The Beauty of Legacy : How One Woman Is Transforming Her Community”
The Beauty of Legacy : How One Woman Is Transforming Her Community”
“With her mother’s wisdom as her guide, Evelyn Shepard opened Citronelle’s first beauty supply store, a tribute to family, faith, and community pride.”
In the quiet Alabama town of Citronelle, a daughter carried her mother’s legacy, determined to transform her community through that vision. That spark, ignited at a jazz festival, quickly grew. Soon, Citronelle was home to its very first beauty supply store, all thanks to Evelyn’s vision taking root.
A Dream Is Sparked
The idea came unexpectedly last year. “I traveled out of town to the annual Cincinnati, OH, jazz festival with some friends,” Evelyn recalled. “In the small town where we stayed, I noticed they had a beauty supply store. I thought to myself: Why doesn’t Citronelle have anything like this?” That lingering question drove her. By the time she returned home, she was already on the phone with a friend in Atlanta who had opened a store in Macon, GA.
Evelyn followed her advice step by step, filing papers and setting her dream in motion.
The Struggle Before the Breakthrough
Like so many first-time entrepreneurs, Evelyn soon discovered passion wasn’t enough; business required knowledge, numbers, and strategy. “My business plan was very insufficient,” she admitted. “I didn’t know how margins worked, how to calculate prices, or how important an exit strategy was.”
That’s when her cousin introduced her to Vivian’s Door.
The Power of Partnership
At Vivian’s Door, Evelyn found more than just guidance; she built a relationship that supported her through uncertainty. Inside the Business Plan Blueprint Cohort program, she built critical business skills and the belief that her mother’s legacy could truly spark change in Citronelle.
“Everything I learned was valuable,” she said. “Vivian’s Door taught me how to calculate customer pricing, understand margins, and see the importance of an exit strategy. Most importantly, they supported me throughout. I never felt alone.”
At Vivian’s Door, we don’t just build businesses; we build relationships, walking alongside entrepreneurs until their vision becomes reality.
Each step, Evelyn and Vivian’s Door refined her plan, prepared her to approach lenders, and celebrated her progress together. That partnership gave her the foundation she needed. When the line of credit came through, she called it “a prayer answered.”
How Vivian’s Door Helps Entrepreneurs Like Evelyn
At Vivian’s Door, we believe every dream deserves the right tools. Through our Blueprint Cohort program and individual guidance, we help entrepreneurs strengthen business plans, learn pricing, margins, and market strategy, prepare to approach lenders, and build lasting impact in their communities.
Evelyn’s story is just one example of what happens when vision meets support.
Naming a Legacy
For Evelyn, choosing the name was never in question. She called it Vivian Beauty Supply, after her late mother, Vivian, who passed away on March 29, 2025. Evelyn reflected, “My mother was the heart of our family. Her wisdom, strength, and caring spirit inspired me every day.”
Evelyn explained, “Naming my business after her is my way of keeping her memory alive and sharing her spirit’s legacy with others.” For Evelyn, the store is not just products; it is a living tribute to transformation for the community.
“I Am the Boss”
Before becoming an owner, Evelyn worked part-time at TJ Maxx, gaining valuable retail experience. But ownership was always the dream.
She remembers the day her 7-year-old great-grandniece walked into the shop and asked, “Where’s your boss?” Evelyn smiled. “I told her, ‘I am the boss.’ She looked puzzled. But I know that moment will stay with her, the realization that a Black woman in her own family owns a business.”
“I remember when a Black police officer in our neighborhood owned a convenience store,” she said. “Visiting his store was a treat, and it brought people together. That memory stayed with me. I want my store to do the same, showing young women that they, too, can build something lasting.”
Vivian’s Beauty Supply is more than a store; it stands as a legacy, a symbol of possibility, showing every child in Citronelle that dreams, rooted in heritage, can build the future.
Opening Day: Fear and Faith
The night before opening, Evelyn barely slept. She rushed to finish pricing products, her nerves tangled with excitement and fear. Learning the PayPal POS system on the fly only added to the chaos.
“I kept wondering if people would even come. Would my city support me?” she confessed. But when the doors opened, and neighbors began filling the aisles, relief washed over her. With every purchase, her dream took breath. Her store was alive.
Looking Ahead
Evelyn envisions Vivian Beauty Supply as a fully stocked hub for her community in the years ahead. But for now, she celebrates each small step, every customer who walks through the door, every day she turns the key to a dream made real.
“The most rewarding part of this journey is just being here,” she said. “I love coming into my store, even on quiet days, because I know the work I’ve put in will pay off. My advice to other aspiring entrepreneurs? Don’t give up. Keep believing and striving for an open opportunity.”
At Vivian’s Door, we are honored to be part of that journey and to continue walking beside her as her dream grows into a legacy.
A Note of Gratitude
“I am most grateful to have and to be working with Vivian’s Door,” Evelyn said. “It has been rewarding and a blessing.” Her success is a testament to what happens when courage meets community, and when support transforms a vision into reality.
Join the Story
Vivian Beauty Supply is more than a business; it’s a daughter’s tribute, a community’s gathering place, and a dream brought to life with the help of Vivian’s Door.
Connect with Vivian Beauty Supply: Store Address: 19095 South 3rd Street, Citronelle, AL
Visit Her Website and Shop HERE
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM; Closed Sunday
- Facebook: Vivian Beauty Supply
- Instagram: @vivianbeautysupply
Support Evelyn’s dream by visiting, shopping, and sharing Vivian Beauty Supply.
Each time you visit, shop, or share, you honor Evelyn’s mother and help build a legacy of hope and pride that uplifts the entire community. Be part of this inspiring journey together, and we will keep the dream alive.
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