Bridget Quinn Stickline fell in love with the retail experience while working at Water Water Everywhere in college. She rose to the level of corporate officer before realizing she was missing one-on-one customer experiences, which ultimately led her to open her own store. (Baltimore Sun photo by Barbara Haddock Taylor / October 13, 2009) |
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SALARY: $60,000
AGE: 34
TIME ON THE JOB: Five months
How she got started: While attending Goucher College, Bridget Quinn Stickline began working as a sales associate for local women's bathing suit retailer Water Water Everywhere. She graduated with an undergraduate degree in psychology but said she had already found her passion in retail.
"I fell in love with the impact you could have on a person's day," Stickline said.
She continued with Water Water Everywhere, moving up through the company as it grew from two stores to 22. She gained experience in marketing, operations and buying. When the store merged with two other bathing suit retailers, she moved with the corporation to Orlando and work as its vice president of merchandising.
Shortly after her daughter, Elizabeth, was born, Stickline realized she missed the one-on-one interaction with customers and left the company after working there for 17 years and moved back to Baltimore. She was employed for a short time as a buyer for a locally based multi-store retail chain, but at the same time began to focus on creating the idea to open her own children's boutique as she struggled to find quality clothes with a clean, modern aesthetic for her daughter.
When a children's boutique store closed in Green Spring Station and space became available, Stickline jumped at the opportunity. She leased the spot in April and opened wee chic in May.
TYPICAL DAY: Stickline spends her days at the store, running all aspects of the business with the help of a few part-time sales associates. Stickline opens the store Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m. and stays open until 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday.
The store carries 60 different lines of clothing and gifts for newborns through size eight.
During the day, Stickline is found working with customers, advising them on purchases and making sales. She said she tries to devote one or two hours during the day to the business side of running the boutique, such as placing orders and marketing, but she also often catches up on this work and on administrative tasks at night.
She describes the style of the clothes she carries as "preppy with an edge" and said she looks for quality fabrics and modern designs. Her inspiration comes from adult runway fashion, but said she's careful to keep items age-appropriate.
It took her about two years to put the concept for wee chic together and once she opened there was very little learning curve because of her experience in retail and merchandising.
Although she opened during a slumping economy, Stickline said business volume is on target and has estimated her salary for this year based on projected sales.
GIFT-WRAPPED: Gifts for newborns are some of the store's best-selling products. She includes complimentary gift-wrapping and hopes that when someone gets a gift from wee chic he or she gets excited and knows that it's a unique, high-quality item.
"I take a lot of pride when that gift leaves this building. That's my calling card," she said.
THE GOOD: "Interacting with people." Stickline said in the five months wee chic has been open, she's formed close relationships with many of her customers.
THE BAD: The challenge of balancing office work and what Stickline calls the "fun side" of the business, interacting with customers.
PHILOSOPHY ON THE JOB: "If you love what you do, you don't work a day in your life. That's always proven to be true for me."
AGE: 34
TIME ON THE JOB: Five months
How she got started: While attending Goucher College, Bridget Quinn Stickline began working as a sales associate for local women's bathing suit retailer Water Water Everywhere. She graduated with an undergraduate degree in psychology but said she had already found her passion in retail.
"I fell in love with the impact you could have on a person's day," Stickline said.
She continued with Water Water Everywhere, moving up through the company as it grew from two stores to 22. She gained experience in marketing, operations and buying. When the store merged with two other bathing suit retailers, she moved with the corporation to Orlando and work as its vice president of merchandising.
Shortly after her daughter, Elizabeth, was born, Stickline realized she missed the one-on-one interaction with customers and left the company after working there for 17 years and moved back to Baltimore. She was employed for a short time as a buyer for a locally based multi-store retail chain, but at the same time began to focus on creating the idea to open her own children's boutique as she struggled to find quality clothes with a clean, modern aesthetic for her daughter.
When a children's boutique store closed in Green Spring Station and space became available, Stickline jumped at the opportunity. She leased the spot in April and opened wee chic in May.
TYPICAL DAY: Stickline spends her days at the store, running all aspects of the business with the help of a few part-time sales associates. Stickline opens the store Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m. and stays open until 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday.
The store carries 60 different lines of clothing and gifts for newborns through size eight.
During the day, Stickline is found working with customers, advising them on purchases and making sales. She said she tries to devote one or two hours during the day to the business side of running the boutique, such as placing orders and marketing, but she also often catches up on this work and on administrative tasks at night.
She describes the style of the clothes she carries as "preppy with an edge" and said she looks for quality fabrics and modern designs. Her inspiration comes from adult runway fashion, but said she's careful to keep items age-appropriate.
It took her about two years to put the concept for wee chic together and once she opened there was very little learning curve because of her experience in retail and merchandising.
Although she opened during a slumping economy, Stickline said business volume is on target and has estimated her salary for this year based on projected sales.
GIFT-WRAPPED: Gifts for newborns are some of the store's best-selling products. She includes complimentary gift-wrapping and hopes that when someone gets a gift from wee chic he or she gets excited and knows that it's a unique, high-quality item.
"I take a lot of pride when that gift leaves this building. That's my calling card," she said.
THE GOOD: "Interacting with people." Stickline said in the five months wee chic has been open, she's formed close relationships with many of her customers.
THE BAD: The challenge of balancing office work and what Stickline calls the "fun side" of the business, interacting with customers.
PHILOSOPHY ON THE JOB: "If you love what you do, you don't work a day in your life. That's always proven to be true for me."
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