Voyage Magazine Feature

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zari Chacon.

Hi Zari, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I was modeling full time, on the road 90% of the year, shooting print and commercial projects in between travel gigs. Life was great and I was busier than ever! When all of a sudden a little virus named Corona joined the party… hahaha.

I’m not going to lie and say I absolutely hated it; it was a nice break for me. I know I would have otherwise not taken time to myself and actually given my body the rest it needed. Usually, I book my entire year in January, I know what part of the country I’m going to be when and add jobs throughout the year as needed.

I was in Vegas working a Construction Expo when I got a text message from one of my agencies telling me the client had to cancel a Shoe Expo that I was booked for in 2 days. Immediately, after I got 3 more phone calls from different clients telling me they have to reschedule shows/events/shoots. It was literally overnight the whole world shut down and I lost the next 3 months’ worth of bookings.

The next couple of days, things began to unfold and I began to receive, even more, similar emails. The thing with being self-employed and under an agency is that nobody could prepare for a pandemic like this… meaning we are no longer working, and no longer being paid. YIKES.

I made the best of this unforeseen time off and traveled for a bit and slept for what seemed like years. After about half a year off, I realized that things were not going to change anytime soon. I continued to receive cancellations, now half a year in advance. I knew that my savings account had a finite amount in it and I needed to invest my time and money somewhere I could MAYBE get it back… haha.

I was in Tahoe at the time, we took a trip up to Truckee and while waiting for our restaurant reservation, I killed time shopping. I went into a cute boutique and that’s where I got the idea. Mind you, I have NO retail experience, NO management background, and only a couple of months into my MBA. This was the beginning of August. It was honestly just an idea and I didn’t think anything would ever come of it. Regardless, of not having a job I had a lot of time on my hands and began researching.

By mid-August, I had applied for my licenses and began setting up accounts. I signed my lease at the end of August, my mom thought I was CRAZY. Haha… I just celebrated our first year anniversary last October!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
DEFINITELY NOT. Haha, being a business owner is HARD WORK.

Yes, it’s fun playing dress-up, taking pics, and posting on social but all the back-end stuff SUCKS. Hahaha, I’m not an accountant, nor have I run a brick-and-mortar in the past, so it’s A LOT of research and trial and error!

I think my biggest struggle to date is my location! demographically, I think it’s great however road visibility is killing me!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I do not have a background in retail (or even business) but when unforeseen events arose, (aka COVID), I had to think on my feet and think of something that I would not only enjoy doing with my time but also challenge me and make me excited to go to work!

I am such a bargain shopper, and I try my best to bring that to you! I search day and night looking for cute and trendy pieces at the lowest possible prices while not jeopardizing quality. You’ll find a lot of boho/brunch-style dresses (my fave) but don’t be surprised if you see some of the trendy sexy fashion pieces.

I try to appeal to everyone! If ever you find that we don’t carry something you’d love to see, shoot us a message, we work FOR you! A lot of our buying is influenced by YOU, the customer. Find us on Insta! @adamidolls for new arrival drops & special INSTA-ONLY SALES.

What does success mean to you?
I define success as being able to share and enjoy life fearlessly.

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