Spotlight on Vancouver Fashion Truck: The Trendy Fashion Boutique on Wheels

Now that more and more people are shopping online, traditional retail is undergoing a period of transition. While this has been a difficult time for some businesses, others like Vancouver Fashion Truck have taken the opportunity to be innovative and find new ways to serve their customers.

Meghan Currie, founder of Vancouver Fashion Truck, built her “trendy beachy-chic” store inside a 1997 Grumman Olson Step Van. In other words, this entrepreneur is bringing the clothes to the people, instead of waiting for her customers to come to her.

This unique way of thinking has proven successful for Meghan. For example, during the past holiday season – one of the busiest shopping periods of the year – Meghan was able to “park” her store at a popular holiday market for six weeks.

Vancouver Fashion Truck offers high quality, fashion-forward clothing, and accessories to her clients. From daytime events to nighttime soirees, Meghan helps people find the perfect pieces for every occasion. Plus, her business is not only on wheels but online as well.

“You can find the truck rolling up to a festival or market near you, or better yet, book the truck for your own private shopping party where we set up the truck at your own house,” she said.

While Meghan has clearly found her niche in the Vancouver fashion market, she didn’t always see herself in the retail business.

Prior to branching out into fashion, Meghan worked as a dental hygienist for two years before realizing it was not her calling.

“I am grateful for that experience though, because I learned a lot about myself; what I did and didn’t value, and what I wasn’t able to compromise,” she said. For her, it was her creative spirit and love of fashion.

She then had to make the hard decision to leave her job and find out her next move.

“I ended up getting a job at a women’s clothing boutique with a plan to stay until I figured it all out,” she said. “Fast forward five years and I was still there!”

While she had then been promoted to store manager, she realized that her real dream was to be her own boss.

“I knew that if I kept working for someone else, I would never be able to experience my full creative potential,” she said.

Even still, while she was confident that it was what she wanted, fear was a big obstacle to overcome.

Many people avoid facing their fears on a day-to-day basis and the decision to become an entrepreneur and stray from traditional work norms can be a scary one.

“I knew I had to start diving in to my fears instead of running from them in order to live the life I wanted,” Meghan said. “If something freaked me out, I knew I had to move closer to it and do it. Once you do something that initially scares you, and realize you did it and are still alive and well, things start to become a bit less scary, and more doors and opportunities open.”

For Meghan, facing her fears was the right choice. After ending a successful 2017, Meghan is nothing short of excited for her business plans this year.

“Looking back at what I accomplished in the first year of VFT gives me the courage and confidence to up the ante for 2018!”

Before Meghan made the dive into entrepreneurship, she turned to Futurpreneur Canada to get her started.

“The application process was simple and straightforward and the fact that they focus on supporting young entrepreneurs with big dreams gave me the confidence to apply,” she said. “If it weren’t for Futurpreneur, I may have never taken the steps to try and secure a loan from a bank and I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? “I would say you have to go for it. You don’t want to wake up in 20 years and have those ‘what if’ thoughts. If you notice fear popping up, listen to it, take some of its advice, but don’t let it stop you. Fear is usually just a result of being outside your comfort zone, and I know its cliché, but it’s so true – growth and magic do not happen in your comfort zone. Map out that imperfect plan little by little each day, because each little thing you do adds up to one big thing, which could be your fabulous new business.”

Ready to conquer your fears like Meghan and become an entrepreneur? Learn more about how Futurpreneur can help you start your business.

Written by: Sara Pivato, Social Media & Content Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada