Margaret Schneider, owner of Louisville consignment shop Margaret’s Fine Consignments, doesn’t let fear have the final say. For 25 years, she worked as a barber but yearned to have her own business in the fashion retail industry. At age 50 and newly divorced, Margaret didn’t have the financial resources to open a business, but she took the risk. “Sometimes, the scariest thing you ever do in your life is the best thing to do. I love clothes, I love to decorate, and I love people so it just came natural to me,” she says. 

For the first five years, she moonlighted at the barber shop and her store to support herself. “I stayed focused, because I knew I had to make it. I never had any doubts. I knew I was going to do it.” Now, 29 years later,Margaret’s Fine Consignments has become a fixture in Louisville’s Clifton Heights neighborhood. The store sells a wide range of gently used clothing including vintage pieces from Armani, St. John, and Chanel. 

Margaret and co-owner Cara Aldridge are working together to ensure that their boutique maintains its solid reputation, which has been the driving force behind its success. Its popularity in the community, Margaret says, comes from the personable atmosphere she and Cara have created. “We have established a very good, dependable, honest name, and most people who know me, know how much my heart is in it and what it means to me. We get to know our clients and they are more like friends and family,” Margaret says. 

Adding an air of sophistication and class to a customer’s shopping experience is an important part of the boutique’s image. They are discriminating about the merchandise they accept and sticklers for keeping their space clean and organized. Staying one step ahead of their competition is about anticipating and exceeding the needs of their customers. “We try to go that extra mile,” Margaret says. 

Margaret and Cara are also known for their philanthropic efforts in the community. They have provided clothing formultiple fashion showsto benefit the American Stroke Association and Dress for Success, and they donate clothing to United Metro Ministries. “Charity work is my hobby,” Margaret says.