Tonka Talk Community and Connection
Welcome to Tonka Talk, the podcast that explores community and connection around Lake Minnetonka.
Nestled near the serene shores of Lake Minnetonka in the Twin Cities, our show is your guide to discovering the inspiring stories of individuals and groups who are crafting vibrant, meaningful community and connection in this picturesque setting.
From lakeside gatherings to community events, from stories of local heroes to heartwarming tales of collaboration, we dive into the ways people are coming together to create a strong sense of belonging.
Whether you're a longtime resident, a newcomer to the area, or simply interested in the power of community, Tonka Talk has something for you.
Do you know of someone creating community and connection in a unique or big way? Share it with us. We would love to hear from you.
Learn more and connect with us at https://www.tonkatalk.com
To connect with Natalie: Natalie@tonkatalk.com
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Tonka Talk Community and Connection
Fashion, Community, and the Power of Perseverance: A Tale of Primp Boutique Success
Imagine being 16, fuelled with a burning passion for fashion and a dream that seems larger than life. Meet Wesley Euthes, owner of the successful Primp Boutique, who transformed her love for fashion into a successful business.
Her journey wasn't always a smooth ride, from her first job at Land's End to studying fashion in college and dealing with the harsh realities of post-graduation life. However, her tenacity led her to not only start her own venture but also revolutionize the retail experience with Primp, a boutique that blends affordability with the high-end experience.
Wesley's story is a testament to the power of perseverance and a must-listen for those with an entrepreneurial spirit.
But this episode isn't just about fashion and business success. It's about the crucial role of community and local businesses in building and fostering relationships. Using Primp as a prime example, we navigate how small businesses can create meaningful connections with their customers and support other local entities.
Tune in for an episode that's as much about fashion and business as it is about community and hope.
Learn more at https://www.tonkatalk.com where we share more about our Lake Minnetonka community, including upcoming events and our take on local experiences.
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Have you ever wondered what it would take to create your own business or something in fashion, maybe even a boutique? Today, my guest is Wesley Euthis, and she is the owner of PrintBoutique, and we're going to dive in and talk about the struggles that she's run into, but also what really lit that fire for her that kept her going and to go to the point of being just this 16 year old dreaming about doing something in fashion, to today having seven stores. I'm Natalie Webster and this is Tonka Talk, where we talk about community and connection. Welcome, wesley.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Now you have what I feel is a very interesting story because you are a female business owner but you really had a passion. I've done a little reading about you From a young age of having already in your mind kind of what you wanted to do being in fashion. Can you talk a little bit about? Well, first off, I'm getting ahead of myself because I'm super excited. Wesley owns seven print stores PrintBoutique, which if you're not familiar you need to check it out and this is today. So today here she said she owns these. She just opened her seventh location in Minneapolis. But I want to hear I was reading about again you as a 16 year old wanting to get into fashion and your first job. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I always, as a young child, loved fashion, loved getting dressed up and changing my outfit, you know, 10 times a day, and so I loved playing with Barbies. I think my mom would agree that I played with Barbies all the time, loved dressing her and really that's how I learned to sew, was making her clothes and loved getting really creative with that, and so I knew I wanted to go to college for something related to fashion. I've also always been very creative and artistic and so I chose fashion design and I didn't at the time really know what I would do with that. I think again my parents are probably like okay, where are we going with this? But I, I did work at Land's End, actually as a 16 year old, so I guess I'm also getting a little ahead of myself talking about college.
Speaker 2:But I got a job working retail.
Speaker 2:I was 16, I just wanted to make money, but I also knew I really loved working with clothing and it was a really interesting job, because obviously anyone who knows Land's End knows that it's not exactly like trendy, fashion forward clothing, but it did teach me a lot about merchandising and about working with customers that maybe had a different sense of style, about fit and I just loved that.
Speaker 2:I loved dressing the mannequins and it was just really very fulfilling and working in that environment. And so when it came time to go to college and to choose a major and I chose fashion design, I think at that point I assumed or hoped that I would be a designer and it kind of was all over the board throughout college of whether it would be, you know, moving to New York and doing a really glamorous internship for a big designer or if it would be working at Target as a designer, doing something more kind of commercial every day here in the Twin Cities. But I think it was really thanks to the recession, I guess, when I graduated college in 2008, that there really weren't any jobs available post college and especially in design, but really doing anything.
