We had the good fortune of connecting with Ruth Calvert and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ruth, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Thinking about starting a business I knew what my work ethic was and the work ethic of my family and with that I wanted to feel like I had control of my own destiny. I wanted to know that if I put in my sweat equity I could make things happen not just for myself, but for my family and now other families that we are so privileged to have working for us. There is something about being able to invest in yourself and your vision that is unparalleled.

The journey of getting to work with our Brides on their most special day of their lives is SO important to us. It has always been about so much more than the dress for us. We love getting to love on our brides and be a support to them throughout this bridal journey.

What should our readers know about your business?
In all honesty there was nothing easy about this journey. Looking back the journey was full of determination, discipline and pure grit. Owning your own business requires giving your all every single day.

I am very proud of the fact that we got to be trailblazers in our field. Before us there really wasn’t anyone who had specialized primarily in Bridal Alterations. Alterations were either done in house for a bridal store or a tailor shop that did alterations on everything including ready-wear. The idea that a business could not only survive but THRIVE as a niche Bridal Alterations tailor shop was unheard of. We had a vision and we were willing to do anything to see that vision come to life.

My vision pivoted when my daughter, Rylee, graduated college and decided to join forces with me. She had a new younger vision that really exploded the prior vision. She had a vision for the business to take everything digital, foster relationships with multiple bridal stores and make the Bridal experience match the changing climate of customer service, with all that social media brought. In my opinion that was our Golden Ticket, that we had the first generation putting forth the sweat equity and grinding to a skillset/trade and then we infused the second generation coming in with a full force passion vision having grown up alongside that. Having two generations and their own unique experiences really sets our business apart from others. For any business, if you are able to join forces with generational knowledge it is really what turns any regular small business into a powerhouse.

And playing no small role in this effort has been my husband, Rodney. Without him we would not have our current space, literally! He did the build out on our current space and the one prior. He is honestly the FIRST person to support making our experience Boujee and can really take our visions and turn them into a reality. He adds so much value to our business that we would never be able to duplicate without him! Day to day him and my daughter run all of the behind the scenes that really keep this ship running!

We are so excited to have such an amazing staff on board. It is imperative to have a staff that buys into your vision and your brand. We love how passionate and vibrant our current staff is, especially our general manager of 5 years, Juli Hernandez. And now we look at the third generation and are excited for what that may bring to our business.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of my favorite places to go are the arboretum, Perot museum, Dallas Art Museum and our absolute favorite thing is to find hole in the wall flea markets/ antique stores to find new gems for ourself and our shop!– We have a passion for up cycling and doing fun FYI projects in our free time! And don’t forget the FOOD! Dallas is known for its abundance of food and one of our favorite places is to go to Klyde Warren and hit up all the food trucks!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I think that so much of my success is in part to my parents who set a hardworking example for me at a very young age. Without them I would not have been able to do this. I would also like to thank my husband who has been behind me since day one. And finally to my kids, Rylee, Regan and Reece for always being willing to be a part of it and being present in my dreams instead of making me feel like I had to choose. And to my daughter Rylee, when I was tired and ready to give up she came through with an energy and passion that changed our life and gave us purpose in a way that I would never have imagined.

Website: www.alteredforthealtar.com

Instagram: @alteredforthealtar

Facebook: www.facebook.com/alteredforthealtar

Other: TikTok: @AlteredfortheAltar

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Golden Light Creative and Huey Photography

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