Kim and Brent Charlet opened the first Adorn Boutique in Lakeway in 2010.

Nestled in a strip shopping center amid other upscale boutiques and businesses off of RM 620, the flagship location is now one of four in the greater Austin area and Waco, including the brand new Westlake location that opened in May 2020.

Kim said she and Brent, along with two other owners, owned a home interior business in Louisiana, along with a retail shop.

[Brent and I] moved here in July [2010] and opened in October, and the original name of the shop was Adorn Home and Body,” Kim said. “When we saw people were mostly attracted to clothing and jewelry ... that’s when we evolved into Adorn Boutique a couple of years later.”

Though she emphasized Adorn is still not in perfect shape in terms of sales amid the pandemic, Kim said the fact that her stores have remained Brick and mortar establishments is her business’s greatest asset. She added that customer service, a firm grasp of what her customers want and a keen awareness of the best price point for each product have been key to Adorn’s steady expansion throughout Central Texas over the last decade.

Kim said hat philosophy has also helped her stay afloat through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but Kim also commended her staff for all of their hard work.

“People ask me how I am able to keep going and expanding, and I say it’s because I have great people working for me,” she said. “It takes a team.”

Throughout the pandemic, Kim said support from her clientele has been and remains crucial. Lately, customers have been purchasing items within the Kendra Scott line of jewelry and high quality candles, as well as lakewear, beachwear and loungewear.

More than anything, Kim said she is grateful for the people within the communities who continue to shop at her stores.

“We’ve been blessed,” she said. “It’s been hard, but there’s also been so many blessings in this pandemic. It always seems impossible right until you start walking through it. It’s made everything that we’re doing so much more intentional. Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities.”