Candice Williams, August 16th, 2022

Title

Candice Williams, August 16th, 2022

Description

In this interview, Candice Williams talks about being the owner of Bark's Fifth Avenue as well as being raised in Detroit.

Publisher

Detroit Historical Society

Rights

Detroit Historical Society

Language

en-US

Narrator/Interviewee's Name

Candace Williams

Brief Biography

Candace Williams was born in 1980 in Detroit. She has ventured in several entrepreneurial opportunities, but eventually opened her own business Bark's Fifth Avenue.

Interviewer's Name

Lily Chen

Interview Place

Detroit, MI

Date

8/16/2022

Interview Length

46:30

Transcriptionist

Taylor Claybrook

Transcription

LC: All right. So today is. August 16th, August 16th. Tue Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday it is Tuesday. And this is Lilly Chen: . I am interviewing for the Hustle project and we are really excited to be talking to one of our nominees. So go ahead and start with just the basics. So your name and go ahead and spell it out and then give us your business name too.

CW: My name is Candice Williams. It's C A N D A C E W I DOUBLE L I A M S and I am the owner of Bark's Fifth Avenue. B. A. R. K. S. F. I. F T H avenue. AVE.

LC: Awesome. And what's the address of your store?

CW: It is 19359 Livernois avenue in Detroit. 48221.

LC: Okay. And what year...what year was it found?

CW: It actually started this business. I just opened in April for this business. I just opened in April of this year.

LC: Wow. Yes. That's really exciting. Okay. And you say this business like you have run businesses before.

CW: Yes. So I have a partnership with my mother as well. And another boutique, Teaser's Boutique that's actually located right next door to Bark's Fifth Avenue.

LC: Wow.

CW: So, yes, a duo.

LC: Okay. All right. Cool. And then. And what year were you born and where were you born? In Detroit.

CW: I was born in Detroit in 1980.

LC: Okay. Cool. So let's start at the beginning, even before the business. So tell me about growing up in Detroit and. Yeah, a little bit about your childhood.

CW: So growing up, I've always been... I'm the youngest of three children to two entrepreneurs. My mom has been an entrepreneur since I met her. She started off her original business as a hairstylist and then kind of migrated into doing clothing and making clothing. And that's kind of where I fell in love with clothing, period. Yeah. And then my dad has always been super business savvy. He's, you know, started off as a truck driver and then ran a wire and cable supply company. So when it comes to... The bookwork and the logistics of everything, I get that from my dad and then the creativity comes from my mom and all of this. So I was in a house with two of my mentors, really, you know, and just being able to always bounce ideas off of my parents and saying, Hey, I'm thinking about doing this. And then them kind of being my dad being the rational one and my mom saying, okay, this is how we can do it and make it come to fruition. So that was pretty much like how I grew up. Growing up, I was into fashion. I was a model as a child, so I did a lot of runway and photos and all that stuff. So it's always kind of been there for me. Moving forward, I kind of became a mother at age of 20. So, you know, when you become a young mother, you have to do things a little differently. So I did enter into corporate America. I worked a job all the way up into November of last year when I just decided to go full time entrepreneurship. But in between, every job I've always had, I've had side businesses. I've been at a tax company. I did interior design for people. I created logos and fliers, I've done websites for people. So it's always been something in me to do something additional outside of working because I knew, you know, with your typical 9 to 5 job and I was in payroll. So it wasn't like it was something that could I can explore my creative side. I had to, you know, figure it out on the sideline. So that's kind of what I did. And then I didn't really have the opportunity to be able to network in that type of industry. Um, it's kind of a boring industry. You know, and I was in management the only time people want to talk to you is when they're mad. So it's like it's hard to talk to people and get to know things about people when they're upset. So just being able to partnership with my mom on being in the retail business and you know, you meet a lot of people and going to shows and networking events. We've done a lot of fashion shows, so I've made a lot of connections within Detroit and just being able to know people and always looking and grabbing information from everybody that I mean, that's always kind of what I thrive off of in, you know, being on the avenue of fashion is great. You know, there's so many different variations of businesses out there. And it being one of the larger black owned business districts, it's always somebody outside that you can talk to and you can learn something from. So it's just been like, Oh, it's just been me. I had no other choice, I feel like but to be an entrepreneur. I don't... I never felt more comfortable in my life. It was a scary transition to go from being, you know, you getting a consistent check every two weeks to kind of you got to depend on yourself. But it's the most comfortable and uncomfortable I've been at the same time. If that makes sense.

