Spring 2008

Mother Daughter Duos By Mollie Neal

Designing Women

When Marisa Kazmerchek’s original partner bowed out of Serendipity Design, their custom invitation and stationery business, to spend more time with her family, Kazmerchek decided that she too was ready for change. She closed the tiny, 300-square-foot shop in Oak Creek, WI. Her mom, Angela Blohm, an established real estate consultant with a penchant for people and sales, had always wanted to own a gift shop. So it seemed a natural fit for the two to form a partnership.

Using her real estate prowess, Blohm scouted a location. She was drawn to Greendale, WI, 10 miles outside Milwaukee, because she felt that it was reminiscent of her childhood hometown, a suburb of Venice, Italy. “It’s a lovely, small community where people know and care about each other,” says Blohm.

The women reopened Serendipity Design in May 2007, in the downtown center, which is lined with shops, craft stores, boutiques, restaurants and cafes. Kazmerchek quickly realized that she’d need to broaden her product line to fill the 1,570-square-foot store and appeal to a broader customer base.

Serendipity Design carries Kazmerchek’s custom invitations and stationery, along with her handmade sterling silver necklaces, earrings and bracelets—some of which feature semiprecious stones—along with her original abstract paintings. The store also sells Lampe Berger perfume lamps, candles, paperweights, Italian pottery and handblown glass by local artists.

The women quickly identified their strengths and fell into a natural working relationship. “I originally started the business because I needed a creative outlet,” says Kazmerchek. “If you are going to create something it’s better to share it, otherwise it’s no fun. I am more of an artist and my mom is more of a salesperson. That way we don’t step on each other’s toes.” Besides nurturing Kazmerchek’s yen for creativity, the custom invitation service differentiates Serendipity Design from other retailers, and is a real sales boost during typically slow retail periods, such as the weeks between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, says Blohm.

Being part of a close-knit community also helps sales. Shop owners aren’t cutthroat; they work together to make the town successful, says Blohm. In addition, The Greendale Village Business Association frequently holds holiday and seasonal-themed events and activities. Tourists and town residents come out for chili and pie-baking contests, horse-drawn carriage rides, winter ice sculptures and other homespun activities. The shopping village attracts tour buses in the spring and fall.

Both women call their working relationship an equal partnership, and appreciate each other’s unconditional support. Each one works at the shop five of the six days a week that it is open, and they rely on a part-time person on an as-needed basis. Kazmerchek also makes private appointments with customers on evenings and weekends to help with custom wedding and other invitations. They are flexible and accommodating with their schedules, especially when Kazmerchek needs to tend to her school-age children and Blohm has real estate appointments. “We probably wouldn’t have that luxury if we weren’t family,” Blohm says.

Q&A

Advantages of working with each other
Working with her mother, enables Marisa Kazmercheck to change her work schedule as needed to take care of her school-age children. She can also read her quite well and knows when she needs a hand even if she doesn’t ask.

Angela Blohm also enjoys the flexibility of their partnership so that she can juggle store hours along with her real estate work. “We are both hard workers, have very similar tastes and are equals,” says Blohm.

What are the annoyances?
“There are no drawbacks,” says Blohm.

“Sometimes family situations eek into the workplace, but you have to let go,” says Kazmercheck.

What does the rest of the family think?
Kazmercheck’s husband is supportive of the partnership.

Could this be a multi-generational thing?
Kazmercheck’s children are quite young so it’s too soon to tell.

Mollie Neal

Neal writes about market trends, demographics and advertising issues for a variety of business and consumer publications. She can be reached at mneal@optonline.net.