15 Years! Cocktails, Discounts & Giveaways

It is amazing how quickly 15 years go by. When I opened The Shoe Hive I had just turned 30 and I thought to myself, “I wonder if I will still be doing this when I am 40?” Well, I am now 45 and it this business does not seem to be going anywhere (my lease and bank would tell you the same thing). So now I sit and wonder if I will make it to age 50 in retail. I have to be honest: my 30-year-old self would have said that 50 is too old to be in retail. My perspective on what “old” is has definitely changed. Isn’t it funny how that happens?Most of the time, it seems like yesterday that this all started. Then two things come to mind. First, I think about how when we started we had 400 square feet and had no air conditioning. We moved locations six years later to triple our shopping floor’s square footage and ended up buying the building and completely renovating the upstairs into a great apartment.Then it was time to get involved in the community and we helped start the Alexandria Warehouse Sale, the Old Town Boutique District, and Alexandria Stylebook. I have believed from the start that Old Town could be the region’s premier independent shopping destination and I am proud to say we did a little to help make it happen.Finally, after 13 years it was time to expand and The Hive, our clothing store, opened on Cameron Street.When it comes to my personal life I have decided to do everything in twos. I’ve moved houses two times, had two kids, and two dogs. (Only one husband, but he’s doubly good.) So yes, a lot has changed in 15 years. I think one of the most remarkable things is to see how our customers’ kids have grown up. Toddlers who used to come in and play with the red wooden fire trunk on the floor in my store while mom shopped are now in college, and many of our employees I had seen graduate from high school and college then get married and even have kids, all in the blink of an eye.But it isn’t just the stores and my life that have changed; technology has moved at a rapid pace. When we opened, Facebook had just started and it was pretty much only a toy for college students; e-commerce and e-marketing were only for big retailers, and there was no Instagram, Twitter, or even smart phones. The notion that you could see a photo on your cell phone and make one swiping motion to buy it was not even imaginable.I think that is actually what has made being a small retailer so much fun for me. It is always changing and we are always trying to adapt. I mean if it was all still the same as 2003 it would be boring, right? And it is a challenge: if we don’t adapt and keep providing experiential value for you, you’ll get your fashion fix somewhere else.Some days it can be overwhelming to keep up with it all. But most days I really just think about how lucky I have been. The people who have worked with me at the stores have become close friends, my customers have become part of my life, and so many other store and small business owners are the people I rely on daily. All of this and I get to be surrounded by beautiful things all day. I mean does it get better than that?So we decided why not have a little party, right? Thursday night we are kicking off our 15-year (and 2-year) anniversary weekend with a little cocktail party at the courtyard at The Shoe Hive. Of course it doesn’t stop there. We are doing 15 percent off starting Thursday and going all weekend long. And what would a celebration be without some prizes? Stop in either store and register for one of our 15 giveaways.Cocktails, giveaways, discounts, and great fall fashion, all with people you know and love. What could be better?