How The Ruby Lotus Boutique Began
The Ruby Lotus Boutique is a family owned business based in Edmond, Oklahoma. The journey to open this business began at our kitchen table in the Spring of 2018. Our family of five follows a tradition of having a sit down dinner almost every night, and with three teenagers, our conversations cover the gamut on topics. One night, we were discussing career options for our daughter, Brianna. She has always loved art and has spent years drawing her own fashion creations on paper. But, how does a 16 year old girl who loves designing clothes make a career out of it when you live in Oklahoma? LIGHTBULB MOMENT! Open an online clothing business, gain some experience, and see where it goes. We imagined her eventually running the business and someday designing her own line of clothing.
This idea spurred numerous "business" meetings, sometimes in the backyard, sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes while Bri and I, her mom Kat, were spending cherished time together working in our flower beds. We brainstormed like crazy...and we dreamed big. It became clear very quickly that our hearts were set on teaming up and embarking on this exciting adventure together. Mom and daughter, with some great support from husband and dad, Mark and brothers, Blake and Brandon.
One of our early challenges was to come up with a name. We wanted it to represent who we are and what we want to share. One early summer night, Bri and I were sitting outside on the patio, and The Ruby Lotus Boutique name became "it". First, Bri and I love working in the flower beds together, so we liked the flower theme. I asked her what her favorite flower was, and she said "lotus" without missing a beat. I honestly didn't know much about lotus flowers, but Bri knew they represented beauty that arises from darkness because these beautiful flowers grow up from mud. That resonated with me because I've had several times in my life where I've gone through dark days, but with faith and strength from my dear family and friends, was able to reach brighter places. Most recently, a cancer diagnosis on May 26th, 2017. Breast cancer. I’m the fifth one with this disease in my family, but it was still a shock to my core. I was put on what I called the Platinum Package for treatment. Twenty rounds of the harshest chemo drugs, a surgery, 28 doses of radiation, and another surgery later, they call me a survivor. My loving mom, also a breast cancer survivor twice, passed away on Valentine’s Day in the middle of it all. Having just lived through a very long year of mud, the beauty in my life has returned and I'm so grateful for every day. Of course, my family "lived" with cancer too, so Bri had her own mud. You wouldn't necessarily know it, because part of her beauty is her unwavering positive outlook, humor, strength, hope, and heart of gold. I know there are so many women that have had their own mud…and I’ve been so inspired over the years by their strength, hope, courage and the many beautiful examples of renewal in their lives. Just like the lotus flower.
That night on the patio, we went on to talk about how different colors of lotus flowers also had their own meanings, and red became the color of choice. The red lotus flower represents love and compassion. That was great, but then we decided "ruby" was even better. Rubies are second only to diamonds in strength among gemstones. They are said to represent an inextinguishable flame, passion, self-confidence, determination, peace, and love. They are valuable.
Bri and I saw the perfect fit, because we first and foremost want women to feel beautiful when wearing our clothing. We had talked many times about how a simple piece of new clothing can make you feel like a "new woman". That's the feeling we want for our customers. And hopefully, feeling beautiful will also bring confidence, strength and a smile. And compliments. Oh, how we all love compliments, right?
Finally, another core value for our company is to give back a percentage of every sale to organizations that improve women's lives. One of our goals is to grow this business as much as possible, so our ability to give back also grows over time. We are focused on three areas. First, autoimmune diseases affect millions of women and are a top priority for us. Over the years, I've had the privilege of serving as a volunteer on the board of directors for the Oklahoma Lupus Association, the Minnesota chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, and more recently, the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation. I've seen first hand how much good these patient-oriented non-profit organizations do for those they serve. I'm passionate about Sjogren's because my grandmother and mom both suffered from it as well. Second, of course, Bri and I are driven to find a way to support breast cancer research so the staggering numbers of women affected, now 1 in 8, will change. Third, many of our early dinner table conversations were about Bri pursuing a career as a veterinarian, so we plan to support organizations that provide care for animals.
So this is us, the gals behind The Ruby Lotus Boutique. The mom-daughter duo that dared to dream big. Bri brings a fresh, youthful perspective to our styles, while I’m a bit more on the classic side with a strong emphasis on comfort. We sincerely hope that you find clothing and accessories that you love and that bring you that "new woman" feeling.
Happy shopping, beautiful ruby lotus ladies!
Shine on,
Kat