LC: Yeah. So it's cool to hear you talk about it. You have so much passion and I'm so glad that you're able to do something that you can actually, like, really flourish in and you know. Yeah, have you... so you're on the west side now and have you always...are you from the West Side?

CW: So I kind of grew up in the suburbs and then kind of migrated over into the West Side. So I always tell people, I don't care how long I've been in Michigan, I'm never 100% for sure, I GPS, and I do everything... I don't know this city. I can not memorize anything but like how to get home and how to get to my business. So it's like people are like, I don't know, they're like, Are you from Detroit? Yeah, but I don't know. Like, it's so weird. I cannot memorize it. It's like I am not like street savvy when it comes to moving around and that's anywhere I go. So I from Detroit, do I know Detroit like the back of my hand? I can't honestly say that I do, but it's just a funny fact about me. I am not. I'm not, I'm not a walking G.P.S..

LC: Yeah.

CW: I wouldn't know what to do without a phone or the MapQuest. I'm putting it out.

LC: Yeah. So, okay, so talk me through the start of your business and where you got, you know, idea for the name and how you came up with this business idea.

CW: So really the the business came to mind and an idea it was two things that kind of came to it. My grandmother, who passed some years back, had a dog. And that's kind of where we got. Introduced to dogs in our family was through my grandmother and she had two dogs. And she always treated those dogs like they were, you know, children. Like they did everything. Literally never had a leash on any dog, never did anything. Like the dogs would wipe their feet at the door. They would eat off a regular plate. So it was like I always looked at this like, that's my uncle, you know? So it's like, so the most recent dog was Bear, who we kind of took in after my grandmother passed and Bear passed away not too long ago. So I was like, you know, when you deal with that type of thing and a different aspect, it's different when it's someone else's dog passed.

LC: Oh, I'm sorry.

CW: But when it's like somebody in your family, it's like my uncle. It was, you know, it was devastating. So the the idea was like, huh? I should do something to honor Bear. That was his name. Yeah, but then I was sitting outside. I had a meeting one day, and I was sitting outside. Outside of Teaser's on Livernois. And I was just like looking around and I'm seeing all these people walking their dogs and I'm like, man, like since the pandemic, it's like, you know, the amount of people who own pets have increased dramatically. And so it's just like looking around, I'm like then I started looking at all the businesses that were out there. I'm like, We have something for women, we have men's, we have streetwear, you have shoes. You have restaurants, we don't have anything to cater to these dogs. So, I'm like that would be a good idea. Still lay dormant in my head. And then I went to a show in Georgia and I was just randomly. The show had nothing to do with pets, but it was a vendor there and this guy was there for a women's clothing show. But he started talking to me about dog clothing and it was like so weird because I never had a conversation with him prior to that, nor I told him about this idea that was laying dormant in my head. And so I'm like, Oh my gosh, this is just like a sign that I need to, you know, try to figure this out. And then once the I came back and it was probably like a month later, the lady that's that was in the building that I'm currently in, she was like. I'm moving out like I'm I'm not resigning my lease. So like this is it like everything was like coming like, at every angle. Like you got to do like you got to do it. So our contact, the landlord, I'm like, don't even take the keys. She can just give them to me. I'm going to take the building, our innovator. I'll do everything for it. And it kind of was like, all right. Now it's like full throttle. Like, I hadn't really even had a design of how I wanted the building to look. So I'm like, Oh, everything's just like, go. Yeah. So everything was a very accelerated pace. I just started Googling. I was up so many, like the first 90 days. I was like, everything was late night because I did find vendors. I had to, like, figure out how I wanted to lay out to be find all that stuff. So I was like, okay, I'm, I'm doing teasers throughout the day. And then when I go home and I am, you know, you get your dinner and it's like, boom, you're on the computer. So I'm on the computer at four or 5:00 sometimes because a lot of the vendors are overseas and so they're on the different time zone. Wow. So it's a morning for them, but it's late. It's, you know, in the middle of the night for me. Yeah. So I just kept going and I mean, it was, it was quick, it was bumpy. Um, and, you know, it wasn't always, you know, smiles and giggles. It was many nights I cried cause I'm like, What am I doing? But at the same token, I knew what the end result was. And I knew no matter, you know, some days I was kicking, but some days the day was kicking my butt. But I knew I never wanted to give up. And then, you know, I had the support of my family to help me to keep going. So it was just like, all right, I got to figure out, you always keep I always keep my eye on the end of what I wanted. And that's what kept me going. But I would say, you know, getting in the city and, you know, kind of having a little bit of knowledge with the other business made it a little easier. But opening a business is not easy for anybody. I survived that part, at least in the next chapter of your first year of business and how everything is going to pan out, because that's really going to determine how you're going to do so.

