By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
A plan in your mind is not going anywhere. Even if you put it down on paper, it’s just a plan. But going beyond the planning stage and taking the risk to breathe life into your idea by putting action to your plan, well that’s when your plan becomes reality.
Shenita Yell had enough of planning right about the same time as she had enough of working for someone else, so she took her plan and brought it to life. Gospel Depot, a clothing and accessories boutique in Texas City, is Yell’s plan as a brick-and-mortar store.
“I had always been thinking about having my own store,” said Yell.
Yell had worked in retail since shortly after finishing high school. She worked her way through college as a single mother with two children and managing a Check and Go along with being an assistant manager at Citi Trends.
She finished her degree in 2009, the same year her son Devin graduated from La Marque High School. Tucking her degree away and keeping her plan inside of her, she continued to work as a retail manager.
Leaving the comfort of a guaranteed paycheck and starting a business from scratch didn’t happen overnight. First, Shenita had to build some inventory and sell her merchandise. Turning to social media for building her name and gaining clients was a first step. She added pop-up shops to her early stages as she gained momentum.
On August 14, 2021, Gospel Depot opened its doors to the public with clothing and accessories for females of all sizes. Since opening, the store needed more space and Shenita took a larger unit in the same plaza.
“I’m still in the building phase of my business and I’m in it for the long haul. This isn’t just a job for me, it’s a passion. At the end of the day, I feel tired, but I feel good. It’s a good tired,” Yell said.
She calls her female customers queens. If you wear regular sized clothing, then you are a queen. If you are in the plus size range, she refers to you as a curvy queen. “Every woman is beautiful, and I want every woman to walk out of here feeling inspired and beautiful,” said Yell.
Through her regal spirit and merchandising finesse, she empowers her customers to stand a little taller and walk a little prouder as they claim their own inner and outer beauty.
Some of her clients brought their husbands into her shop and the men asked for men’s options. This inspired her to begin carrying men’s clothing. If you are an average size man, you are a king and if you are a large man, you are a royal king.
As she jumped into men’s clothing, she noticed a deficiency in reasonably-priced clothing for larger men. “My husband, Patrick, is a large man and he’s a cowboy so there aren’t a lot of options for him,” Yell said.
This led her to develop another plan: she and her seamstress are working on creating a line of men’s clothing which will carry her company name.
Shenita is not alone in her retail business. Her daughter, Au’Bryana, lends a helping hand as her online marketing expert. Keeping the family in the loop also means her granddaughter, Nova, has a wall of merchandise in children’s sizes named, Nova’s Kloset Collection.
Relying on her customers for guiding her merchandise collection is a business model Shenita learned through her years in retail. “I’ve got to have what my customers want,” she said. If she doesn’t have it in her store, her customers can count on her to find an item and order it.
One of her business mottos is “beautiful fashion at a reasonable price.” She is committed to finding the best priced items for her boutique.
When she isn’t busy with her boutique, Shenita serves as a Master of Ceremonies for various civic and private productions, or she serves as a speaker at women’s conferences. She adores her two grandchildren and when childcare is needed, Nova is invited to spend a day with Grandma at the boutique. Family unity is a top priority for Shenita.
Sundays when the shop is closed to business, the racks of clothing are pushed into the dressing rooms and chairs are set up in rows. The boutique is transformed into a place of worship. “My son is a minister and holds his services here,” said Shenita.
What is it that inspires her to keep going through the many discouraging moments of being a small business owner? “I want to leave a legacy for my children. When I leave this world, it is my wish that my children work because they want to work, not because they need to work,” shared Yell.
