Today we’d like to introduce you to Mindy & Lilly Stedem.
Mindy & Lilly, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We are a mother-daughter, faith-based team, living out our dream, born in our basement in 2021! This idea began from the lack of access our small town had to our favorite hobby, clothes shopping! We are shopping fanatics and after moving from the KC area, we were in shock of the lack of shopping that was available to us and all the towns surrounding us. (ye, even the people who live in the middle of nowhere need some good fashion too!!) In September 2021, we took the plunge and purchased our first inventory items and started our website, and BOY were they cringy! The VERY wrinkly clothes, bad camera angles and unfinished basement “warehouse,” make us physically cringe to this day, but hey we did it! We had every intention of doing it all online, however, in December of 2021 that all changed when we purchased our first boutique trailer. This was an unfinished, 24 foot enclosed trailer with some makeshift shelves and amazon hooks (we did in fact have a clothesline at one point, too!) We started doing events, small fairs, festivals, cattle shows, etc. and quickly began to make some traction. and at this point we still had no intentions of ever having a physical location. Within just a few months of purchasing our trailer we were approached by another small business to bring our boutique into their new storefront with a 400 ft space, perfect for the very few inventory items we had. In March of 2022, Rooted Cowgirl Boutique officially had a brick & mortar location, and we were ecstatic! As our name started to get out, we purchased more inventory, (some great some NOT so great), we had MANY zero dollar days, but we stuck it out. People were so gracious to us, supporting us even with the terrible folding and merchandising, the wrinkles and absolutely zero organization, and even with all of that they still kept coming. Within a little over a year, in April of 2023, we were knocking down multiple walls in their building, making more room for the inventory people were begging for us to have. Although it was definitely not the perfect setup, we were so happy to have more space, and finally started to feel like we had made it! (Little did we know this was not even the beginning of what God had in store for us!) The people kept gradually coming and day by day we were able to buy more inventory, gaining new customers and social media traction that we never expected! We were still visiting local festivals, fairs and spreading our name and the people just kept coming. In May of 2024, we were accepted into the Missouri State Fair, with the perfect spot, right on the main strip and this was HUGE for us, especially after being denied the years prior. We would now have half a million people seeing US, and these spots DO NOT come available often. (The last vendor in our spot had been there for over 30 years) Within a month we had purchased ANOTHER boutique trailer and had it fully finished to look like the inside of our physical location, and boy was it worth it. After the State Fair it felt like we BLEW UP! After having record days and being able to reach so many new people, it felt like we had caught a stride we could’ve never imagined. Later that year in November of 2024, we were a vendor at the Holiday Boutique’s in Des Moines and Kansas City, and once again experienced such incredible feedback! It felt like people truly loved us, and it gave us a whole new motivation. 2025 was a year FULL of growth, expansion and blessings for our business beyond what we could have ever even fathomed. We nearly doubled our gross sales from 2024, and each month progressively got BIGGER, BIGGER, & BIGGER! Not only that, but our customer base and social media following has continued to grow in just the same! We consistently have people drive 3+ hours just to visit our store without any hesitation, and have been so blessed by the love and support that we have been shown from our own community and from people states away! Entering 2026, we took over the entire 4100 square foot building we started in, and have undergone a complete remodel and renovation, to create a more cohesive, welcoming & comfortable environment & shopping experience for our incredible customers. We are so excited for this year of continued growth, expansion and opportunities, and are so excited for the future God holds for Rooted Cowgirl Boutique!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We have DEFINITELY experienced the ups-and-downs that come with business life! From the get go we had SEVERAL hardships! Immediatly not being able to carry the brands we thought we wanted to carry because we weren’t established enough (this ended up being a HUGE blessing). As well as dealing with people copying our entire business idea, copying our inventory, trailer setup, store setup, website design, event schedule & MUCH more, all within months of opening. We had to deal with disloyal employees (again, a HUGE blessing in disguise!) and navigate how we were going to run a boutique with just the two of us. We had LOTS of trial and error in buying inventory, and made our fair share of bad inventory purchases! We have dealt with overwhelm and burnout of such huge growth in such a short amount of time, trying to figure out how the two of us could get out of nitty-gritty tagging, steaming and processing of inventory and back infant of our customers. However, all of these struggles, and of course many others have developed us into the people and business owners we are today and we would not have it any other way.
We’ve been impressed with Rooted Cowgirl Boutique, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As a mother-daughter team, especially in a rural town, we have had the opportunity to reach such a wide range of customers! Our audience is made up of people ages ten to ninety, and with such a huge demographic range we are able to hand-pick inventory that suites our girls/women of all ages! Also, being the only boutique in the biggest “small town” surrounding a bunch a little towns brings in people upwards of 25-60 miles away, on a daily basis. Also, because we both hand pick each piece of inventory, we have a HUGE customer base of mother-daughters that solely shop with us because they both can find something they love, in one spot! We are able to provide everything from wedding guest dresses to lounge sets, and every in in-between, truly your one stop shop! Our business is rooted on our foundation in Christ and is the sole factor to our success and favor we have recieved!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Work:
FashionGo
Faire
Faith/Development:
Live Out Loud Brooke (Brooke Thomas) Podcast
The Daily Grace Podcast & Devotionals
Jennifer Allwood (books, podcast & coaching)
The Boutique Hub Podcast & Coaching
Elevation Worship (podcast)
Christine Caine “Equip & Empower” (podcast, books,
Priscilla Shirer (books)
Joyce Meyer (books)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rootedcowgirl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootedcowgirl
- Facebook: Rooted Cowgirl
