Exploring Life & Business with Ashlyn Zwemmer of Simply A to Z Boutique

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlyn Zwemmer

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Simply A to Z has been in the works for years! The idea was formed when I was in high school dating my then high school sweetheart, now husband, Paul Zwemmer. As every young girl does, I was for sure I would marry my first great love, in my case I actually did! The name stands for my last name going from Albrecht to Zwemmer, my first name being Ashlyn and last name being Zwemmer, and most importantly having something for everyone no matter your style, age or size in our store, something all the way from A to Z.

I went to college for Apparel Merchandising, and worked many retail internships and jobs to help me learn so much about the industry. I worked at tiny boutiques and then managed large Kohl’s department stores. I really got to taste so much of the retail industry to see what I liked and didn’t like about it.

Once Paul and I got engaged I moved back up to my small town where I would not say the fashion job scene is thriving. There were no jobs in our area I could use my degree for, but I did use my management experience to help me land an HR job until it was time to open the doors to my dream business.

I opened Simply A to Z in November of 2021, and since then it has been the best ride of my life. Since we opened our doors, we have expanded to a larger building in a better location, nearly tripled our customer base, and have grown faster than I think I could have ever imagined!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I would say it has been a smooth road with a few detours. The biggest struggles have just been learning how to run a business and learning about our customer base. We have tried many things that were a great success, and many things that weren’t. Running a business is a lot of trial and error until you get that perfect recipe.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Simply A to Z Boutique?
Our business is a women’s clothing boutique that tries to appeal to a large target market, not just one specific sector. We want a daughter, mom, grandma, and aunts to all be able to walk into our store together and find something they like. We have quickly grown as a big denim supplier for our rural area which is a niche for this area. We live 1.5 hours away from the nearest shopping mall, so for customers to have a store they can touch, feel, and try on denim has been wonderful! So we have really leaned into our denim market since there was clearly a need for it. We are most proud of the culture our brand has created. It is a culture of acceptance. We truly want our customers to feel comfortable, loved, and appreciated when they shop with us. We strive to give them the best possible service while giving them honest opinions on what looks best on them! I would want anyone reading to know that even though shopping can be so intimidating, we try to make it a breeze here at A to Z! We don’t follow you around the store pressuring you and hoping you buy something, instead we are here as a resource for you to help make your shopping experience easy and hopefully enjoyable! 🙂

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
The two biggest risks I have ever taken are starting this business and expanding it. Starting this business was probably the scariest thing I have ever done. Without my husband believing in me and pushing me to give it a go I still might be talking about it as a “someday” project. To start a business from the ground up having zero idea if it will work is so daunting, but the thought of “what if I would have done that?” would have eaten me alive if I never took the jump.

The second biggest risk was expanding to our new location. We started our store in a tiny store I rented. It was nice, safe, and comfortable there, so why would I ever want to leave? I went from a few monthly expenses to buying a whole building and starting a giant renovation project. When I tell you those projected costs about sent me over the edge, I mean it. However again, my amazing husband helped me look forward to bigger picture, how if I ever wanted to grow, I needed to take this plunge even though it was SCARY! Looking back to almost a year later, it was hands down the best choice I ever could have made, even if I kicked and screamed a little on the way there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://simplyatozboutique.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplyatoz_boutique/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplyatozboutique