Petals by Audrey: One Baruch student’s passion for fashion
Courtesy of Audrey Yeganeh
March 11, 2021
During her first year at Baruch College, business student Audrey Yeganeh launched her own boutique shop, Petals by Audrey.
Yeganeh started this business unintentionally. She wanted to make custom sweaters as gifts for her friends that were going off to college, but then she realized she could turn it into a business.
“The mission of my business is to bring a sense of positivity and ease to whoever wears my items. Especially during this difficult time, I hope my items light up their mood,” Yeganeh said about her business’ start.
Yeganeh’s business can be found on Instagram @PetalsByAudrey, but some of her merchandise can also be found in stores across the country. So far, she has sold items for customers in 41 states.
In high school, Yeganeh was a part of DECA club, which allowed students to learn how to become young entrepreneurs. Over the four years she spent in the club, she practiced the skills needed and learned the fundamentals of how to start a business.
After Yeganeh graduated from high school, she knew going into college that she was ready to start trying something on her own.
Now, she is a marketing and management major and is on track to enter the Zicklin School of Business.
Yeganeh said she learns from her classes about running her business. However, sometimes she learns her class material through her hands-on experience.
“In my BUS1011 course we learned a whole unit on entrepreneurship, and I was amazed by how much of the unit I knew just from my own business. My accounting course also goes over a lot of the things I have learned through my business,” she said. “Making connections between my business and school has made learning so much more interesting and enjoyable.”
At the start of the pandemic, Yeganeh hit a few obstacles in running her business. One was that there was a supply shortage, which in some cases caused her three-week delays in securing materials. Through this experience, she learned to communicate better for the sake of her business.
“My communicating and managing skills have developed tremendously and I can’t wait to apply it in what I grow my business into,” she said.
Yeganeh’s first year seminar instructor Laura Piil-Cerqua said her story is just beginning. “I knew she was special the first day I met her on Zoom. I had her for one semester. I will never forget her confidence. I know her story is not finished, it just started,” Piil-Cerqua said.
“It is incredible to see what Aubrey did. During this very difficult time she did not give up on her dreams. She moved forward and did not look back,” Piil-Cerqua added.
Yeganeh’s goal for the future of her business is creating products her customers love. “My goal for the future is to continue creating new designs and products that my customers will love,” she said. She also hopes to manufacture products. “Currently, everything I sell is handmade, however, in the future I hope to manufacture my clothes. With that, I can create pieces that are of better quality and more unique.”
Her advice to other entrepreneurs is to ensure their products are unique.
“Customers and retailers are not interested in the same product, so you have to make sure yours is different. Tie dye was all over the market, but I was only successful because I transformed the basic tie dye sweat sets,” she said.
Lastly, she encourages others to not give up on their dreams.
“In my room I had a sign that read “believe in your dreams and they will come true.” I woke up to that sign for years and believed in it. You have to be your own motivation and push through obstacles you face. All the hard work is worth it in the end and you will surprise yourself by how much you are capable of,” Yegadneh said.
