We talked with Rachel Carter, owner and CEO of women’s clothing store This is the Finale, located in the L&L Market. She talks about business success and struggles and the fun she tries to incorporate in her daily operations. Carter has years of retail experience and knows the ins and outs of what works to make a successful business work.
Visit This is the Finale at 3820 Charlotte Ave STE 120, Nashville, TN 37209,
Q: Congratulations on recently celebrating your 1 year grand opening of the store! Can you tell us a little about yourself and how your previous retail experience potentially led to you opening your own store?
A: Thank you so much! I definitely did not foresee finally starting my business during a pandemic, but what a year it’s been! My name is Rachel Carter and I am the Owner and CEO of This is the Finale. I started my retail career when I was 16 years old and on my 20th year in retail, I opened the doors to This is the Finale. Talk about an anniversary present! The beginning of my career I worked strictly for corporate retail- The Gap (when they wore headsets, man we had fun on those things), Express and Wet Seal. I worked for my first boutique in college, Lana’s Boutique. The owner was so kind and encouraging and took me to market with her- that was a game changer. The wheels started spinning at that point that owning a small business in retail was doable. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Science with a Fashion Merchandising Emphasis from Western Michigan University and I did my final window display project on Betsey Johnson, whom I was fascinated with because she always marched to the beat of her own drum and made profit while doing it. Fast-forward to the week of graduation and I accepted a full-time sales position with Betsey Johnson. I worked with Betsey for five years and that company is what moved me to Nashville in 2010. I remained Store Manager until the company filed bankruptcy in 2012 and all 75+ stores closed. It was the stock market crash of 2008 and the addition of promotion-minded upper management that I believe sealed our fate and I was devastated. Betsey is the kindest, most energetic soul, and working for her will always be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. I had taken that store from a top 20 store within the company to a top 10 store, so I was immediately presented the opportunity to manage the new Steve Madden when Betsey closed. Steve Madden would be the last corporate retail job I worked. Some recurring themes in corporate environments led me to seek opportunities within small businesses. Betsey was always a good mix of rules and customer connection, I wanted to step away from being just a store with a sales goal with no regard for what was being sacrificed to get those goals (staff happiness, product selection, work environment, etc). I went on to manage 3 retail small businesses before opening my store. Within corporate retail, I learned the value of systems, guidelines, and rules, statistics, growth, and fairness. I did, however, want to step away from a rigid, sterile environment with little creativity or concern for how metrics are being met. I wanted more freedom to express productive solutions based on past experiences instead of upper management just expecting every problem to fit into a box. Within the small businesses I managed, I learned the value of relationships, not always playing by the rules and creating community. I did however see the need for more structure to prevent proactively foreseeable hurdles and I happened to work for many who had no retail experience so there was a lot of me training out my past to which got me thinking I could do this myself. I think for me, corporate retail lacked creativity and was too rigid, but some small business retailers, while creative, lack any retail experience so it was hard for me to ignore my knowledge and past experiences and want to create more structure. I felt like I was giving away all of my knowledge and experience to people who were not necessarily working their businesses or wanting to be there and all I wanted to do was be present in something that was mine. So I did. I created a space where there is structure, but creativity leads.
Q: What were some of the struggles you faced running the store during the COVID-19 pandemic and how did you overcome them?
A: The biggest struggle I faced with running the store during COVID-19 was the constant set of unknowns. You never knew if you’d be forced to shut down, what foot traffic would be like if you’d make sales, and how to plan accordingly to so many unknown variables. We were very strict about masking for our team and customers, sanitizing the store after each customer, and maintaining personal space while still serving our community. We faced a lot of challenges with building out the store during a pandemic, with scheduling and deadlines being missed leading us to opening 4 months later than planned. This also affected buying for the store as we couldn’t sit on products that wouldn’t sell due to seasonal changes, so I had to time out my purchasing as close to opening as possible. We took it a day at time and used precaution everywhere we could and at the end of the day that was all anyone could do.
Q: What are some of your favorite pieces in the store and how do you source them?
