Meet Domenica Groulx | Store Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Domenica Groulx and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Domenica, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind the success of my store is the people in our community selling their gently-used kids’ stuff to us. This is how we get 90% of our inventory and we appreciate all of our customers selling to us. We differ from consignment stores because we buy their items for cash on the spot and assume all of the the risks to re-sell their items. That being said, we have a thorough sorting process that allows us to buy the best items and offer excellent products of various brands and current styles. My store has been open for two years now and it’s always great to see new customers that have never shopped here and are impressed by what we have to offer. It’s so fun to see our inventory changing daily since it’s so dependent on what our customers bring in to sell.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Toronto and began my career in the mining industry as a Project Controls Specialist. I worked in northern Ontario and then a few years in Indonesia. My time overseas allowed me to travel quite a bit and gave me a huge appreciation of different cultures and the world we live in. After my time in Indonesia, I got a job at a consulting firm and relocated to Arizona. As excited as I was for this new adventure, it wasn’t easy to once again move far away from my family in Canada. It was especially hard after having children and not having any family close by. We were fortunate to have visitors every year until Covid hit and I haven’t seen them since. They haven’t even seen my store yet! Since we don’t have any family here, I often bring my kids in to work when needed. I am most proud of my strong work ethics that I owe to my hard-working, caring parents. I grew up on a farm and they instilled strong morals and values to be the best I can be and I bring that to work with me every day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love doing anything outdoors! Walking or bike riding at the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt in Scottsdale is a must. The Desert Botanical Gardens is so fun for visitors to see and learn about desert plants, especially when they’re in bloom. I would always recommend a hike, even if it’s an easy one such as Papago Park which is great with kids and right next to the Arizona Zoo. I love finding interesting places to visit, like the Arizona Worm Farm, where I got my red wiggler worms for my garden (and consider them my pets, ha!). In terms of places to eat, I love a variety of cultural food that I don’t have a favorite place and am always trying new restaurants.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It’s because of my kids that I initially discovered the Once Upon A Child franchise so they’re the reason why this store exists in Ahwatukee! After I had children, I became a stay-at-home mom and when I thought about opening a business, my husband suggested Once Upon A Child. Therefore, he deserves credit for it too. He has always encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone and has a lot of faith in me. My husband and I built out the store during Covid and my kids had a blast hanging out here all day while we worked. We’ve grown quite a bit since then…my store and our kids!

Website: www.onceuponachild.com/locations/phoenix-az-ahwatukee

Instagram: onceuponachildahwatukeephoenix

Facebook: Once Upon A Child – Ahwatukee-Phoenix, AZ

Other: Tik Tok: onceuponachildahwatukee

Image Credits
Amy Dadd Photography