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.
