#716: Buying a Boutique with Zero Experience and Zero Regrets
Boutique Chat
Ashley Alderson
5 • 853 Ratings
🗓️ 3 June 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What’s it like to run a thriving boutique side by side with your partner? In this episode, Serena and Java Patterson share the inspiring story of how they transformed The Farmhouse from a local vendor space into a successful boutique rooted in community. They walk through the key moves that fueled their growth, from switching their POS system from Clover to Shopify to streamline inventory and cut fees, to using smart merchandising to create an inviting shopping experience.
Listen in to hear how they balanced tourist and local customer needs, embraced Retail Bootcamp strategies to master their financials and grow organically through social media, and more. But it’s not just about business—Serena and Java also get real about what it’s like to build and run a store as a couple. They talk about setting boundaries, adding humor to hectic days, and leaning on each other through the highs and lows. Whether you're dreaming of opening your own shop or looking for ways to grow with heart, this episode is packed with personal stories and practical takeaways you won’t want to miss!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Business can be a lonely game, but it doesn't have to be. |
| 0:09.0 | Welcome to Boutique Chat, where we explore community over competition and how to scale your company with the balance and the happiness that we all seek. |
| 0:16.0 | We'll hear from product-based businesses of all types, retailers, e-commerce, and wholesale brands, |
| 0:21.6 | along with industry experts shaping the future of our industry. |
| 0:25.2 | I'm your host, Ashley Alderson from the boutique hub, and I can't wait to chat. |
| 0:33.7 | Hey, guys, welcome back to the podcast. Serena, Java, I'm so excited. You guys are here. I have been looking forward to this since I knew it was coming. Thank you for being. No, thank you. We're so excited to be here. We're excited. It's been so funny because you guys have been in some of our Facebook ads recently. And I had an opportunity to see you a while back at Magic. And I know you guys |
| 0:55.8 | had people like stopping. Like, who are you? I've seen you. So now everybody gets to meet you, |
| 1:01.9 | which I can't wait to share your guys a story. Yes. It's a lot of fun. We love seeing our people |
| 1:07.2 | and being like, hey, how's it going? You know, it's just, it's fun. We, such a great community. |
| 1:11.5 | Yes. |
| 1:11.7 | It is. |
| 1:12.3 | It's a small world, right? |
| 1:13.7 | Yes. |
| 1:14.1 | Yes. |
| 1:14.6 | Yeah. |
| 1:15.0 | Well, let's get into it. |
| 1:16.2 | I would love to hear. |
| 1:17.1 | Let's get the origin story. |
| 1:18.5 | We want to know how did you get started in business and then we're going to |
| 1:21.0 | swirl into all of this. And I actually had no idea this was going to fall into my lap. It wasn't on my radar. owning a store was never something that I wanted for myself. |
| 1:45.5 | I actually went to school to be a teacher. |
| 1:48.2 | So I taught elementary school for a couple years. |
... |
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