Meet Devonte Smith | Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Devonte Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Devonte, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Sometimes in life we reach a point where we are asking ourselves whether to keep going or to give up. My answer always is to keep going. With a vision in mind, I started Divine Boutique in January 2018. The plan was to open my boutique in Perimeter Mall. I received the keys to my store, and started the process of opening up within a month. Once I started the process, everything went downhill. Vendors, wholesalers, and business partners all flaked; therefore, I had no choice but to stop the process of opening the boutique. I did not allow this to make me give up. I did take a break for a few years to really research the market, and analyze my business structure. I told myself that I have to keep going, and Divine Boutique will be a successful boutique. I decided to operate fully online until the business reaches a substantial revenue. Next, I will move on to obtaining brick-and-mortar.

All in all, most people just give up too soon. As soon as a problem arises, people will just call it quits and throw in the towel. My advice is to stick with it, hustle, and keep the same energy you had when you started. Success does not happen overnight. It takes blood, sweat, and tears to build a successful business from the ground up. Expect it to be hard; therefore, when it is actually hard – you are not surprised.

Overall, my advice is to never give up. Always keep going!

What should our readers know about your business?
So many people know that customer service is vital for the success of any business. Customer service is what sets my business, Divine Boutique, apart from others. We go above and beyond to make sure our customers are satisfied. We provide fast shipping speeds, easy returns, and an easy to navigate webpage.

It took several years to get to where I am today business-wise. I wanted to give up back in 2018 when I first started the business due to unforeseen circumstances. However, I kept the faith and continued to move forward with the business. this was not easy, but I overcame the challenges I faced. I overcame not being able to have a storefront by building an online boutique instead.

I’ve learned several lessons along the way. The most important lesson I learned is to never give up. Successful business owners are faced with many challenges every single day, but they don’t give up. I refuse to give up!

I want the world to know that it took a lot of hard work and dedication to build my business to where it is today. I never gave up or lost faith, and that was key to my success!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my friend was visiting Atlanta for a week long trip, I would definitely take them to Sivas in Midtown. This is definitely one of my go to spots in the city.

I would also take them to Lily’s in Buckhead for brunch. I love there Fried Lobster & Jumbo Shrimp brunch meal.

During the week, the best places to take my best friend would be the Illuminarium, High Museum of Art, and Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Without a support system, many people will find it hard to keep going. I am thankful for the support I receive from family and friends. Most importantly, I have to give credit and recognition to my mom. Growing up, I always watched my mom work hard to provide for my siblings and I. She did whatever it took to make sure we had exactly what we needed. We might didn’t always get what we wanted, but we for sure had what we needed.

My drive for greatness is because of my mom. She has instilled in me to never give up. She raised me to be a kind-hearted individual. In return, this will lead to so much success.

Thank you mother, Felicia McDonald, for always being there!

Website: www.divineboutiquellc.com

Instagram: @divineperimeterboutique

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/divineperimeterboutique