Founder Maxie J. Reflects On Ellaé Lisqué's 10-Year Anniversary

Maxie James is preparing Ellaé Lisqué for its tenth business anniversary because she put customers first refused to accept defeat. Reaching ten years in business can be tough for anyone, but for Black women who frequently have less access to resources and investment, it can feel impossible.

James, who goes by Maxie J, founded Ellaé Lisqué as an e-commerce company. Brick-and-mortar felt like a natural next step, then the retail apocalypse during the pandemic that jeopardized everything she had been working for since 2014. “I lost everything,” she said.

Sticking With Plan A

The beautiful entrepreneur refused to give up even after being forced to close her store. The business kept going, for her there was no other option. “The most important thing that I’ve learned in business is that there’s no plan B, my plan B is just another way to make my plan A work,” the e-commerce entrepreneur told HelloBeautiful.

James continued operations on a smaller scale. She packed and shipped packages to her customers from her friend’s living room, at one point. Customers showed up for her, so she showed up for them, no matter where she was in life. Friends and family members struggled to understand her commitment with the challenges involved. “My mother would be like, I just don’t understand why you want to struggle,” she said. Her mom advised her to “go get a job.”

She responded with the perspective that would carry her company across a ten year threshold. “There’s no plan B,” James explained. “There’s no going to get a job. This is my job, and I don’t care if I have to do it on the corner. This is my job.”

“I would not stop almost like a psychotic person,” she added. Legitimate or not, her alleged psychosis was quite profitable. The “Boss Lady” hit seven-figures in revenue after a rebuilding phase.

Skipping The Clout Olympics

She eventually caught the eye of celebrities who enjoyed the curated selections the boutique offered. Despite her growing popularity. She was careful not to get lost in the clout Olympics. She acknowledged consumers as well as influencers and the celebrities who wore her clothes like Saweetie, Meagan Good, and Tamar Braxton. If you had style, you had her attention. Your follower count was none of her concern. “I’m grateful that famous people wear my clothes, but I’m even more grateful of my consumer, who wears my clothes and who tag me on Instagram because they are the reason why I’m able to take care of my family, retire my mom, retire my dad, they are the reasons I’m able to pay my bills,” she said. “I don’t care if you have five followers or 500,000 followers.”

She loves connecting with her consumers at pop-up shops and in comment sections. She considers their input when making decisions. Her respect extends to all customers. She carries a variety of plus-size options including feather trimmed suits, leopard lounge sets, and sequined mini-dresses. “I always felt like a woman no matter your shape or size should feel beautiful and be able to put it on,” said Maxie J. She explained the holes she saw in the market. “Every time I see a plus-size line, everything is very blue and floral and boring and old lady,” she continued.

“There are women of all ages that might have a couple pounds on them, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to be fashionable. They mean they don’t want to look fine.”

She doesn’t think style belongs to a singular body type. “I think that’s kind of close-minded,” she added.

Staying Focused On The Customer

Her retention strategy is the key to her success. “The real money is in the return customer,” she says. “That’s how you sustain business people who come back over and over and over again.”

She wants to introduce Ellaé Lisqué to another audience without losing their core supporters, the people who stuck with her as the retail landscape shifted again and again. “Yes, every month we want to gain new customers, because that’s how you grow, but how you sustain is who comes back,” she continued.

James is accomplishing that through remaining consistent even when it’s inconvenient. Work-life balance is taking a backseat to her desire for longevity. On a recent trip to Mykonos, she dropped everything to lead her business the direction she wanted it to go.

“I don’t care where I’m at on, if I’m on a yacht, I’m taking a conference call, if I’m at a party, I’m taking it,” she said. “I have teams in three different countries. There is no such thing as completely unplugging for me, but I’m also okay with that because I love what I do.”