The word “moxie,” meaning courage and determination, may just perfectly describe 23-year-old Jenee Esquivel who opened up a chic boutique when she was fresh out of college.
She didn’t miss a beat after she graduated in 2017 with a mass communication degree focusing on digital advertising. She had plenty of experience from working at a local boutique, Bella Bella, for four years while attending the University. She said she is thankful for her previous bosses at Bella Bella, Ashley Thibaut and Elise Decoteau, and credits them for many of her skills in retail now.
“They provided me with many opportunities over the years,” Esquivel said. “They were really good to me while I was there and they taught me a lot.”
With a minor in fashion merchandising, Esquivel has loved fashion ever since she was in grade school. She still has many of her childhood drawings and said they were impressive for her young age.
“I would always draw clothing on my stick figures when I was young,” Esquivel said. “I guess I was destined to become involved with fashion.”
Esquivel said her background from the University helped her prepare for her current position as the owner of Moxi Boutique on 320 Lee Drive. Her success story would not be possible without the help of her influential teachers at the University.
One of Esquivel’s favorite classes at the University was Media Law with Erin Coyle. She said that Coyle really cared about her students and made sure that they were pushed beyond their perceived limits. After taking Coyle’s Erin class, Esquivel questioned if she should go into law – she took the LSAT and did well, but realized her heart wasn’t in it so she headed in a different direction.
“Dr. Coyle’s class was one of the hardest, but most interesting classes I’ve taken at LSU,” Esquivel said. “I sat in the front row every day.”
Esquivel also took a campaign class her senior year with Yongick Jeong. She, along with her classmates, had to put together an ad campaign for Tai Pei food. Her class won district that year in 2017.
Her years at the University were also filled with clubs and activities that foreshadowed her future career. Esquivel was involved in the Fashion Association and was the secretary of LSU’s Advertising Federation. These involvements, along with her own motivation, helped her find the right path toward owning her own business only months after graduation.
She wrote her business plan during her senior year in college and saw it come true around October of 2017 when she started construction for Moxi, which opened in February 2018.
Esquivel said her family played a large role in the construction process. Her dad and brother-in-law engineered most of the building, and they helped her figure out the plumbing and mechanical aspects of the future boutique. Her boyfriend, who has a graphic design degree from the University, helped her design Moxi’s logo. Her mom was her biggest cheerleader throughout the process. Her business has a special place in her heart for many reasons, but she credits her most of her love to the fact they started the technical design of the building from scratch.
Esquivel tries on all of the clothes she orders for the store before they go on sale. Since all clothing companies have different sizes, she likes to have a gage on the clothing so she can guide her customers.
“I really just want to make the shopping experience as easy for my customers as possible, Esquivel said. “I want them to be relaxed and happy when they leave the store.”
Esquivel listens to her customer’s feedback and tries to improve the business based on their wishes. Most recently, some of her most loyal customers have suggested she sell denim flares, which will be coming soon to Moxi’s collection.
Her goal is to have customers leave feeling better than they did before they walked in. She makes sure she has a staff that reflects this value. Currently, her staff is collectively made of people she grew up with in St. Amant, Louisiana. Esquivel said their close bond is obvious when you enter the store.
“I’m so lucky to do what I love with the people that I love,” Esquivel said. “I am obsessed with customer service, so coming to work is a privilege and has never been something that I didn’t want to do.”
Moxi Boutique sits on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 on Lee Drive.
