Meet Amy Valukas | Always Amy XOXO Blogger and Owner of Busias XOXO Mercantile

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

Hi Amy, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
There are moments in your life that shatter you completely. I had one of these moments on June 2nd of 2023. I had just expanded Always Amy XOXO – The bakery and retail store portion, which is called Busias XOXO Mercantile, I had just opened a brick and mortar location up on May 1st and on June 2nd I lost my husband, John to multiple brain aneurysms. He was my driving force to open this up, we had spent six months building and expanding my brand into our current market and my entire world collapsed. He was the love of my life, my soulmate. I pushed on….I truly believed that he was right there as he always was, cheering me on from his place in the clouds. I cried when I needed to, even if it was in the middle of a sale. Our customer base grew like crazy. I posted anything and everything of what I was feeling, my memories, and what he did to inspire me the most. John was a great part of Always Amy XOXO and of Busias XOXO Mercantile and he always will be. He is why I never gave up.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always had a little Flair for the extras…Since I was little I was VERY into fashion. I have always been a trendsetter as well. I used to have fashion shows for my barbies at the ripe age of 4. I also was the girl in high school that had her own style, not caring what people truly thought of me. Going to College for Fashion Merchandising and Design it was like a dream. Settling in many years later, I have been able to create a business, a brand that compiles all of these into one place. I try to look for the good in everything and everyone. My angel husband always believed in me SO much that this is so important to me to keep this alive and going. I cannot wait to see where this all takes me.

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?
I think that the very first place that I would take them would be to my retail store and bakery…Busias XOXO Mercantile. It is such a quaint and charming shop. I would let them experience our infamous iced sugar cookies, which are not only the cutest cookies ever…but also taste amazing. We also have a really amazing little store area with local artisians that make hadcrafted items. Being able to show someone how much love was poured into this little place that I have made, it makes my heart so full.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this shout-out to my Angel Husband, John. He left my life way too soon, and there isn’t a second in the day that I don’t think about him and am so grateful for him believing in me more than anyone on this earth.

Website: https://www.busiasxoxo.com

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/busiasxoxo

Image Credits
I have rights for the images in the pictures