In the sweetest little city of Winter Garden is the sweetest little store, Doxology. It’s a unique and welcoming shopping experience with the most serene atmosphere. And that’s exactly what owners Christy and Erika strive for. Above all, they wish for all people who walk through our doors to find acceptance and love, and to see that Doxology is someplace special for them to shop and visit.
What made you decide to open the store?
Doxology pretty much fell right into our laps. We were never looking for an opportunity to start a business. I (Christy) was a sign language interpreter for my entire career, and my business partner, Erika was a grant writer. Not to mention that we also had three kids apiece, where we basically were full-time stay at home moms.
There had been another boutique at our same location. When they suddenly had to shut down, Erika and I, who were both customers of the other store, decided to buy all of their inventory and build-out and open our own store. As for the name, I (Christy) was driving down the road and the name popped into my mind.
How do you incorporate faith and spirituality into your business?
We are a faith-based business. In fact, the name Doxology is directly from the Bible. Many people even still sing the doxology at church which is, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” At the heart of our store is our sanctuary. It is a tiny chapel within our building where people can write down prayers and praises and hang them on the wall. Each morning before we open, we take a few down and pray over them, so eventually, they will all be prayed over. There are people who literally come in just to write things down to be prayed over. We take our faith very seriously and care very much about showing Jesus’ love to everyone who comes through our doors.
How have you pivoted during the pandemic?
Like many small businesses, covid threw us for a loop. When we suddenly had to shut our doors we quickly moved online. It had always been in the plans to have an online store but with the pandemic, we were forced into it. Even though we were not able to be open in person, we were still able to make some sales through our website which helped us until we were able to open again.
How do you incorporate philanthropy into your business?
We strongly feel that giving should be a part of every business. With Doxology, we choose an organization each year to financially support. Being women business owners that are also mothers, it is near and dear to our hearts to help women and children. This year our giving is to Lydia House through First Baptist Orlando. Lydia House provides a safe place for women who have been incarcerated. They guide and help women to make positive changes for their future and the future of their families through teaching life skills and offering counseling in a Christian setting.
In addition to giving financially, we also specifically look for companies that give back. We have several fair-trade companies that we purchase from, as well as others that give a portion of their proceeds to stop human trafficking, provide clean water, and feed children around the globe.
What are your favorite things you sell in the store?
Gosh, too many to list! We love our fashion and the brands that we have chosen to purchase from. We also really like finding unique gifts for our customers to choose from. Recently, we have been on the hunt for even more antiques and architectural elements to decorate homes with. It has been a lot of fun!
How do your families help with the store?
Running a brick and mortar store as well as being online is definitely a group effort. We would not be as successful without amazing employees and family members helping us out. Our children love helping us do things like stamp bags and begrudgingly comply with doing trash runs! Our husbands are wonderfully supportive and helpful in a variety of ways both in the store and behind the scenes.
