Taylor Martin
Laced in Grace Boutique
Why Shopping Small is a BIG Investment
Introduction
Laced in Grace Boutique started as an online business in 2016. After gathering a fast following on Facebook (3,000 members,) and running out of room in an overpacked basement filled with orders from customers, Tory Sturgill decided to make the big step of opening a storefront in her hometown, Germantown, Ohio. The way it works, is simple. Women from all over the United States place preorders by commenting on pictures of the clothes being sold. Or they take to the stores website and order whatever is in stock. Locals can stop in and shop and pick up their orders placed online.
Laced in Grace from the start, has been on a mission that goes beyond clothing.
With the group on Facebook now at 16,000 members operations are going past just the simplicity of ordering and picking up clothes. While the group has grown, one quality it hasn’t lost, from the very start, is its mission to help others.
LGB is a complete family business. Family members work in the store, family has helped prepare the store, and family watches the children, giving Tory the opportunity to work their herself, and to free up time for her to improve the business. The family’s contribution doesn’t go unnoticed though. Because the store and product is all “home” based, Tory knew exactly how she wanted to give back to the community and to the families that help make her business run from day to day.
“We rise by lifting others” - Robert Ingersoll
Every Christmas, Tory and all the LGB customers “adopt” a family. They collect a list from a family that has fallen on hard times, including major health problems leading to financial struggles. These families selected are people who have had a bad year, but still wish to provide the best Christmas possible for their children. One thing that Tory says about the charity work that she does is, “I love how we can actually make a difference in someone's life, even if it's a small gesture.”
The group and Tory do so much that goes beyond clothing. I have been affected and seen the love that they spread. There is never a time where Tory isn’t thinking of how to help someone next, I can honestly say that.
When you shop small at LGB, it extends to so many people. It provides money for employees, it gives dance lessons for an energetic little girl, it shows hope to those sick in the hospital with a chronic disease, it means Christmas for some families, and mostly, it gives back to a loving community.
Next time you’re thinking of logging onto your amazon account, or going to the mall, please consider investing in a small business like LGB.