From Intel to Retail

The question I get the most as a new business owner is “What did you do in retail before owning a store?” People are usually stunned when I tell them I had very little experience, actually, almost none.Then I get asked what I did before and I get another perplexed look when I say I worked in intelligence. To be fair, it is quite a change. I usually go into how I’ve always dreamed of owning a boutique and I was in the right place at the right time when Darby and Neil were ready to sell.I’ve always loved fashion. It was, however, a challenge to express myself that way while in the Air Force. You can’t embellish your uniform and there are many restrictions regarding jewelry, nail polish, and hair. In my off time, I tried to have fun with fashion but I didn’t have the funds to go crazy in that department.Later, when I left the Air Force and joined the civilian world, I was still in an environment that didn’t allow for a lot of fun with fashion. Some companies had their own rules in regards to how to present ourselves to our government clients. I discovered I look horrible in suits and that it wasn’t a good idea to have fun nail polish. Once I had my second child, I decided to stay home as I had had enough of dreaming about terrorists.Although I couldn’t really be “fashionable” in uniform, I loved to shop and check out local trends wherever I was. I always made a point to get out and about and travel. While stationed in South Korea, I loved to go to Seoul and check out the markets. The big ones we frequented were called Dongdaemun and Namdaemun. I took a trip to Thailand while in South Korea and I made sure to check out silk stores in Bangkok and jewelry stores in Phuket. After 9/11 I was in Qatar. We weren’t allowed off base but I sure was happy when the “gold man” came to us and we could pick out lovely jewelry. They charge based on weight…craftsmanship didn’t matter. Most of it was 22-k and so pretty!While in Pakistan, I loved the pashmina and jewelry stores.  I have a particularly fond memory of being in a shoe store in Islamabad, and even though I couldn’t communicate with my fellow women shoppers, we “ooohed” and “ahhed” over each other's shoe choices.I discovered in my travels that fashion is a universal language.