Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Shippy.
Sara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I bought the domain name Modern Emporium in 1997 when I was in college. I always wanted to open a boutique. I bought the name to keep the Dream alive, although I didn’t know if I’d ever do it. I finished college with a degree in Social Work in 2001. I moved to California from a small town in Michigan and worked with the LASD Gang Unit as a Social Worker. While working there, I completed My Master’s Degree in Educational Counseling. I then went to work for LAUSD, pursuing another Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. I continued working for the School District as well as a Domestic Violence clinic in the evenings. It was all challenging work but I loved it and honestly probably never would have stopped working in the field if it were up to me at that point. Unfortunately, I was laid off from the school district in 2012. I was devastated. I was frozen. I didn’t know what I would do next. What would I do for work now? My entire identity was that of a Social Worker, Counselor, and Therapist.
About a month later, we were walking to a locally owned wine bar in Long Beach, CA when we saw a small retail space for rent. My husband said we should call on it. I said ok. So we called. The property manager informed us there were already eight applications and they had already selected the person but haven’t told them yet. My husband randomly happened to know the property manager and he told us he’d give us 24 hours to get our application in. I looked at my husband after we hung up the phone and said well, forget that. He said, let’s do it! To apply for a retail space, you need financial data and a business plan. I didn’t think we could pull all that off in 24 hours. But it was our shot and we went for it. I started on the business plan and my husband worked on the financial information they needed. I wrote a letter to go along with our application telling them the story I’m telling you. We turned it all in the next evening. A couple of days later, we were notified that we got it! The owners of the building had a similar story. She worked in education and was laid off and ended up starting her own business. My story resonated with her, so she wanted to give me the opportunity. I like to tell this story to motivate people to always go for their dreams. Go for it, it may not work out, but if you don’t try, you’ll never know. Modern Emporium was dreamt up by that 18 year old girl in college and it was born into reality on June 7, 2012. We moved to Dallas 3 years ago and moved Modern Emporium too. We now have a retail location in Richardson, TX.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think with all things comes challenges. I had never owned a business before. My background was in psychology which I believe to be very helpful for owning a business but I didn’t know how to run a business. I didn’t know about merchandise or how much inventory to buy. I ran into challenges finding the right vendors for my store. I had trial and error but I believe strongly in education. So I educated myself. I joined business networking groups. I went to a lot of training and workshops. It took a lot of work but I learned how to run a business. I still am learning. I continue to attend networking groups and training. There is a lot of value in learning from more experienced people.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a true example of a family-owned small business. I am there every single day. I’m the face that my customers see when they come to shop. I want them to feel like they are important, that I know them and care about them. Yes I could hire employees to work the boutique but I like to be there for our customers. I’m also the one curating the inventory. I select every single item that we have in our boutique. I believe because I’m at the store daily, I really can know what my customers are wanting. I buy from other small businesses as well. We have candles from small local companies, jewelry from local makers and paintings from a local artist. I think as a small business owner, it’s important to support other small businesses.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
We are fortunate to have opened our business in an area that receives a lot of support from the community. We take advantage of the Richardson Chamber, as well as other Business networking groups in Dallas. I think business owners need to be proactive at reaching out and finding resources to help their business. Dallas area has a lot to offer businesses. It is a great place to own a business.
Pricing:
- Prices under $75
Contact Info:
- Address: 508 W. Lookout Drive
Richardson, TX 75080 - Website: www.modernemporium.com
- Phone: 469-209-9656
- Email: boutique@modernemporium.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernemporium/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernEmporium/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/modern-emporium-richardson-3?osq=modern+emporium
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