Meet Arriana Bey | Boutique Owner & Consultant

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

Hi Arriana, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think my outlook on risk taking comes from a really positive and hopeful place, “When nothing is certain, anything is possible.” is the quote that I live by when it comes to taking risks. I feel that possibilities are endless once you step out of your comfort zone, but its always a risky move because you can never be certain of the outcome. I have always been someone who is willing to risk loss in hope for gain, but that’s because the gain is always worth the risk for me. I make sure to back up every calculated risk I take with hard work and persistence, and it usually works out for me.

I wouldn’t be where I am today in life without taking risks, I left corporate American back in 2018 to work for myself as a nightlife promoter, that was risky. I recently moved to Atlanta with no savings and no job, also risky behavior. I started my boutique BombBey with my last, and every time I purchase inventory I’m taking another risk of loss. The funny thing is I never looked at my decisions as “risks” until I was asked this question. The decisions I make are fueled by confidence and come as second nature. No risk no reward rings true for me.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
BombBey is an online women’s boutique, created for stylish cultivated women from all walks of life. I started BombBey in the thick of the pandemic, when I was at one of my lowest points. BombBey is almost symbolic for me. Whenever I’m feeling stagnant or unmotivated I scroll on my business Instagram or website, and I get inspired. Inspired by myself because BombBey is a constant reminder of my capabilities. I funded BombBey with my stimulus check, and I set a goal to turn profit on launch day. I never been so focused on one goal in my life, I was eating, breathing and sleeping (barely) BombBey in efforts to hit my goal. Not only did I reach my launch day goal, but I found a new love for branding and content creation along the way. I made so many financial and social sacrifices during the start up phase. The consistency and discipline I put into BombBey is reflected in the quality of my branding, and that makes every photoshoot and website update that much more special to me.

Starting a business is not easy, and running the business is even harder. I will admit that I’ve struggle with customer service, mainly because of my anxiety. I am a huge over thinker and that’s counter productive as a small business owner. I’ve challenged myself to be more solution based, make decisions more quickly and utilize my resources. Because it is MY business there are obstacles that I have to overcome alone, and there is a lot of humility in that. I am not a perfect business owner, but I am trying my best to provide women with clothing and service they can be proud of. In an era of instant gratification, starting a business is when you learn to appreciate the slow grind and hopefully fall in love with the process. I’ve experienced a lot of life altering events since starting the business, it’s still a challenge to stay on top of everything, but I really want to see what happens if I don’t give up.

The coolest thing that came from starting BombBey was that it opened new doors for me all on its own. Since launching my brand, I’ve helped dozens of women start their own. I received an overwhelming amount of support from purchases to DMs expressing how impressive my branding is. I take a lot of pride in setting the standard for quality branding. I had the opportunity to work with J Visionary Visuals for my early brand shoots, and in turn it really helped her grow her business as well. That’s something I’m really proud of because in addition to being my photographer, she’s also my best friend.

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?
So I recently moved to Atlanta, and it doesn’t exactly feel like home enough for me to show someone the best time ever but we can have a lot of fun doing the things that I’ve done so far….

Monday:
My absolute favorite place in Atlanta is Piedmont park. It reminds me of a scene straight out of a Disney movie. There are picnics in the grass, birds chirping, people rollerskating, dogs playing fetch, musicians playing jazz, kids riding bikes, couples feeding ducks, etc. It’s just an instant mood booster. So we’d do a picnic here.

Tuesday:
We are def visiting Stone Mountain and taking a hike. The work out is amazing and the views are beautiful, my friends already know to expect some sort of fitness fun from me.

Wednesday:
I for sure want to take them to Slutty Vegan, its such a vibe! Aside from the food being good (and vegan) the staff is really high energy, and so is the music. Although the line is usually pretty long to enter, the cool thing about ATL is there are vendors selling baked goods, drinks and handmade jewelry while you wait in line. There is always an opportunity to support black business.

Thursday:
We are going to visit Ponce City Market, and go to Skyline Park. Skyline Park is a carnival like experience on a rooftop. Games, small rides, mini golf, funnel cakes, full bar, and a Photo Booth all make for a nostalgic childhood experience and some good old fashioned fun.

Friday:
We are going to the aquarium because I never been and heard great things.

Saturday:
I know it sounds like we should be going to the club, but I barely go out in ATL since I work in a club. I still been meaning to go to GoldRoom, so we can go there.

Sunday:
We are 100% going to brunch at Fellaship, its a cigar bar. They have this saxophone player who does cover music to popular R&B songs, quality cigars, and delicious food. This is an occasion to throw on a fancy hat or some heels.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As much as I want to dedicate my shoutout to my immediate family or best friends, I actually want to take this moment to recognize my social media followers who have turned customers, clients and friends. I have a unique relationship with social media, and for that I am thankful. There is a sort of sisterhood that I’ve created with my followers, and because of that they have also become PGH Tonight Promotions event attendees, BombBey Boutique customers, MilkshakeConsult clients, and continue to support me in every endeavor I pursue. The words of encouragement, the messages expressing admiration, the accountability, all of it fuels me on my journey. I have so much love for the women who take the time out of their day to express to me how I motivate them, because in turn it motivates me. One of my biggest motivators is that I have women watching me, and I can’t let them down. I can’t even begin to express my gratitude to such an unexpected group, women who choose to pour into me on the daily. I have love for women I have never met, and I can feel the genuine love and happiness they have for me and all my success. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my social media following, shout out to my internet tribe, those girls are special!

Website: BombBey.com

Instagram: @ArrianaBey

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-kdhmAS8hFz7v8bgbkBSg?app=desktop

Image Credits
J Visionary