After years of working alongside her mother, Brianne Sultzer decided to take a risk on her own boutique. Seeing the success of Mam’Zelles in its 30 years of business, Sultzer felt more compelled than ever to follow in her mothers footsteps.
Refine Lifestyle Boutique would create a unique shopping experience for the Hays community, giving mother and daughter the opportunity to shop together. Located in Downtown Hays, Refine serves the “missy” customer, providing styles for the mature woman.
Born and raised in Hays, Sultzer grew up learning the ins and outs of running a business from her mother Tonya Staab. Sultzer was able to watch Mam’Zelles flourish, even watching her mother earn Business Woman of the Year along the way.
While attending Fort Hays State University, Sultzer studied Criminal Justice while helping her mother run the boutique. After graduating, she decided to take a chance. If it was written in the stars, it would happen and if not, at least she tried.
“I think it was me testing myself to see if this is what I want to do and if it happens then that’s awesome, if it doesn’t then it’s not meant to be,” Sultzer shared.
As Mam’Zelles closed, Refine Lifestyle Co. took off, providing a new fashion option to the ladies of Hays. The customer service and retail business came very naturally according to Sultzer, who found her passion in color, fashion and styling.
“All the ducks fell in a row, I wanted to extend what my mom did into the future, adding that younger audience but still following in her footsteps,” Sultzer said.
Locating her business in Downtown Hays was a crucial component to the success of Refine. Sultzer joined the bricks businesses, where she felt support from both the community and other store owners.
“Being a part of down town, other stores and boutiques really help push other businesses because they already have that clientele, so I was really lucky to come downtown to help jumpstart it,” Sultzer added.
Throughout her time with Refine, Sultzer has stayed up to date with trends, going to market and collaborating with other boutique owners throughout Kansas. Through a strong networking group, she is able to bounce ideas off of colleagues and ask questions to better serve her community.
Refine currently carries name brands including Katie Luxton, Joseph Robkoff, Tribal, SOREL and Kendra Scott. With an array of nearly 80 different denim styles, Refine provides one of the largest denim collections in Northwest Kansas.
Through their Facebook page, Sultzer is able to share they’re constantly updated inventory of styles to followers. Though there is no online store, Sultzer works with interested customers by shipping out items when they are unable to visit the store in person.
“The reason we don’t have an online store is because I like the idea of supporting local,” Sultzer said. “I like for customers to be able to come in, see and feel the products and support downtown Hays in doing so.”
Sultzer and her three employees exude positivity, as customers come in they are always greeted and met with conversation and fashion advice.
With a large clientele of regular shoppers, Sultzer shares that the aspect of personability is crucial to the atmosphere when shopping at Refine.
“My ladies like to come in, have a conversation and they’ve become friends of ours,” Sultzer said.
The conversation is what it’s all about in Refine. Sultzer shares that her favorite part of being a business owner in the retail industry stems from the joy within her customers.
“The excitement they get when they find the right thing, they’ve been looking everywhere and then they find us, that’s a great feeling.”
Throughout the year, Refine participates in events sponsored by Downtown Hays that bring in big crowds. The busiest times of the year include graduation and gift-giving seasons. The 2021 Frost Fest brought forth a large crowd that generated new clients who would soon return.
Refine offers a loyalty program based off of points that can be put towards future purchases. Through monthly promotions, customers are able to see what deals, new styles and brands are available.
Through COVID, Sultzer was greatly appreciative of the support from the community. As a small business owner that was forced to close down during the pandemic, Sultzer started a gift card campaign.
“The support was great, I honestly think it has changed more so the people, they’re supporting local more, they’re not shopping online, they’re supporting Hays, they are relearning the importance of having those small businesses,” Sultzer shared.
From the beginning, Sultzer has been learning from both herself, her mother and her shared experiences among other young store owners. In joining Downtown Hays, she has found a place where she can pursue her passion and help women dress for success.
“We love being a part of downtown, there is a really good relationship between business owners down here, there is such a good friendship and positive atmosphere throughout, I don’t know if I would have had that opportunity if I would have opened anywhere else,” Sultzer concluded.
