On my son's 23rd birthday (January 15, 2025), I found myself reflecting on life and a 25-year-old dream: owning a boutique. I've always loved the joy of walking into a boutique and discovering unique, well-priced clothing—pieces you can't find anywhere else. Plus, boutiques are the coziest, most inviting places for women!
My dream was a charming, two-level shop in a quaint downtown area. "Ooh La La," the boutique, would be on the first floor with women's clothing, a small kids' section, and home décor. The second floor would be a coffee/bakery with a kids' play area. But I was clueless about making coffee or running a bakery. I knew nothing about retail and baking wasn't my forte. These doubts were exhausting, so I set the dream aside to focus on raising my son, being a sports mom, and my corporate career. It felt like an impossible dream.
Life continued until 2020 and Covid. Like many, I stopped going into the office. While the initial flexibility was great, connecting with people via calls and screens became difficult. During lockdown, I made a daily effort to reach out to my team and others. It worked! My relationships strengthened through intentional connection. I learned that meaningful connections could be made through various means—text, email, online meetings—even though face-to-face has its advantages. I became more productive working from home and built strong relationships, including genuine friendships.
Back to dreaming... I realized I no longer wanted to be tied to a brick-and-mortar store, online was the way. Perhaps I'd outgrown the idea, or working from home showed me the importance of flexibility. Yet, the desire for a boutique remained. On January 15th, champagne in hand, I googled "how to start a boutique," and that began a wild ride!
Later, I realized my son and Champagne Dreams share the same birthday, 23 years apart—both dreams come true! My significant other and I work on this business daily, from website design to SKUs and tax structures. Having his support means everything to me. I balance my corporate job with Champagne Dreams on evenings and weekends. I'm grateful and proud to have taken that first step. It's exciting to learn new things. Am I scared? YES! Failure is the worst. Am I pumped? YES! It's all new, and I can't wait to see what happens.
Thanks for being here; it truly means the world to us!
P.S. This is my son, Ryan, at 6 months. He was and always will be my biggest dream come true.