Meet ERICA DAHL | Retail store owner and clothing lover

We had the good fortune of connecting with ERICA DAHL and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi ERICA, what do you attribute your success to?
Willingness to change. In order to grow as a business and maintain customer interest it is very important to adapt to what consumers want. even if it strays from your original concept. I am always willing to try something once and this allows me to reach new customes and cater to a wider audience. It also helps a lot that I am locally owned and can quickly adapt my buying to chase certain trends as I do not have a corporate budget or upper management telling me what to buy. Rather I can read my customers and adapt.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I was very young when I opened Savvy on Pearl. but I was dedicated to my business and the concept I was creating and I had all the time in the world to dedicate to making it right. I am most proud of the fact that I have survived the recession of 2008 and now a global pandemic. Although it was not always easy, when you love what you do- you make it work. I have learned a lot about selecting merchandise that appeals to a wide variety of customers of all ages. I truly believe I offer something for everyone. One of the things I wish people understood more is that small business owners truly put their blood, sweat and tears into running their business. Competition from big box is more aggressive than ever before, so when you purchase something from a small business owner you have no idea how much it means. When people compliment my store it makes all the hard work worth it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am not sure if you want me to answer this for Boulder or Denver but I don’;t know places in Denver so here is what I would suggest for Boulder. Start the day with a hike at Chautaqua followed by shopping on the Pearl Street Mall where over 70% of the businesses are locally owned. Of course- stop in to Savvy on Pearl to check it out! Head to the Dunshabe tea house for a spot of tea or just to check out the beautiful structure. Start the evening with cocktails on any of the numerous patios or rooftops- my favorite is Rosetta Hall. Finish the evening by dining at any of the farm to table local restaraunts located in historic Downtown. Boulder. In the summer, be sure to stop by the Boulder Creek and soak up some of that Colorado sunshine, and in the winter be sure to take in the snowy scenery on the famous flatirons.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents met at my mom’s store so retail has always been a part of my life. I would not have had the suceses I have now had my parents not introduced me to the life of a store owner. They showed me that small businesses do not have to think small. They also supported me in my ideas even if it was very different from the industry they are in.

Website: savvyonpearl.com

Instagram: savvyonpearl

Facebook: facebook.com/savvyonpearl