Speaker 2:So that is what really led me into being more entrepreneurial.
Speaker 1:I guess Sure how did you go from wanting to you studied fashion, wanting to work in fashion, to owning your own business?
Speaker 2:So I mean it was partially out of just not having many options. I was working at a small retailer here in the Twin Cities doing just selling, you know being a stylist there, and I was serving too on the side. I just got married and so I was just really not sure what I was going to do. And so a friend of mine at the time who also went to school for fashion design, she and I started designing handbags together and we were making these beautiful hand-made clutches that we were then selling to local boutiques or trying to sell to them wholesale. And we we're just doing it for fun on the side. And I mean we had dreams to expand that business and we're passionate about design.
Speaker 2:But we were going throughout the Twin Cities and pitching these bags to boutique owners and it was really in that experience that we're like these boutiques are not, this isn't going to work, Like they're not doing well, At least it appeared to us when we would go in and meet with the owner and there was never any customers there.
Speaker 2:And so we were actually in Chicago looking to meet with some manufacturers and try to develop this kind of concept for our handbags. And we were walking in Lincoln Park and these boutiques, like these really high end boutiques. They were beautiful and we were going in and talking to these owners. They were just dead, Like there was no one there, there were no people shopping. And across the street there were, you know, H&M and Francesca's and Zara and they were packed and we were like okay, it's not that people aren't shopping, and I think we also had the conversation at that point to say we want to shop with these boutiques, but like why can't we combine this? And it was just a really sort of a hair brain idea at the time.
Speaker 1:The best ones are the best.
Speaker 2:I agree. I agree, it's like on a cocktail napkin. I mean, it's like you've heard a million times and yeah, and we just came up with the concept of it was so simple and it still really is. That primp, that is just really an affordable price point, but that high end experience and at the time it really it didn't exist, Like there weren't other boutiques with that Tell me a little bit about the experience at primp in your boutiques are different from, say, if you go into an H&M or something like that.
Speaker 1:Sure, what is that difference?
Speaker 2:Well, we, so all of our employees are stylists.
Speaker 2:I mean aside from our store managers, but even they are stylists by training and passionate about styling women. And so we, you know, you walk in and you're greeted and I mean I just always think it's amazing to me how rare you walk into a retailer and are even noticed Like just thanks for coming in, like hi, I see you. So simple, but it's something that I really do pride us at primp and really making a point to notice the customer. And we serve beverages. We have champagne and wine and obviously sparkling water and all the, all the beverages that I think just add that touch of hospitality and of A real personalization.
Speaker 1:It's a real, like you said. You're combining a high end experience with an affordable price point. So then you, you, you didn't just open one store, it's. It's interesting to me because at any time you know you could have continued working in a boutique and serving and being kind of content there, but you took it next level, got out the cocktail napkin. Here's how we can do this. And even then a lot of business owners would go okay, I have, I have my store, this is my store, I have my one store. How do you get to then?
Speaker 2:seven, seven, I mean, I think at the time, you know, I was pretty freshly out of college and I was so naive Both of my and you weren't tired yet.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's right, you were just out of college.
Speaker 2:Didn't have kids, didn't have much to lose, like it makes it a lot easier. It's a very important piece is I just didn't know, like I didn't really know what I was getting into, and I think that that really works as a plus sometimes, when you don't even understand or know the reasons why this could really fail.
Speaker 1:You just know that this is in my heart to do it, and you believe in yourself enough and the people that you're working with to go ahead and do that. So, and go on, you guys. So you expanded.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we um well, and even one of my favorite moments with Primp, early on and like those first few weeks and months of developing the concept, was we had, you know, been working on this business plan and buying and we had such little money I mean, both myself and my founding business partner both came with $8,000. So we had $16,000 to build this business and my husband at the time was going to business school and him and his friends were, you know, so curious about our entrepreneurial cute little boutique business, you know. And they put together this spreadsheet of all of our expenses. And his friend I'll like never forget even where I was.
Speaker 2:I remember we were at North for the weekend with friends and he was like this isn't going to work because, you know, if you do $20,000 in sales, like you're going to run out of inventory or not going to have any cash and like you're going to fail, like you, this is like a bad idea. And by that point I mean we were already in way too deep, you know, to turn back and I was like, nah, we'll figure it out. Like we're not going to run out of inventory, we'll figure it out. And I mean, you know we did four times that in our first month of business.