A: Oh boy, this is like asking a mom who her favorite kid is. I go to apparel markets (Atlanta & Vegas) to source our clothing. Having worked in small business boutiques since college, many of the brands I’ve been familiar with since I was 21. We have 8-10 brands we always work with and a few I love to sprinkle in that may be more seasonal or may fit our vibe more depending on the time of year. I’m a stickler for quality and price point, I do not believe you have to spend $300 on a dress to have it made properly and make you feel like a queen. My favorite pieces are the ones I buy with hesitation because I’m obsessed with them, but I’m not positive our customers will love them. When it sells out I get so excited that I’m not the only one that was seeking something bolder, something less familiar and probably something louder. Right now, my favorite pieces are this burgundy pleated skirt with a slit- the Paris skirt. It can go rocker, feminine or sexy. It’s a great staple. We also have these sequin Adeline wrap dresses in stock-one is this mosaic vibe and one literally sparkles if you just breathe in it- everyone is flocking to them, so just imagine wearing this one out! We have this black and white plaid blazer and skirt set on the way- the threading is glitter. I love taking a classic and making it more of a statement piece. I guess I love anything that is a head-turner, which is what I try to buy.
Q: Do you do/participate in many community events and if so, can you highlight some of the recent ones you’ve taken part in?
A: In the first year we were open we threw 10 events in-store. I love giving a platform for other women in business to come pop-up with us- we had the pleasure of working with Brynn Plummer and her brand Dissocialite Design Co, Raven Simpson of Sweet Cakes by Ray, Dena Nance of Dena Nance Jewelry, Lauren Washington of Lolalloons, Alexa Slaymaker of Bash Pop Co, the Braid Babes of Nashville and Haley Oberhausen of Sweets by Haley, to name a few. We did a Share the Love Event where we donated to Fashion is for Every Body- a non-profit we very much support. We actually did a fashion show with them in September of 2021 as well. They align with our business model in that they are founded in the belief of normalizing inclusion through body positivity and utilizing models of all ages, races and physical abilities. We also did a Pride Event in June of 2021, donating to the Oasis Center, another non-profit we very much stand behind. One of the foundational pieces I built the brand around was that everyone has a seat at our table, no matter who you are, who you love and how you identify. We also have a Resident Drag Queen, Ms. Kennedy Ann Scott who does private parties in-store. So if you’re getting married, celebrating a birthday or just want a fun day with the girls, she will create a game around what you’re celebrating, perform and shop with you. A fan favorite this past year was our FREE BRITNEY event in August of 2021, in which clients dressed as their favorite Britney Spears. We played all of her greatest hits and we donated a portion of sales to the non-profit National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse. We felt very strongly that the Britney conservatorship was not only a human rights issue, but a women’s rights issue and if it can happen to someone as accomplished as Britney, imagine all of the people in abusive conservatorships.
Q: Most boutiques are known for not having a large variety of sizing options, but that is not the case at This is the Finale, would you like to talk about your extended sizes options?
A: Yes, we offer 0-4X. I spent a large portion of my retail career watching groups of women come into a space and the friend(s) that were a size 12+ would end up hanging out at the cash wrap with me looking at jewelry while their friends had the typical shopping montage you see in movies. It angered me that an entire market was being ignored so I vowed to never let that happen within my four walls. I will say we stay stocked in 1X-3X, but finding 4X that aligns with our market has been challenging. I have found many plus size lines settle for very basic prints- florals mixed with stripes on cotton and I find that very boring. No matter your size you deserve some sparkle, some fun fabrics and prints and pieces that make you feel fabulous, so that is what I seek when I’m buying. I try to provide both everyday pieces and statement pieces for all the sizes I purchase for.
Q: Is there anything specific that you want us to know about you, your store and the staff?
A: I think all around, we don’t take ourselves too seriously and we put a big emphasis on fun. I want my team to have fun at work and I want the customer experience to be fun. Life is short and this is something we live by. We want to connect with you, know you and cheerlead you into being the queen that you are. Every moment, every day, every milestone is a finale, so you might as well dress for it and celebrate it!
Q: What are your future goals for the store?
A: How much time do you have? Ha! I challenge myself to be better every month, every quarter, and every year. The first year I was really focused on navigating a pandemic and laying the foundational pieces to our business upon opening the doors. Now that we have sales figures to compete with and more events to create we will hit the ground running. We will continue to host community events and seek non-profits and fellow businesses that we align with and grow our Finale family. From a merchandising standpoint, we will launch shoes, sunglasses, and a few new clothing lines to our offerings in 2022. From a staffing standpoint, we will continue to pour into our team and support them in their future career endeavors, no matter what those may be. From a growth standpoint, we want to continue an open dialogue with our customers around what they are seeking. We want to remain open to expansion, no matter how big or small and we always want to be focused on growing our community. We always want to be a place where you can make a statement and find a seat at the table.
Photos courtesy of William Steele and Michaela Slown.
