Meet Melissa Prato | Clothing Boutique Owner

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

Hi Melissa, what is the most important factor behind your success?
There are many important factors behind the success of my business and my brand. First step is to identify my niche, who is my target audience and how do I cater to them? Second important factor is to remain authentic. I would lose all my passion and all my drive for what I do if I was not being authentically me, following my authentic sense of style or duplicating something that is not true to me. Lastly, probably the most valuable is discipline. Discipline is the key to everything, I may not always have the drive, I may not always have the motivation but the discipline allows me to keep going. Discipline tells me that I need to show up everyday and do what needs to be done and that is key.

What should our readers know about your business?
Shop at Amandine is an online retail store with the brick and mortar in Haiti. I find that what sets me apart is the intention with which I do all aspects of this business. From the time I take to select the clothes, unpack them, display them or even as I ship them out, the ultimate intention is the client’s satisfaction. Because I truly believe that “When you look good, you feel good!”, I take my time to select clothing that will truly make my clients look and feel good.

The journey to get where I am today has not been an easy one, I initially started this project years ago, I was intimidated by the idea but I knew it was not impossible. I decided to unbox this project piece by piece. I reached out to a friend who pointed me on where to start my research. I spent months watching youtube videos, researching on google, traveling, asking questions before I was able to take my first step. I overcame the challenges truly by moving in faith. I don’t believe that challenges are ever finished when you own a business.

I approach each challenge as a learning experience and a tool for me to improve my business. When I face an obstacle, I am no longer intimidated – Instead, I look for the lesson in it. I work through it and keep it going. There is always a solution – we just tend to focus on the problem more than the steps to solve the problem. In this journey, I learned that there is always sweetness on the other side of the obstacle, you just have to get through.

I want the world to know that my store represents women of all shapes and sizes. That no matter what you weigh, do not allow the world to intimidate you by its standards of beauty. You are beautiful, you are powerful and you belong! That is what “Shop at Amandine” stands for.

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.
If my best fried was visiting Miami for a week, I would have a full itinerary for her.

Of course we have to have our instagrammable moments with Breakfast at Little Hen, because who can pass up the flower wall photos? Can’t miss my ultimate favorite breakfast at Cafe Bastille (the best!), another day of breakfast at B Bistro in Brickell and take her to Ficelle Bakery in riverlanding.

Of course we must get our workouts in, so one day at Barry’s, then Redbike Cycling, another day a yoga class at Wynwood Yoga, and spice it up with VXN Workout in Biscayne.

We would for sure have a beautiful spa / beach day because who says Miami without the beach? I have to take her to my favorites. Between Exhale at Loews Miami Beach (Cristina the masseuse is the BEST!) and Lapis at The Fountaine Bleau – maybe we’d squeeze in two spa days. A total beach day at Soho Beach House is a must!!!

Let’s get into dinner, because we cannot be on vacation in Miami without dinner at Novikov, Carbone, LPM Restaurant, Michael’s Genuine, Cote and Joe’s Stone Crab (my favorite!!!!). I would bring her to Wynwood one night because it’s a fun scene, not very “uptight” like the old Miami Beach Era where you needed to look a certain way to get into the clubs.

Of course Miami is not all food and gym, we have such beautiful places to visit. I always bring my visitors to Vizcaya Museum, its so beautiful. Catch a heat game, if there is one. Go do the tour in the everglades. If she’s up for it, we can do a helicopter sight seeing (I have never tried that one so I don’t know how great it is!).

There is so much to do in Miami! Whatever we do, we will make sure to do it in style all styled from Shop at Amandine!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
They say it takes a village, I truly believe it. I think from a young age I have been surrounding by great people who have served as a small piece to my puzzle. At the core, my dad laid the foundation for my sense of entrepreneurship. I watched him practice discipline daily by showing up to his business and working HARD day after day. He never allowed himself to get comfortable. He always had new ideas, always innovated. From small changes, to big ones, he was always doing something different. My father is a hard worker (too hard, sometimes) and he raised me to understand the importance and the need of “self-sufficiency” from a young age. Because of my father, I have always allowed myself to dream big, to understand that everything I can imagine, I can actually achieve beyond. All I need to do is work hard, show-up, define the vision and have the discipline. With that, I have to dedicate this to my father – the man behind it all.

Website: www.shopatamandine.com

Instagram: @ShopAtAmandine

Twitter: @ShopAtAmandine

Facebook: Facebook.com/ShopAtAmandine