Speaker 1:And it was.
Speaker 2:Which was? Was that unexpected? I mean, we, we were like we have to sell six dresses a day just to stay in business for two years Just to pay the rent. We weren't even factoring in paying ourselves. I was like we have internet, we have phone and you know, as long as we sell six dresses a day.
Speaker 2:Yes, I'm like mom, I'm looking at like where my mom, my sister, my friends like just buy a dress a day, so so, yeah, I think, getting back to just being naive and not knowing, like sometimes having all that information and still like having the grit and the passion and the flexibility to just know you're going to make it work. I think that was, and truly that's been, the story of Primp. I mean we so we did really really well. I mean there was a line of people you know around the block to get in on our opening day. It was really really busy. We were busy for the first couple of months and it was pretty quickly where we were like okay, like this was an amazing, unexpected twist. But this store, you know, we really can't do this level of business forever here. We need to open a second location to alleviate some of the pressure that we're putting on this one location.
Speaker 2:It was just too much. We were lying for the fitting rooms all the time. It was just a lot of volume for this one time.
Speaker 1:You had to grow up really fast.
Speaker 2:We did, we did.
Speaker 1:It was a great problem to have, and I want to add too for our listeners Wesley has three children now and they are. How old are they again?
Speaker 2:They're seven, almost eight, he'll be eight and about a week and a half and five and three.
Speaker 1:So you've been doing this for quite some time having children, expanding this business and growing it while having these children. I admire that so much when, when I also have three children, and when my kids were younger, I had an opportunity for several years to be home with them and then later on kind of started my career, I got into real estate and got going, and I often think how does anybody do this with young kids at home? Because it's such especially owning your own business there's, there's just so much that's going on. Was there ever and this might be a dumb question every time, when or what do you do in those moments of where there has to be, has to have been, times where that overwhelm just kind of sets in? Yet you can't stop the train, you have to keep going. What keeps you going?
Speaker 2:Oh man, that's a great question, besides, maybe, a lot of coffee.
Speaker 1:Yes, lots of coffee.
Speaker 2:You know, I think if there's one thing that I mean, the pandemic in and of itself was just such a mountain, you know, for us all to climb, and I think I learned a lot about myself as business owner but as a person that it's just like the overwhelm is going to hit and you just really have to pause and you know you can't.
Speaker 2:It's that putting on your own ox oxygen mass first mentality of knowing when I'm burnt out, and that means I need to just take time for myself. And I think it's an important thing to teach my kids. You know to know like I am so overwhelmed to try to tell them that, like when I'm feeling that way, like I'm burned out, like I'm feeling stressed, I'm feeling tired, I need to rest, and you know you can't take care of people if you're that way. And I, it's not just obviously my kids, it's my employees and a lot of obligations that I have and my husband and being a partner and being a friend, and it's it's a lot to juggle, but I think that they always say you know busy people get it done.
Speaker 2:You do, I think the more you have going on, you're just forced to juggle it and the balls are in the air and you're just you do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that that is very true With your Excelsior location, for example. There's you also do a great job of getting involved with your community and on Tonka Talk we talk a lot about the ways people find and create community and connection. How, how has that gone for you, excelsior? The Lake Minnetonka area is a large, it's a large area, but a small area. Yes, what are some of the, some of the ways that you've tied into the community?
Speaker 2:I mean a huge way is in our employees. I mean, I think that it's really, really important to me.
Speaker 2:It doesn't always work out, but it actually is working out now at Excelsior of just having employees that are from the area Like I think, so often people come in, especially in a town like Excelsior, people who are not from that area, and are asking you know, where should I have lunch today?
