Meet Carlissa Pettway | Entrepreneur

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

Hi Carlissa, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Every since I was a little girl my grandmother dressed me to the nines! From the can can dress, down to the handmade lace socks. Fashion is my passion! Fashion allows me to express my view on style anyway i choose. And to me i feel like nobody has the right to judge that you know. Anybody that knows me knows that my passion and goals in life have to deal with fashion. When it comes to clothing and style it comes easy one of the easiest things i’m good at. My thought process behind starting Sittin Pretty was to make sure that Sittin Pretty is a place where all woman can shop and simply feel pretty.That Sittin Pretty was more than just a boutique, but also a brand dedicated to fashion,style, and making my customer not only look but feel great.Which is carefully thought out with each piece that is hand selected and designed.To continue to proved fabulous fashion, and the latest trends at affordable pricing points. To be able to pride myself on being pro-women and pushing each and every customer that shops with me the chance to feel and look pretty.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Sittin Pretty aims to offer customers a wide variety of statement pieces that are bold and different. While placing individuality at the center of each item and taking pride in delivering high quality clothing, because who doesn’t like to Sit Pretty?” The energy is always so pleasant, like I’ve never been to any place that makes me feel like this. The owner is so pleasant until I don’t mind spending my money with her. Her energy is what sets her aside from every other black female owned boutique I’ve ever been to. Whenever I’m having a bad day I’ll just go by there to the window shop because I’m guaranteed to leave feeling better.”Ladies if you don’t already go shop with her even if it’s just to feel the vibes.” THIS! Customer service is my top priority! Nothing worth having comes easy! Nothing great came from staying in your comfort zone. Take the risk! Take the leap of faith! You’ve waited long enough! Simply start Plan. Execute {Even when it’s hard}. Prosper. It’s never too late to start.“ All success starts with one. One step. One client. One order. One sale. While dreams of greatness are great, we must remember to appreciate the joy of the start.” I started my online boutique in 2020 during the pandemic. I generated so much in sales that first year of opening my online boutique, that i had to find a larger space and opened my brick and mortar August of 2021. Consistency is the key! You have to stay consistent. Market and content, content sales itself. Yes there are a million other clothing brands, boutiques etc. If you go to your local Walmart right now and walk down the bread aisle how many different brands you see? My point exactly, it’s enough room in the industry for us all to eat.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Mardi Gras! Visit During Mardi Gras! If you end up being in Mobile during the months of February or March, be sure to participate in the Mardi Gras festivities! They don’t call this the birthplace of Mardi Gras for no reason! The parties and festivities usually start with several parades leading up to the main event. Then on the actual day of Mardi Gras, the city is completely covered with Mardi Gras celebrations, and the parade floats go on for miles! There are tons of fun things to do anytime you visit our historic, coastal town! You’ll find museums and attractions showcasing everything from fine art to Mardi Gras, history to science, the military to mums. Oh, and did I mention we have a variety of mouthwatering food, including oysters, crawfish, and beignets? So pack your bag and your appetite because I will go over the best things to do in Mobile, Alabama! While Nashville has Broadway and New Orleans has Bourbon Street, Mobile has Dauphin Street. The most lively place to take a stroll! Lower Dauphin Street, or LoDa, is known as the entertainment district. Here, you can find fun bars, cafes, restaurants, and shopping. Go on a Downtown Mobile Food Tour. Mobile, has some delicious food to try! What better way to experience the Mobile culture than through its food? This tour is rated 5 stars and allows you to experience unique southern cuisine. You’ll also learn about three centuries of Mobile history and will go to 7 stops in LoDa. Visit the Mobile Carnival Museum. Which is also known as the Mardi Gras Museum. The museum offers fourteen gallery rooms, a pictorial hallway, a theater, a social gathering area, and a gift shop. It’s quite interesting and worth a visit just to see the costumes! Grab a Coffee and Breakfast Tacos at Nova Espresso. Start our day off right by visiting Nova Espresso. This is a local favorite coffee shop that brews up some delicious coffee and lattes. Pair