Meet Nichole Ogburn | Handbag Designer

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

Hi Nichole, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

The truth is, Perfect Purse Collection was just a part-time venture that quickly turned into one of the fastest growing handbag boutiques in Atlanta. I’ve always been a shoe lover.  So I figured selling handbags would be a safe product that I wouldn’t try to wear all the time! Fast forward to today, I can actually call myself a Handbag Designer, something that I would not have believed if it was told to me 3 years ago.

This too was never a part of the plan.  It stemmed from a desire to be different. My business started before the pandemic, but with the ‘Great Resignation’, more and more handbag businesses were being started with the same products as mine. That’s when God gave me the vision to design a handbag unlike any other. A bag that can essentially match just about any outfit in your closet, The Perfect Purse. One key aspect to starting a business is to never give up. There are days when I ask myself if I should continue the business, if I’m wasting my time, or should I close the business once I sell all the bags because of the financial and mental toll it takes. But every time I feel this way, a new opportunity arises, or someone speaks an encouraging word to me without even realizing it.

What should our readers know about your business?

Perfect Purse Collection (PPC) is an online handbag boutique that specializes in vegan-leather statement handbags. More importantly, we offer what most handbag companies don’t – an interchangeable color handbag that is designed and sold exclusively by PPC called “The Perfect Purse”. You don’t need many accessories to look like a million bucks, but the Perfect Purse is the only bag you’ll need to match your everyday look. With 10 different color inserts that are included with each bag, you’ll be sure to find the perfect color to match your outfit or mood! What also sets us apart from the other bag companies is we show you the entire look–the outfit, the shoes, and of course, the bag that pulls it all together.

We got to where we are today by sheer perseverance. Manufacturing a bag is one of the most difficult aspects of my business. It’s like a different language that I’ve had to learn almost overnight. The process tested me mentally and financially. The less money I made, the more it pushed me to create more products to represent my brand. For this reason, we have unique Wine-bottle Umbrellas, Purse Hooks, Hand sanitizer clips, Purse Charms, and more accessories & products being developed as we speak. What I want the world to know about me or my brand is that life hasn’t always been easy. I went from being a teen mom, to divorced mom, to a now happily married mom of 3 with 2 bonus daughters. When I had to get groceries from a food pantry, I never dreamed I could be where I am today. My business isn’t where I’d like to be yet, but more and more opportunities are coming our way, and it won’t be long before we are an international brand.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

I am truly an itinerary-driven person. If my best friend was coming to Atlanta, here is what we would do on any given day of the week.

Sunday – Church at St. James United Methodist Church in Alpharetta, GA. Afterwards, we would dine at one of the restaurants at the Avalon–and maybe do a little shopping to walk off the food!

Monday-Wednesday -we would purchase City Pass tickets to visit Atlanta’s hottest attractions such as the Civil Rights Museums and the Coke Building.

Thursday: We would have brunch at the Flavor Rich restaurant in Suwanee, GA. They have THE BEST food my taste buds have ever experienced! Then we’d take the short trip to the Mall of Georgia.

Friday: We rest a bit and have dinner and enjoy live music at the Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint in Downtown Atlanta.

Saturday: We will definitely be at the newest tourist attraction, The New Black Wall Street. Perfect Purse Collection is also a pop-up vendor there, and it is such a beautiful place!

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?
I want to shout out my family! Perfect Purse Collection is a family business. A special thank you goes to my husband, Tony, who always says ‘Let’s Do It’ for all of my business endeavors. I also want to shout out to my boys, DeAntwan and DJ, who get pulled in involuntarily to assist, and of course, my baby girl, Gabrielle, who is my CEO-in-training.  I also want to thank my parents and my sister for their endless support, as well as all of my dear friends who talk me off the ledge continuously.

Website: perfectpursecollection.com

Instagram: instragram.com/perfect_purse_collection

Facebook: facebook.com/perfectpursecollection

Image Credits
professional shots by @rhaynacphotography (instagram)