By Emily Schoch | Staff Writer
Argyle sophomore Avery Mortman and her mother, Michelle Mortman, brought a fresh sense of style to downtown Waco when they opened their boutique Golden Green in November, offering a carefully curated selection of trendy and timeless pieces.
While balancing college life and entrepreneurship, Avery Mortman has turned her passion into a reality working alongside her mother to create a unique shopping experience for students and locals alike.
“When I got to school two years ago … I just found there was a really big hole for fashion in Waco,” she said. “You know [for] game days and different events like that, I just felt like I couldn’t really find anything.”
Avery Mortman said shopping was a core memory for her and her mother when she was young, as they would spend quality time together exploring new stores and enjoying the fashion scene. When she saw a lack of fashion within Waco, she and her mother shared the same desire to open a boutique.
“I just encouraged my mom to take the leap and jump at [the opportunity],” she said. “It’s something she had been wanting to do for a while and it just seemed like a really good opportunity.”
After committing to the tedious process of starting a business last summer, the Mortmans were looking for where they could open the doors for Golden Green — then they found Hotel Herringbone, and the rest is history.
After Golden Green opened its doors in November, they have seen enormous engagement from the Baylor community.
“I feel like our biggest supporters and community is through Baylor,” Avery Mortman said. “When students are here, we’re busy, which is good. We’re engaged with a lot of different sororities.”
Avery Mortman is not only a college student and a business owner, but she also is a member of the Baylor equestrian team, and her mother has a full-time job and residence outside of Waco. They have both put in enormous amounts of effort to create a successful boutique with the added challenge.
“The biggest thing for me is scheduling my calendar, on my phone, or writing down notes, reminders as well,” Avery Mortman said. “It’s definitely hard to manage time, especially if there’s something that needs to be done right then and there and my mom can’t get here.”
She said it can be challenging having to balance being a student-athlete and a business owner all at once, but getting ahead in school over the weekend is helpful because it eliminates the added stress of being the main point of contact for Golden Green while her mother is at home.
Despite the challenges that come with being a business owner, Avery Mortman said she is extremely grateful to be contributing to the Waco community while pursuing her dream.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to get to contribute to the community like this. It definitely has its hard days, hard weeks and whatnot, but just trying to keep a reflective perspective on it has been really helpful,” she said.
Working alongside her daughter, Michelle Mortman said having someone close by the storefront has been extremely helpful during times when she is not able to be there.
“It’s great to be able to call her when things need extra attention, as I know she understands and will give it extra care,” Michelle Mortman said. “It’s truly the only way I can have a store there and not be there every day.”
As Avery Mortman reflects on her journey of following her dreams by opening up a boutique, she said she implements faith into her story by letting the Lord lead her heart.
“If the Lord put something on your heart, do it, because it’s for a reason and while it might take a little bit of time and patience, it’s always worth it and nothing compares to what you’re going to learn from that experience,” she said.
