The Internet is truly an amazing thing. Forty years ago, the details of Pink Slate would have looked a lot different. Co-owners Amber and Susan would have needed a storefront, shop hours and additional staff. However with the Internet, Pink Slate can be a clothing boutique without the brick and mortar of a traditional shop. Furthermore, the Internet can reach farther and wider than one boutique shop in a Midwestern city.

The story of Pink Slate started with a friendship formed by two women overseas. While Amber and Susan attended the same high school, they were not close friends. However five years later they found themselves in Germany together when Susan’s husband and Amber were stationed in the military together. They were outnumbered by all the men, so they formed a strong friendship in the barracks over bottles of wine and laughter. Little did they know that that friendship would define their future.

After they left Germany, the two remained incredibly close. Over the next few years both women experienced many hardships and life changes. And yet they continued to be each other’s supporters. This strong friendship was how Pink Slate was born.

Pink Slate is an online boutique for women of all shapes and sizes. Their vision is to promote self-love, confidence and positivity. It was incredibly important to Amber and Susan to own a business promoting positive self-esteem. In the past, both have struggled with weight loss and gain, and self-esteem issues.

“Our hope and dream is that the Pink Slate woman feels as amazing as she truly is when she puts on one of our pieces,” said Amber. “We want our customer to hold herself proudly and confidently, knowing that she is BEAUTIFUL.”

Running a small business is not easy, though. Both admit to finding that work-life balance to be a struggle. They both constantly have to remind themselves that faith and family take precedence over Pink Slate. While Susan worked in the fashion industry and Amber worked in the corporate world, starting a business was completely new to them. There were many things they had to learn from scratch.

However both women seem to absolutely love it. Through their online boutique, they have met countless other women. While they have a passion for fashion, they seem to have more of a passion for people and relationships. They have connected with many other female small business owners across the country. They have had opportunities to collaborate and cross-promote each other.

“There are women we haven’t even met yet, that live across the country, who we know that we could count on if we needed help, support, advice, or just to listen to,” said Amber. “We want to be the same for other women!”

The clothing in their shop is clothing that they feel like they would own. Rather than paying attention to fashion trends, they pay attention to what is trending on television, in culture, lifestyle and culture. The women who model the clothing are mostly friends or family members. In the beginning, Amber and Susan would model the clothing. They like to laugh looking back as both women said they prefer to stay behind the camera.

They also are always looking for ways to give back. They want to use their boutique as a vehicle to make the world a better place. In the past they’ve supported an angel tree program, the Sleeping Sound and have volunteered their time in various ministries.

Disclaimer: their website is down 12.12.15 to control inventory as the ladies have their shop set up at an event all day! We hope it’s a success and lots of women become life-long customers! In the mean time, you should just go to their Pinterest to check out more of their photos!