On the brink of graduation, Rachel Pearce had to make the decision every college student simultaneously dreads and counts down the days to: what’s next?

So, like all of us have done while trying to figure out our lives, Rachel consulted the wisdom of her mom. She mentioned her interest in opening a store of her own, and mom Jacque echoed her ambition.

“It was something that she and I have always wanted to do individually,” says Rachel. “For some reason, we never thought about doing it together until it was time for me to graduate and decide what I wanted to do next with my life. So we began to throw that idea around and it eventually snowballed into Tatum Rose.”

Though the entrepreneurial spirit seems to touch more and more young professionals these days, it is still a relatively small number of graduates who have the guts to cross the stage and immediately swing open the doors to their own business. Sound daunting?

“Very much so!” Rachel laughs, then pauses to consider. “But it was not any more daunting than the idea of applying for jobs or moving to a different city and having to start my life anyway. And I think it was actually more calming to know that I was doing it with my mom.”

Moms just have that effect, don’t they?

Jacque Pearce: Business Partner, Mother, Best Friend

Going into business with family always comes with risks, but Rachel says the transition has been a delightful breeze:

“Hanging out with my mom is something I’ve always done – she’s hilarious, and my friends have always loved having her around. Growing up, she called me her mini-me. We’ve spent our whole lives together, so it’s been really fun to expand on that and do it in a different sense now.”

The benefit of working with family, Rachel says, is already knowing how each other operates and being aware of one another’s strengths and flaws. “We were able to quickly work around that and build each other up in that way.”

Rachel and Jacque are different enough to complement each other in the workplace, but similar enough to make collaboration the pillar of their success.

Plus, it’s obvious the familial relationship between the mother/daughter duo runs strong and only benefits their business partnership.

“It’s an awesome experience to get to work with someone that knows you so well and that loves you so much outside of business. There’s an exponential amount of grace between the two of us and that’s what makes it so much easier.”

Though Tatum Rose opened its doors to downtown Fayetteville only two years ago, Rachel already seems to have the wisdom of a veteran family business owner. Her advice to other entrepreneur fams?

“Go into it with your eyes wide open and be willing to compromise. Know that whatever arguments you currently have with that family member, they are going to be put under a microscope and they’re going to happen more often.

“But on the flipside of that, whatever is great in that relationship, that’s what you need to focus on and work with the most. That’s how it’s going to be successful.”

Behind the Petals of Tatum Rose

If you’re at all familiar with Tatum Rose, you likely know it as a lifestyle boutique. But if you’ve never stepped foot in the store, you may be wondering, “what exactly does lifestyle boutique entail?”

Basically: a little bit of everything. Trinkets and treasures. Household items and specialty gifts. Women’s clothes. Even gadgets to entertain the hubs you dragged along to go shopping.

The store started out as a strictly home + gift boutique. Then the Pearces realized ladies were craving FASHION. So they decided to test the waters and added a few racks of clothes (which sold out immediately, by the way).

“One thing that we’ve said from the beginning is that we want to be flexible. Whatever is working for the store, whatever our customers want, that’s what we want to do. It’s less about what my mom and I want and more about works. And it has been so cool to watch the store evolve into something so broad!”

While Rachel loves being able to sell clothes, the home and gift market is still her favorite to bring to Tatum Rose.

“We really take the time to explore and try to find something unique, something that’s worth spending money on – not just any trinket that you can find anywhere. We like classic pieces but that have a more modern flair. Ultimately, we want to offer something that people will look at and think, ‘Oh this is awesome. I need this.’”

People: The Lifeblood of the Store

Cool gifts and trinkets aside, it is really relationships that make up the heart of Tatum Rose. The store’s relationship to and with downtown Fayetteville is no exception.

“Downtown Fayetteville has such a tight-knit community. Other business owners in the area are all so nice, so uplifting and encouraging. That’s something that we value and appreciate tremendously. It’s that southern hospitality, and we love being a part of it.”

The beautiful relationship between mom and daughter; the relationship between the duo and their customers (that’s one of Rachel’s favorite parts); and the relationship between Tatum Rose and the larger Fayetteville community. It is impossible to isolate any one of these three as the single most important relationship to Tatum Rose.

YOU are no exception to that relationship, dear reader and fellow Northwest Arkansan! Join the Tatum Rose community and make friends with the simply delightful Pearce duo of this downtown Fayetteville lifestyle boutique.

Community is one of the most delightful perks of shopping local, but you are welcome to check out some additional perks available on the free Towny app, your local guide to Northwest Arkansas. Don’t miss it today!