Melissa interviews Mandy Becker, owner of Swagger Boutique, a women’s style destination in Wake County with locations in Raleigh and Cary. Becker shares how a beloved South Georgia gift shop inspired her, how she earned an engineering degree at Georgia Tech, opened Swagger as a gift store in 2002, and expanded into clothing in 2011 after customer requests. She explains what boutique ownership is really like, including unexpected friendships and learning business without formal classes, with support from her husband. Becker breaks down how and where she shops markets (Atlanta for gifts; Dallas and Vegas for clothing), how delivery timing affects buying, and how she forecasts trends while selecting for Swagger’s broad age range. She highlights upcoming trends like butter yellow, chocolate brown, polka dots, stripes, zebra, scarves, brooches, chunky jewelry, and outerwear, plus how social media and live selling shape the business.

00:00 Meet Mandy and Swagger

02:17 Origins and Early Inspiration

03:41 Engineer to Gift Shop Owner

04:29 Pivot to Clothing Boutique

05:40 Retail Realities and Relationships

07:34 How Fashion Markets Work

10:45 Trend Forecasting and Customer Fit

16:22 Spring Summer Trend Report

18:45 Easy Closet Refresh Tips

20:07 Color Analysis and Teen Feedback

22:03 Passing Down the Boutique

22:43 Who Picks Trend Colors

24:04 Fall Outerwear Forecast

25:21 Swagger Vibe in 3 Words

26:20 Confidence and Body Positivity

27:08 Social Media and Live Shopping

32:15 Five-Year Vision for Swagger

33:37 Lightning Round Favorites

35:52 Where to Shop and Follow

37:24 Final Thanks and Wrap Up