From a young age, fashion and Debbie Brash have always gone hand-in-hand.
After working for a high street fashion chain, she wanted to follow a dream of running her own fashion business.
After a few sleepless nights of “tossing and turning” she decided to take the gamble and launched Tiger Lily Boutique in 2011.
The mum-of-three has never looked back and now has shops in Aberdeen, Dundee as well as a successful website.
‘I put my all in to it’
Debbie started her career in fashion working at Mango in Dundee’s Overgate Shopping Centre in 2008 but lost this job when the store closed down.
She stayed with the company, working as a visual merchandiser and travelling all over the UK but knew deep down she was looking to do something different.
Debbie said: “I knew the job I was doing wasn’t going to last forever and I had to think about what I’d do in the future.
“I’d find myself in the middle of the night tossing and turning thinking what am I going to do.
“I’ve always loved clothes and the different trends. I remember thinking I was going to do it. I wanted to open my own store and put my all in to it
“I decided to take the risk, make the jump and put my all in to it in the hope it works out.”
£25,000 investment in opening
Debbie, who lives in Monifieth and married to Kris, looked at various sites for the perfect location for her store.
Finding a unit in Broughty Ferry’s Brook Street, she invested £25,000 on opening her first Tiger Lily Boutique in October 2011.
Debbie said: “It wasn’t necessarily going to be Broughty Ferry. I looked around all the different areas and finally settled on Broughty Ferry because it had that independent feel.
“I felt what I wanted to do would fit in better there rather than Dundee.”
For Debbie it was important for her to start growing her brand and she hit the ground running straightaway.
The former Monifieth High School pupil said: “I worked six days a week to try and get things up and running.
“In the very early days I was trying to get my name out there and let people know I’m open.
“It took a wee while to get up and running. It was all quite challenging but we got there in the end.
“My focus really on customer service. Making sure everyone had a nice experience when they were in the boutique.
“It was a very much roll your sleeves up and put everything in to it.”
Aberdeen Tiger Lily Boutique a ‘natural decision’
After nearly four years in Broughty Ferry, Debbie made the decision to open a store in Aberdeen.
The Chapel Street Tiger Lily Boutique opened in October 2017 after a £40,000 investment.
Debbie, mum to Daley, 8, Kameron, 5, and three-year-old Harry, said: “It was an easy and natural decision to open in Aberdeen.
“I noticed we’d get Aberdonians coming to our shop in Broughty Ferry. They said they wished there was something like this in Aberdeen.
“I felt like some people knew what Tiger Lily was so it would be easier to integrate myself in to that when you have a following.
“It’s been another great experience.”
Online orders huge part of business success
Debbie has six members of staff working in Aberdeen and five in Broughty Ferry.
But Tiger Lily Boutique also runs a successful website with online orders forming a large part of the business.
This side of the business is boosted by a social media following in excess of 160,000 people across its platforms.
Last month 38,200 orders were sent out with orders coming in from all over the world including USA and Dubai.
Four employees work out of a warehouse in Dundee packing and posting online orders.
There’s also a social media co-ordinator, creative manager and administration assistant all working behind the scenes keeping the business running.
Debbie, who has also received huge support from her sister Melissa, said: “From the day I opened I can honestly say I don’t feel like I’ve worked a day in my life.
“It’s my baby. There were learning curves but my personality is very pro active.
“When you do something you enjoy you don’t feel like you’ve been at work.”
Tiger Lily Boutique award winning business
Tiger Lily Boutique celebrated success at last year’s Courier Business Awards being named independent retailer of the year and also winner of the marketing and social category.
Debbie said: “It’s been an amazing journey. We launched Aberdeen and the website in the same year. Then the app the year after.
“Sometimes I’ve got to pinch myself a little bit when you think of how far we’ve come.
“Definitely it’s hugely down to the people around me.
“I’ve got an amazing team of staff. They are all fantastic.
“My sister has been heavily involved in the business and my husband. The support network has played a huge part in the success.”
Debbie is in the process of looking to expand the business in to other areas of Scotland.
Last year Tiger Lily Boutique ran a three-day pop up shop within Edinburgh’s St James Quarter.
Debbie said: “We keep trying hard and looking forward, thinking about what’s the next step we can take to make the business better for the customers.”