Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Bures.
Hi Maria, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Founded in 2020 in the sunshine state Orlando, FL, Moon Phase Boutique was created by Maria A. Burés. Born and raised in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, with a love for fashion and style, Maria launched an online women’s boutique during a Pandemic. Moon Phase is an online women’s boutique for women who dare to dream, create, and inspire. My main purpose with this business is to provide versatile yet trendy styles so that women can diversify their wardrobe and be at the forefront of fashion.
I grew up in Puerto Rico, where I studied Business Administration and Marketing and also took some courses in Interior Design as well as Fashion Design. While I was in college, I was also working part-time as a sales associate at local fashion boutiques. As a sales associate I had many roles, from unpacking new inventory to styling clients, assisting in photoshoots, and even building e-commerce websites. Working at local boutiques for more than 5 years gave me an advantage not only in the fashion industry but also in the aspects of how to run the business. in 2019, I decided to quit my job and move to Orlando, FL, in search of bigger and better opportunities. Right away I started working at Nordstrom Rack as a cashier, while pursuing an online Master’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising and Retail Management, and 7 months later the Pandemic happened. During the time that I was working in Nordstrom Rack, I was determined to do an internship for the buying and merchandising department because I wanted to build a career as a fashion buyer. However, my plans were on pause due to the Pandemic and I had plenty of time to think about what I really wanted. The Universe had other plans for me. Being my own boss and running the show was always at the back of my mind so I started asking myself, what if I become a fashion buyer for my own boutique? And that’s when I started doing my research on everything I needed to open an online boutique. I’ve always been a firm believer that you can achieve anything that you set your mind to, so I just went for it and here I am doing what I love for a living! Although I am not yet exactly were I want to be with my business, I am working hard everyday to get there. Success is not built overnight and as long as you are persistent with following your dreams everything else will fall into place.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road! I’ve cried both tears of joy and of frustration. Having a business is like riding a rollercoaster because you are not going to feel happy or motivated everyday, however you need to keep going and keep showing up for yourself even when nobody else is showing up for you. I feel like the most that I have struggled with aside from sales is building a community and finding opportunities to expose my business. Another struggle of owning a business is putting in the work daily and not getting results, feeling like a failure. I have learned that this is all normal and part of the process.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Moon Phase is an online women’s boutique for women who dare to dream, create, and inspire. My main purpose with this business is to provide versatile yet trendy styles so that women can diversify their wardrobe and be at the forefront of fashion. At Moon Phase Boutique you can find women’s clothing, accessories, and women-owned lifestyle brands. The business’ core values are: empowerment, self-love, transparency, quality, authenticity, creativity, gratitude, and positivity.
I am currently running a one-man-show. Being the sole proprietor of this business means curating every aspect of the business from inventory to packaging, shipping, creating content, marketing, social media, to managing the website and all of the financial aspects of the business. At the moment I do everything myself and I am so thankful for the support of my partner because he always helps me create my content and take pictures to showcase the merchandise. My specialty and most favorite role is buying the merchandise, curating and selecting each piece with love and my customers in mind of course. I’d say I am best known for my versatile style and being ahead of the trends. I like to explore different styles and create fashion-forward outfits. With fashion the possibilities are endless, there are no rules.
I am proud of myself because I have grown so much mentally. Having a business forces you to come out of your shell and comfort zone. So I am really proud of that, as my business evolves so do I. I am also proud that throughout my business I have been able to collaborate with people that I respect within the industry and I have also attended local pop-up shops as a vendor.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory was staying in my grandparent’s boat and spending 2 weeks at the Caribbean islands, going to the beach and having fun without a care in the world.
Contact Info:
- Email: shopmoonphasebtq@gmail.com
- Website: www.moonphaseboutique.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopmoonphasebtq/
