Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Sell
Hi Alicia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My background is in writing and communications, but I stepped away from that after a variety of frustrating experiences and transitioned into being a director of activities in senior living. I have a great love for seniors, but after the height of Covid, I was completely burnt out. Losing so many residents and the stress of having to follow and implement so many safety precautions was beyond difficult. During this time, my health was greatly effected, and with having Crohn’s disease, I knew I had to make a change.
I started with Busy Bee Boutique on a very part-time basis in March of 2022, at a time when I just wanted to step away from my full-time health care position. Gradually as time went on, the owner at that time started giving me more responsibilities since she was so busy in her corporate career. I managed a hospital gift shop years ago, so really embraced working at this specialty gift shop. In January of 2024, the now former owner told me she was ready to step away from the boutique and asked me to buy the shop. I was taken aback by the request, as I was a recently divorced woman, and this was not something I thought was even possible for me to do. It was always a pipe dream that some day way down the line I’d open a gift shop, but it honestly wasn’t something I thought would actually happen. But with support from my Mom, I was able to purchase Busy Bee Boutique in June of 2024. I’ll always appreciate the former owner, Leshia, believing in me and giving me this opportunity.
I joined the Milford Miami Township Chamber of Commerce last Summer, and that’s been a great experience getting their support and helping my visibility throughout the community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been anything but smooth. I’m still learning things on a regular basis, and the journey so far has been stressful, but rewarding at the same time. Learning how to effectively manage a storefront location and deal with the ups and downs in sales and foot traffic has been challenging to say the least. But almost immediately after I bought Busy Bee, I started joining a variety of events and shows to help supplement store sales and also get the Busy Bee name out there more. Some shows were not a great fit for me, or traffic and sales were much lower than I’d hoped. Just another lesson I had to learn, but it’s helping me make smarter decisions in 2025. I’ve definitely been seeing more foot traffic and met so many amazing people at these events. When someone who’d never even heard of Busy Bee stops into the store because they loved what they bought from me at a show, I take that as a big win. January and February are very hard months for small businesses such as mine, and at times I question my decision to buy the boutique. But I really want to make a success out of it. My mom has been a huge support system and a regular presence at most of my events. She loves talking about the products and meeting new people. She’s been a backbone for me throughout this new ownership journey.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Even before I bought Busy Bee Boutique, I’d started expanding our local artisan offerings. So many customers stop in the store and ask me what items were made locally. So over the past few years, I really made it a point to find more local talent to bring into the boutique. I do not do consignment like a lot of places; I buy items at agreed up wholesale pricing and then sell the items in the store and at events. Bringing more local talent into the shop was a huge priority for me, and something I’m very proud to offer. So many of these local vendors have become great friends and supporters of both me and Busy Bee Boutique. They’ve also been fabulous with taking some of my ideas and visions and creating things for the store. Whether it’s a shirt, mug, earrings, or food items, I have some truly unique offerings that you’re not going to find many places.
I’m also very proud that Busy Bee Boutique won an award for Best of the East in Home Accessories. I have a lot of great supporters and cheerleaders for my success. I also have two part-time employees, Cindy and Barb, who do anything possible to help make the store a success. They love working here, so that also keeps me motivated. Busy Bee was also nominated in the WHAMM! Awards in three categories. Awards are not until later in April, so that’s yet to be determined!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://busybeeloveland.com
- Instagram: @busybeeloveland
- Facebook: https://fb.com/123busybee
