Entrepreneur Jena Ralston is styling Mt. Washington, one sale at a time.
Through the power of online shopping and the help of the community, Cloth + Claire is one of the fashion destinations in town, entirely set up and ran by Ralston.
There’s more than clothing on these racks. This shop is driven by passion, a dream, and a mission. “When I found out my mom was starting a boutique I was very happy for her because she has always wanted to do something like this and she loves her boutique and I am very grateful that she had that opportunity to fulfill her dreams and start doing her own business,” Ralston’s 14-year-old daughter, Brooke Ralston said.
Ever since she was young, Ralston has always had an eye for fashion. “My Bachelor’s Degree was in Textile and Apparel Merchandising. When I graduated, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity in KY in that industry. I ended up going in another direction and becoming a teacher. However, my passion never went away. Over the past few years, I found myself daydreaming about what it would be like to start an online boutique,” Ralston said. With the internet being at our fingertips and becoming more useful every day, the possibility of creating an online business did not seem impossible.
Ralston’s mission for Cloth + Claire could be summed up in one word: empowerment. “My main hope for Cloth and Claire is for it to inspire women to find their style again. As you get older or become a mama, it is very easy to lose who you are and put your needs on the back burner. When you feel confident, it can impact all areas of your life,” Ralston said. Being a mom of three, Ralston knows firsthand what the daily life of motherhood looks like and the challenges that come with it. Fortunately, her kids are just as a part of this journey as she is. “She is very proud of herself and so am I, she never thought it would grow this fast this quickly,” Ralston’s oldest daughter, Lily Ralston said.
“I am having so much fun owning my own business. My favorite part is the creative freedom that I have. When you own your own business, you get to decide literally everything. If you want to try something out, nobody is stopping you. If you have a cool idea for a promotion, you have the freedom to give it a try. I love the flexibility and freedom that it gives me,” Ralston said.
It all started as a dream, and was further fueled by motivation. “She works so hard and took her idea and turned it into a business,” Brooke Ralston said. Every step of action needed to launch her business seemed pretty intimidating at the start. “It always seemed unattainable to me. With this venture, I have just kept putting one foot in front of the other to figure things out. There are a lot of legalities to starting a business. I took to the internet and researched, researched and researched some more…the first step was to go to Kentucky’s Government website to secure a name and register legally as an LLC. Then, I had to secure my domain name and decide on an E-Commerce platform to use,” Ralston said.
What makes Ralston’s journey to becoming her own CEO even more inspiring is that she got here on her own. While she had so much praise and support, her success was truly earned.
Looking to the future, Ralston sees steady growth as key. “My hope for Cloth and Claire is for it to continue to expand but at a rate that isn’t too overwhelming. Doubts and fears come along with starting your own business…It requires a lot of faith in your own abilities,” Ralston said. For those out there thinking about launching a dream into reality, Ralston urges great encouragement. “Go for it. It can be done. Being an entrepreneur is such an exciting thing to do. However, it takes work and you get what you are willing to put in. The first step is to dream and brainstorm! Come up with your idea, research names, logos, choose your niche,” Ralston said.
This month marks one year since Cloth + Claire’s beginning, and there is much in store for the future of this business. Ralston’s online boutique can be accessed at clothandclaire.com and her in-person display is located at the Mt. Washington Florist and Coffee Bar on 168 N Bardstown Road. You can also find Ralston at the Spring Festival May 10-11, showcasing her boutique’s authentic style to the community.
