Check out Immaculate Concepts’ Founder, April Felton, interview with VoyageHouston Magazine. Click the following link or read below: http://voyagehouston.com/interview/conversations-inspiring-april-felton/

Today we’d like to introduce you to April Felton.

Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
My name is April Felton, wife, mother and Founder of Immaculate Concepts. I am a graduate from the University of Houston with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Texas Southern University with a Masters in Business Administration.  My company, Immaculate Concepts, is a lifestyle management and concierge service that caters to Very Busy People.  The business was formed in 2015 and initially, was a passion project that developed from my retail sales experience.

In 2001 – 2005, I worked as a sales associate for a clothing boutique in the Houston Galleria mall. That’s when I fell in love with the idea of organizing closets. I was drawn to the color-coordinated bays and meticulous displays.  If you’ve ever worked in retail then you know how much work goes into “vision” planning for the store. The bays are strategically organized to enhance the shopper’s experience as well as draw appeal and accessibility to the clothes. My thought behind organizing closets was to recreate a fun shopping experience in the home of my clients.

The pivotal moment(s) that led to Immaculate Concepts evolving into a lifestyle management service, was when “life happened” to me. I started making plans for a wedding and quickly discovered I was expecting. I stopped making wedding plans to place my townhome on the market for sale.  I sold my townhome, organized my baby shower, traveled out of the country – to avoid losing the deposit money for our destination wedding – and then purchased a new home. A month later, my husband and I had a private wedding ceremony in my parent’s backyard two weeks shy of giving birth to our son. I decided to recommit my life to Christ and was baptized all while studying for and obtaining a real estate sales license.  I left a 12-year career with the Houston Rockets – my 1st job out of college – to begin a new career in public service and local government. Needless to say, “life was happening” fast and I wasn’t catching up.

The totality of these experiences, and a few others, forced me to dig deep and seek God’s purpose for my life, career and family. I wanted to be more, do more. I wanted to be a resource and to help smooth the transition for other people when “life happened” to them.  I started reading books, articles and researched companies that catered to servicing busy people who lived busy lives.  What I found was that many specialized in one niche or service – like childcare, or just special event planning, or only business support – but very few were all-emcompassing and tailor-made. What happens when you need it all… at once?  That’s where I come in at. From that gap in the market, the vision and purpose for Immaculate Concepts was formed and Houston’s Premier Source for Quality and Functional Living was born.

Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way? Any advice for other women, particularly young women who are just starting their journey?
The biggest challenge has been gaining access to capital in order to fund the business operations. Like many small businesses, I don’t have much (or any) financial support to grow and expand.

My best advice for young women just starting out is to try to prepare for the financial woes that may come. Starting a business doesn’t come without sacrifice(s) so I would encourage young entrepreneurs to be prepared to make many sacrifices.  Also, create a budget and do your research on the amount of capital needed (monthly) to operate and market your business. Before launching, try to save 3 – 6 months’ worth of living expenses since you may not incur a profit early on.

Lastly, remain confident and focused. YOU GOT THIS! Some moments it will feel like nothing is working. Just know you are MORE than capable. The hard work will pay off.

We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a brand, organization or service provider? What sets you apart from others?
I oversee all aspects of the business and dedicatedly lend my organizing expertise, resourcefulness and deliberate decision-making to support Very Busy People (VBPs). Immaculate Concepts’ specializes in quality and professional outsourced assistance with services ranging from home management, business support services, office organization, special occasion/event planning, travel arrangements, personal shopping, errand runs, resume writing, closet organization, professional real estate services and much more.

We are best known for saving people time!  We handle the tasks our VBPs don’t have time for or simply don’t like doing. They ask a question, we answer it.  They give us a task, we handle it.  If we don’t know the answer or aren’t experienced in handling the task, then we do the legwork in getting an answer or liaising work assignments with trusted and thoroughly vetted 3rd party service providers.

We are different from other task-based service companies because our members don’t have to take a gamble on whether the task will get handled correctly. They appreciate partnering with a trusted and highly-skilled professional who is experienced and can manage complex tasks. They appreciate the ease in knowing the job will get done, and done right!

Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
For me, mentorship or networking is simply “relationship building” between like-minded people who share a common interest.  I try to build relationships with people who I share a common goal with.

I’m an extrovert so I’m always attending a luncheon, reception or educational forum. These events allow me the opportunity to casually network and be mentored to.  I love to entertain and to be entertained so social events has worked well for me meeting new people. Networking should be fun.  You should find what works best for you. If it’s cumbersome you won’t get anything out of it and you’re simply wasting your time.

Lastly, “party with a purpose.”  Build and nurture relationships that will contribute to the trajectory of your career. Avoid time wasters – that can be a person, place or thing!

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