LC: But it really seems like you're flourishing. I mean, people believe in your vision. Yeah.

CW: Yeah, I've I've I've I honestly can say it's been it's been a blessing like all the doors that I've that's been opened and the people that have supported me, I'm truly thankful for all of it.

LC: Yeah. Um, people love their pets.

CW: They do. They do.

LC: I can honestly say that I spend more money on my pets than my own clothing.

CW: It happens like that. It does happen like. Yeah, it's amazing. They're like your babies, though. Like, you can't help, but it's like, you know, most people who don't have children, even if they do, I have people come in and saying, my grand dog and I'm like, it's so like, who wouldn't know? Like, I have a guide dog like my, my nephew and I'm like, your nephew. Like, like some people may come in and think it's their babies. I'm like, No, this or dogs they like, Oh, I know. It's like my nephew. So I'm like, it's serious. Yeah, it's very serious and I appreciate it.

LC: Yeah. I mean, basically the love for the love that people have for their pets is what carries your business forward. Exactly.

CW: You know, exactly.

LC: Um, so it's so cool to hear that your parents have been part of your journey and have been such an inspiration for you. Very much so. Um, so tell me a little bit about your mom's business.

CW: So Teasers Boutique, it's a women's clothing store. We've been open about 20 years, so she's, she's a veteran in the game. Um, we've hosted a lot of fashion shows within the city. We do a lot since they kind of did the state street migration and where they have expanded the sidewalks. We have a lot of shows right in front of the building. We just had three this summer so far, so then we have another one next month. So it's a lot of she's been doing this for so long and her name and the respect that she gets just from her talent, her creativity, she makes a lot of clothing. She's dressed a lot of local celebrities. She's dressed some national and global celebrities. She is a very passionate woman. She is I always say our in our business like tagline that I always use on our Instagram is we're not just a boutique, we're an experience because there's not too many places where you can say, I have an event tonight or I'm going out this weekend. Can I come in there and get dressed and you help me put it all together? It's not too many places that you can do that. And she does that like we've taken pictures for people to be able to, you know, the pulse on their social media. It's like one stop shopping and she'll try to find the shoes if she can. She's like, Well, how are you going to wear your hair? It's like, it's a hold together. We make everybody feel like they're a celebrity when you come in there.

LC: That's amazing. Yeah, the fashion means a lot more. Mm. So it sounds like you. I mean, your mom's business means so much to you. Does. Um. Do do you have any, like. Thoughts or reflections that you want to share about what it's like to own a business next to your mom.

CW: I think that's probably the best way I have ever thought of or imagined to have a business. Because when you have those moments and when you have those low times where you're like, What am I doing here? You have her, my mom, right next door to be like, Let me go over there. And, you know, either you got to get a quick kick in the butt or you're going to get a pep talk or a hug or whatever the case may be, whatever you need in that moment, I have that. So, you know, to be able to say I can just walk, take ten steps and go say, mom, I'm feeling like, you know this or something like that, or even if it's exciting news, hey, this just happened for me. It's instant. It's not something I got to wait, you know, to get on my break or, you know, wait on the ride home or anything. It's motivational, even if it's just like we've got this idea and vice versa. If we say we should do an event and we'll just talk it out, we'll sit right in front of the store. A lot of people, they will ever walk and deliver noise. They'll see us and outside and we're like, Oh, we're just having a little business meeting, you know, we're just having a time and we talk things out and so many ideas and so many events and so many concepts have come from just that sitting outside of the business and live in a way that I don't forget. So you could say, you know, I could think of something and I just go right there and rather than waiting and then possibly forgetting what it was.

LC: Yeah, I'm taking notes so I don't forget my questions. Okay. What is what do you think are some of the most valuable lessons that you've learned from your mom? And what do you think are some of the lessons that you've learned most valuable on your own?

CW: From my mom is be passionate about everything that you do. Put your entire being in everything that you do, and people will receive it better. Because if you halfway do something or you don't care or have a love for what you do. It comes out in the result of whatever your product that your service is putting out. If you have passion and you have a love for what you do, people are going to feel it. And that's what keeps people coming back to you.

LC: Yeah.

