Anna Hruby has a confession to make.
She says she likes it when the iPad stops working. Not because she enjoys technology problems, but when something goes wrong at On the Go Boutique in Springfield, Anna gets to do what she says she has always loved. She gets to figure out a solution.
“That’s my job,” she said. “I’m going to figure that out today,” she said.
It is a decidedly unglamorous part of running a boutique for women. But for Anna, the unexpected is part of the appeal.
Retail is never the same day to day, according to Anna, who says there are customers to help, new merchandise to photograph, inventory to manage, and a steady stream of small problems that require a creative solution. There are also the customers, staff, delivery drivers, and community partners whose needs become a part of the tapestry of the business.
For Anna, that mix of creativity, variety, and connection is exactly what makes retail feel like home.
“I absolutely love that piece of it,” she said. “No day is the same.”
And while Anna may have entered retail without a background in the industry, she brought something that has shaped On the Go Boutique from the beginning: a clear understanding of the woman she wanted to serve.
As it turns out, that woman was often Anna herself.
“I think we could do this better.”
The idea for On the Go Boutique began with a conversation between Anna and her friend, Becky Williams.
In 2016, the two women were both busy mothers shopping online boutiques through Facebook Marketplace. The convenience was undeniable. But Anna said the quality was not always there, and neither felt like the shopping experience was solving all of the problems they were having as customers.
Becky floated the idea of opening their own boutique, even though Anna was not a retail veteran. She had been a teacher for 13 years, teaching eighth-grade English. Becky lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and the two friends had no formal boutique experience to draw from.
What they did have was a shared perspective.
“At that time, we both had kids. Your bodies have changed by this point, so it’s been a while since you have curated your wardrobe because after wearing stretchy clothes and probably not as stylish things, you sort of feel like you don’t know what’s in style anymore,” she noted.
And so, they set out to create a boutique for women like themselves. Women who wanted clothing that was comfortable, flattering, and easy to wear, but who also wanted a place to take much of the guesswork out of getting dressed.
The result was On the Go Boutique.
From a basement to a storefront
The business started online with Anna’s husband building cubbies in the basement and Anna packing orders.
At first, the pair used stock photos to showcase their clothing. But customers had questions. How did the clothing fit? What did it look like on a real person?
Anna decided to answer those questions herself.
She began trying on the clothes and photographing herself for the website.
“I just put a picture up of what I look like wearing this,” she said.
That decision changed Anna’s role in the business. She became the model of On the Go Boutique, a role she continues to embrace today.
Anna says she is candid with customers about her body and how her size changes. If a garment is tighter in one area or looser in another, she explains it.
“I think people just appreciate the honesty of somebody who is normal and gains and loses weight and is able to explain how it fits,” Anna said.
That willingness to be the face of the business is more than a marketing strategy. It is a reflection of what distinguishes On the Go Boutique. Anna says she knows what it feels like to want someone to create an easier shopping experience for women.
The power of trying it on
When Anna and Becky ended up opening their brick-and-mortar location in 2021, they expanded the business in more ways than one.
The physical store opened access to brands they could not carry as online-only retailers. But it also gave customers something Anna considers essential: a place to try things on. Anything and everything is available for a dressing room visit. Even the camisoles.
“I think it’s important to let people try things on, because it’s really your only edge against the online retailers, which truly is your biggest competition,” Anna stressed. “They can find everything online that is in a store, but they can’t try it on, and then they have the hassle of trying to ship it back. So, I mean, it’s a really nice service that you’re able to provide (to let customers try on anything in the store).”
For Anna, the goal is not simply to sell a top or a pair of jeans. It is to help a customer leave the store feeling confident.
“The old saying look good, feel good, play good. It’s true,” Anna said. “I love walking through Springfield and seeing someone in our clothes,” Anna said.
She has spotted customers at the grocery store, at graduations, and during moments that matter to them. Her children have learned that when Anna notices someone wearing an On the Go piece, she is going to say something.
For Anna, seeing a customer in the clothes is a reminder that retail can be personal.
Advice from the roller coaster
Anna says she has learned that retail can be unpredictable. A business can have a great team, the right merchandise, and strong social media content, and still not have the sales it wants.
“I think you just have to learn to weather the storm, persevere, get creative, be pragmatic, problem solve, and survive those kinds of slower times because retail is a little bit of a roller coaster,” Anna stressed. “I think you have to have the grit to kind of be creative and know that okay, the sales – I don’t know why it’s not happening now, and we need to just stick it through…and not beat ourselves up.”
She also encourages aspiring retailers to start financially where they can and grow from there.
The temptation, she said, is to buy everything new and spend big at the beginning.
“I think it’s really important to slow grow your business as you have the sales, so that you don’t get yourself in trouble, because it’s difficult to run a business in Illinois. It’s hard and you (need to) count every penny. And I think you don’t want to get in over your head,” Anna stated.
It is practical advice from a woman who has built a business around creativity. And perhaps, that is the secret to Anna’s success in retail. She understands that creativity is not just about making something beautiful. Sometimes, creativity is figuring out how to keep going.
“I don’t think that you necessarily need retail experience to open a boutique, whether it be online or in store. I think you need to be a person that’s willing to learn, and that will listen to your customer and be flexible,” Anna said.
