- Words by TessVan StraatenPhotography by Lia Crowe

Devon Bird never thought of herself as an entrepreneur, but after launching a successful clothing store in Sidney two years ago, she害羞草研究所檚 now preparing to open another boutique next door害羞草研究所攁nd she couldn害羞草研究所檛 be happier.

害羞草研究所淏uilding this business and being connected with what I love to do害羞草研究所攊t害羞草研究所檚 not a job,害羞草研究所� says the 31-year-old owner of Moden Boutique. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 entirely consuming in the best possible way. I害羞草研究所檓 doing exactly what I want and what I should be doing.害羞草研究所�

Devon started working in retail when she was just 16 years old害羞草研究所攊t was her first job害羞草研究所攂ut despite her love of fashion, she didn害羞草研究所檛 think it would be her career.

害羞草研究所淚 always worked in retail because I liked the discount, and it was somewhere I felt comfortable,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚 got my degree in sociology with a concentration in health and aging, and I thought I was going to run an assisted living facility for independent seniors.害羞草研究所�

But after getting into merchandising a few years ago, Devon found her passion and decided to push herself out of her comfort zone. She packed up her life in Vancouver and moved back to her hometown of Victoria to open up Moden, which means 害羞草研究所渕ature害羞草研究所� in Norwegian (a nod to her grandmother who came to Canada after the Second World War and had a unique fashion sense).

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not an age to me, it害羞草研究所檚 a mental space,害羞草研究所� Devon explains. 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 really relate to my millennial generation much, so mature was a state of being, a state of mind, a comfort in oneself害羞草研究所攁 mature place to be. You know who you are and you害羞草研究所檙e living that truth and that害羞草研究所檚 what Moden meant to me.害羞草研究所�

That philosophy, of being true to oneself, is also how Devon is running her business. But it害羞草研究所檚 a lesson she had to learn the hard way.

害羞草研究所淲henyou start a business, you don害羞草研究所檛 have somebody telling you what害羞草研究所檚 right or wrong, and I think I started trying to be everything to all people,害羞草研究所� she admits. 害羞草研究所淎fter I opened, people would say, 害羞草研究所極h, the store is too empty害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所榶ou need to carry this害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所榶ou need to carry that害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所榳hy don害羞草研究所檛 you carry skirts?害羞草研究所� and I would think, 害羞草研究所極h gosh, I need to carry more skirts and dresses, I need to do more evening stuff,害羞草研究所� and it started to impact the vision I had for the store, which is everyday comfortable dressing.害羞草研究所�

Devon felt like she was being pulled in too many directions and had to stop, re-evaluate, and learn to trust her gut.

害羞草研究所淵ou can害羞草研究所檛 let people tell you who you are,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淵ou need to know what your business is about. And it害羞草研究所檚 a reflection of you, so you have to be true to that, and everything害羞草研究所攆rom how you decorate to what you have in the store害羞草研究所攈as to come from that vision, or the message is totally lost.害羞草研究所�

For Devon, who says she always thought she害羞草研究所檇 make a better employee than employer, learning to run a business has come with a steep learning curve. But she says the key is not being afraid to ask questions.

害羞草研究所淚 think what you learn is that you have to be quite shameless and ask questions and not be afraid to look silly,害羞草研究所� she advises. 害羞草研究所淚 had to really get over not looking qualified, which was a very humbling experience. But it was also encouraging to see how willing people are to help you when you do ask.害羞草研究所�

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic just 15 months after she opened the store posed a unexpected and unique challenge害羞草研究所攐ne that many new businesses struggled to survive. But it害羞草研究所檚 also been a valuable learning experience.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 made us more nimble and one of the positives out of COVID-19 is that people害羞草研究所檚 habits are broken up,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淣obody wants to go to a big mall full of people now, so they害羞草研究所檙e looking for their outdoor shopping centres; they害羞草研究所檙e looking for their local, independent boutiques.I害羞草研究所檝e been so encouraged to see people coming back, people really worried about my business and buying gift cards or shopping online for the first time just to support me.害羞草研究所�

Devon害羞草研究所檚 so encouraged, she害羞草研究所檚 planning to expand and open a new store害羞草研究所擬oden Essentials, which will carry lingerie, loungewear and basics害羞草研究所攊n March.

害羞草研究所淥pening a business at anytime is a risk, but you mitigate that risk by being really clear,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淎re you offering something that people need? I want to continue to do what Moden did, which is offer what害羞草研究所檚 missing and I think the next space that could really be elevated is lingerie and lounge.害羞草研究所�

It all comes back to Devon害羞草研究所檚 approach to business and life害羞草研究所攌nowing who you are and being authentic.

害羞草研究所滻f you害羞草研究所檙e doing exactly what you害羞草研究所檙e supposed to be doing, you害羞草研究所檙e using your skills and your heart is in it. So it害羞草研究所檚 really difficult to fail because you害羞草研究所檙e using all of your strengths and putting that out there,害羞草研究所� Devon says. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 really the key to success.害羞草研究所�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
Like Boulevard Magazine on and follow them on