DeKalb County Outstanding Woman Business Owner

By Stephen Haberkorn for DeKalb County Online

DeKalb County Online would like to recognize Elizabeth “Lizzy” Oparyk as a “Premiere DeKalb County Woman Business Owner.” To commemorate this recognition, DeKalb County Online Publisher, Michael Embrey, presented Ms. Oparyk with a certificate of appreciation from DCO and a $50.00 gift certificate from Fatty’s Pub & Grill.

Elizabeth “Lizzy” Oparyk, Owner of Lizzy’s Pink Boutique in Downtown Sycamore, IL, attributes her store’s success to finding out what her customers want.

“Just really listening to the customer is what we do,” said Oparyk. “And that’s what’s always been my success in any sales position I’ve had.

That sounds simple enough, but Oparyk’s long and unlikely road to becoming a Sycamore boutique owner would make an interesting script for a women’s empowerment movie.

Oparyk grew up in Chicago, but was living in McHenry when she drove her daughter out to Northern Illinois University for an open house in 2006. She ended up getting lost in Downtown Sycamore and instantly fell in love with the town.

Upon subsequently moving to DeKalb County a few months later, Oparyk worked in sales for a local builder. At the same time, she sold a major cosmetic brand part-time out of her home, and discovered that she enjoyed helping women feel better about themselves.

On a trip to Puerto Rico in 2016, Oparyk happened to meet a woman who had a boutique in Downstate Illinois. When she came back, she told her husband that she wanted to step up her game a little bit and offer women’s clothing. She started purchasing clothes from some of the same vendors as her new downstate friend.

She began with one rack of clothing, selling to the women coming in for her cosmetics business. “By the end of the week, I was purchasing my second rack,” said Oparyk. “And by the end of that month, I had four racks of clothing that had four bars each on them.”

Opportunistically, Lizzy’s Pink Boutique used a booth at Ladies Night Out in Downtown Sycamore to officially launch the store. Ladies Night was on a Thursday and their Grand Opening was on Friday and Saturday. “I reached a ton of people and it just took off,” said Oparyk.

Oparyk said that what sets her shop apart is that they always try to provide their customers with one-on-one assistance and pride themselves on giving women who come into their boutique a unique experience.

After operating her clothing business out of her home for twenty months, Oparyk opened a storefront in October of 2017 in downtown Sycamore.

Customers who shop at Lizzy’s can expect to find items that they’re not going to see at other boutiques. Oparyk normally buys only one of each size and when they’re gone, they’re gone. “A lot of women say, ‘I like that, because I don’t see myself coming and going down the street,'” said Oparyk.

They carry both clothing and accessories at the boutique, including a limited supply of shoes—maybe 5-6 styles per season. They also carry brand name jewelry, such as Rachel Marie Designs, which is handmade in Milford, Michigan. “That’s very popular here,” said Oparyk. Lizzy’s has done two trunk shows, including one for the Vintage Shop Hop.

To those who say that brick and mortar stores are going away, Oparyk points out that women’s boutiques are popping up all over the place, because women want that service and experience they can only get in person.

“That’s kind of why I got in business. I love to shop. It makes me happy. What girl doesn’t?” said Oparyk. “I like to feel. I like to touch. I love to try on things to see how they look. Sometimes you need to step outside your comfort zone and try things on to see what looks good on you.”

As far as their location at 303 W. State Street, Oparyk could not be happier. “I love being on Main Street here,” she said.

Oparyk is enjoying making a living helping women to look their best and echoes a popular cliché among small business owners: “I love coming to work every day. I don’t even feel like I’m working. There’s nothing better than helping women feel better about themselves, and what better way to do it than with clothing?”

Lizzy’s Pink Boutique is 100% woman-owned, with Oparyk as the sole proprietor—although she certainly appreciates that her husband has been extremely supportive of her business.

Upcoming events planned for the shop include live sales on Facebook, private parties, and “Yoga and Flow.”

To read the complete article about Lizzy Oparyk’s journey to opening her boutique, go here: “Sycamore Boutique Owner Living the Dream After Long Journey”

Check out Lizzy’s Pink Boutique on Facebook and Instagram, as well as at www.lizzyspinkboutique.com.

Special Offer: Mention this article and get 10% off any regularly-priced merchandise at Lizzy’s Pink Boutique. (Discount does not apply to sale items.)