CW: And one of the things that I've learned on my own is. Stay consistent and stay persistent. Everything doesn't happen overnight, like social media may sometimes perceive for some people, and they may receive it that way. It's going to come in your consistency and your hard work and knowing what you want to do and sticking to the plan. That's been what I have done in the last year. Even when I was uncomfortable, I had to fight through it. So just stay consistent with everything.

LC: Something that's really cool about talking to you. You know, we we've talked to so many different entrepreneurs and some of them have been doing it for, you know, 40 plus years. And it's been a long time since they've had those bumps in the beginning. So it's hard for harder for them to remember. We're talking to you. You know something that I think. People who start businesses really want to hear is not how wonderful it was. It's how was it actually really hard.

CW: Exactly.

LC: If you want to know honestly what it's like. Yeah.

CW: It's real. You got to I mean, it's real. And I think we often. Ah. You know, with the way we're fed everything through social media and everything is kind of glamorized. I don't want to paint a picture. I want you to understand. It's not easy, it's not hard. You're not just going to get rich overnight. You're not going to be able to, you know, go buy your fancy clothes or your bags or your nice cars. That doesn't happen for you overnight. Yeah, and it doesn't happen for you if you're not consistent or if you're lazy about it.

LC: Yeah. So in the beginning, you were working full time and pursuing this dream full time? Mm hmm. How did that. How did that work? Tell us about some of the. The bumps.

CW: Um, a lot of sleepless nights because your brain doesn't know how to shut off sometimes. A lot of it was scary. It was, you know, where do I. And then being a mother on top of that. So it's like, where do you where do you draw the line or where do you say, okay, I'm going to put this much into, you know, work and 9 to 5 and then this much into pursuing my dream. And it was hard for me because I had a high stress job. And, you know, sometimes I was working ten, 12 hours at that job and then still trying to pursue a dream and, you know, get a dream off the ground and still, you know, help with teachers and, you know, be a parent. So it was a lot and it was I was unbalanced. And I think ultimately it made me and I'm going to be honest, it was a depressive state for me for a short period of time because I didn't know how to shut down. I didn't know how to have that me time. Yeah. Shut your brain off. Because when you did, I felt like when I did shut down or when I did say, let me sleep in, I felt like, why am I doing this? I could be doing that or I should be doing this. And so I felt like I was punishing myself for doing, you know, taking that time for myself. So that's when I was like, I can't continue to go on this path. I have to make a decision. And was the decision was between. You know, carrying the in. Proceeding to make someone else. Isn't last name successful or my surname successful. So I went with my own.

LC: Yeah. It's amazing. And it's. I just feel so proud. You know? Yeah. Okay. So. So you're. You're balancing a lot? Mm hmm. What were some of the best parts? The highs.

CW: The best part is seeing things start to finally unfold. You know, when you get here, like it was so crazy. It's so small but amazing. My notes to some people. But like when your first inventory box comes in, it's like, Oh my God, this is really had me. The grand opening was like the focal point of my happiness to finally see it come in like, Hey, world, this is it. And this is the final product and. Just seeing everybody's feedback on how things looked in, you know, what they thought about the imagery because you don't know, you know, you're kind of doing it for years. You're like, okay, I think that's nice, but you don't know how people are going to receive it at the end of the day. So those small wins and you know, you're of course, your first sale is always amazing. And just seeing how people react every day by coming in, they're like so happy about it and you know, their how they receive it. And, you know, when you get your customer reviews and repeat customers and people are just overall satisfied. And then the partnerships that I have, you know, gave and people that are saying, hey, I want to work with you, hey, let's collaborate. If those types of things make me happy because it's like somebody else is just as excited about this as I am. Or they believe in me.

LC: Yeah. Absolutely. Do you work with the team now?

CW: No. It's still just me. It's still just me.

LC: But that's really just me.

CW: I'm. I think once I, like, really have a little more time to iron out everything on how I want everything to be. I still need to go through the obstacles myself first. Yeah. In order to know how to handle it. How I want it to be represented. If I wasn't in that position, or if I wasn't the one going through the obstacle and it's my business name, so I still feel like I need to be in the mud to know how I want everything to pan out. Because if I send someone out there and they're representing me and my business, I want to make sure they're represented in the way I would want to. So I need to go through the obstacles first. So it's kind of hard. It's like your baby and like you don't want to take your kid here too early. That's true. So that's kind of how it is. But then I'm just like my mother, like, you know, we like to have our hands on everything. We're both in our businesses every day working, so you always find us there. So it's just like, you know, I'm a mother's daughter, I guess.

LC: Yeah. So tell us about some of the products that you have in the store.

