Jasmine Jones, CEO of Cherry Blossom Intimates caters to breast cancer survivors with customizable prosthetics, post-surgical bras

Jasmine Jones, CEO of Cherry Blossom Intimates, a lingerie boutique near Washington, D.C. discusses offering breast cancer survivors customizable prosthetics and post-surgical bras.

Video Transcript

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JASMINE JONES: We opened this place and we realized that there was no place for breast cancer survivors to shop with dignity and being a business owner is challenging, but waking up every day and seeing people excited to shop with you, that is such a privilege and an honor.

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Hi, I'm Jasmine Jones, CEO of Cherry Blossom Intimates. We opened our doors right outside of Washington, D.C. in October of 2018. Cherry Blossom Intimates the girliest lingerie boutique on the planet.

I meet twice a year with fashion designers in New York. We carry about 30 different designs in our boutique. We offer bras from A cup to O cup and 28 band to 56 band, which means we pretty much have a bra for everyone. But we also double as a fully accredited medical facility. We just make it look beautiful and girly so that when breast cancer survivors shop with us, they don't feel like they're in a clinical space.

My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer before I was born. And she passed away when I was in my sophomore year of college, so before the business was created. I remember my grandmother shopping experience for post mastectomy bras and prosthetics. It was always inside of a medical supply store. She deserved a better experience than that.

I met a physician who had the same experience with her patients. And we put our minds together and she like, I'll bring the patients, you bring the business, and let's make it happen. A certified mastectomy fitter is specially trained to fit breast cancer survivors in prosthetics and post surgical bras. So we complete hundreds of hours of training and then, when you come out of that, you're now able to fit breast cancer survivors who are seeking balance on their physical bodies and their new bodies.

Our breast prosthetics are offered in 36 different skin tones so that a woman can choose her color just like she chooses her foundation shade in a makeup store. It's really fun to watch them recreate their breasts. It sort of helps them to reclaim their femininity. So many of my customers remind me of my grandmother, like they have incredible spirits so I kind of feel like the legacy lives through this boutique.

We were able to really pivot and become successful through COVID by launching a virtual care service. We use Zoom, it involves a really great measuring tape, it involves some AI and some technology. We started sending these items directly to the doorstep of our patients, and were able to narrow it down to get the perfect fit. They were able to appreciate not having to venture out of their homes because so many of them are immunocompromised.

My advice for new business owners is to get really creative in the merchandise that you select. Be highly protective of the dollars that you spend on inventory because everything is more expensive than it seems. But you know, in the end, it proved to be worth it because our business has hit six figures. It pays for itself month-to-month, which is great and it allows us the financial comfort to be able to expand.

So what's next for Cherry Blossom is that we'll be offering virtual care services to our breast cancer survivors, subscription-based boxes that go directly to a breast cancer survivor's door, pop-up experiences in women's hometowns so they can touch and feel our custom prosthetics before ordering them.

The most rewarding part of my business is seeing how happy and confident women are when they walk out of our fitting rooms. What I would say to myself back then was, look, if you try, there's a chance that this is going to work and that you're going to make it. So I decided to keep trying, and I poured everything that I had into the business and it paid off.

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