Sisters in Style: Deaf sisters opens storefront clothing store in Frederick

Renca Dunn: Do you enjoy shopping for stylish clothes? Sisters in Style is a deaf-owned business by two deaf sisters, Nikki Reineck and Emilia Doudt. They recently opened a storefront you can shop at. The Daily Moth reached out to these two deaf sisters for a short interview related to their new store that just opened in Frederick, Maryland.

Nikki: We saw a place for sale in an area called Shab Row, a popular area that’s very historic. They had available space and the price wasn’t bad so I asked Emilia - at that time she lived in Frederick, Maryland and I was in Indianapolis - if she wanted to run that store, and she said yes! We went for it and signed the lease, and it opened on September 25, 2020. It’s been open since September. Now we have two areas, at a warehouse here in Indiana and a storefront in Frederick, Maryland.

[Short video tour of the inside of the store.]

Emilia: I have a whiteboard ready for communication. I also have an iPad. Generally, most people here are fine with deaf people and aren’t intimidated by us. We have a glass cover so sometimes I don’t understand what they say and have to pull my mask down for that, and then we find ways to communicate clearly.

Nikki: We’re trying to have small deaf businesses related to art and other products as a part of our store. For example… This “sis” sticker was illustrated by a deaf person, then we printed this to become a sticker to include in our packages that we mail out. Some earrings made by deaf people, too.

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Renca: We asked them for their advice to deaf people who want to own a business.

Emilia: Don’t be afraid to buy something big that will invest in your business. For example, we paid a coach to support us. That cost a lot of money and the coach shared a lot of tips which we learned a lot from. I encourage other deaf business owners to pay for coaching and services that will really expand your business. Don’t be afraid and resort to only Google. Invest into someone who already knows their stuff then learn from that and become more successful.

Renca: Thank you, Emilia and Nikki, for your time. We wish you the best of luck with your new storefront. If you’re interested and want to know more, you can visit their website or their store in Frederick, Maryland. You can also download their “Sisters in Style” app. We included the link in this transcript.

Captioned by aslcaptions.com