Southport Magazine

Starting out as an entrepreneur is always a little scary and nerve-wracking, but buying a business and then having 2020 happen is a special kind of challenge. Sylvia Liedtke-Ognan purchased the gift shop that is now The Pearl in Southport’s downtown one year ago, and despite the challenges, she is till here, still growing, and still going strong. We spoke to Sylvia about her challenges and what it’s been like to begin down the road of small business ownership during these extraordinary times. 

You’ve just celebrated one year in business. First off, congratulations! What a year. Tell us a little bit about The Pearl, what you offer and what sets you apart.

As our first Anniversary is quickly approaching on Nov. 1, I believe what sets us apart from everyone else is the fact that we host special events throughout the year which gives us an opportunity to say “Thank you” to all of our customers for supporting our local, small business. It also gives us an opportunity to interact with customers live in person and for them to interact with us as well. It gives me a chance to get to know them more personally and to share experiences of what we’ve all been facing this past year since COVID has hit. It makes it more personal, offering a one-on-one experience.  We have many opportunities for our customers to save money, offering a few incentives that I believe not everyone has to offer:

  – 4 percent discount off everything when paying with cash

  – Loyalty program – spend $300 throughout the year and get a $25 give-back

  – Continuous savings monthly with sales or specials such as BOGOs 

  – Support of local artists in the store and social media promotion

  – More MADE IN USA items and many that are produced by women-owned businesses as well

Can you speak to where you come from professionally and what made you want to open The Pearl?

I have a Masters Degree in Education as well as a degree in Accounting. I had worked in New York as an office manager for 13 years and as a substitute teacher for 10 years.  My dream has always been to run a business of my own, being able to be as creative as possible and purchase what I like and what I think my clientele would enjoy. With the background to interact well with people, whether in front of a classroom with students or with homeowners, I wanted to take a leap of faith, a chance, a dramatic change in my life, by taking over the business where I had worked for 18 months (prior to the previous owners’ retiring) and making it my own. 

What did you bring to this venture that helped you weather the challenges of 2020? 

I brought hard work, dedication, and the commitment to never quit, to be creative and crafty. I’ve improved upon the business by investing in a new POS system, allowing me to upload every item into a system that helps me with future sales forecasts. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know many more local shop owners and see what has worked for them and what hasn’t. I was able to make the improvements necessary during the time we were closed for eight weeks. With the help of my husband and mother, we gave the store a big facelift, inside and out. There were so many things that I needed to learn, but I accepted the challenge with open arms. Sometimes I wanted to scream because I found something I wished someone would have told me about, but ultimately it was my choice and I learned and made my way through it. You never realize what an important tool social media is until you own your own business in the 20th century and we are faced with a pandemic.   

What have you learned over the past year that will help you moving forward?  

Communication. Constantly updating on social media, advertising, giving back to and supporting the community, listening to what our clientele are looking for and what we can do to improve their shopping experiences. Have a sympathetic ear… 

Can you speak to the support of the community this year and the importance of shopping local?

It is quite a wonderful experience to be part of this very supportive local community which truly comes together during difficult times. There were so many people, remarkably, who purchased gift certificates while we were shut down to be used later on. There were phone calls, emails and messages from many customers that gave their words of encouragement and continual prayers. Lastly, many people made purchases and took advantage of our free delivery to local areas.

What role has the local small business community played in helping each other through this year? Do you collaborate, share ideas, commiserate?

There were several stores with which I would collaborate to gain insight into what was working for them and how I could tweak the ideas to work for me and my store. We listened to each other and shared our hardships. We would try to come up with creative ways to reach the community to make them feel that we are all in it together. LThe more supportive we were with one another, the better we felt about the future. This was a year full of challenges and unpredictability, always wondering which direction to go. Ultimately it was what I and my family thought was the best that was the right decision for us.

In a year full of things none of us expected, what has surprised you most, good or bad?

There have been many surprises for me — that my business is still open during one of the most difficult years in my history and how hard I have worked to keep it moving forward. I couldn’t have come as far as I have without the support of my husband, Richard, and my mom, Ursula. Many sacrifices were made during this time, especially not being able to see any of my kids who live in the upstate New York, the Catskills, nor having them visit us during this pandemic. One of the worst aspects is not being able to make up for the money lost during those two months we had to remain closed. However, I appreciate the support I’ve received from many of the patrons who have made purchases, given me many words of wisdom (and their opinions, lol) and how many new friendships have been built with other local shop owners in town.

What are your plans for the future?

To continue to keep working hard, to strive and complete an e-commerce store on the web.  

“The future is never just one choice. It’s a thousand. And they never stop. You will choose your future every day of your life. And should you wake up one day to find that you regret the choice you made the day before, then make a new one. 

Don’t worry about whether you might be wrong someday. Worry about whether you’re right now. Tomorrow can wait.”

― Cora Carmack, All Played Out

The Pearl

114 N. Howe St

Southport, NC  28461

www.thesouthportpearl.com