Born in June 1969 and raised in Southwest Washington state, Reshell Douglas grew up surrounded by entrepreneurship, learning the ropes of retail in her family’s bridal salon where she worked in sales, buying, and merchandising. By age 14, she was already attending trade shows as a buyer, and throughout the 1980s she gained hands-on experience in retail sales at Nordstrom, JC Penney’s, and Hickory Farms. In 1990, she married her husband Scott, with whom she recently celebrated 35 years, and in 2003 they welcomed their beloved daughter, Ellery. In 2000, Reshell opened her brick-and-mortar store, Not Too Shabby Boutique, which continues to thrive today. With over two decades in business, she embraces her role as a creative and passionate small business owner, living her best entrepreneurial life—and dreaming of one day continuing her story on a beach.

In this episode, Reshell “Shelly” Douglas shares her inspiring 25-year journey of owning and evolving Not Too Shabby Boutique in Vancouver, Washington. From her early beginnings in the bridal industry to navigating economic downturns, shifting trends, and the challenges of COVID, Shelly reveals how adaptability, creativity, and strong customer relationships have been the key to her long-term success.

We are doing our first-ever open call! You can submit your store or favorite store to be on the podcast because every store has a story behind it! Go to theretailwhorepodcast.com, click on SUBMIT YOUR STORE, fill out an easy form and we’ll see you on the mic!

What’s Inside:

• Shelly’s evolution from working in her family’s bridal salon to running her own boutique for 25 years
• How she pivoted her business through changing times, from shabby chic to gift baskets, and thrived even during economic downturns and COVID
• The importance of building customer and employee relationships, working the sales floor, and staying inspired as a small business owner

Mentioned In This Episode:
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Not Too Shabby Boutique Website

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