Meet Tina Roper | Wardrobe Stylist and Motivator

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

Hi Tina, how does your business help the community?

I recognize and appreciate the lot of people who have helped me get to where I am. I believe, whole-heartedly, that it is my duty to put that energy back into the universe and help ignite, cultivate, and endorse the passions of others. Dressing my first professional client was a positive and rewarding experience. The client was a high-ranking public official who I had an opportunity to dress for a CBC awards banquet in which she was being honored. She was keen to support my very small, woman-owned business. On the evening of her event, she felt great and garnered many compliments. From there, she contracted me to help build her wardrobe. She also referred me to others; an action that had a resounding and lasting impact on me as well as on the Freshery.

That experience taught me two lessons; I learned that if you prepare for your big idea, the opportunity to execute it will come to you. I also learned that I have a strong intrinsic duty to pay my opportunities forward. I felt I needed to develop a platform to support and encourage others in the way that my client supported and encouraged me. As a result, I formed The WENner’s Circle, Inc.; a small networking community of female entrepreneurs. We have been in existence for five years. I would describe the WENner’s Circle as a support group/ social group. The WENner’s Circle creates opportunities, events, and spaces for its members to coach each other, refer one another, and create a local, national, and [hopefully] a global impact together. This year, I have taken steps to incorporate it as a not-for -profit so that we can expand our capacity and scope. As it develops, we will also host a young entrepreneur’s program where we can engage youth in actively developing their entrepreneurial skills.

What should our readers know about your business?

The Urban Freshery (The Freshery) is a minority-owned image consulting and wardrobe styling firm. The mission of the Freshery is simple. We put amazing people into awesome clothes that make them feel uber confident and authoritative. We celebrate and honor each person’s uniqueness by placing emphasis on capturing the essence and character of our clients so that they feel good in the garments they choose to wear. We also share techniques with them to prepare them to make informed and intentional wardrobe choices that keep them looking and feeling their best independent of us.

The Freshery grew out of my love of dressing others. It really was a hobby that blossomed. I think what makes my business unique is the emphasis on dressing the workforce and young entrepreneurs. Our focus is not on mimicking the “corporate look” but on reinventing it. I love to put my clients in colors and in patterns. People should feel good when going to work or to meetings or to sets. When Beyonce takes the stage, the audience is captivated. When my client walks into a board room or a venture capital meeting, or even into their cubicle, I want those seated around them to take note. I always make it a point to include one piece that will evoke conversation in the looks I style whether it be a clever shoe, rhinestone epaulettes, or a vintage purse. I call what I do “serious fun”. I enjoy styling everyone from receptionists to CEOs. The thing that they all would say about me is that I get the job done and I make them laugh!

Right now, I am most excited about growing the WENner’s Circle group into a full-fledged not-for-profit. It has been a process, but I am so proud of each of the members, and I appreciate them for encouraging me on this journey.

My journey literally began when I was in grade school. I have loved clothing since I was a child. It’s not just the way clothes look but the way that they feel both texturally and on your skin. My fashion icons are the Jeffersons’s title sitcom character Louise and her best friend Helen Willis. Late 70’s/ Early 80’s fashion moves me in an almost spiritual way.

Business-wise, I am where I am because of the influence of my paternal family and my entrepreneurial friends. I was reared by my grandmother who, in her lifetime, owned two beauty salons and a diner. She didn’t have a high school education, but she knew how to handle business. She was also keen on her grandchildren getting a proper, private education. Her daughter- my aunt- was a seriously over-achieving and well-accomplished government official who still belongs to several social organizations and has a handful of hobbies she has converted to what we now refer to as a side hustle. I think I live in between the example they collectively set. The lesson I gleaned from them is that there is nothing I cannot do… as long as I can afford to do it. As a result, I work a salaried job in the daytime where I help to cultivate the visions of some amazing public leaders. In the evenings and on weekends however, I get to breathe life into my businesses. It is definitely a labor of love. The biggest challenge is finding time to sleep. To reset, I take at least one extended vacation each year where, for ten days, I (try) to stay unplugged. Being on the slow track to business viability is also a challenge because my commitments to my day job often force me to forfeit opportunities I could have to grow my business. Daily, I remind myself that I have to be disciplined and commit to my own process. I truly believe that my steps are ordained. I go where divine energy takes me so that I am always where I am meant to be.

The biggest lesson I have learned on my entrepreneurial journey is that hard work, humanness, and customer service will never go out of style. That notion is always at the forefront of everything I do. I strive to be authentic first, and then diligent and empathetic. Honesty, integrity, and sensitivity go a long way. These are the pillars on which my reputation stands.

I want the world to know that there is nothing more unique or special about me than anyone else. I worry about failure a lot and I am often afraid to take big swings but the desire to honor my naturally creative spirit propels me to be brave and to do it all scared. I remind myself that everything is not for everybody, but everyone can find their community. The only way to find your community though, is to show yourself. Here I am, showing myself.

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?
All of my friends love to eat 😊. Atlanta has excellent cuisine and some amazing up-and-coming chefs and restaurateurs. I think my friends and I would spend the weekend eating our way around Atlanta. We would grab brunch at Gocha’s (pancakes for me!), lunch at one of the Jamaican food trucks (I love them all in real life), and dinner at Sundial (I am like a big kid. I love rotating restaurants). On the last full day in town, we would end the visit with brunch at Roc’s and, if we could snag a reservation, dinner at Marcus Bar and Grille or Lazy Betty. I would definitely treat my friends to dessert at Endulge. In between eating, we would hit the mall and maybe catch some jazz in the park or grab some culture at the Historic Oakland Cemetery. And, because I never tire of it, I would take them to the Coca-Cola Factory if they have never been.

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 stand on the shoulders of many! First and foremost, I must shout out my paternal grandmother, and the woman who reared me, Annie Mae Roper. She was an entrepreneur and a very strong woman. She owned two beauty salons and a diner. She set a fine example. Without her, there literally would be no me!

I also want to shout out my fiancé and our blended family, my friends, and my family who support me endlessly and encourage me daily. This is really a group effort. My friends and cousins are my models and my sister-cousin is my creative director. My aunts are my go-to resources for in-kind help and cash 🙂 My stunningly gorgeous sisters and brothers inspire me. I appreciate it all, truly.

Website: www.theurbanfreshery.com

Instagram: @gold_medal_shopper

Image Credits
Jalen Rhys and Fran Scott