Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Grace Kelly Ehinger. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Grace Kelly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later
Definitely NOT sooner. I am 19 right now, and although I’ll be 20 soon, the amount of raised eyebrows I have gotten from other adults when I mention owning a business has been more than I would like. I’ve gotten a lot of “you don’t really own that, do you?” and “sure, you are”. Being a woman in business can be tricky enough to navigate, but put a 1 in front of your age and it becomes an even more difficult experience. But even with the challenges my age presents, I could not be happier with the timing of everything. I am glad I started this journey at a young age, and that I can get through learning some of these hard lessons early on!
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.
My name is Grace Ehinger, and I am a 19-year-old businesswoman. I co-own Veronica Michaels Bridal & Formalwear, a shop that carries a range of gowns, from prom, to pageant, to bridal. I became an owner because I was first a customer. In a quite random burst of confidence, I decided to sign up for my first local Miss America competition. I ordered a cheap dress online and when I got it, it desperately needed alterations. That is when I first stepped foot in Veronica Michaels. I had my dress altered to perfection, and the night of my competition I walked out of the dress shop and into a crown and sash, having won. After that, I was in Veronica Michaels about two or three times a week, grabbing dresses for city events or the Miss Utah competition. I was hooked. The store was usually pretty quiet, and I got a lot of one on one time with the owner and her staff. A few months later, I was in the Chick-fil-a drive thru, thinking of my number three meal, when the owner pulled up in the lane next to me, and yelled from her car that she was selling her business and asked if I would think about buying it. I yelled back yes, but I wasn’t sure I was totally serious. I snacked on my waffle fries as I carefully considered it, but in the back of my mind I already knew the answer. The rest, I suppose, is history. This business is one of the few stores in the state that offers prom, pageant, and bridal gowns, all in the same space, as well as in-house alterations. We are a very rare combination. We want to create an individualized experience for every girl, and it is our goal to have everyone feel that they left, not only with their dream gown, but with a friend.
I am most proud of the changes that have been made in the store since buying it. The pink couches, gold racks, and fancy mirrors have made my inner little girl smile (and my outer 19-year-old self, quite frankly. It is all very fun to look at) but the biggest change, I think, has been the energy of the store. Buying it was like sending a syringe full of adrenaline into its heart. A shop that was quiet, plain, and on the older side has come bursting to life with color, youthfulness, and vibrancy. Having done it so much myself, I understand that going to try on dresses can be an intimidating experience for a young girl, which is why I have cultivated an atmosphere that is welcoming and kind, but also trendy and fun. The store has been overflowing with girls who have heard of us for our variety of options, but also for who we are and the overall charm of the store.
If I could tell every potential customer or client one thing it would be this: you are beautiful. Not every dress is going to fit who you are, but that doesn’t make you any less lovely. Since buying this business, I have heard different laughs, admired different smiles, and dressed different shapes, and each has been stunning in its own individual way. We at Veronica Michaels may have dressed popular beauty queens and prominent government figures, but each girl we meet is famous in our eyes.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I think as a society we place a great deal of importance on higher education to succeed. So much so that I doubted my ability to effectively run a business before finishing my degree. As a student at Brigham Young University, I have tailored my education to match my business goals. The truth is, though, that while I think being a college graduate can be extremely helpful, it is not the end all be all of how your business will turn out. I have been fortunate to know and be inspired by many intelligent, driven women who are successful in the business world without a college education in their field or one at all.
While yes, I am majoring in business, my main joy is studying American Sign Language. I am passionate about owning a business, but just as passionate about ASL. I have discovered lately that the two aren’t exactly mutually exclusive. A few months ago, I finally had a day away from the store. I had been trying to get homework and different household chores done, when I got a call. I was told that I needed to come in immediately, as there was a girl trying on dresses for homecoming and she had a mother who signed. I walked into the store in an old shirt, pajama sweats, yellow flip flops, and quite possibly the most complicated knot of a bun, created in desperation as I was scrambling out of my house. Some of my employees stood awkwardly behind the counter, watching the girl and her mom communicate with their hands, unsure of how to interact. I will never forget the way the mom’s eyes widened with surprise as I asked for their names and explained that I was studying ASL. The mom and daughter chose a pretty pink dress, and I left with two new friends and clients for life that day. I was in my car ready to drive back home, when the mom and daughter pulled up next to me, giant smiles on their faces, waving ecstatically. Thanks to following my passions, I can be the kind of business owner that welcomes all into my store. The best business owners aren’t always the most educated, but the most passionate.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Our current clients are hands down the best source of new clients. On one of our busiest Saturdays to date, it seemed all of our clients were from the same small town over an hour away. We kept asking how they heard of us, and they all gave the same answer. Someone had posted on their town’s community Facebook page, asking for a place to find formalwear, and almost 20 people responded with the name of our store. Similarly, we received a call recently from a woman requesting an appointment. She stated that she lived almost four hours away and had already scheduled an appointment with one of our competitors. This particular competitor has way more social media and web presence than we do, but so many people told this woman about Veronica Michaels that she decided to come to us instead. The business has been up and running for a long time, around 30 years, but the store’s activity on social media has been nonexistent, the website extremely outdated, and advertising of any kind had been completely stopped. Combine that with a store in desperate need of remodeling, vendors needing to be updated, and a plethora of policy issues, you don’t exactly have a recipe for a booming business. We were actually advised by our business consultant that it would be easier to start a new company from scratch than buy the existing Veronica Michaels. Where are you supposed to start with all of that? We decided to focus on giving the best possible experience we could to each girl who walked in our door. Focus on her, bring her into our family, become her friend, and learn her story. While the remodel of our store continues, along with different changes within the business, in the few months my co-owner and I have owned it, sales have risen 35%. We contribute that entirely to word of mouth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vmbridal.com/
- Instagram: @veronicamichaelsbridal
Image Credits
Chad Braithwaite Pete Hansen Angie Clayson