PROFILE
MIXED MESSAGES
There are two conflicting but inevitable
realities of entrepreneurship.
The first is that in order to succeed, you need
to believe in your idea, heart and soul. The
second is that in order to succeed, you need
to be willing to abandon it at any given time.
Ciara Stockeland admittedly used to struggle
with the latter.
"I think it's very common among small
business owners and entrepreneurs," says
Stockeland, the 37-year-old owner of MODE,
a Fargo-based chain of boutiques that sells
overstock designer inventory at a fraction of
the retail price. "You have in your mind what
you think you'll do, but if you aren't willing to
change your course to what your consumers
are telling you, you won't succeed."
It seems obvious to her now, but the lesson
was learned in a roundabout way after she
opened chic maternity shop Mama Mia in
Downtown Fargo in 2006.
"I wanted to build a brand, not just a hobby
store," says Stockeland, who was hoping
to capitalize on what she saw as a lack of
fashionable maternity options in Fargo at the
time. "I could envision that brand and I could
envision beautiful maternity stores all across
the country."
Mama Mia saw a steady stream of business,
but a few months after opening, an
unexpected phone call was about to reroute
her entrepreneurial GPS.
The voice on the other end of the line
belonged to her husband's boss, the owner
of a regional logistics company who had
two truckloads of overstock merchandise
that was collecting dust and needing to be
liquidated.
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