Quarantine Routine: Rasheeda Frost on Juggling Leadership, Motherhood and Influence in Tough Times
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In a new SPY series, FN interviews celebrities, athletes and fashion insiders about their “Quarantine Routine.” They open up about the changes to their daily lives amid the coronavirus crisis.
Rasheeda Frost has long owned her “boss chick” persona. But as she, like millions of Americans across the country, faces the global pandemic that is the coronavirus, the fashion boutique CEO is adding new credentials to her leadership profile.
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The “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star and owner of Pressed boutique, with locations in Atlanta and Houston, is joining scores of fashion and retail executives who are thrust into crisis leadership amid unprecedented times.
“It’s sad, it’s disappointing and it’s devastating — especially to my employees who have been loyal and working really hard for me,” Frost told FN during an Instagram Live interview this week, referencing the coronavirus-induced closures of her two fashion locations and her Atlanta-based restaurant, Frost Bistro.
“Pressed is a destination,” she added. “To be a business owner and none of your businesses are open is pretty bad.”
Still, Frost was ahead of many of her retail peers in adopting e-commerce early on. Now, as many retail players work to frantically reallocate resources to digital, Frost has a decade of online selling under her belt — making the transition to all-digital a bit easier.
“What a lot of people don’t know is that I’ve been online for over 10 years now. Previously, my online store was called I’m Bossy. Then I changed the name over to Pressed,” she explained. “So we’ve always been popping that way — we’ve just picked it up a little bit. We’re still getting a lot of people ordering and supporting us — but it’s nothing like the physical locations. We miss our customers.”
As Frost steers her team of 70-plus employees through widespread uncertainty, she said she’s leaning into compassionate leadership more than ever.
“[It’s about] making sure you communicate,” she said. “As a business owner, you want your employees to know that you’re there and accessible. We’re doing everything we can to let them know we’re here. We’re working on trying to get [the federal government’s] payroll protection for our business, and we’re trying to keep everyone [employed].”
In the meantime, Frost said she’s enjoying moments at home with her family, including her husband, Kirk, and her 6-year-old son, Karter. Frost’s older son, Ky, 19, no longer lives at home.
“I got to give teachers props because it can be a little much,” Frost joked about homeschooling her youngest son. “We’re just figuring out a good schedule for it and trying to have a good structure so we don’t get too out of control.”
Frost said the extra free time at home has helped her bond with loved ones in new ways, which is yielding valuable traditions — like sitting down for nightly family dinners — that she hopes will outlast the quarantine.
If you peruse her Instagram these days, you’ll find that the live clips of her manning Pressed boutique in Atlanta are temporarily being replaced by clips of her preparing lasagna and lots of promos for her online boutique. It’s mostly positive and aspirational content — no doom and gloom about the tough days we’re all coping with.
And it’s intentional on Frost’s part.
“We already know what we going through; we don’t have to talk about that s*** every second,” she said. “Let’s enjoy life. I think it’s important for us to entertain ourselves. Take this time to have fun.
“Let’s stay motivated, driven and focused,” she advised. “Don’t get frustrated, and let’s not get sidetracked. It can be stressful, but let’s continue to grow and build and set examples as mothers and leaders. It’s difficult, but we have to look at the lessons to be learned in all of this.”
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