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NEW SARPY — Exactly three years after launching a children’s boutique to build a legacy for her infant daughter, Lexus “Luckii” Wells watched her little girl cut the ribbon on a storage building that will give their small business room to grow.

Wells envisions Rae’Lynn Dior Jackson cutting more ribbons on bigger buildings in the future. “Slow and steady” has been her mantra since opening Rae Dior Couture on May 23, 2020. It’s been a rollercoaster with more downs than ups, but the one thing that has remained steady is her faith in God.

“On those days when I wanted to give it all up, he was there to pick me up, dust me off and encourage me to keep going. I prayed over my daughter’s business every single day for a breakthrough. Sales were slow most days, but I was always thankful for those one or two sales I would get in a week,” Wells said. “After I began to see a small profit, I decided to invest my little savings from the business and go into my personal savings to purchase a shed for an office/pickup space.”

Not long after purchasing a shed to renovate into an office, Wells found herself unexpectedly pregnant with her second child in the summer of 2022. It felt as if her world had come crashing down as she battled depression and feelings of guilt over bringing another child into the world just as her daughter’s business was about to take off.  Plans for the building and business expansion fell by the wayside. She was sitting on the sofa one day, trapped in a dark place, when her daughter suddenly gave her a hug and the most encouraging words: “I’m so proud of you, Momma.”

With those words in mind, Wells took another look at the shed. She dug into her personal savings account again and began searching for contractors to handle electrical work, sheetrock, painting and flooring. Once the job was done, she took time to relax and enjoy the end of her pregnancy before welcoming her baby boy, Roman Jackson, in February.

Wells had her 3-year-old daughter and 3-month-old son by her side as the third anniversary of the business was celebrated with a ribbon cutting Tuesday evening. What started as a storage shed has been transformed into an office/pick-up space complete with pink walls and girly décor to match Rae Dior Couture’s stylish clothing.

“I believe this new building would help my daughter’s business grow into a positive direction by bringing more awareness to my daughter’s brand. Although my building isn’t an actual store front, there are still clothes displayed on racks to give that visual attention for the local customers who come in and pick up for their online orders,” Wells said. “Truth be told, 75% of my orders are out of state orders, so having an office space that actually displays the merch can draw more customers locally, which would be a big help for Rae Dior Couture.”

Wells understands that breakthroughs don’t come easily and that there is more work to be done. She sees the new building as a reflection of her daughter, and that gives her motivation to continue pushing every day.

“I look at it this way; if I give up, I’m blocking an opportunity that can change my daughter’s life…Giving up will never be an option. Rae Dior Couture will be big one day, and I’m standing on that,” she said.

Pick-ups are available from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Rae Dior Couture offers trendy and affordable toddler clothing and accessories in sizes 2T to 8T. For more information, visit raediorcouture.com