CW: So currently I'm carrying we have clothing, so we have is we have some t shirts because of seasonal stuff. So we have some t shirts. We have hats, we have cowboy hats, we have birthday stuff. So if they want to have something for your birthday, for their birthday and we have jackets, we have I'm trying to think of a visual inside of my head and we have a size three. So we have like hair bows, we have fanny packs, which are one of my favorite things. We have doggy purses.

LC: It's just the fanny pack.

CW: So it goes like a cross holds on their side or on their back. They put on it has a little zippers are open. So if you want to put a little treat in there, you can go in there as well. You know, we have sunglasses, we have crocs. And then coming up, I'll be having some Halloween costumes. I have stuff for the holidays of you undies and for Thanksgiving, people take pictures, Christmas stuff. So we'll have all that stuff as well as I have a groomer on site. So we have grooming services as well.

LC: Cool. What are I mean, I'm hearing some things. What are the things that you're most excited for? Things that you're scared about, things that you're. Yeah. That are upcoming. Um.

CW: Well, I'm excited about this one service that we're going to offer, which is we're going to have dog parties. So we're going to be able to open up our space to host your dog's birthday party, and we'll take care of everything. So, you know, you'll pay a fee and you'll get, you know, the treats, the decorations, all of this stuff will be set up. So I'm really excited about getting that off the ground and being able to host dog parties in the future. What I'm probably most excited about currently is the Halloween costumes. I don't know. I've been looking and it's just like, Oh my God, this is going to be phenomenal. And I'm really thinking that I might want to do like a Halloween party so I can have the dogs just come in with their Halloween costumes, just in-stores, so we can just get some pictures and have fun and have some doggy treats and stuff like that. Yeah, I'm really excited. And then one of the other events that were we're going to do, we wanted to do this summer, but it was too we had so many other events this summer and not enough time to get it planned. But I want to do 100 paws, which is kind of a spin off the suits that they do on live or and like where they have them in the walking with their 100 men in suits. I want to do 100 dogs, 100 paws, rather. So I'm excited about trying to do those types of things. So those are all probably that will probably be in next summer, but so it'll be a little bit warmer walking to cold. But I'm excited about that. I'm also excited about seeing like people's reactions to all the cute little winter coats that I have coming. Yeah.

LC: Something that I I've realized doing this is that there's so many similarities between, like a museum curator and a small business owner because you carry everything that's in your store. Yep. You know, and it's. Your heart is in everything that you pick. Mm hmm. Um, so it's cool. It's almost like I'm excited to visit your store because you'll. I'll get to learn about who you are, you know, and your tastes.

CW: Yeah. Yeah. This is exactly the same. It's like, you know, your hours are more so, you know, they're, you know, they move in and out because it's, you know, retail. But it's really all an exhibit. Like my store is an exhibit of different items. Yeah, the only difference is yours. Stay. Mine's move. But most of the time it's like it's a consistent moving of different exhibits. And how your store looks is, you know, people that's how people feel like, okay, you know, if you walk into a store, it's a mess. You're going to be like, that's a terrible place. You know, if it's a walk, you know, and everything, even how I hang clothes matter to me. Yeah. So it's like every little thing is a visual representation of who I am.

LC: Yeah. So I'm sure that you get a lot of human visitors and you get a lot of dog visitors, too. Is that. Tell me about that.

CW: So I'm starting to get more dogs come in now. Like in the beginning it was more humans because they didn't realize you could bring your dogs in. But dogs are more than welcome. Of course, if you know they're leashed and well-behaved, you know what I mean? Don't want any rumbles in there. Yeah. But it's been exciting just to see how it's. It's funny because the dogs, like, they have their own personalities, and you'll have a dog come in. And then, like, sometimes wear their little outfits out and just to see, like, some of them even walk different after they put their outfit on like, it's like, oh my God, I just transformed your puppy into a diva. Like, it's so amazing. It is so amazing. Like, I'm like, I wouldn't have never in my life that that would happen. Like, it's, it's just so cute. And then I have like a little doggie dressing room in there, so it's just it's just fun. It's fun to see all the different dogs and even the bigger dogs. I don't have a lot in stock for the big dogs, but I'm a cane corso and I'm like, This dog is so chill. And like, he was just cool. We took pictures together. I'm like, This is just like my friend. So it's been cool, you know, get to know people and hear their stories and their passion about their pets and how some of them came to them. You know, you've got some rescues. I had a guy come in whose dog he had two dogs and they were they were rescue from Hurricane Katrina. So the owners had lost them in Hurricane Katrina and he rescued both of them. So it's like it's interesting. It's not just, you know, about fashion, but just learning people's stories and how they came into loving their dog or how they may have acquired their dog. So it's it's very fun.

