Title: Owner
Company: Simon Says
Location: Nashville, TN/USA
Education: BFA in Motion Pictures and Television, Academy of Art University, San Francisco (2010)
Career History: Owner, Simon Says (2025-Present); Co-Founder, Smoking Joker Films (Six Years); Sales Rep, Various Boutiques; With, Jigsaw (Three Years); Sales Associate and Stylist, Two Old Hippies, Nashville, TN (Two Years); With, Ambiance SF, CA (Two Years); Head of Retail Operations, H Bar C
Stephanie Simon, Owner at Simon Says, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of fashion.
Since 2025, Ms. Simon has excelled in her role as a stylist for male professionals and musicians out of her retail store in Nashville, Tennessee. In this capacity, she helps clients discover their personal style, boost their confidence, and realize they do not need to spend a lot to look their best—through a wide selection of high-quality brands that not typically found in Nashville—including John Varvatos, Nudie Jeans, and United Rivers—and that utilize local artisans. Most focused on providing great customer service and personal connection amid the era of online shopping, her dedication to creating a welcoming environment has set her apart in the tough, unpredictable, and competitive retail industry.
Ms. Simon has considered it a professional achievement that her business has sustained in Tennessee, which has the second-highest small business closure rate in the country, with 30 percent not surviving past the first year. In the current economic climate, when a business staying open and growing is a major success, she has valued the fact that Simon Says has thrived since its inception. In addition, as a woman, she initially faced obstacles opening a men’s store, but her commitment, hard work, and core belief in helping men feel confident in their daily lives has led the business to thrive in the community.
In 2010, Ms. Simon earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in motion pictures and television from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She and some classmates subsequently founded Smoking Joker Films, an independent production company that produced creative projects across six years. Utilizing her accrued expertise in communication, getting ideas across, and working collaboratively, she ventured into the sales field, where she found a new passion in customer relations and the fashion industry.
In the years leading up to the opening of Simon Says, Ms. Simons was active as a sales representative for numerous boutiques and ultimately shifted into fashion-focused services. She worked for several years with Jigsaw and at Two Old Hippies, a renowned boutique in Nashville. Additionally, she worked at Ambiance SF for two years and most recently served as head of retail operations at H Bar C, a prominent western apparel outlet where she managed daily activities. She has curated personalized looks for a variety of clients, including Marcus King, Robert Plant, and others for red carpets, album releases, and awards shows.
Attributing her success to seeing things from diverse viewpoints, understanding others deeply, and always getting her work done, Ms. Simon strives to expand her business over the next five years, reaching beyond Nashville. For her, “nothing beats the joy of a customer leaving a fitting room happy and confident” and she hopes to leave many more clients feeling empowered by their appearance in the future.