SHIFT is a boutique owned and operated by women, but it’s a place for everyone
When you walk through the doors of SHIFT, you’ll most likely be greeted by Jamie Stebbins, a charismatic and passionate employee of the all-women owned and operated boutique located next to The Capitol Theatre.
“SHIFT is Flint’s premiere lifestyle boutique. People think it’s only women’s clothing, but it’s not just that,” says Stebbins. “We have things for your house, great gifts, and we have fun. I love sending someone out of here with a story and there’s a story behind a lot of the stuff in here. We have so many things from local artists, local designers, from very socially conscious brands and designers.”
From the architecture to the items sold in the shop, SHIFT brings a different aesthetic to the shops off of Saginaw St. It’s not just luck, but rather a powerhouse of Flint superwomen who assembled to launch the business.
“Shift was the brainchild of a handful of women from the community who are all very involved in the community,” says Stebbins. “There was Shannon White, who is an award-winning architect who did the Flint Farmers’ Market and is working on a tiny home community of affordable housing up north right now. There’s Heidi McAra who was the CEO of the YWCA, she was also involved with 100k Ideas. There was also Megan Hoffman from Floradora in the Farmers’ Market and one of the new owners, Tiffany Stolzenfeld, a successful area businesswoman who brought a lot of fresh and brilliant ideas to SHIFT. They were women who wanted to come together and do something for other women.”
Two years ago Stebbins handed in her resume and told the owners she was going through a rough time then was welcomed into SHIFT with open arms. Similarly with deep roots in Flint, she had to shout out some local favorites that often get overlooked.
“The White Horse is an institution. They still have half-off pizza. I feel like you can tell how old someone is if they know that White Horse has half-off pizza on the weekends,” says Stebbins. “I love taking my son to Totem Books. They have something for everybody, but their kids’ section is phenomenal. I actually started working downtown at The Lunch Studio, which is now Hoffman’s. We have so many great places to eat, but I’m so happy that we have a lot of places that aren’t just for food. The ground floor market in the Dryden is so cool. It’s been an excellent incubator. We’ve seen businesses go from being inside of another business, to the ground floor, to being their own brick and mortar establishment within the same year. That kind of progress you can’t do on your own. There are so many people who realize they have real dreams and drive and just need a little boost.”
When Stebbins lived in Myrtle Beach she frequented a small boutique called The Loft. They sold high end designer clothes that she couldn’t afford before she was established, but she loved to go. The employees there were kind, always took their time to talk to her and made her feel valued. That behavior became ingrained in the way she operated in business.
“By the end of my first year there I was established. I was doing what I was meant to be doing so I started shopping there all the time. If they would have treated me like I didn’t belong there at first, I wouldn’t have. I take that with me to work here. No one doesn’t belong here. There is something for everybody.”
