Community Highlights: Meet Crystal Jackson of Hello Sunshine Boutique

Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Jackson.

Hi Crystal, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
For most of my life, I was extremely overweight and struggled to find clothes that fit my body at an affordable price. I loved fashion, but as a size 3X, it was hard to find stylish, affordable clothes. So, in 2017, I decided to launch an online plus-size boutique. I knew that other women struggled just like I did and I wanted to offer them not just clothes but a feeling of confidence. I had no idea how this move would change my life.

Within the first few months, I started offering sizes Small through 3X through my online boutique. I had requests from ladies who wanted the same styles I was offering in plus sizes, so I decided to give it a try. It took a long while to build a good customer base and to find the perfect brands to represent in my boutique. Although I wanted to offer a boost of confidence to my clientele, I was struggling with my own confidence. I used stock photos of the items I offered on my website because I could not bare to take pictures of myself and post online.

While building my brand, I still worked full-time at a nursing home as a Social Services Director. It was a challenge to balance everything, but I was determined to make it work. Two years into running the boutique, I set a goal of quitting my full-time job. My goal date was Fall 2020. Little did we know that a pandemic would hit the world.

During this time, I also decided that for my health and my family, I needed to lose weight. So, I went on a journey that has changed my life tremendously by having gastric bypass surgery in 2019. As I started losing weight, I also worked on my mental well-being, including my confidence and self-love. Within six months of beginning the journey, I felt confidant enough to model the clothes for my website. That was a turning point for me and the boutique. As I learned to love myself more, I also started reaching out to the women in my boutique group to offer them encouragement. My goals were clear at that point: this wasn’t about selling a woman clothes. It was about teaching her to love her body, to feel good when she got dressed every morning, and to encourage her to live her best life. I shifted my focus because I did not just want to sell an article of clothing. I wanted every lady who purchased from me to feel loved and to look in the mirror every morning and think, “I look good!”.

Due to the pandemic, I put off quitting my day job because I was scared to take that plunge into the unknown. As things started to reopen though, I realized that it was time for me to do what I know is my calling in life- helping other women. In April 2021, I quit my full-time job and launched a second business. I decided that I wanted to offer healthy meals to my small town right outside of Nashville. During my weight loss journey, I had to learn to cook healthy alternatives to what I had spent my life eating. I learned to make adjustments to old recipes so that they were healthier. I also found a love of working out. So, I launched Conquering Crystal Coaching.

I now offer healthy, low carb meals, as well as vegan meals for preorder and also inside of Street Coffee Coffee Bar. I run Hello Sunshine Boutique and Conquering Crystal Coaching separately, but sometimes they cross over into each other, which I absolutely love!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’m not sure there’s been anything smooth about the road to where I am now. From learning how to find quality clothes to offer to figuring out the best website platform and beyond- I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my business. The important thing is to keep moving forward.

We’ve been impressed with Hello Sunshine Boutique, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Hello Sunshine Boutique isn’t just a clothing store for women of all sizes. I provide encouragement to other women. I offer a glimpse into my life- the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want women to LOVE THEMSELVES because that is so important! I try to provide weekly affirmations to my group of customers, as well as just occasional reminders that they are AMAZING HUMANS!

My boutique isn’t upscale; it is everyday clothing items for real women of all sizes. The clothes are affordable because that is extremely important to me. Most of our items are under $30 each.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think more and more people are shopping online, especially after the year of the pandemic. I feel like fashion will always be ever-changing, which is why I try to provide not just the current styles but also basics for any wardrobe.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.hellosunshineboutique.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellosunshinebout/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellosunshinebout/

Image Credits
Group Pictures: Rayanna Sellers Photography Headshots: Samantha Scott Photography