My Summer at MIMI XO
Building a Brand From the Ground Up
This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern with my Aunt at MIMI Xo, a small but fast-growing boutique based in Easton, Massachusetts. This is a store that has women’s apparel, gifts, provisions, accessories, and a petit cafe. The shop is a women-owned small business that my aunt built from the ground up, and being part of that journey gave me a firsthand look at what passion, grit, and creativity can build. Throughout the internship, I supported a wide range of responsibilities that helped the store grow from visual merchandising, where I curated product displays and refreshed the in-store aesthetic, to working with vendors and managing incoming orders to keep inventory organized and up to date. I also assisted with social media marketing, creating content that reflected the brand’s personality and helped strengthen customer engagement. Being part of a small business run by women taught me the power of community, the importance of staying adaptable, and the beauty of building something authentic from the ground up.
MIMI XO and Clutch Consignment grand opening.
My Aunt Kerrie, Gretchen owner of Clutch Consignment.
Watching my aunt switch between creative director, problem-solver, buyer, mentor, and entrepreneur all in a single afternoon. Being beside her showed me the real behind-the-scenes of entrepreneurship: the long days,nights, the constant decision-making, the small victories that feel huge, and the way passion fuels everything. Seeing a family member create a business from scratch made the lessons feel personal and possible. It taught me that entrepreneurship isn’t just about having an idea; it’s about nurturing it every day, staying adaptable, and putting love into the details. Working at MIMI XO wasn’t just a summer internship it was a family-powered crash course in creativity, resilience, and what it really means to build a dream.
The grand opening of MIMI with all of our family.
The color story and inspo I made for MIMI before we opened.
