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| Sixty-two
percent of women in the United States are wearing a size 12 or larger.
And plus-size women are demanding the same styles as their thinner counterparts.
The Other Woman is dedicated to plus-size women between the ages of 18
and 90. At The Other Woman, a new Omaha plus-size store, Deborah Schultz
is the owner, president, CEO, vice president, general manager, human
resources director, bookkeeper, finance consultant, customer service
guru, and public relations contact. She also performs some janitorial
services. Deborah’s responsibilities also include buying, marketing,
and decorating. There aren’t any other women’s stores in the Omaha area devoted exclusively to extraordinary, top-of-the-line women’s clothing from classic to contemporary styles in sizes 12 and up, she says. A few department stores have plus-size departments, but Deborah’s store should have exactly what you’re looking for. I wear a size 20, and if I had a million dollars it would be easy to spend it all in one day at The Other Woman and still leave the store wanting more. The store’s corner location on 169th Street and Wright Plaza in the Shops of Legacy is a good one. You can park for free directly in front, enter, and browse through 1,600 square feet filled with clothes and accessories. The store opened in November 2007. The hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. If you shop at The Other Woman early in the day and decide later that you must have a particular item to wear for a special occasion that evening, call Deborah and she’ll be willing to stay open late so you can make the purchase. “My most difficult challenge is getting the word out that the store is here. People need to know where the store is located and what a great store it is. I realize it’ll take a while for the word to spread, but I know I’ve got a good thing going and I want to share it with others,” Deborah says. “It’s interesting to note that most of my customers have told me I have a much wider selection of fancy formal wear (mother-of-the-bride type) than most bridal shops in the Omaha area.” I wondered what it was like to start her own business, and Deborah replies, “I didn’t realize it would be so much work. I know that once you’ve made a decision you should stick to it and see it through. Don’t let other people talk you into or out of what you’ve decided. Be patient and trust your own judgment. This store is my baby, and I want to be sure it’s a tremendous success. Both my kids are grown and gone, so I finally have the time now to devote to doing something I’ve always wanted to do.” Deborah says she is willing to do all she can to help her customers, including taking special orders, performing alterations, and staying late, for example. She is glad to help customers with special requests. “After all, I’m here to make sure my customers are satisfied and happy and will tell their friends about the store. And I hope they’ll keep coming back and spend more time and money. I’m willing to go the extra mile to serve them.” Deborah says she is enjoying the job much more than she thought she would. “I spent 34 years raising a family, working as a housewife, and not having a ’real’ job. I didn’t realize how much I’d enjoy working and the satisfaction that comes from making my customers happy. My philosophy toward life is to ‘roll with it.’ You can get through anything that needs to be done. If you get depressed, snap out of it. I guess I’m a 90% lemonade kind of person.” Deborah says that her dad, Darwin Maxwell, was an excellent role model and a real go-getter who always had a positive attitude. Deborah and her husband, Mike, have two children, Debby and Larissa. When Deborah has spare time (which is rare), she enjoys sewing, watching TV, shopping, and eating. In addition to a wide selection of clothing, the store features a wide variety of scarves, handbags, jewelry (earrings, bracelets, funky watches), sweaters, sunglasses and reading glasses, raincoats with matching umbrellas, T-shirts, pants, and sweaters. Some of their clothing lines include: Eileen Fisher, Nannette Keller, Vicki Vi, Brooke Chapman, and evening and formal apparel by Alex and Karen Miller. Deborah and her staff of two part-timers believe that satisfaction and quality come first. That’s one of the reasons why they spend so much time listening to their customers. If you look and feel good and are happy, then they’re happy too, Deborah says. I asked Deborah how she came up with the store’s name, “The Other Woman.” She explains that it was the result of a collaboration among herself and a few friends. She continues, “I’ve always wanted to be in a situation where I was ‘the other woman,’ and this is as close to it as I’ll probably get.” The Other Woman is in the Shops of Legacy (168th and West Center Road), 16950 Wright Plaza, Ste. 101 (across from Roja restaurant). For more information, please call 884-8848. |
The Other Woman |
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