My Generation - a GCDC Sponsor

The name of our business is My Generation we have a store on Main Avenue in Brookings, SD. We have maternity and nursing items, super adorable baby and children's clothing, toys and blankets, babywearing wraps, slings and carriers, cloth diapers, amber teething necklaces, handmade items of all kinds, dance, cheer and gymnastics wear, and many other boutique items. We opened our doors October 8th, 2012 – I can't believe it has been 6 months already!

Our business started all because of my love of working with new and expectant families. I became a certified doula 10 years ago and then a few years after that became a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and then a La Leche League Peer Counselor. Throughout my time working with these families, I discovered a need for a place that offered products that my clients wanted and/or I was recommending to them. Since there wasn’t a local place to get these items, they would order them in from the internet, for instance a wrap, and I would find myself helping them – gladly of course – but also thinking to myself that we really need that personal connection of someone with a real brick and mortar retail shop carrying not only these items, but the personal attention that my clients desired. We didn't even have a location for new maternity clothes at all in Brookings.

I saw my opportunity when a large retail store closed on Main Avenue here in Brookings and was then divided into 3 separate shops, and I jumped.I am slowly bringing in those many items that the people in our area really want a hometown mom and pop shop to purchase from.

My business is special because I not only have that experience working with new and expectant families, but we have 6 children ourselves and I consider it our family store. I welcome people to bring in their children and babies and we have a "nursing nook" for nursing moms to stop in with their kiddos, nurse, and relax while shopping downtown.

In five years I hope to be continuing to form close, supportive friendships with my clients and bringing in more and more items they are searching for.

We have a facebook page at My Generation Brookings, SD where we sell items through and ship them all over the U.S., a website being constructed now, our phone number is 605-692-2999 and email is mygeneration@brookings.net. We just recently started a Twitter page too.