Current East Ohio business students, Marcy Sinsley and Emily Ramm, had the pleasure of interviewing East Ohio Alumni and local business owner Brook Faulk. Brook is the owner and operator of Dashing Divas and Jamby Styles of Lisbon, Ohio. Dashing Divas is a second-hand clothing boutique with new clothes from their own brand, Jamby Styles. Jamby Styles is a wholesale clothing company. They always strive to provide impeccable customer support to their clientele and to sell quality products at affordable prices. Marcy and Emily had the privilege to tour both stores and learn about Brook’s business operations.
While on tour of both stores, East Ohio students asked Brook about her experiences at East Ohio. Brook started out explaining why she chose this school saying, “I chose East Ohio because I wanted to go to a college that was close to home. I had recently attended another local college and my credits were transferable, which were a great addition. Upon my registration and tour of the facility, the staff was extremely knowledgeable, and everyone was great. The school program itself was only two years long, but with my previous credits, my journey at East Ohio was even shorter to get my Associate Degree. One thing I really liked about East Ohio was the smaller size classrooms. I am a visual learner, and this gave me more of a one-on-one experience with my teachers.”
When asked why she chose the business program she said, “I chose East Ohio’s business program because it’s one of the top programs in Columbiana County. They have a great success rate for after-graduation hiring. I also had a passion for running my own business. I had recently started Dashing Divas Boutique and I was eager to learn new things to grow my business. Dashing Divas was a rather new business when I started to attend East Ohio. During my time as a student, I was able to learn how to market my business to the right clients. I also learned how to manage my finances and budget my funds. Seems like an easy task, but learning how to not overspend on inventory was a major plus and it left room to advertise.”
When discussing her time in school we asked who her favorite teachers were, “Mr. and Mrs. Grimes were by far my most favorite teachers. They cared about their students and took the time to get to know them. Because of them, I have learned to be a successful business owner.”
After giving Marcy and Emily a full tour of the Jamby’s building, which includes the oldest operating elevator in the state of Ohio, we learned that people from all over come to the store just to view and ride this historic elevator. Brook explained what she was most proud of as a business owner. “Fast forward to 2019 and to a new location, we have grown tremendously. Not only have we created a separate clothing brand that is known worldwide, we have over 700 consignors and new items arriving weekly. We also have customers that drive over two hours one way to visit our store. We have become a staple in our hometown.”
Brook and her family have contributed a lot to the Lisbon community. With how much she does, we asked if she had anything planned for the upcoming holidays quickly approaching? She replied, “Lisbon is our home and I have always wanted to make an impact. With the help of the community and the Lisbon Fire Department, we created an operation called Under Wraps. Last year, we provided 106 children in Lisbon, Ohio with a Christmas to remember. Over $10,000 worth of items were collected from friends, family, business owners and individuals in the community. Sometimes people need help and most of the time they do not want to ask for it. Times are tough during the holidays and if we can help ease the burden, that’s exactly what we are going to do. It’s an anonymous operation that delivers toys and clothing on Christmas Eve. This year we have collected over $2,000 of toys already and over $1,000 in monetary donations. I am the only one that knows every detail about each child. I see many kids in our community that need this. Nothing warms your heart more than when you go to drop your child off at school and the child you bought for is wearing the new winter coat and sparkly shoes with the biggest smile on their face.”
Emily and Marcy shared how humble Brook is, and how much she contributes to the community, which changes people’s lives. Brook is truly an inspiration and a real leader in the Columbiana County area. It was incredibly gracious of her to take the time to open up her business to our students and share her success story with them. Thank you again, to East Ohio Business Administration program alumna Brook Faulk for the hospitality she provided to our students and for changing the lives of so many families in the area!