Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Healey.
Hi Megan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story with Different Strokes for Little Folks actually started long before I ever imagined owning it.
Different Strokes has been a part of Bayonne since 1978, and I grew up knowing the store just like so many other local families did. It was the place you went for the special outfit, the beautiful dress, the Communion dress, or something you knew you weren’t going to find everywhere else. There are generations of families who have shopped here, and that history is a huge part of what makes the store so special.
My connection to Different Strokes became even more personal when I started working here part-time while I was in high school and college. It was really where my interest in retail, fashion, merchandising and customer service began. That experience played a part in my decision to study Business Management and Entrepreneurship in college, although at the time I had no idea that I would eventually come back and own the store.
After college, I ended up going into big-box corporate retail. A case study led to an internship, which turned into a career, and I stayed in that world for about 14 years. It gave me an incredible amount of experience in retail operations, leadership, merchandising and running a business on a much larger scale. Eventually, though, I reached a point where I knew it was no longer what I wanted long term.
In 2023, the opportunity came for me to return to Different Strokes in a completely different way and become only the second owner in the store’s history. It really felt like things had come full circle. I already knew the store, its customers and the history behind it, which made taking it over both incredibly exciting and a huge responsibility.
I didn’t want to come in and change everything that people had loved about Different Strokes for so many years. I wanted to respect what had been built while also figuring out how to make the business work for today’s customer and, hopefully, for another generation.
Over the last few years, that has meant learning constantly. I’ve worked to grow our online presence, expand our everyday clothing while staying true to the special occasion and couture pieces we are known for, and find new ways to reach families who may have never walked through our doors before.
This year brought probably the biggest change yet. After nearly 50 years at our original location at 11 West 22nd Street, I made the difficult decision to move Different Strokes to 584 Broadway. Leaving a location with that much history was emotional, but I knew that if I wanted this business to continue growing, we needed to take that step.
We open the doors to our new home on September 9, and it really feels like the beginning of the next chapter. The address has changed, but what Different Strokes is at its core has not. We are still a small, local business built around relationships, personal service and being there for the moments that matter to our families.
I’m incredibly proud to be the person carrying a business that started in 1978 into its next era. I didn’t start Different Strokes, but I get to be part of making sure its story continues, and I take that responsibility very seriously.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not. I think owning a small business is one of those things that you cannot fully understand until you are doing it.
Financially, it has probably been one of the biggest challenges. I took all of my savings and put it into this business. I really started from zero and have been working to build it from there. There is no large company behind me or endless pool of money to pull from. Every decision matters. You are constantly deciding where to invest, what inventory to buy, what can wait and what the business needs in order to grow. Sometimes you have to take a risk before you have any idea if it is going to pay off.
There was also the challenge of taking over a business that people already felt belonged to them in a way. Different Strokes had been here for more than 45 years when I became the owner. Customers had relationships with the previous owner, memories of shopping here with their children and, in many cases, were now coming back with their grandchildren. Naturally, people questioned some of my decisions in the beginning. I think they needed to see for themselves that while there was a new owner, the integrity of the store wasn’t going to change.
Change is scary, especially when people care so deeply about something. But our customers have been incredibly open to my presence once they saw that my heart was truly in it. Social media actually helped a lot with that. It gave me a way to let people see who I was, why I was making certain decisions and how much I cared about protecting what made Different Strokes special while also helping it grow.
There is also a side of small business ownership that people don’t always see, and that is how much of your life goes into it. I have two young boys, and being their mom is incredibly important to me. A lot of my work happens after hours because of that. Once they are settled at night, I am back on my computer working on inventory, marketing, the website, finances or whatever else needs to get done. There are plenty of very late nights, but owning the business also gives me the ability to make sure I can be there for my boys when it matters. I may be working at 11:00 at night, but if that means I can be present for something important to them during the day, that tradeoff is worth it to me.
One of the things I wasn’t prepared for was how lonely business ownership can be. In corporate retail, no matter what you were dealing with, there was usually someone else who understood it. There were other managers, coworkers or people above you who had probably dealt with the same problem before. As a small business owner, everything ultimately stops with you. There isn’t always someone you can call who truly understands all of the little details behind the decision you are trying to make. That has probably been one of the biggest adjustments for me.
And now I am taking what may be my biggest risk yet by moving a business that has been in the same location for nearly 50 years. Of course there is the financial side of a move, but emotionally there is also the question of whether everyone will follow us. We have generations of customers, including older customers who may not follow us on social media or get our emails. I have genuinely worried about the person who drives to 11 West 22nd Street one day, sees that we aren’t there and doesn’t know where we went. Will they look for us? Will they find us? When you have a business with this much history, those things matter.
