Dressing For Success

It takes a lot of confidence and work ethic to pursue a new venture that’s a bit different then the average run-of-the-mill job. The urge to provide an unforgettable service, a grand day and memories are what laid the foundation of what is Diane’s Dresses in Wymore 12 years ago.Each person to come through the store has been an experience for Diane Creek and her crew that has been a treat to help others make the most of their big day. Speaking on her journey, so many memories flooding her, Diane’s still in awe of the start and finishing of this career saying, “I have mixed feelings, you know I don’t want to stop, but I have to stop due to health issues. I never thought we’d get as big as we did. I thought we’d stay a little store, but we’ve grown so much over the years and it’s funny to think that we basically fell into the business.” A sour taste of their own experiences, turned into something sweet for others is somewhat of the calling card to the service Diane’s Dresses looks to provide.“The experience is the big thing, I did not like how my girls were treated when they were shopping for their gowns and had a similar experience with my daughter-in-law when she shopped for hers. I knew it had to be done differently, they were body shamed and there was no reason for that. So when we started out we had made sure that the plus size dresses available and that anyone who came in to our store could feel welcomed.”That experience led to a learning curve on running a business all the while maintaining the heart of why the business came to be, a challenge that Diane has accepted.“Well, in all honestly, I’ve got some really good friends in an organization, 250 members strong for other stores in the U.S, even overseas. I don’t know if we would’ve made it had I not joined the organization. The wealth of the knowledge, getting taught by other store owners how to run a store is by far the best teaching you could ever have in the beginning.” Words are her best advertising:“Someone has a great experience and they pass it on to their friend or family which is what we hope for often.”Diane still gets a great feeling from helping a young lady find her perfect dress.“I can tell you there’s nothing better than helping a girl pick out her gown. That you’ve known that person a good portion of their life, and helped them with this moment in their life means a lot. I drove a school bus before doing all this and seeing the growth in just one year for this business was a bit overwhelming.”Clark continued, “I had no idea that it was going to be like that. It grew more than I would’ve been comfortable with, but in those times, you just need to run and grow with it.”Diane had a Zen-like attitude toward her time with the shop.“Sometimes the experiences you have turn out to the best ones if you allow it too. I’ve met a lot of people over the years.”She was able to help customers with their experience by getting to know dresses from the start.“It feels good that I can honestly say I work with some of my best friends and call to them for help. I’m a friend with a lot of designers which is nice, because they need our small-town perspective on a market that they have little to no knowledge on, which helped us connect on which gown designs came to be as they are. Our dresses are just different, nice as the big city, but put out as a small town price.”Another attribute of life in Wymore is the staff.“I couldn’t do any of this without the best staff in the world. They tell you, don’t hire your friends, well I have hired my friends because they care about me, they care about service and the product that we provide. I look at it as why not, why not hire your friends, we argue but we still have fun because we know what our goal is to provide an atmosphere and memorable day for those who look for a gown here.”The experience is what it is all about for Diane.“If you can’t go into a store and have fun, I’m not sure why you’re shopping for a day as momentous as that can be. We stride to make that day as fun as possible every chance we can. Our customers have never been a number to us, not some random weekly winner, each day our customer means something to us.”Diane is closing the store but will take the memories with her going forward.“I don’t want to retire, I love doing this, but though I have to step away, the memories I’ve made with the people I’ve helped and worked with mean the world to me.”

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