Fresh scented candles, creative décor, and smiling faces will greet you as you step into the Freckled Fox. A hidden gem for sure, mother-daughter team Beth and Amanda Goetz opened this quaint boutique three years ago and have had a great response thus far.
It has allowed this family to specialize in something they each love to do. “We’ve had a lot of fun with it, I think that’s the most important part,” Amanda joyfully said. For Beth, Freckled Fox is a creative outlet. Amanda enjoys making the outfits and being the public face of Freckled Fox. While Amanda and Beth are the legal co-owners of the business, everyone in the Goetz family plays a role. The store changes weekly. If not the inventory, the layout and design. Beth’s husband, Dane Goetz, helps to create any décor and acts as a handyman by helping build displays and create the space as the girls envision it. He always helps with last minute ideas and carpentry projects. The youngest daughter, Sarah, recently graduated college with a degree in illustration, so she has helped by creating business cards and interior design.
It’s a blend of everyone’s talent and help that makes running Freckled Fox so smooth. Sarah is also integrated into the schedule and steps up to the plate when either Amanda or Beth needs a day off. They’ve joked about having Dane run the store in their absence but have never had to rely on that backup plan. “We are all very flexible with each other and make it work. It’s nice to have Sarah involved too so mom and I can have a girl’s day together outside of work,” Amanda commented.
A Dream Come True
Amanda had wanted to open a business since high school. She and her mom loved the location, but it had always been occupied. When the previous renter mentioned relocating, opening up the space, the two of them saw it as a welcome sign. Setting out to open the boutique, the path wasn’t always clear.
Amanda not only co-owns the store, but she participates in and teaches dance and aerial. Since age five, dance has played a large role in her life. Later on, she would reinvent the Rush hockey cheerleaders and start a dance team at the chip. How she was going to balance everything with the store was definitely a question for the family. It gave her time to really think things through and focus. “When we first started, I was still doing stuff for the Rush, which overlapped in scheduling,” Amanda explained. Both dancing and the boutique are creative outlets for her, and she found a way to make them both fit in her life.
Opening a business in retail has a lot of challenges, especially in a smaller town. Establishing a look that fits your community and finding out what the community is looking for in clothing and style were challenges in the beginning. Beth shared that one of the most fun challenges is, “Being creative – trying to come up with new things and reinvent yourself all the time so that it stays fresh.”
Another challenge they have to face is online retailers. With so many online shops, smaller businesses don’t get as much attention. However, the smaller boutiques offer more than what online shops can. They offer customer service, dressing rooms in which you can try clothes on, and a unique environment. The Goetz’ pride themselves on treating everyone like family. “It’s like shopping in your sister’s closet,” one customer praised.
New Addition to the Family
The Goetz family will be welcoming a pretty special baby this fall. Amanda is expecting her first child and the first baby boy in three generations on Beth’s side. They shared a special moment with friends and family at a gender reveal party. Beth explained, “They did it with silly string; Amanda and her boyfriend were in the middle. It started coming out white, and then it turned blue, and my immediate thought was ‘Oh my gosh, what are we going to do with a boy!’”
Between everyone in the family, the goal is to keep the baby at home for as long as possible while still allowing Amanda to go into the shop to work. It will definitely add to the balancing act. Amanda will adjust to balancing her dance, personal family, and the business. There will definitely be challenges, but having her mom nearby, who has experience as a stay-at-home mom herself, eases some of the worry.
A baby has also brought new questions to the table. There’s been talk of opening up a line of baby clothes to share their newfound passion with others who might be expecting! They’ve also considered a second location, expanding the online business, or building a second floor at the current location. Continuing into the third year of business, who knows what the future has in store. With a little one running around, new and exciting things are sure to follow.