Speaker 2:Or where, where can I get a cute you know gift for my friend? And I think that having those people that are in in the boutique, that know the area and that can service our customers in that way too, is so important and just builds those relationships with the customers. And so that's that's one way. Also, you know, through events and through connecting with other local businesses and doing events with them, doing events with local charity organizations and schools and churches, and you know, I think having a small business that allows us to do that very quickly, you know. I mean, I think if someone comes in and is like, hey, we're trying to raise money for my son's baseball team, it's like, do you want to have an event this weekend with your girlfriends and we'll give 10% back to your son's baseball team, and it's okay, great. Like you can't do that at Target. It's probably make a lot more money, but it's, you know, at Primp and at small businesses. I think we're just really eager to connect and to build that bridge.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is what I like a lot about the local businesses in the area is there. In. The majority of them, I would say, are independently owned, and you're right, it gives you that opportunity to create a culture of acceptance and involvement and you hit the nail on the head. There's nothing worse than going into a business and speaking to someone who works there and asking them a question about the area. Of course, you don't have to know everything, but not even being familiar with the businesses around you, it's just to me that scares me. Yes, but you're right, it's knowing that. Hey, we can tell you. If we don't have what you need, we can show you exactly where to go down the street to find it. So that's so great that that is part of your culture within Primp to make sure that the employees and the people on the sales floor are familiar with the area and what's going on, because I would imagine, especially at the Excelsior location, because there's so many people from out of town as well as locals that come in.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, it's a ton, especially in the summer. People from all over that are coming to visit and Excelsior is so. I mean a lot of communities are this way, but I think especially Excelsior the customers in the community, they appreciate that small, unique business. You know, they want their consciously and intentionally supporting us and supporting the other stores and I think we can also do that as small businesses to you know, as you're saying, to direct people to the bookstore or to the toy store down the street.
Speaker 1:And you know it may not be a something, if you don't know something. Safari in Excelsior is. I think it's the world's best toy store, because I don't know how she does it, but she remembers so many of the kids She'll know exact. I used to go in there and be like, hey, do you know so and so? And she's like, yeah, I know, I know that kid. Well, my kid. There's a birthday party. What do I get? Come here and she'll show you exactly what it is.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's so personal. And it's so important for us to support these businesses and like at this time of year, especially where it's maybe easy to just hammer through your list on Amazon or Target or wherever but to really go in and to build those relationships and to support these businesses like that's what brings the charm to these areas I'm always curious about with, especially boutiques how do you choose, how do you decide what to buy?
Speaker 1:Oh, how do you decide which, which items, which clothing to bring in?
Speaker 2:It's. I mean, it's so hard. I have an amazing buyer. Her name is Jenny. She has been with me for 10 years. She's incredible.
Speaker 2:She, she does such a good job and I mean so much of it is listening to our customers and, again, with the small business mentality and flexibility is, you know, being in the stores and seeing firsthand what our customers are asking for and what our employees want.
Speaker 2:You know, I just yesterday we were having a team meeting and I was like Primp is so unique because I've all of us in this room are our customers and so, you know, I was asking everyone to go around and I was like, where did you shop on Black Friday? Like, what are you shopping for? Like we can, we can channel our own shopping habits and what we want. And it's like if you're looking for a really cute embellished blazer, like tell me so I can look for it in the market, because you're you know, if you want it, probably our customers want it. And I think that allows us to be so reactive and also stay ahead of the curve at the same time, if you can do both and our vendors are really, really trendy and have a lot of pieces that are really fashion forward that we can kind of sometimes try to find the Minnesota version of that super trendy piece.
Speaker 2:It's always what we strive for. Nothing's too crazy.
Speaker 1:Just put a loon on it, yeah.
Speaker 2:That always works too.
Speaker 1:What would you say as you know because here you are now you're opening your seventh store Some of the some of, as a female business owner too some of the challenges that you've run into over the years if you were speaking to some younger people who are like you know what I have such a passion to get into fashion, which I feel like that's been a theme for you, and such a driving force is it's in your core, is going back to that reason and that why, why do I do this and it it?
Speaker 1:When we're able to do something that really lights that fire with it within us. And if you can do it for a living, then power to you. And I feel like that is what and I speak from experience too I love community, I love real estate, I love helping people turn a house into a home and get connected within their community. So that's what drives me all the time, even when things are stressful and things get hard. But with younger people who are looking at it and want to aspire to doing what you're doing, what would be some advice that you would give them If you're looking back at that 16 year old self of yours?
Speaker 2:Oh man, I you know. I think the biggest thing to even just echo what you were saying is to really dig deep into what is the why? Because you know, fashion is it's, it's our creative expression for some people, not for everyone, some is just, you know, function and necessity and all the things that you know.
