Q & A with Andrea Paola

How was Cacique Boutique founded? My mom opened a retail store in Miami named Cacique Boutique in 2006. I was 11 years old at the time and instantly fell in love with the boutique. The fashion, lifestyle, photoshoots, I was hooked. I would rush to the store everyday after school or dance class to help in anyway that I could. I would assist my mom with placing orders for new merchandise, create window displays, assist clients and have fun trying on new items. At swimwear conventions and fashion shows, my mom would even bring me along as her assistant buyer. Once I was in high school, my mom and I became official business partners. The e-commerce sales were skyrocketing, so we decided to close the storefront and become solely an online store, and here we are now. 

What does Cacique (pronounced kah-seek) mean? The name Cacique came from my family's home country of Colombia. Cacique is a term used for native tribe leaders. In Cartenga, a statue of the first female "cacique" stands. The name symbolizes the strength and power of all women. You'll find a common statement throughout our site "Join The Tribe," which is an invitation for all women to find comfort and confidence with being a part of our community. 

Since the beginning, Cacique Boutique has flourished. What do you think contributes to Cacique Boutique’s success? I think that always keeping up with what’s trending, both socially and in fashion, has been a huge key to our success. We are always on top of the next big social media venue and the latest designer or fashion trend.

What makes Cacique Boutique different from its competitors? What make us different is that we strive to make our customers feel included and welcome. You don’t have to be a top model to shop from us, in fact, all of our models are local young women from our community. We scout models who represent everything CB stands for: confidence, health, happiness and humility. 

What do you enjoy most about your job? I honestly love everything about my job, whether it’s styling photoshoots, creating stories for our lookbooks or implementing new marketing campaigns. I’m not lying when I tell people that every morning I wake up excited to go to work.

What skills, according to you, are important when owning an online boutique? I think time management is a huge skill when operating an e-commerce business. When you have no one telling you what to do or what time you have to clock in or out, it takes self-discipline to manage your workload and be productive.