Meet Jessica Featherstone | Owner and Mom

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

Hi Jessica, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Before I started my boutique, I was postpartum doula in the Milwaukee area. Working with women after they had a baby allowed me to learn that the area was missing a place where women could shop for themselves. We have a ton of great baby and kids boutiques, but nothing totally dedicated to the mother. A few months later, I was passing an open space in the downtown area of Cedarburg and thought. Why not. Why don’t I just start a boutique. I mean how hard could it be. Lots of people do it.

Very hard actually. Very rewarding as well.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I own Close to the Heart in Thiensville, Wisconsin. Close to the Heart is a dedicated maternity and postpartum boutique. Our goal is to make each woman becoming a mother more comfortable whether through clothing, support, or connections. I’m honestly so proud that we’ve been able to continuously grow our maternity offerings. I started the boutique in 400 square feet of space in 2019 to being in 1600 square feet now. We have a room dedicated to just bras and underwear. For us, we are constantly improving our collection so that every woman can feel comfortable at every stage of pregnancy and postpartum. How does the fabric feel on our bodies, how does this fit at 6 months pregnant vs 6 weeks postpartum, and everything in between. For us, we are constantly searching and sourcing better items for women. We want them to know when they shop with us, it’s going to be comfortable, it’s going to last, and they will be able to wear it more than a few weeks.

Running a business is never easy. There will always be challenges from basic things like why isn’t the internet working to how do we grow a line that we have brought in. I joke with my husband that you have to really like solving problems to own a business. I think one of the best things I’ve done is create connections along the way to help me solve those problems. As a business owner, we don’t know how to solve everything, but I think my success is getting to the root of the problem and knowing who to connect with. So for me, my biggest takeaway was not to be afraid of speaking to other people about my business and getting to know others. Connections are what makes businesses work the best.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Cedarburg, Wisconsin about 30 minutes north of Milwaukee. I moved to the Milwaukee area almost 10 years ago from Ohio and I’m constantly amazed at the number of fun things to do in the area. We have so many beautiful areas for hiking like Lion’s Gorge or the Ice Age Trail. We can head down to Lake Michigan in Milwaukee and enjoy Bradford Beach, a long walk or visit the art museum. As for food, I love visiting the local coffee shops in Cedarburg. Hitting up Java House for boba tea, Fiddleheads for their seasonal mochas or Cedarburg Roastery for their fresh beans.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people around me deserve recognition and credit. My husband always supports my ideas and works with me to bring them to fruition. My partner, Hannah, providing great counterpoints to keep this business running. Boutique Hub for constantly working to help all boutique owners out there with knowledge and support. Michael, from SPEARity, who constantly brings me back to basics during our coaching sessions. My network of other small business owners who provide an ear, a shoulder and a smile. Businesses don’t happen just because of one person. They happen because that one person has a small army behind them either cheering them on or supporting them in multiple ways.

Website: https://ctthboutique.com/

Instagram: @ctthboutique

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessfeatherstone/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ctthboutique

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOEBO58x23xykJdtmk_91Q

Other: On Tiktok as @ctthboutique