LC: Yeah. Um, I want to ask you about that the business district there because it's, I mean it is cool. Mhm. I always when my wife and I go, we're like, Oh, we should only bring cash because we're just going to end up spending our entire paycheck on the street.

CW: It's hard.

LC: It's crazy. Tell me about being part of that community.

CW: It's amazing because especially like within our block, you we know everyone. So it becomes like a little family. Yeah. And. Just like, you know, you speak to everybody. It's just like, you know, it's hard these days. Like when you're within your neighborhood, you may not have that because a lot of people are working and they're moving or depending on where you live, you may not even see them often. But I see these people most days of the week. Yeah. And so just, you know, like, you know, they're in there hustling and doing what they need to do the same way I am. And you know, we come out and we talk to each other. We make it just all outside some days like, Oh, hey, how's business for you today? So it's like a big family, extended family, and everybody cares about each other on their. So it's really good and just have those relationships like I know I can where I can go, I'm going to, you know, people know you can catch me at the Mexican restaurant or picking yo on Fridays. Like, I'm going to go down there. I'm going to, you know, I de-stress, I go down there and hang and they all know us. So it's like one big family. So there, you know, it's just like, you know, you have, uh, Norm at Cheers. It's kind of how it is. Like everybody knows your me, so it's fun. I love it being over there. I think especially with the way the sidewalks are and being able to have way more people walk around out there and just being a part of a community and being there while it was kind of dormant to being to the way it's thriving now. It's been great because a lot of those people have been over there for quite some time. Yeah, so we all know the struggles that we went through and we went through it together. So it's like, you know, you went through the turmoil and now we're all here at the end and we survived and like, we're all cheering each other on, so it's great.

LC: Yeah. Something that I really just makes me so happy about. Interviewing all these different business owners and especially black business owners in Detroit, is that there's not that feeling of competition. It's more like everyone's lifting each other up. Mm hmm. Yeah, that's so important.

CW: Yeah, because at the end of the day, we're stronger together. And if we're all, it's enough people in the world and in Detroit for everybody to be successful. So if we collaborate and we do things together, we'll have a stronger bond in most communities that stick together, thrive better than they do when they work against each others.

LC: Yeah. And you can see it all the time. I mean, there's like Juneteenth stuff that happens there, like all these different celebrations and fashion shows. I've seen fashion shows there. And I feel like everyone turns out you and comes out and.

CW: It's fun, it's awesome. It's like, I love doing main events. It's so much fun just seeing all the people. And we have the red carpet out there most of the day. So it's not just fair. Like when we do the fashion shows, we we have the red carpet on there and just people just feel good like you all you see the people walking down and they're just walking normal. Then they see the red carpet and they like strike a pose and then they start doing their walk and they're striding and it's just fun. It's it's great to see the smiles on people's faces. We've all been through a lot after Kobe and during Kobe, rather. So it's it's great to see everybody come back out and be able to celebrate in whatever capacity is. Even if it's just a regular Saturday. It's just fun. Yeah.

LC: And your story in particular, I think probably brings so much story because it's literally. Pets and clothing. You can't get better than that.

CW: You can't. They're so cute.

LC: So cute.

CW: So cute. The little I just love it is. It's so fun. I just see them and how they are and you know, how happy they are and just the pictures that I get from them. And it's just like people would be amazed how much they dance pose in their clothes. Like, it's so wild. The pictures that I have in my phone, I'm like, This is so crazy. One of the dogs, whenever I brought anything out for her to try on, she'll get on her two legs and start kicking like. That's it, that's it. I'm like, Yep, that's the one for her. She was picking her outfits out, so I'm like, This is great.

LC: Amazing. The people got to bring their dogs to stores because they probably have their own opinions about what they want to wear.

CW: Exactly. These dogs have their own personalities. It's just like your kid wins and you're like, you know how your kid is and what they're going to like and what they don't like. Your dogs are the same way.

LC: So. Yeah. Well, okay, let me. Before I forget every question I was supposed to ask you. All right. How did you come up with your business name?

