Best of Edmond: Anabelle's Galleria

Edmond born, Janie Dowling has realized a long-time dream of running her own store. She opened Anabelle’s Galleria, a gift, jewelry and home decor shop with her daughter’s namesake.

“It has always been a dream of mine to own my own business,” Dowling said. “I like to analyze and strategically make decisions for the business and I really enjoy seeing what impact my decisions have at Anabelle’s. It’s fulfilling to see my hard work pay off.”

Through her various sales and management positions over the past 17 years, Dowling has learned how to efficiently run a business. Early in her career, she was fortunate to have a manager mold and train her in the retail industry.

“I have been blessed with wonderful mentors in my life,” says Dowling. “As my staff grows, I plan to do my best to mentor them in hopes that I can give them some of the knowledge that has been given to me.”

Dowling says she is fortunate to have a family whose business knowledge and experience inspires her to be successful. “Support of family and friends can make a huge impact in ones business,” she said. “My family is my life.”

Her three children are in the store often; Caleb and Parker help unload and unpack new products, while Anabelle loves to model merchandise. “I’m sure customers have seen them at some point or another,” said Dowling. “I get the opportunity as a mother to be around them more than if I worked for someone else.”

As a business owner, Dowling says the best part of her job is the people. She loves to help customers find the perfect gift for someone or something special for themselves. “It is rewarding to see the enthusiasm on people’s faces when they find something they love,” she says.

“I also enjoy searching for new products and merchandising the store. It’s exciting to be able to make buying decisions. I spend a lot of time trying to find perfect products that are not in every other store.”

It’s important to Dowling to offer unique and timeless gifts, some of which are from local vendors. “I like to support artists from our community. I think this and customer service is a small part of what makes Anabelle’s appealing.  It is extremely important to me to make sure that everyone who comes to Anabelle’s has a fabulous experience.”

Visit Janie Dowling at Anabelle’s Galleria, located at 2000 W. Danforth, or call 359-1189 for store hours.