Three Generations of Entrepreneurial Women - Hip Chics Boutique

Kristina with good firends, Holly Groce and Stacy Mayhew.
Both Holly and Stacy have been supportive from the start and
remain actively involved in Hip Chics.
Have Gifts, Will Travel
Prysiazniuk began her gift and accessory business on a small
scale, to say the least. “For 12 years I helped brides plan their
weddings, from invitations to gifts for the bridal party. I
would shop for jewelry and other items at gift markets, which
expanded into trendy purses. Word seemed to spread and
soon I was selling items to friends from my house and out of
my trunk. Selling from my trunk turned into home parties
and office parties, all leading to a small space in the Allen’s
Cove Shopping Center. A little over two years later, our space
has grown to four times the original size and we now have 15
employees. So much has happened since we opened on
March 1, 2007,” recalled Prysiazniuk.
You’re Only as Good as the People Around You….
As with any business, loyal and dedicated employees
make a world of difference, but for Prysiazniuk, her
employees also mean the world to her -- and are a
big reason for the success of Hip Chics Boutique.
“I would not be able to have my own business if
it wasn’t for the support at home from my
husband, Sam, my daughter, Logan, 11, and son,
Parker, 7, as well as my parents and my in-laws.
Then, my employees -- I can’t say enough about the
heart they have for the shop and our customers.
Working at Hip Chics Boutique is not just a job to
them -- they truly care and we are a team, learning every
day…together,” stated Prysiazniuk. The staff at Hip Chics
Boutique is really more like a family than a group of
employees. “We are friends and we not only work together,
but we spend time with our families together. This close
bond may not work for all small businesses, but it works
for us. We know we can count on each other, as working
moms, to help with kids’ schedules and activities, and in
keeping balance -- or at least trying to -- in our lives,”
commented Prysiazniuk.
One of Prysiazniuk’s strongest supporters is her mother,
Faye Kapp. “My mom does all the product displays for the
shop. She knows better than anyone how to utilize every
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inch of space. She has an eye for
design which comes across in the ever
changing sections of our shop, from the
spiritually inspired items, and jewelry,
to our personalized items,” said
Prysiazniuk.
The Third Generation Steps Up
with Scarves in Hand
The entrepreneurial gene that
Prysiazniuk believes she got from her
parents obviously was passed along to
daughter, Logan. “My daughter,
Logan, began sewing and designing
when she was five years old and asked
for Santa to bring her a sewing
machine when she was eight. Less than a year ago, my mom
bought Logan a scarf in Chicago, made of old sweaters, cut
and pieced together with embellishments. This scarf was the
inspiration for Logan to begin designing scarves made from
her friends’ sweaters and those from thrift stores, under the
name Logi B. Designs. She uses buttons and old jewelry from
her great grandmother to add to the designs,” stated
Prysiazniuk.
The Kapp-Prysiazniuk family believes that the family who
sews together stays together. “Each Wednesday night our
family eats dinner with my parents and then we head to the
basement and begin working on the scarves. There are
sweaters waiting to be cut into pieces, buttons and jewelry in
drawers, and usually my dad making fringe. We spend time
watching ‘American Idol’ or ‘America’s Got Talent’ as we
work. It is a great way for us to spend time as a family
and support Logan’s new-found business,”
commented Prysiazniuk. Logi B. Designs scarves
are becoming quite popular; at a recent craft
show in Ohio, Logan sold 83 scarves in five
hours and took orders for more. Locally,
Logan’s scarves are available at Hip Chics
Boutique in both youth and adult sizes.