About me

I recently moved to Castle Rock from up by Fort Collins, where I was at Colorado State University getting my master's degree in design and merchandising with a focus in apparel merchandising. Prior to being in at CSU, my husband and I lived in Southern California for many years. I had received my undergrad in apparel merchandising from Seattle Pacific University and had years of experience at a yoga products company, a nonprofit organization managing a thrift store, as well as other nonprofit and for-profit retail experiences.

Since high school it has been my dream to own a women's clothing boutique, and after I finished my degree at CSU my parents and I had the crazy idea of opening a boutique in the new Riverwalk building that was being constructed at the time. My parents, Jayne and Kelly Tien, had retired a few years ago to Sedalia and this is our first family business and first boutique location.

My business

At Mod Mountain Boutique our mission is to provide a fun and convenient boutique shopping experience for women in the Castle Rock area and online by providing on-trend apparel paired with high levels of customer service. 

Our name, Mod Mountain Boutique is a reflection of our core values. Mod stands for three things: modern, modesty and moderation. We offer clothing that is classic, yet modern and fun. We also believe in finding modest styles that are flattering to a woman's body. Lastly, moderation stands for our belief in offering quality clothing and offering styling advice as to how to get the most wear out of each item. The Mountain portion of our name stands for two things: The variety of layering options we carry at all times of year, which is necessary in the mountain region we live in here in Colorado, and natural beauty, which encompasses the natural beauty of our customers.

Being a small business owner

I absolutely love getting to know our customers. I love when customers ask for help or advice while shopping and when they open up about their lives.

I'd say the biggest challenge is just constantly better understanding what it is our customer is looking for and loves. Up until now most of our inventory was purchased before ever knowing our customer on a personal level, so learning from their feedback and being better buyers is always our goal!

My hobbies

A few things I'm excited to be able to do more of now that we're settling into the business a bit more are traveling, cooking, and spending time in this beautiful city we now call home with my husband and our two dogs! I love cooking and find it to be a creative expression. I'm also chipping away at my goals to visit all the states, continents, and seven wonders of the world!

My advice

In opening this new business my mindset is you never know until you try. I am always willing to give a good idea at least one chance to see what comes from it. Also, my goal this year is to step out of my comfort zone and confidently try things that maybe I haven't done before. I think that everyone can grow by pushing themselves to try new things.

If you have suggestions for My Name Is…, contact Jessica Gibbs at jgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com.