The Original TigerSwan

My name is Nikki M.G. That’s Nikki Marie Georgina. I come from a family lead by independent women and I was named after them. My biggest role model and daily inspiration is my grandmother, Winifred Hazel. My grandmother was a woman who despite all the weight of life, always had the vision to appreciate the beauty. She was the woman who would take extra time to go the scenic route and vocally appreciate every blooming azalea bush, every proud tree, every painted sky. And she LOVED swans. She had swan planters and paintings at just about every business she operated, every home she

transformed.

Winifred Hazel was a hospitable, gracious, lovely, classically stylish woman. One of my favorite photographs is of her in this gorgeous deep red ruffled dress coat, with her hair perfectly curled and bobbed, hand on hip, hot pink lipstick, serious gaze, enveloped by the radiance of the light shining through her tree lined deck. To me, the photograph illuminates true Queendom. She ruled any scene she stepped foot in.

She was also ferociously protective of her family and driven to accomplish her biggest dreams. My grandmother was born in 1920. She was a #nastywoman who wore pants, preferred running businesses over traditional motherhood, and got a divorce long before it was socially acceptable or there was an affirming hashtag. She managed countless hotels and went on to own and operate over a dozen luxury bed and breakfasts in Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania. She was fearless. She was outspoken with the sharpest of tongues. Many men, women and children alike were both mesmerized by her charm and afraid she would tell them the hurtful truth about themselves.

My grandmother passed away at the age of 96 in November of 2015. I am so fortunate to have gotten to spend 33 years of my life with her. I miss her every day. I’ve definitely cried writing this blog piece while thinking about her. I like to believe that she lives through me. I hope to honor her legacy by being a successful business owner who can sustain my family while building up my community. Afterall, I am not sure I would have ever taken the leap to become a business owner, had I not been led by my grandmother’s example. Every day I tell myself, “She did it. So can I.”

I have to tell myself this and other uplifting mantras repeatedly in order to counter some of the other narratives repeating in my brain. I’m sure you may be familiar with some of these too: “You’re not enough.” “You’re not smart enough.” “You’ll never have enough money to accomplish your dreams.” “You don’t have the right experience.” “You’ll probably fail,” and so on and so forth.

Well, all of this is bullshit. Ladies, we are enough! We can do what we set our minds on because we are extremely powerful. I wasn’t aware of my own power though until I became a restaurant worker organizer in 2009. It was then, through years of coaching and concentrated leadership development, that I actually believed, trusted, and loved my power. My power not only comes from within, it comes from my community. It comes from all the powerful people who have been working hard to transform our reality into something more humane, something more beautiful, something more wholesome.

So why TigerSwan Timeless Boutique? What does a style business have anything to do with this, right?

Once we know our own power, there is no ignoring us. The only option is to work every single day towards postive transformation. TigerSwan is transformation. It’s my personal transformation and my contribution towards DC’s transformation.

My mission is to build confidence in women and girls to be the very best versions of themselves through aiding the discovery, transformation, and sharpening of their personal style. I believe that when women and girls love themselves and love their style, they find the freedom to speak up for themselves and each other. They feel motivated. They ask for raises. They go after opportunities. They dance. They radiate joy. They speak out against injustice. They organize. They start businesses. They run for office. They feel comfortable saying, “NO!” They say “YES!” to themselves. They counter those poisonous narratives that hold us all back. Their capacity expands immensely. And collectively, all of these small moments of power and beauty add up to big transformations on the personal, institutional, and structural levels. TigerSwan Timeless Boutique is simply a safe, intentional conversation and personal development space for women that happens to carry a fabulous array of vintage and modern clothing and accessories . . .. and crowns . . .. and complimentary weed! #legal

This is also my way of leading by example. It’s my way of doing what I love, while also working deliberately to create a sustainable, dignified workplace for women. I’m talking living wages, fair benefits, and opportunities for development and advancement. I’m talking about building a business that not only values its clients, but values its team equally so. I’m talking about building a workplace culture that proactively solves human resource challenges for this generation. I’m talking about creating another small DC business that actively participates in the democratic process in order to open doors for more aspiring small entrepreneurs. I’m talking about sustaining a business that generates resources for the ongoing movement for Black Liberation.

Let me be clear though. I am in no way implying that fashion solves our deepest problems. But I am saying that a style business can be a powerful freedom building tool.

Lastly, I’ve named this business in honor of my grandmother who was the original TigerSwan, but also in honor of all the queens out there who live through the contradictions of life every day with elegance, ferocity, and a deep love of self.

In style,

Nikki M.G.