Meet Kaye Akkerman | Owner/Operator of kayesboutique.com

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kaye Akkerman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaye, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The thought process was quite simple. It is impossible for me to work for anyone else. I have a mental illness that the symptoms dont allow for me to work in the public. I am Schitzophrenic with PTSD and cannot work around others so an online business was right up my alley and because I was a model when I was younger fashion was my first choice. I love selling womens clothes at affordable prices. to regular people. I have a lot of help from friends and family and I think everyone has pitched in, in one way or another in this process. It has been baby steps but slowly but surely this is taking off the ground. I’m out to prove that even someone with a mental illness can be successful.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am an online boutique for women. I sell affordable boutique items online and at Variety Markets in the Couv. It has been a very long process taking baby steps all the way. With every success we celebrate and each set back it has just made me dig my heels in harder and go. Having your own business you seem to be at work all the time and finding that work life balance is always a struggle. But in the end if you do not take some down time it makes life a lot more stressful than it needs to be. Stress is not my friend so I make sure that my work/life balance is always in my favor. Again I could not do what I do with out the help of my friends and family who support me every day. The most challenging thing I would say was building my name on social media this has taken a lot of hard work and daily effort but slowly but surely I am building every day, I think the most important thing is to keep at it and never give up. Your business is definently what you put into it. Over doing it will show and not doing enough will show as well the main thing is to keep an open mind learn as you go, dont’t kick yourself when you mess up do what it takes to make it better and dont do it again. Celebrate your successes and even when you have to look harder find them. And find that balance your business and you will be happier for it, These have been a few of my experiences. What I would like the world to know about my brand is that I am person with a mental illness that has built this business to what it is today and I have no thoughts of stopping. I sell very afordable boutique items to regular people across America I love what I do. .

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have the honour of living in between the mountains and the coast So I would first go to Mt St, Hellens Mt Hoof Mt Rainer and Mt Adams then I would take my freind to the coast and go up and down the coast from Longbeach to Tillamook There is sp much good food in the Portland/Vancouver area it would be hard to choose but instead try to go everywhere.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I could not have done any of this without my partner in life Sam Weeks and all the friends and family who pitched in to make this successful.

Website: www.kayesboutique.com

Instagram: kayeakkerman1620

Facebook: kaye Akkerman

Yelp: kayesboutique