Meet Karen & Janee :: Mom Bosses
My mother Karen and I have always been very close. She owned a few hair care product salons at a few malls in Nebraska (while still working a full time corporate job). The day she got released from the hospital after having me, she actually brought me into the store to check on things. You could literally say I was born to shop – born on Saturday, shopping by Monday.
Mother/Daughter Business Plan
Fast forward 24 years. I was living in Chicago working at a law firm and needed a change of pace. I wanted to be back at home in Omaha so I could be with family and friends. About the same time, Karen was ready to retire from her corporate job. We had always wanted to open a business together and started looking for opportunities. A friend from college was managing an Apricot Lane in Missouri at the time and was always talking about how much she loved her job. Karen and I decided to go check it out, and the rest was history. We loved everything about it.
Apricot Lane sat down with us to share their life experiences that brought them to the world of women’s boutiques. The whole company is founded upon giving back to those in need and creating awareness. We decided then that we were going to turn our passion into a mother/daughter business. We could be a part of a supporting franchise, yet still bring in our own styles and personalities into the business.
Let me tell you: it’s been a crazy ride! We furnished our boutique similarly to what I would do in my own home, to create a relaxed and fun shopping environment. We want women to feel like they are shopping with friends in the comfort of our home. We have all ages of women that shop with us: from teenagers to women in their 70s. We have been so blessed to get to know so many different women with completely different styles. The variety in the products in the store is amazing. I love leggings and trendy tops and dresses with booties or heels that I can easily turn the look from day to night. My mother loves a great pair of denim and a nice classic top or sweater. We work hard to bring in items that we would both wear.
"We decided that we were going to turn our passion into a mother/daughter business."
Living the Dream
It’s been over three years, and the experience has been so rewarding. Working with family is fun and exciting, but not without challenges. Our mother/daughter bond goes deeper than a typical relationship because we are also partners. The most challenging part is also the most rewarding: we are in business for ourselves but we don’t always agree on everything. We complete and complement each other, which makes the business successful.
Karen: “Working with my daughter is rewarding on so many levels. Not only do I have a front-row seat to her growth and success in the fashion industry, but I have her companionship and am able to share in her life to a degree that would make many mothers envious.”
Janee: “My mother is a very driven, successful, and kind woman. She’s been such an inspiration to me and is such a strong woman. I honestly don’t know how she does it all. Learning how to run a business from her is a priceless experience that most people never have the chance to do.”
We have literally shopped every single weekend that we’ve spent together to this day – and wouldn’t have it any other way. We can’t wait to see how our journey unfolds in the future.
Make sure to to check out more about Karen and Janee’s Omaha store AND shop all of the seasons most popular styles from Apricot Lane! Stay tuned as we highlight more Apricot Lane stores around the country and the hardworking #MomBoss that is behind each one.
Originally posted in City Moms Blog
My mother Karen and I have always been very close. She owned a few hair care product salons at a few malls in Nebraska (while still working a full time corporate job). The day she got released from the hospital after having me, she actually brought me into the store to check on things. You could literally say I was born to shop – born on Saturday, shopping by Monday.
Mother/Daughter Business Plan
Fast forward 24 years. I was living in Chicago working at a law firm and needed a change of pace. I wanted to be back at home in Omaha so I could be with family and friends. About the same time, Karen was ready to retire from her corporate job. We had always wanted to open a business together and started looking for opportunities. A friend from college was managing an Apricot Lane in Missouri at the time and was always talking about how much she loved her job. Karen and I decided to go check it out, and the rest was history. We loved everything about it.
Apricot Lane sat down with us to share their life experiences that brought them to the world of women’s boutiques. The whole company is founded upon giving back to those in need and creating awareness. We decided then that we were going to turn our passion into a mother/daughter business. We could be a part of a supporting franchise, yet still bring in our own styles and personalities into the business.
Let me tell you: it’s been a crazy ride! We furnished our boutique similarly to what I would do in my own home, to create a relaxed and fun shopping environment. We want women to feel like they are shopping with friends in the comfort of our home. We have all ages of women that shop with us: from teenagers to women in their 70s. We have been so blessed to get to know so many different women with completely different styles. The variety in the products in the store is amazing. I love leggings and trendy tops and dresses with booties or heels that I can easily turn the look from day to night. My mother loves a great pair of denim and a nice classic top or sweater. We work hard to bring in items that we would both wear.
"We decided that we were going to turn our passion into a mother/daughter business."
Living the Dream
It’s been over three years, and the experience has been so rewarding. Working with family is fun and exciting, but not without challenges. Our mother/daughter bond goes deeper than a typical relationship because we are also partners. The most challenging part is also the most rewarding: we are in business for ourselves but we don’t always agree on everything. We complete and complement each other, which makes the business successful.
Karen: “Working with my daughter is rewarding on so many levels. Not only do I have a front-row seat to her growth and success in the fashion industry, but I have her companionship and am able to share in her life to a degree that would make many mothers envious.”
Janee: “My mother is a very driven, successful, and kind woman. She’s been such an inspiration to me and is such a strong woman. I honestly don’t know how she does it all. Learning how to run a business from her is a priceless experience that most people never have the chance to do.”
We have literally shopped every single weekend that we’ve spent together to this day – and wouldn’t have it any other way. We can’t wait to see how our journey unfolds in the future.
Make sure to to check out more about Karen and Janee’s Omaha store AND shop all of the seasons most popular styles from Apricot Lane! Stay tuned as we highlight more Apricot Lane stores around the country and the hardworking #MomBoss that is behind each one.
Originally posted in City Moms Blog
