Life & Work with Allison & Paul Mishurda of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison & Paul Mishurda.

Hi Allison & Paul, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We moved to Lebanon in 2003, Allison coming from Dayton and Paul coming from Cincinnati. We married in 2005, and raised our blended family in this beautiful little town, with a dream to move to Yellow Springs one day, and open a little shop to run together after our children had grown and moved out on their own. When that time came, Lebanon had become our home, and we didn’t wish to leave it. But, could we open an eclectic shop in Lebanon? An opportunity for a shop space arrived, and in December of 2021 the Shady Dame opened it’s doors for the very first time. We had always been local shoppers, and our neighboring shop owners who knew us as customers welcomed us with open arms a fellow shop owners! We had always known what merchandise we wanted our Shop to carry, and knowing that no other shop was offering this, we felt that what we were bringing would compliment, and not compete, with our established shop neighbors. As we approach our fifth year anniversary, we feel we proud that we have brought a unique “vibe” to the downtown shopping scene, one that respects what other shops offer and encompasses only items that we love and have in our own home.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Living here as long as we have, we knew that Lebanon was a rather conservative town, so we were not sure how a shop like ours would be received. It has been a wonderful surprise to see so many people enjoy what we offer. Of course we realize that our shop is not for everyone, so we strive to make sure everyone feels welcome. Occasionally that can be a challenge, but we accept that we can’t make everyone happy; our guiding principal is to stay true to ourselves with the items we carry and how we display them. As the old expression says, if you love what you do, then you never work a day in your life – and we both have found that to be true. We realize how fortunate we are to have our own shop, and we start everyday with gratitude.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Allison worked for over 11 years at the Lebanon City Schools, with a primary responsibility of special education and as a registered behavior technician. She has had second and sometime third jobs at several downtown businesses, such as an office manager at a salon and a furniture upcycler at a local boutique. Having a bit of a creative side, she makes a portion of the merchandise we sell; including t-shirts, body sprays, bracelets and artwork. Her goal is to keep the store “alive” by moving items around, buying items in small quantities to assure a constant supply of new and different items, and re-painting the space or re-finishing display pieces to really bring a soul to the shop. Our customers come in for an atmosphere and a feeling, and her main focus is to keep it fresh and inviting, and attention to detail (especially for events) is her passion. She is most proud of all of the friends she’s made since we’ve opened, and everything she has learned by being her own boss. Among the friends she has made are some very like-minded fellow shop owners, who we have partnered with to do “themed” shopping events. These have been very successful, as while there is a central theme, each Shop embraces that theme their way, which results in a very unique shopping experience.

Paul was an Assistant Chief Engineer at the VA Medical Center, retiring in August of 2023 to work alongside Allison full time. Paul has a constant cheerful outlook and positive demeanor (and it’s real). His passion is to engage with people, make them feel welcome and giving them an opportunity to share their stories. As Allison beautifully creates the aesthetics of the space, Paul believes that music is important, and works hard to create many and various musical playlists for folks to enjoy as they shop. He is most proud of creating a shop that is always welcoming, and adds to the diversity of our little town.

Together, we try to constantly bring in new and different merchandise, so that for the locals there is always something new to see, while always making sure we are well stocked in the items folks return for, like gemstones, tarot cards, and incense.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We feel most people know the advantages to shopping small and local. It’s such a personal experience to see people and engage and ask questions, which they cannot get by purchasing on-line. We are fortunate that we are in a vibrant downtown, constantly hosting local events like outdoor concerts and festivals which bring diverse crowds from out of town in addition to the local Lebanon Residents. The retail world is ever in flux, and ever dependent on the state of the economy, so we strive to stay flexible, and purchase only what we can afford.

Pricing:

• Since it’s only the two of us, with no employees, we are able to have a low overhead which allows us to keep prices low.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shadydame.com
• Instagram: @theshadydame
• Facebook: The Shady Dame