During quarantine, Redwood students have found new ways to keep themselves busy; whether that be exercising, cooking, learning a new instrument or finally watching that list of movies that have been circulating their Netflix home page for years. Redwood sophomore Lauren Mann decided to follow her dream to open an online boutique. Mann launched her store, Jvida, which sells trendy clothes and jewelry. 

“My whole life I’ve had a passion for fashion and marketing, and I think that played a huge role in wanting to start an eCommerce business,” Mann said. “I saw a girl on TikTok start a business and that really pushed me to [open mine as well].”

Mann’s boutique functions fully online on a website she created herself from her bedroom. It includes a direct messaging feature that allows customers to chat with Mann directly if they have questions or simply want an update on their order.

“Ever since I was six I loved making websites, so I’ve had a lot of experience with that technology,” Mann said.

Liliana De Leon, a Redwood sophomore, is a Jvida model and close friend of Mann’s. She states that she had nothing but positive first impressions of Mann’s new business venture. 

“I thought it was a great idea. I immediately thought, ‘Go Lauren!’ and I really support her,” De Leon said.

As a model for Jvida, De Leon wears Jvida clothing to a shooting location, where Mann instructs her on how to pose. She provides various directions and scenarios such as, “Act like you’re on a runway,” or, “Act like you’re looking into the sky.” 

Ella Endler, another Redwood sophomore, is also a proud member of the Jvida team. As a brand ambassador and model, Endler promotes Mann’s business on her social media to help gain a larger audience.

“My job is to advertise, I post on my [Instagram] story when she drops new pieces… I reach out to friends and try to help her grow her [customer base],” Endler said.

Despite the overwhelming support from her team, opening and owning a business during a pandemic comes with its own course of struggles. When photographing models for her website, Mann takes COVID safety precautions such as wearing a mask, social distancing and shooting at outdoor locations.

As a minor, she needed parental approval on every legal document in order to open her online store; luckily for Mann, her parents were also supportive.

“Because my family knows that I love selling stuff and the idea of opening my own business, they were really supportive. My friends were pretty surprised,” Mann said.

Endler was excited to hear her friend was venturing out of her comfort zone, and finally able to open the business that she had envisioned. 

“I thought that it sounded like a really good idea because she’s talked about it a lot, and she sounded like she was really interested in making it become a real thing,” Endler said. 

Endler also speaks highly of not only Mann’s products but the dedication and thoughtfulness that she constantly exhibits while running Jvida.

“She takes it really seriously… I feel like she’s always working because I know that she has a lot of fun with it,” Endler said.

In recent months, Mann has been working on expanding Jvida. She often reaches out to small creators on platforms such as TikTok, offering to send them free products in exchange for promoting her brand. According to Indeed, an online publication that writes about business and finance, using brand ambassadors is a popular advertising technique among many small businesses to reach out to different demographics and positively advertise their products.

“A couple of weeks ago I sent stuff to an influencer on TikTok, and that brought in a ton of website visitors. It was super exciting,” Mann said.

Mann plans on expanding Jvida in the coming years and hopes to add a new spring collection. She also plans to create more jewelry designs, as they currently seem to be the most popular items on her website. Mann looks forward to her future with Jvida and hopes to study fashion and marketing in college. 

“It’d be a dream of mine to have an in-person store [to put] all my clothes out,”  Mann said.

 Mann’s diligent attitude and consistent hard work drive her to continue spreading her business. As her boutique continues to grow with new collections and customers, so does the support for the business. She runs the business with a smile on her face and has become a source of inspiration and motivation for her friends.