that with their breakfast tacos to go from Front Yard Tacos. Tacos and coffee, there is no better way to kick off our Mobile adventure.Grab a Coffee and Breakfast Tacos at Nova Espresso. Grab Beignets from Mo’Bay Beignets. Beignets are a staple in southern cuisine, so you have to try one in Mobile. Mo’Bay Beignets is a famous dessert shop located on Dauphin Street. I recommend enjoying a hand-crafted cocktail or glass of wine at POST, which is an adorable cocktail bar that has a fun and lively patio where you can shut off and relax. You can also visit the famous Wintzell’s Oyster House. This place started as a six-stool oyster bar and has morphed and grown! You can try their oysters, fried, stewed, or nude. If you’re craving Mexican food, El Papi is a fun spot with a patio for tacos and margaritas. Afterward, shop until you drop at some of the cute boutique shops down Dauphin St. steps away from Dauphin Street is also a newer park you can stroll through called Mardi Gras Park. Enjoy a movie at Push Cinema. Go Dive Bar Hopping. Mobile has a fun and lively nightlife scene, which is why I recommend bar hopping when visiting. Dive–bars are the place to go for live music, cold drinks, and tasty food. So let’s talk about the best ones you can visit. The Outsider sports lounge and Insider collective eatery. Kazoola eatery, and entertainment. Lit Cigar Lounge bar and Kanary Bar. Visit the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial. The ship hit the seas on February 1, 1940, and was used in World War II, in the North Atlantic in 1943, then later went to the South Pacific seas. Eventually, the battleship ended up in Mobile, AL as a National Historic Landmark. Now you can visit the ship and take a tour of it. Go on a Delta Wildlife Kayak Tour. Within this lush habitat, you’ll see all sorts of wildlife like alligators, bald eagles, osprey, pelicans, and herons. Take a Stroll on the Mobile Community Oyster Trail. In 2013, the city of Mobile decided to have 12 large Oyster art pieces placed around town in various locations. All of the oysters are 4 feet and were painted by a local artist! Explore the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center. At this exhilarating center, you can learn all about science and watch an educational movie at their Dome Center. Then experience their interactive exhibits and family-friendly hands-on programming. Visit the Alabama Contemporary Arts Center. The Alabama Contemporary Arts Center is a non-profit contemporary arts center. They have 10-12 exhibitions per year and focus on supporting living artists. If contemporary isn’t your style, Mobile also has the Mobile Museum of Art you can check out! Get Educated at Mobile’s History Museum. Learn about Mobile’s past by visiting the History Museum of Mobile. There are three sites at the museum, the History Museum of Mobile, Colonial Fort Condé, and the Phoenix Fire Museum. Check out the GulfQuest National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. Come here to experience the only museum in the world that is dedicated to the history and culture of America’s Sea. Check Out the Old Homes in the Oakleigh Garden Historic District. The Oakleigh Garden Historic district is full of old, southern-style mansions that date back to the 1820s. Enjoy the Local Street Art and Public Murals. A fun thing about Mobile is that on top of art museums, there’s also great street art and murals! Definitely check out the street art on Dauphin Street. Take a Stroll Through Bienville Square. See what’s happening at the beautiful Bienville Square. This park hosts seasonal festivals and live concerts. Some events include Kids Day, Bayfest Music Festival, and Jazz in Bienville. Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Which is a cathedral that was one of the first Catholic Parishes on the Gulf Coast. You can visit the Cathedral during Mass or you can simply visit outside of Mass hours to marvel at the building’s architecture. Spend your evening relaxing at the four-star hotel of The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa. This historic hotel was built in 1908 as the Battle House Hotel. Now, this hotel is all about luxury and comfort. Get a night of rest in their comfortable beds, or head down to the spa for a day of pampering. Located in the heart of downtown Mobile, you truly cannot pass up this historic hotel. Enjoy the Sunset on Mobile Bay. Complete your sunset goals at Mobile Bay, which is a shallow inlet of the Gulf of Mexico. It is an area that is jam-packed with history too. Mobile became the major Confederate port on the Gulf of Mexico shortly after the fall of New Orleans in 1862. It is hands down one of the best places in Alabama for you to enjoy a stunning sunset. Mobile, Alabama, is very much worth a weekend trip! Mobile is truly a hidden gem located in the south.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
MY grandmother, Audrey Bridges