CW: So the business name was really a play off of Saks Fifth Avenue. It was supposed to be it's luxury. And so I was like, Well, what could I do? I had parks and it was parks and fabulous, fabulous, rough at first. I'm like, It's just too weird. I was like, I don't know if I like that. So then I did Fab in Fab, You Ruff. And I'm like, No, that's not it. And then I wanted to just stick with the barks because I like it and like, that's the typical, you know, style the dog makes the it's either wolf or bark. So I'm like. Parks fifth. And then I was like bikes, fifth Avenue. So it's just like it's, you know, still for dogs is still the barks, but it's a luxury boutique dogging boutique. So thanks for that. Really was.

LC: Excellent. I love it.

CW: Thank you.

LC: Um, I love it because, you know, when I, when I saw the business name, I'm thinking, oh, it's on Fifth Avenue. But it's, it's part of the, you know, the overnight business community. It's just a luxury brand.

CW: Exactly. It's luxury brand. It's on the avenue of fashion. So it was like perfect because I play it off the avenue of fashion. And then by faith, I like Saks Fifth. So.

LC: It's amazing. Um. Okay. If you could make one wish come true for your business, what would that wish be?

CW: I would want it to…Eventually be a franchise. I would love to see the brand more than just I'm living an avenue of passion. I wouldn't want to see it and have other states and areas be able to experience it and still hold true to what my vision is about it and the experience of it. Because it's an experience, I wouldn't say, you know, you're just coming in and your dogs are just going to throw on some clothes and walk out. That's not how I operate. So if I can stay true to my vision and expand it and I have every other business owner or franchisee have that same passion about it, I would love to see that.

LC: Yeah. I mean, there are dogs everywhere. There are. And there are flourishing black communities everywhere, too. Exactly. So, um. Okay. I had a phone question from one of our curators. Billy. Um, so his question is, now that your hustle has become your job, what's your new side hustle?

CW: Oh. That's a great question. So my new side hustle would be. Wow. What's crazy is that I've honestly, I've been thinking since I've gotten so many compliments on how this story appears, but it's also been a passion of mine that kind of been, you know, you do it just because. Yeah, but interior design. Yeah I'm really am like super interested in that interior design and actually event planning. Okay. I've done so many events. It's just like, why don't I do this? Like, yeah, I, I'm thorough with it. So I know, you know, my own checklist. If you go through the notes on my phone, you'll be like, Oh, my God, girl. Delete some of those out because I'm a planner. So it's like. Why don't I just do that? So that's probably be my next adventure.

LC: Yeah. I mean, you're perfectly set up. You basically have an eye for design. Mm hmm. Whether that's clothing for dogs, clothing for people, or literally your shop. Yeah. So, um, that's fun to hear. Um. And and what is the what is the word hustle mean to you?

CW: So means to me is someone who does not accept no for an answer, who's going to always go after what they want. I won't say by any means necessary because we don't promote illegal activities, but by any means necessary, kind of, you know, you got to do what you got to do. Someone who puts their all into everything that they do, they work hard for what they want. Um, they are consistent. They are persistent. And. They network. I think a huge part of, you know, being a hustler is networking. You can't always do everything on your own and based off your own, your own knowledge. I think one of the things that made me probably the most successful is feeding off of knowledge of other people. Yeah. Surrounding myself with people who are above me. I don't care about being the lowest man on the totem pole in a room that's never made me uncomfortable. I'm going to walk into any room like I'm confident. Even if I don't know what's going on. I may not even know the word you just said to me, but I'm going to go to the bathroom when I'm going to Google it, and I'm going to come back and I'm going to talk to you like nothing happened. So you have to be, you know, a person who's open, open to learn, open to receive other people's criticism, even if you don't like it. And just, you know, ready to just take it on. Like you have to be able to be open to learning and experiencing new things. Pretty much.

LC: Yeah. I, um. It's cool to hear you talk about people lifting you up because. That's so crucial in. In. Yeah, in any community. Communities of color. And, um, we all come from somewhere. You know, we all just lift ourselves up.

CW: Exactly.

LC: Yeah. And I've heard from a lot of business owners that, you know, you got to take away that pride.

CW: You definitely have to. Pride will kill you every time if you get in away. It's so many opportunities you can lose just having it. You have to remain humble through this process. I think the most successful people are the most humble people in the world. Yeah. If you think about it, like look at some of the most richest people in the world, you wouldn't look at them and be like. Oh, you're rich. You're a billionaire. Like, you know, you have some people that are arrogant. That's just personality traits. But, you know, I feel like the more humble you are in the process, the more you are able to receive everything else. You're able to receive the blessings you're able to receive the knowledge, you're able to receive the criticism because people come in there and they tell me stuff all the time. I mean, not wholly, you know, agree with it, but I'm okay. I'll take it into consideration. Yeah, if I had pride blocking that, I wouldn't be able to operate the way that I do.

