CEO Tiffany Jackson established the Florissant-based Pretty N Posh to empower and improve the self-esteem of young girls ages 3 to 17.
“Our motto is ‘Celebrating Beauty Inside and Out!’” Jackson said.
Pretty N Posh offers educational workshops taught by Jackson on abstinence, childhood obesity, and maintaining healthy friendships and relationships.
It is the same guidance offered through her workshops that she gives to her own daughter, Aniyah Pernell, 12.
“Sometimes kids listen better to other adults than to their own parents,” she said. “When they come here, I want them to feel loved.”
She tries to help as many girls as possible, often through not-for-profit organizations like Girls, Inc., Girls Scouts and the Fairy Glam Project.
Although she has a nursing degree from Deaconess College of Nursing, she realized that there was “something else” she was meant to do.
“It was two years after I graduated from nursing school and I said, ‘I’m going to go back and get my Masters in Business Administration. I want to own my own business,’” she said.
She worked full time at Helping Hands Home Care Services and Caring Hearts, which is owned and operated by Jackson’s parents, Mack and Mary Hickmon. In January 2011, she became a part-time nurse and committed full time to building Pretty N Posh.
She admitted that initial startup costs made it difficult to get her business off the ground.
“I actually started in 2008 and couldn’t open up the doors until December of 2010 because the economy was so bad,” she said. “First, you have to make sure its something you absolutely love because you will not get paid for a very long time.”
Pretty N Posh offers themed parties and spa services. Jordyn Preuss, 9, chose the Best of Both Worlds party theme to celebrate an early birthday on April 7.
“It’s like a dream come true,” Jordyn said excitedly to birthday guests at the front door.
The Best of Both Worlds combines the Diva Rock Star and Spa Me Rotten themes. Jordyn and her guests dressed up in bright pink spa robes and high-heeled slippers while they enjoyed manicures, pedicures and spa drinks from the Posh Café – mocktails in plastic margarita glasses with sugar on the rim.
Next, they changed into their Diva Rock Star attires for karaoke singing and dancing. Each girl went home with custom-made bathtub sugar scrubs.
“I’ve already recommended [Pretty N Posh] to 10 people,” Jordyn’s mother, Nicole Preuss said.
Take-home versions of spa products are for sale. The Bath Ice Cream Cone, Bath Lollipop and Cupcake Bath Bomb were featured on Oprah’s Holiday Favorites list. Pretty N Posh is only one of three stores in Missouri that carry Hair Shots, which is a heat-activated fragrant hair spray that deters lice. The all-natural Pretty N Posh Signature lotion and Soda Pop Shower Gels are also popular items.
Last year, St. Louis Business Resource Center awarded Pretty N Posh with St. Louis’ Next Best Business award for its first annual Plan of Success Contest geared toward small business owners.
Jackson said she has several goals for her business. By next year, she wants to increase the number of free party giveaways to children of low-income families and those of deceased or disabled military veterans through the Pretty N Posh Children’s Fund. She wants to expand her business both locally and nationally.
Ultimately, she would like a separate establishment solely for young boys to foster their growth.
Contact Tiffany Jackson at (314) 921- POSH (7674) or visit www.prettynposh.com.
