸦传媒攈as to come from that vision, or the message is totally lost.乌鸦传媒�

For Devon, who says she always thought she乌鸦传媒檇 make a better employee than employer, learning to run a business has come with a steep learning curve. But she says the key is not being afraid to ask questions.

乌鸦传媒淚 think what you learn is that you have to be quite shameless and ask questions and not be afraid to look silly,乌鸦传媒� she advises. 乌鸦传媒淚 had to really get over not looking qualified, which was a very humbling experience. But it was also encouraging to see how willing people are to help you when you do ask.乌鸦传媒�

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic just 15 months after she opened the store posed a unexpected and unique challenge乌鸦传媒攐ne that many new businesses struggled to survive. But it乌鸦传媒檚 also been a valuable learning experience.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 made us more nimble and one of the positives out of COVID-19 is that people乌鸦传媒檚 habits are broken up,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淣obody wants to go to a big mall full of people now, so they乌鸦传媒檙e looking for their outdoor shopping centres; they乌鸦传媒檙e looking for their local, independent boutiques.I乌鸦传媒檝e been so encouraged to see people coming back, people really worried about my business and buying gift cards or shopping online for the first time just to support me.乌鸦传媒�

Devon乌鸦传媒檚 so encouraged, she乌鸦传媒檚 planning to expand and open a new store乌鸦传媒擬oden Essentials, which will carry lingerie, loungewear and basics乌鸦传媒攊n March.

乌鸦传媒淥pening a business at anytime is a risk, but you mitigate that risk by being really clear,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淎re you offering something that people need? I want to continue to do what Moden did, which is offer what乌鸦传媒檚 missing and I think the next space that could really be elevated is lingerie and lounge.乌鸦传媒�

It all comes back to Devon乌鸦传媒檚 approach to business and life乌鸦传媒攌nowing who you are and being authentic.

乌鸦传媒滻f you乌鸦传媒檙e doing exactly what you乌鸦传媒檙e supposed to be doing, you乌鸦传媒檙e using your skills and your heart is in it. So it乌鸦传媒檚 really difficult to fail because you乌鸦传媒檙e using all of your strengths and putting that out there,乌鸦传媒� Devon says. 乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 really the key to success.乌鸦传媒�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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