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Meet Katie McCarthy of Stroll and Stroll Home in Little Italy

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie McCarthy.

Katie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I worked for Nordstrom for 11 years in SD, HI and SF. I managed several departments within my career.

I wanted to start my own business but did not really know what it was…. I wanted to combine my love of travel and fashion in one. I started seeing the mobile trend was picking up and decided to jump on eBay and bought myself a 1985 Stepvan and had it designed into a fashion truck.

**STOP SHOP and ROLL 2012-2015 was born and popping up all over the bay area…..after a few months I moved back to SD to start the fashion truck trend here. We popped up at farmers markets, private parties/events and parking lots. I sold woman’s clothing, accessories and local made goods. I sold SSR in 2015 to focus on Stroll.

**Stroll 2014-present Boutique
Woman’s Clothing, Accessories, Local artisans and more! Our vibe is boho chic meets the city streets.

**Stroll home 2017-present (Home store Co-op)
Stroll Home is a Co-OP
-Stroll does the home goods, gifts, and vintage finds
-Craftmossphere does plant art and plants
-Bedford Built does all the wood pieces

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Absolutely NOT!! lol The struggle is REAL and it continues.

My struggles:

1. The mobile business in SF vs. SD is totally different! SD does NOT welcome this business concept like SF does…I learned that the hard way and eventually had to give in to the fact that the roadblocks in SD were not coming down anytime soon…..so I decided to sell and move forward.

2. Brick and mortar…….is tough all around in this current retail world we live in. I have moved my store 3 times in 3 years and we just found out we may have to move again by august!!! If you have EVER wondered why there is really very little retail in Little Italy…well it’s because of the $$$$$ people are willing to pay and us little businesses….just can’t afford this type of overhead. So currently there is a bidding war to buy us out when our lease is up in Aug. It’s a $ game unfortunately….we should know more by end of this month or next…..and will have to find a new location.

3. I’m a ONE woman show…..so running the store, merchandising, buying new products, social media, marketing, events, etc AND wanting to be competitive online has been a struggle. Having an online store is at the top of my list this year it’s just been a HUGE Challenge and crazy cost and time.

4. Balancing my business and having a personal life….. I had a rude awakening this week…when I had to have an emergency surgery…… How does my business run without meeeee?? lol

5. Staying motivated and keeping up with the trends and staying competitive!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Stroll is a boho boutique when you stroll you always feel at home.

Our style is flowing fabrics, pretty prints, and in trend styles.

We are known for supporting local jewelry designers and artists in San Diego. We love supporting the people in our community and building our network with creatives.

I know customers like the small boutique feel….they know us and we know them! I’ve met some of my best friends in San Diego through women strolling through. I love this the most! I love being the one the come to for an outfit for that special occasion in their life……we’ve been involved in quite a few surprise engagements! How awesome is that!

Stroll and Stroll home offers customers something different…you’re not going to find 20 water bottles or 20 pairs of the same earrings….you’ll find something unique and one of a kind for the most part.

What were you like growing up?
I was a tomboy…..I played sports competitively all year round. I was loud and funny and always down to try new things…..fearless I guess!

I always had a unique style….I tended to shy away from trends…..lol I need to know them to sell them! lol

I make decisions on the fly….and think how I’m going to make it work later…..I think you have to take chances in owning a business…..

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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