Bradley alumna Natalie Konopka joined students via Zoom on Nov. 4 in an event held by the American Marketing Association to talk about how she created her very own small business from scratch.
Konopka is the CEO of a boutique called Darling Authority, which runs out of Orlando, Florida. At first, the boutique was strictly online from 2019, but it opened up a storefront in late August of 2021.
Konopka has always had a strong love for fashion, clothes and, of course, business. She returned to Bradley to talk with students who share a similar passion for business.
“My parents were entrepreneurs and it’s all I’ve ever known,” Konopka said. “Since I can remember, I’ve always had ‘side hustles’ — from making bracelets to sell to my parents’ hotel customers, handmade One Direction tanks, dog walking, reselling clothes, making sorority canvases – you name it.”
To start the event, Konopka shared stories about her time at Bradley and how Darling Authority got its start during her junior year of college.
“I knew Natalie when she was a senior in college; she was in my service sorority,” Jenna Schilling, junior marketing and television arts double major said. “I have been following her since she started her business on Bradley’s campus.”
Konopka told students that her journey had a very slow start with mainly pop-up events around and outside campus to try and sell clothes. She stated that at the end of her fourth month of business, she had only made $32.75.
However, on her one-year anniversary of opening Darling Authority in March 2020, she randomly decided to post about her business on TikTok. A video of hers blew up, and she sold out immediately after.
“Literally before posting the video that changed my life, I thought, ‘No one’s going to watch this, no one’s going to want to hear this, this is so lame,’” Konopka said. “I decided, ‘You know what, you never know; it couldn’t hurt to try.’”
Darling Authority continuously rose in popularity thanks to TikTok and sold out of its inventory multiple times.
“I think her [Konopka] finding success on TikTok and that kick-starting her business is a great example of using social media to get your voice out there and your product out there,” Schilling said.
Before she went full-time with Darling Authority, Konopka started a pre-pandemic job at a Tom James clothing store that she worked at for five weeks before quitting. While she explained this process, she shared a life lesson with the students.
“It’s [these] very simple three words: dreams aren’t forever,” Konopka said.
In October 2020, Konopka leased her very first warehouse/office space to further expand her business. However, she warned students not to make any business decisions based purely on emotion, because the warehouse ended up failing. In fact, she is still trying to sublet the space.
Despite all of her struggles, Konopka opened up the Darling Authority storefront in June 2021, and she shared that she has never been happier with her business. Konopka then boiled her business experience down into a final message.
“Be authentic; be different,” Konopka said. “Jump feet first and don’t look back if this is what you truly want. Don’t compare. Don’t copy. Get really realistic at what it’ll take to be successful. Carve your own path. Invest in yourself and your business.”
