Hollie Byers, real estate agent with O’Neal Real Estate, and owner of Heidi’s Way Boutique. Hollie grew up in Spiro and moved to Pocola when she got married. She was a teacher in Spiro for 21 years and has been in real estate for 15. But just over three years ago Hollie woke up in the middle of the night knowing God was telling her to open a boutique and to leave the school so she could make a difference in people’s lives the way she made a difference in the kid’s lives for so long. By the time school let out for the summer, she had enough money saved up to get started, she just had to come up with a name. She ended up naming the boutique Heidi’s Way as a tribute to her sister who passed away. Heidi was a fashion lover just like Hollie, so everything seemed to fall into place.
Hollie didn’t know anything about running a business, but has always loved fashion and struggled to find cute boutique style clothes in plus-sizes. Once she opened, word got around and previous coworkers, students, parents of students started shopping at Heidi’s Way. The boutique has become sort of a healing place, both for Hollie and for her customers. Hollie didn’t realize just how many people have lost someone dear to them until they find themselves in the store. It’s turned into a place where people go and then realize they aren’t as alone as they feel. It’s really something beautiful when you think about it!
Hollie learned pretty quickly that you have to work hard and run the business your own way and to continuously be growing.
To ensure the growth, she has a referral system in place to encourage people to come in to the store: each time you come in, you can put your name in for a drawing for a $100 gift certificate, and if someone comes in and tells Hollie you sent them, both names get put into the drawing.
Hollie also stays up past midnight multiple nights a week looking online for new brands and styles to carry in the store. She has new items coming into the store every 5-6 days, with items selling just as fast as they’re coming in. Hollie makes it a point to know her customers, what they like, what they’ll buy, and will even purchase items with a specific customer in mind. She makes sure she keeps her price points in a range where most people are able to afford it, and if she gets something on sale she passes that savings on to her customers. Hollie knows what types and shapes of clothes work on what body types because she’s been there. She’s able to help someone that walks in the store figure out what looks great on them, like a personal stylist, and helps boost their confidence in their appearance. Being able to help people like this has helped Hollie see God’s plan and why he wanted her to leave the school in the first place. Hollie told a story about a girl she helped in this way and said, “when she left here that day, I knew I made a difference in her life and she made a difference in mine”.
Something Hollie said, that has stuck with me even weeks after meeting with her, “She deserves to feel beautiful, because she is beautiful inside and out.” This is something that applies to everyone, and if you, or a girl you know, is in need of a confidence boost like this, head on over to Heidi’s Way, you won’t be disappointed!