LC: Yeah. Yeah. That's amazing. And I mean. You being able to receive that feedback speaks to that. You're always willing to grow and it makes you a better business owner and makes you a better person. It's it's awesome. Okay. What about. So you talk about the word hustle. What about the word hustler?

CW: Swear. Um. Hustler is it's a it's a lot of variations to the word. For me, I would say a hustler is a person who grinds, who gets up from the moment they open their eyes to the bump. But they may close their eyes even for a catnap who is always working, always in motion. Always making something happen. I always say that you set small goals for yourself every day. And even if it's not, you know, I mean, I have made will say, for example, I may set a goal, okay, I want to make $500 today, even if it's not $500, I have a sub go. Okay. If it's not going to be 500, it'll be 250. I'm going to always set something three or four goals for myself every day, no matter what I do, and I'm going to cross them off. That's a hustler or somebody who's constantly doing something and checking something off the list. Because if you're you can't be you can't be a hustler and be lazy. So you have to have some type of goal set for yourself every day. Small It doesn't have to be anything. It could be. I'm going to eat lunch by 12:00, you know, because when you're when you're moving, it's hard to plan your day. Yeah. Even if I just need to stay on schedule today, I need to do this by 2:00. You're going to do it. A hustler is somebody who is going to stay with her. So it's going to be constantly networking. I'm going to always try to find somebody who maybe even if it's not the same line of work that I'm in or the same type of business, somebody that I know has either been in the game longer than me or has some type of knowledge, or they're into something I may be interested in. Hey, how did you do that? Hey, how do you know? What do I need to do? How can. How can we help each other? That's what I is. Even if it's a partnership, it doesn't necessarily have to be what you can get from them. It may be something like, you know, we can reciprocate. Even if it's not a service or a product, it's knowledge. We can bounce it off each other. Ideas?

LC: Yeah, absolutely. Is there anything that comes to mind that I haven't asked that you wanted to talk about or share?

CW: I think you have some pretty awesome questions.

LC: Well, one of the things I. Really love about your business is that, you know, every black business is kind of a big like. What's that square, let's say? It it really shows. That people are resilient. In the face of all these things that we can't control. Mhm. Um. But your business is cool too, because it completely defies. Like people's stereotypes about Detroit, about black Detroiters. It's like, no, we have a flourishing community that dresses up their pets, goddamn it. You know.

CW: Exactly. Because you look at it and you think about it like they say, Oh, this is L.A. or This is New York and that type of stuff. No, we have this in Detroit.

LC: Yes.

CW: I we are doing the same things they're doing in the major cities where, you know, they may feel like all the celebrities are, but we're celebrities in our own right. And we deserve and we have the same things that Los Angeles has and New York has, and Miami has all of those cities that people travel out to where they think, you know, it's a big deal. Detroit is a big deal. Yes. And you know, we're starting to well, we I feel like we've been seeing it, but I think more people are starting to believe in us now and it's so awesome.

LC: Yeah, we can get fancy, too.

CW: Yeah, we are fancy.

LC: We are fancy.

CW: Like, really? The most of the fanciness comes from Detroit. I know people just like, copy off of this. That's like this.

LC: We're like, I love, we're like nitty gritty, fancy, real like. We work for it. We work it.

CW: Yes, we do. And that's why I think most people look at Detroit and appreciate our work ethic and how we've come to more than most cities that we're, you know, built off of the backs of rich companies and drug money and all those things like Detroit. We we got it out the mud. We got it out the mud. And here we are still standing strong in one of the best cities to visit. Now.

LC: Yes, you have to tell it as it is, like we we are here. We've been here and we've we've been fighting the good fight. Exactly. I'm so proud that some of the coolest businesses in the world are here at home. Absolutely. You know, I'll live right away.

Candice Williams: Exactly.

LC: I love that. It is the it's the fashion. Uh, Avenue. And now we're talking fashion for pets, too.

CW: Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. So it's a one stop shop, and you can shop anywhere for anything on the avenue of fashion.

LC: It's amazing. Um, and I bet it's. It's just this kind of beautiful story where your your mom has been part of that avenue of fashion for so long, and now you are kind of that new. You know, growth. Yeah. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for talking to me. Thank you. Let me turn off this recording.

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“Candice Williams, August 16th, 2022,” Detroit Historical Society Oral History Archive, accessed November 6, 2024, https://detroit1967.detroithistorical.org/items/show/832.

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