by Nicole Dennis Durnin | When Scout approached me about sharing my experiences opening a boutique in Gastown, I thought they were off their rocker. While I had started a blog called “Shoptalk” on my website in part to share the trials and tribulations of starting a business in this neighbourhood, I certainly don’t consider myself a writer. Instead, I’m an entrepreneur, a lover of fashion, and a passionate Vancouverite. My name is Nicole – born and raised on the North Shore – and now a long term resident of downtown Vancouver. I have worked in retail for 17 years, in positions ranging from seasonal help to managing the flagship Lacoste store on Burrard Street. It has always been my dream to open my own store. During a short, misguided stint working for a Financial Advisor (post-Lacoste), I realised that I missed the retail and fashion worlds, so after some soul searching and many a discussion with my husband Andrew (a different Andrew than Scout’s Andrew) we decided that it was the time to follow my dream. That was a year ago…

I took the Venture Program at BCIT last Fall and have been working hard on getting the boutique up and running ever since. The first step in the process was building an accurate, realistic business plan. For this, the Venture Program was indispensable. I couldn’t have made it this far without the support of the staff and fellow students I met at BCIT.

The second step was coming up with a name. An off-the-cuff suggestion from my husband, and we had it: the name of the store would be Lynn Steven, after my mom, Lynne, and my younger brother, Steve. My two other siblings feel a little left out, which is something they take every opportunity to remind me of. But “Lynn David” and “Leanne Steven” just don’t seem to have the same ring to them. Throughout this process, finding the right name has been one of the hardest parts.

Next, a location. I recently signed a lease for the amazing space at 225 Carrall Street (formerly Hunt & Gather). I always knew that I wanted to open Lynn Steven in Gastown, even though my broker was suggesting every other neighbourhood under the sun. I love the character and history that makes Gastown the eclectic neighbourhood it is. It’s gritty yet charming, and surprisingly fashion-forward. There are a number of businesses that have been instrumental in changing the image of Gastown and I really want to be part of this continuing movement.

I looked for the perfect space in Gastown for close to a year and was days away from signing a lease for a new space on Water Street, but for a few reasons I knew it was not going to be an ideal situation. After a chance meeting at an event at Salt Tasting Room, I learned that 225 Carrall Street was back on the market. I spoke with the landlord the next day and the rest, as they say, is history.

I am probably – hopefully! – only a month or so away from getting the boutique open. I hope that you will join me weekly on Scout as I chronicle the process – from demolition, design and construction to the much anticipated Grand Opening. I am working with an amazing team of designers from McFarlane Green Biggar, and once complete I think that the space will be unlike anything you have seen in Vancouver.