Meghan Gullen might have just graduated from college, but don't let her credentials deceive you. She also runs her own business.
Gullen, 23, who graduated in June 2009 from Florida State University, studied textiles and design and managed a designer clothing shop, Divas and Devils, in Tallahassee. But when it came to graduation, she, like many other Americans in her age group, was worried about finding work in her field.
Gullen, who now runs the boutique M.Marie in Winter Haven, considered moving to New York to seek out a job in fashion, but she realized the challenges that lie ahead in the current job market.
"Finding a job working for a designer is hard," she says. "Especially now."
So, with some help from her family and a couple of business groups in Winter Haven dedicated to helping young business owners, Gullen took a leap of faith and started her own boutique, which had a successful Oct. 3 grand opening.
A visitor who walks into M.Marie automatically get a whimsical vibe that sparks a bit of creativity. Fuzzy and colorful rugs and eclectic paintings adorn the small yet cozy space, which some might say looks more like Gullen's living room that a retail store.
M.Marie is "one unique boutique," as the store's slogan suggests, offering approximately 15 brands of clothing, along with jewelry and accessories.
Gullen used her name Meghan Marie as inspiration for her boutique's name.
"I had trouble picking a name at first and decided that M.Marie had a nice ring to it," she says.
Brands available in her store include Free People, a company owned by Urban Outfitters Inc.; T-shirts from Local Celebrity; and, for the more skating/surfing crowd, RVCA.
"My clothes are for people anywhere from 15 to 50," Gullen says, mentioning that her mother claims she would wear the clothes she sells. Her prices range from $25 for a T-shirt to $128 for some of the dresses.
Along with clothing, Gullen sells a few items from local jewelry designer Crystal Kinson - Gullen says the jewelry pieces are big hits - as well as novelty antique items, such as vases and mirrors.
"One thing that sets me apart from other boutiques is that I shop for antiques and sell them in my store," Gullen says.
A funky vintage mirror with a fancy golden-colored border and a bright red, hand-painted vase sits on one of the many display shelves, giving the boutique a vintage feel, and psychedelic-colored dressing room curtains invite customers to try on an item or two.
When deciding to move back to her native Winter Haven and start her own business, Gullen says she contemplated renting out a space downtown but ultimately found it too expensive. When an opportunity came up at the fairly new High Pointe Centre plaza, she says she decided to land there. Also, "there's no competition in the area," Meghan mentions.
It's tough to start a business regardless of age, but when you're just out of college with little credit history, it can be even harder to land a loan. So with help from her family and support from the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, the Young Professionals of Winter Haven and the Junior League of Winter Haven, Gullen was able to secure the financing to start shopping around at fashion expos for items to sell in her boutique and open a business location. The brands she sells currently come from Atlanta and Orlando purchasing conventions, where she buys everything at wholesale prices.
Inspired by fun and colorful designer Betsy Johnson, who's well known for her sharp prints, polkadots and frills, along with vintage flower prints and a '60s hippie vibe, Gullen says she eventually wants to get to a level where she can design and sell her own clothing. "I've got a sewing machine set up inside my store," she says.
M.Marie is located in the High Pointe Centre shopping plaza off Cypress Gardens Boulevard in Winter Haven.
Click here for more M.Marie boutique pictures.
