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Name: Misty Buchanan Wykes 

Business: MistyB Athleisure Wear 

Location: Marblehead, Massachusetts, U.S. 

Industry: Apparel & Accessories 

Reason for starting? Our story is about feeling good, being healthy and expressing yourself. I love bright and bold colors. Perhaps it’s from my childhood – growing up with parents in Palm Beach and Las Vegas. Or maybe it’s simply that art and color is a way for me to express the joy I see in the world. I also love being healthy. Working out relieves any tension I am feeling and sets me up for a great day. I feel positive when I exercise and I feel a sense of accomplishment. MistyB Clothing has given me the opportunity to combine these two passions. My yoga pants are meant to make you feel colorful and happy at the same time as you are exercising and being healthy. While I know everyone needs plain black yoga pants, I believe that everyone should have at least one colorful pair too! I believe that you can be whatever you set out to be. There is so much potential inside each and every one of us. Our logo inspires all to be the Best, be Brilliant, be the Boss & be Beautiful!

Related: Read about another Apparel & Accessories entrepreneur here.

How do you define success? My definition of success is doing what you love. If you love what you do, it never feels like work. I feel so blessed to be able to follow my passions and to have created MistyB from my art and designs. A lot of people said it would be too difficult to get my business started, but I didn’t listen. I did what I believed in and never looked back. That is why my logo is all about empowering women! B the Boss, B Brilliant, B Beautiful and B the Best. I truly consider success inspiring other women to follow their dreams. Also being able to give back to society from my success is a must. We are working on helping women in need. You are truly successful when you can give back. That is the greatest success their is! Knowing that my MistyB creations bring people joy and enthusiasm is a wonderful feeling. Encouraging women to be the best they can be, that they are beautiful and brilliant. And to always remember to be the boss of yourself, 

Biggest success: One of my biggest success’s was when I saw the reaction on my daughter’s face when she first saw a group of women walking in our town in their Misty’sB’s.  As we drove past them, she yelled out the window, “You are wearing my mom’s pants!” They looked baffled, but I knew what she meant and it did make me laugh. She was 10 years old and so proud of me. This was the beginning of MistyB and such a proud moment. I hope my daughter knows from this experience that if you have a dream you can make it a reality. I’m thrilled and feel great when I hear stories from MistyB clients that they “felt inspired while wearing their MistyB’s” or were “motivated to exercise and eat healthy when they wore their MistyB’s.” 

What is your top challenge and how you have addressed it? I’m thankful I have assembled a phenomenal team of strong smart woman who are passionate about life, health, family and are a great fit for MistyB. One of the most challenging problems I had starting my business was finding the right manufacturer. It took years to find a company that I could trust and work with. Thanks to my husband, Joe, we found the perfect manufacturer to work with. They are dependable and always create exactly what I want. I couldn’t be happier with my product, which they helped me create.

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Who is your most important role model? My most important role model is a hard one to choose. I have had so many people inspire me on my path in life. My grandparents, teachers, friends and family are all my role models. I wouldn’t be who I am today without their love and guidance. I was very lucky to have an amazing dad who was the best role model for me growing up. My father taught me to never give up when life gets tough. He raised me to never be a quitter and to give every endeavor 110 percent. He raised me to think I can do anything a man can do and even better.  He taught me to never take life too seriously and to always have a good time. The most important thing he taught me was love. He passed away a few years ago, and I know he would be so proud of me starting my own business and what it represents for women in our world today.

[box_light]Website   Www.MistyB.com
Facebook   www.Facebook.com/MistyBclothing 
Instagram   @MistyBclothing [/box_light]

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Edited by The Story Exchange