Monroe businesswoman celebrates seven years of growing

Grow with Me Boutique, always bustling with kids and smiling faces, is a welcoming atmosphere for parents and their children to shop for clothing.

Amid the commotion is the friendly smile of Janae Hoskin. The Grow with Me owner and mother of two started the boutique to make it easier to shop for kids in the area.

Grow with Me began from a conversation Hoskin had with her husband over frustration with finding clothes for her infant son.

"I just kind of blurted out "Monroe should really have a kids store,' GÇ¥ Hoskin said.

"Yes, they should,GÇ¥ her husband said. "And you should do it.GÇ¥

Grow with Me continues to grow, recently celebrating its seventh anniversary. Four weeks ago, it made a short move a couple doors down from its original location to 19527 State Route 2 in Monroe.

Before starting Grow with Me, Hoskin worked in the automotive industry. The automotive industry and owning a boutique would seem to have little in common, but Hoskin said her experience there helped her learn valuable skills she uses as a business owner.

"It taught me a lot of valuable skills about how to run a business and how to do taxes and some accounting principles,GÇ¥ Hoskin said. "It gave me a really great background on customer service.GÇ¥

Hoskin has found a way to unite her passion for recycling and reusing with her consignment boutique.

"Recycling and reducing waste has always been something that I am very passionate about,GÇ¥ she said. "The two go hand in hand,GÇ¥ she added of recycling in relation to consignment.

She said her work has a "feel goodGÇ¥ aspect because she can incorporate her passion for reducing waste. Though not everyone shops consignment for the sole reason of recycling, Hoskin said it is still definitely a benefit, intentional or not.

With the majority of Grow with Me being consignment,-á most of the suppliers are local moms and families, who receive 40 percent of the profit from the merchandise they provide.

Along with limiting waste, Grow with Me has become a presence in the Monroe community-á over its seven years in business. Grow with Me provides unwanted boutique items to nonprofit Evergreen Recoveries. These items are then donated throughout the Sky Valley through Matthew House and Pregnancy Crisis Center. Grow with Me also participates in National Night Out at Lake Tye.

Hoskin is on the board of the Monroe Public Schools Foundation, contributes to local PTAs and sponsors-á Boys and Girls Club teams.

Hoskin said she understands the importance of people being together and in strengthening community, hosting a cloth diaper class and meet up once a quarter. The next meet up will be June 18 at the store. Hoskin said it is good to see people getting off their computers and actually meeting other families face-to-face.

As the boutique continues to grow, Hoskin said she is learning to adapt.

"It's always changing,GÇ¥Hoskin said "We are always adapting to our customers and our consigners' needs.GÇ¥ The economy has fluctuated over the past seven year. "Being a business owner is about being flexible and adapting to what the environment is throwing at you.GÇ¥ Hoskin said.