Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amy Engelhart . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

My father-in-law bought a historic building as an investment property. He asked me what I would do with it if it were mine. I instantly said I would open a boutique! He told me that I should do it then. I explained that it wasn’t just that easy. I would need money for inventory plus the entire building needed remodeling. It had been a gas station from the 1940’s through the 80’s but it was in pretty rough shape. I decided to go for it! He loaned me $10,000 to buy inventory and equipment to get started. I quickly found out that wasn’t a lot of money but I made it work. After my first year in business I had him paid back, and I continue to run on that initial investment. My dad and I worked endless hours remodeling every inch of that place. I wouldn’t trade that time I had with my dad for anything in the world. He helped me build my dream!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

When I was given the opportunity to start my own boutique in 2019 and during the time we were remodeling, I also flew to the Vegas market by myself and purchased inventory to fill the space. I had never done anything like this before! My degree is in accounting. One thing I did know, was that I would carry sizes for real women of every size. I was passionate about that. And I would be very particular about the quality of what I sold. I got everything in place….And then Covid hit. I couldn’t open until our governor allowed. By May 15, 2020 I opened my doors. I was overwhelmed with the amount of people who came in wanting to shop, wanting to be out of their homes, wanted to be socialable again. No one wanted the big malls. So this ended up being quite a blessing! I started off by myself and realized quickly that if I wanted to be open 7 days/week I couldn’t do it alone. Over the next several months I would hire some amazing women. Now 4 years later I have what I refer to as my “Dream Team”. We all share the same passion and vision. There are 7 of us. We believe in women lifting each other up. Life isn’t a competition. We have an unmatched kind of personal customer service that I’m so proud of. We have grown from a clothing boutique into a place where you can stop in and shop but it’s also a safe place for women to come and share things and speak from the heart. We’ve had events supporting Breast Cancer Survivors, Ovarian Cancer, and Sexual Assault Victims. We are active in supporting our surrounding communities as well. We have collected and donated school supplies to a few area schools. We’ve donated thousands of dollars to different women and homeless shelters. We have supported many local families who suffered from disasters like a house fire. We have helped women post-prison get back on their feet and be able to dress for a new job. We support all the schools, community benefits, or whatever it may be. And we do it with our hearts and we give everything we can. I’m so proud of what we’ve become.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Honesty. We really get to know our customers. We learn about them, their families, their lives. Then we help them find just the right things to lift them up, make them feel their best. We show them how to build off some key pieces to make a versatile wardrobe. We show them accessories that they can use multiple ways. We aren’t just trying to sell them “stuff”. And when they ask our opinions we tell them honestly, like maybe we can do better than that. Then we do! We have had many breast cancer survivors come in because they’ve heard from someone that we helped another survivor dress her new, changing, uncomfortable body. We listen to what they want and need. We build REAL relationships.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I very carefully choose every vendor I bring in to my boutique. I carry brands that “give back” like we do. For example, I have a purse line called “Save The Girls”, not only is it a fantastic product but they donate proceeds to breast cancer awareness. Another example is “Bitchstix”. They have a line of cosmetic products and they give their proceeds to sexual abuse awareness. They came up with their name because they wanted to take back the word “bitch” and make it powerful and positive. I have brought in several local authors who have written memiors on hard subjects and their survival. I’ve had them in to do book signings. I’ve supported them in return in all of their good works as well. I don’t keep any of their proceeds. I have several local artists who are finding their way making beautiful jewelry and other products and I support them by selling their items and advertising them in our store. If they succeed then I succeed. We all do better.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.boutiquestation.net
• Instagram: @theboutiquestation
• Facebook: The Boutique Station
• Yelp: The Boutique Station

Image Credits
Bright Eide Photography