Speaker 1:My husband would probably say that yeah, I do have more of a function and necessity, yeah, I need help in that area, and so what I'm hearing is I probably could walk right into primp and they would tell me they would help me with fit and things like that.
Speaker 2:And I think that for me, that is that's what gets me excited is the connections. Like is helping people through feeling good. You know, I think that if and maybe it is more of a creative expression if you love fashion because you love getting dressed and you love doing the makeup and you love, you know, maybe an influencer, that kind of that route would be a better fit. I think there's so many channels and ways to express what it is that you kind of drives that passion in you.
Speaker 2:But you got to dig into it and figure it out, Because I think that if you're just there to sell clothes or just there to try on clothes or look cute like that's not sustainable, I don't think long term.
Speaker 1:Exactly that's. That's not the thing that will keep you going, especially when you get into later in life, where then you're married and you have children and you have other obligations and somehow you have to get all of this done. I think you're right Going back to that, that passion, that, that that eternal internal flame.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, exactly it sounds corny as all get out, but it's so true. Holding on to that and I think that's that's a common thread, when I'm fortunate to be able to speak to a lot of business owners and it does seem to be a common thread is the reason why they did it in the first place, because a lot of times, retail can be a very thankless business.
Speaker 2:Oh yes.
Speaker 1:Oh yes, you get to deal with all kinds of people coming in, but always need to kind of maintain a smile.
Speaker 2:It is, and this time of year, I mean what I've been telling my team as we're gearing up for holiday and as we were gearing up for, obviously, Black Friday and a huge weekend is just reminding people that this is the time or reminding my employees, I should say this is the time when so many people come in that hate shopping. Like because I have to right they have to shop, or they don't have to, but they're.
Speaker 1:No, you have to. I've been told to stop showing up in my pajamas at work.
Speaker 2:They have to put on clothes and I think you know you have men that are coming in buying gift cards or grandmothers coming in to pick out a sweater thing you know, for gifts, and I think that it is so important that we still service them and that we're still being kind and still warm and welcoming and offering them the beverage and offering to take their bags or their coat or whatever, and if they're coming in to make a return, that it's it just. It's so important to me that we continue to just be kind and it's it should not be proprietary, but it is like it really is just noticing the customer, welcoming them. Like that will forever bring people back in and build that sense of community which I think is what makes us small and makes us primp and why I think so many people love to shop with us.
Speaker 1:Well, I think it's testament to just the fact that you now have seven stores says a lot to that. That is that type of a culture that would keep people coming back. What do you think is next? Oh, is it just, you know, expanding primp? It's is there. I'm curious. Is there anything else that you have your eye on that you're interested in doing?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I definitely, I'm definitely still expanding primp.
Speaker 2:I hope to open at least another store, maybe a couple of stores, in the next year or two.
Speaker 2:But I think recently I've had this such a strong passion for just moms and women and that I've met at print but also just in my friends, my friendships and it's.
Speaker 2:I think there's this overwhelming sense of anxiety and loneliness and I just think there's something there that I really am passionate about bringing women together and finding ways to do that. I mean, I love fashion and I think that it's a very vulnerable place when you're shopping and your body is changing and all the things that you're trying to find, something that makes you feel good, but and I think that's a channel to maybe reach women in a unique way. But but yeah, I think that just post pandemic I didn't come in here wanting to talk about the pandemic, but it's a piece of us, our world and our assistant people but I think that we're just as a community and as women and as moms, I think, still suffering the kind of trauma of that season of life, of being a mom, of being an employee or being a business owner, or being a partner or friend during that season, and I think we need to tend to that now.
Speaker 1:Well, I can't wait to see what you do. I'm hoping that you'll share it with us. I got a feeling we're going to have you back on to be able to be hearing about whatever that is.
Speaker 2:Can't wait.
Speaker 1:What is the best way for people to connect with you who kind of want to follow what you're doing? What's going on with Prim Is it? Would it be a website or through social media?
Speaker 2:Yes, all of those. We have a website, primp-boutiquecom, yet also our website. You can see where our product is available in stores. You can see all of our locations on Instagram or print boutique, facebook, print boutique, tiktok all the all the platforms.
Speaker 1:You can find you everywhere. Yes, well, that's wonderful. Thank you so much for coming in and for sharing that, and I really look forward to hearing what is coming next. Thank you very much for having me. Yes, Everybody else. I will talk to you later.
