Meet Amanda Gambla | Owner of Shop Miss Lulu Pearl

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Gambla and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I opened up Shop MLP just months after welcoming my second child. At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom to two little ones under the age of two. My husband worked long hours away from home and I really desired a fun hobby that could give me a little bit of a mental break from the demands of keeping up with two small children. Dressing my little ones in precious, matching outfits was something I always loved, so starting up my very own children’s boutique with my babies as the inspiration seemed like the perfect fit! I started small by selling items for moms and babies, such as matching mommy and me shirts, coffee tumblers and jewelry. What began as a hobby quickly grew into a small business and I was so grateful that my two worlds were coming together so beautifully! Something that is unique about starting up your own business, however, is learning how to tend to multiple roles, especially as your business grows. There are the more exciting roles, such as choosing inventory, connecting with customers and getting to share these precious little outfits with others. On the flipside, there are also some mundane tasks, such as counting inventory, managing the online sales channels and handling shipping delays that can affect retail timelines. My number one priority has always been being present with my children, so in order to make that possible while managing this business, I learned that I had to work around my little ones’ sleep schedules. I would work late in the evenings and early in the mornings. I would pack orders during their nap times and bring them along with me to browse inventory in person. As time went on and we got our rhythm in place, orders began flowing in just a little more quickly than I had initially anticipated! While that was something I was certainly grateful for, I knew that if I was going to keep this business running, that I would need some help. I decided to add on a couple of women who could assist with tasks such as order fulfilment and inventory oversight. Learning to let go of the reins a bit and handover some of the responsibilities to willing hands really helped me to achieve a great work life balance and get some much-desired sleep! Over the years, our family has welcomed three more children. As a Mama to five now, bringing my children along for the ride has been a great joy. They love getting to help choose new outfits for our boutique to carry, they know our postal delivery driver by name and over the years, they have gotten to see firsthand all that goes into being an entrepreneur.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
First and foremost, we believe that living life alongside family and friends is the most important thing in the world, and celebrating each other’s special moments is one of the greatest joys of life! We also believe that childhood goes by in a blink and we don’t want to miss a thing. That means we take pride in celebrating every special moment we can! By curating our ensembles to meet the needs of our customers, while keeping quality and design at the forefront, we aim to offer pieces that are classic and can be passed down for generations to come. From timeless embroidered pieces and themed applique, to matching ensembles that families can wear while making memories together, we know that the items we carry need to be darling yet functional to meet the needs of the individuals who wear them. Our goal is to share our passion for celebrating life’s special moments, and everyday moments too, with all the customers who shop with us.

While I am so grateful for where our business is present day and I know that we have had so many things to celebrate over the years, being an entrepreneur means holding space for the most wonderful moments, as well as the challenging ones. While there are conditions outside of our control that can affect our business, such as inventory shipping delays, family emergencies, selling out of items quicker than anticipated and learning through growing pains, there have been times that I felt it would be easier to hand the bigger tasks off to someone else! Yet when you own the business…you are responsible for handling those things. Learning to walk through each of those difficulties and learn from those teachable moments is huge as a business owner.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a Charleston based business, we absolutely love getting out and exploring the beautiful city we call home! When planning for a fun time out and about with friends, the following attractions are at the top of my list:
-Strolling Rainbow Row to see all of the brightly colored and historical homes. They are absolutely stunning to see in person and make for a beautiful background when capturing photos and memories.
-Shopping on King Street. There is an array of designer and boutique style stores to choose from!
-Dining and enjoying the local cuisine! 82 Queen, Magnolias & Lewis Barbeque would be in rotation as far as restaurants to visit.
-Visiting The Battery
-Browsing the Charleston City Market to see the items for sale by local artists and entrepreneurs

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family is the sole inspiration behind every item in our boutique as we carry a variety of clothing items for babies, children and family matching! What started out as my little hobby has grown into a family business, so to that point, I am very grateful for each of my family members. My husband, Tom, has been a tremendous support and encouragement to me. He has helped behind the scenes in so many ways. From lending his business advice as a professional who works in finance, to assisting me late into the evenings when orders need to be packed and I need a little help, I am so grateful for his willingness to jump in.

To my five children, Colton, Jackson, Abigail, Tate and Magnolia, they have been there through it all. My husband and I welcomed our five children in a seven-year timespan. Life is full in the very best way, and all of our children have come right alongside me as I have tended to various tasks for our boutique over the years while bringing them along for the ride! As tiny newborns, they rested in my babywearing carrier as I would work on boutique tasks. As toddlers, they have helped carry packages into the post office. As the oldest have grown, they have offered their input, such as which pajama designs they like the best and have taken part in learning how to manage a business. It truly is a family affair and I love every bit of that!

Last, but certainly not least, our customers. I am so grateful for them. Since the majority of our customers are moms and grandmas who love shopping for their babies, having my sweet children has enabled me to relate to so many of the women who are shopping for an outfit that will be used for a special occasion for their own littles, such as birthdays, holidays, church, first days of school. It is an absolute joy to know that our clothing pieces have a small part in some of the most special days for the little ones who wear them! We have many customers that have shopped with us since we opened. They send us updated photos of their little ones in our clothing each year, they send us Christmas cards when their families are wearing outfits from our line, they connect with us through our boutique’s social media channels to keep us updated on their families. It truly warms my heart to get to know and connect with the dear customers who support our family-owned business!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopmisslulupearl/

Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShopMissLuluPearl/

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