We were lucky to catch up with Kim Jurek-Valanzasca recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kim , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

Our business is a little different. We don’t have employees per say but I have worked hard to find the designers in the shop. All of the pieces in the store are made by local designers who are experts in their craft. We have nearly 30 makers that we represent. My requirement is they are good at what they do, diverse from items we carry and have a positive attitude and are kind. No drama allowed.

Kim , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Our shop The Fitting Room is nestled into the quaint 38th and Grand neighborhood in South Minneapolis and we have have collections by designers of clothing, jewelry, hand bags and a milliner. We love to provide an intimate shopping experience. We excel at styling guests for events or for their everyday life experiences. Kim, the owner of the shop also designs her own label, Alma Mia which is carried in the store.
In addition Kim started a bi-annual fashion show EVOLVE which is the finale event for FashionweekMN and features The Fitting Room designers as well as others in its runway and pop-up experience. The next event is on 4/29 at The Museum of Russian Art.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

We have been in business since 2018, opening our doors June 1 on 2018. Since then we have experienced the shut down due to COVID-19, rioting and deep sadness with the murder of George Floyd and finally a break in this past February where we were robbed of nearly $30,000 worth of merchandise. Throughout all of these things we have become stronger and more secure in the fact that we are not alone and that we serve a purpose in our neighborhood, as clients and friends came and showed up for us to help us keep our doors open. As a creative, there is nothing I’d rather do than be able to create and have a space where I can feature other local makers. The break in was very hard emotionally and financially on us, but we have come back stronger and more resilient and more full of love for what we do than ever.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I believe that the best source for new clients for our business is word of mouth and referrals. I love when customers have a good experience and bring their friends in to meet me and to show them this little treasure of a place where all things stocked are locally made. We believe in providing an intimate experience for guests, where clients often turn into friends. It takes a lot of heart, sweat, tears and personal resources to make a small business work. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The Fitting Room is a special place.

Contact Info:

• Website: Thefittingroommpls.com
• Instagram: @thefittingroommpls @almamiampls @evolvefashionmn
• Facebook: @thefittingroommpls
• Other: 💜Thank you for the opportunity

Image Credits
Joe Dammel