But I think every one of those challenges has pushed me to work harder and become more confident in the decisions I make. There have absolutely been moments when I have questioned myself, but I have never questioned how much I want Different Strokes to succeed. I knew taking this on wasn’t going to be easy. I also knew that if I wanted this store to have another 50 years ahead of it, I had to be willing to take some risks to get it there.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Different Strokes for Little Folks is a children’s boutique in Bayonne, New Jersey that has been dressing children since 1978. We carry clothing from newborn through big kids, with everything from everyday boutique clothing to the special occasion pieces that we have really become known for over the years.
Special occasions are a huge part of who we are. Communion and Christening have always been at the heart of Different Strokes, along with beautiful dresses, suits and couture pieces for the moments when families want something truly special. We offer a very personal shopping experience for those occasions because I think that is something that has gotten lost in retail. You can buy almost anything online today, but there are certain moments where you want someone to help you. You want to see the dress on your daughter, find the right veil, make sure your son’s suit fits correctly and have someone there who actually cares about how it all comes together.
At the same time, I have worked hard to expand the everyday side of the business. I don’t want people to think Different Strokes is somewhere you only visit when you need a Communion dress or have a special event. We have beautiful everyday clothing for babies and children, gifts, seasonal pieces and those outfits that are just a little different from what you are going to find in a big-box store.
I think what really sets us apart, though, is the relationship we have with our customers. We aren’t just selling children’s clothing. We are often dressing children for some of the biggest moments in their families’ lives. We get to be there for coming-home outfits, Christenings, birthdays, Communions, weddings, family photos and so many milestones in between.
One of the things I am most proud of is that we now have customers who were dressed by Different Strokes as children coming back to shop for their own children and even grandparents who once shopped for their kids now shopping here for their grandchildren. You cannot manufacture that kind of history or customer loyalty. It has to be earned over time.
I also think our size allows us to do things differently. I personally choose what comes into the store. I listen to what customers are asking for, I pay attention to what is selling and I can adjust. If someone messages us on social media, there is a very good chance they are talking directly to me. If there is a problem, I know about it. If a customer is looking for something specific, we will genuinely try to help them find it.
Since becoming the owner, one of my biggest goals has been figuring out how to take everything that made Different Strokes successful for nearly 50 years and introduce it to a new generation. That has meant putting a much bigger focus on our website and social media, bringing in more everyday clothing and creating a more modern shopping experience without losing the personal service and attention that built the business in the first place.
I am probably most proud that Different Strokes still feels like Different Strokes. A lot has changed, and now even our address is changing, but the heart of the business hasn’t. I want someone who shopped here 30 years ago to walk into our new store and still recognize what they loved about us, while a brand-new customer walks in and feels like they have discovered somewhere they want to come back to.
We aren’t trying to compete with Amazon or the big-box stores. We are trying to offer something they can’t, a place where we know our customers, care about their families and help make the moments they are shopping for feel a little more special. After nearly 50 years, I think that is ultimately what Different Strokes has always been about.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I have learned is to trust myself.
Coming from corporate retail, I was used to having processes, teams and people to bounce ideas off of. Even when I was making big decisions, there was usually someone else in the room who understood the business and could give an opinion. When you own a small business, especially one with so much history behind it, you quickly realize that at the end of the day the decision is yours.
In the beginning, I questioned myself constantly. I worried about what longtime customers would think, whether I was buying the right merchandise, whether a promotion would work, whether I was changing too much or not changing enough. Everyone has an opinion, and when you care deeply about something, it can be very easy to let those opinions make you second-guess yourself.
Over time, I have learned that I can listen to advice, look at the numbers, hear what my customers are telling me and still trust my own instincts. No one knows every part of this business the way I do because I am the one living it every single day.
Moving the store has probably been the biggest test of that lesson. Leaving a location that Different Strokes called home for nearly 50 years was not a decision I made lightly. There were plenty of reasons to be afraid of making that change, but eventually I had to trust that I knew what the business needed in order to move forward.
I am still learning, and I definitely still question myself sometimes. I don’t think that ever completely goes away. But I have learned that being unsure doesn’t necessarily mean you are making the wrong decision. Sometimes it just means you are making a big one.
If I waited until I was 100 percent certain or until everyone agreed with me, I probably wouldn’t have made half of the decisions that have gotten Different Strokes to where it is today. I have learned to do my homework, listen to the people I trust, and then trust myself enough to take the next step.
Pricing:
- We carry a range of price points, from affordable everyday children’s clothing to higher-end designer and couture pieces.
- Our goal is to offer options for different budgets without sacrificing the quality and boutique experience our customers expect.
- Special occasion pricing varies depending on the designer, style and level of customization.
- Customers can shop both in-store and online, with local pickup and shipping available.
- I always try to have some type of sale or promotion available, especially on end-of-season merchandise. On nice days, customers can usually find a sidewalk sale rack outside the store with some great deals. I want there to always be an opportunity to find something special at a price that works for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.differentstrokesforlittlefolks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/differentstrokesforlittlefolks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/differentstrokesforlittlefolks/
