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A corn-fusing experience that’s a-maze-ing
October 6, 2025
SHEBOYGAN – Already owning and operating a Mainstream Boutique franchise in Janesville, mother-and-daughter duo Christi and Alayna Newell said when the previous owner of the Sheboygan store (Dana Dunton) approached them about taking over operations there, taking another leap was a no-brainer.
Alayna – who now serves as general manager of the Sheboygan location – said they have owned the Janesville store “for almost six years,” initially launching it as an extension of her mother’s other business.
A business owner for roughly 25 years, Alayna said her mother started her entrepreneurial journey with an electrolysis studio.
As the business expanded – eventually becoming A-GLO Spa and Salon – Alayna said it created extra space along the way.
Six years ago, Alayna said the decision was made to open a Mainstream Boutique franchise.
“A spa, salon and women’s clothing boutique, as you can assume, go very well together,” she said. “It’s kind of a dream. Everyone always says this is dangerous because whenever they go to their appointments at the salon, they set time aside to shop, and they get themselves in trouble.”
Alayna said her mother enjoys the management, leadership and business aspects of their ventures, overseeing nearly 50 employees at the spa and salon.
Embracing change, growth
After pursuing a business degree at North Central University in Minneapolis, Alayna said she decided to return home and help her mom get the Mainstream Boutique franchise up and running.
“But I wasn’t going to stay,” she laughed. “And here we are, six years later. I quickly became the general manager at Janesville, which includes just about everything. It’s the buying, the marketing, managing the team – I wear all the hats. You definitely can’t get bored, that’s for sure, when you run a small business.”
Then, Alayna said, the opportunity for a second Mainstream Boutique franchise came in.
“We’ve known Dana since we were thinking about opening [our Janesville franchise],” she said. “That’s when we met her, and she was so sweet. She showed us around her store when we were thinking about [originally] opening a franchise.”
Alayna said when Dana reached out to them about the Sheboygan store, both she and her mother felt prepared to take on the new opportunity.
“Sheboygan is more than two hours away from Janesville, so that’s been kind of interesting – just figuring out how that’s all going to work,” she said. “Luckily, we have Zoom and technology makes it a lot easier.”
Though initially, Alayna said she has been making several trips from Janesville, getting the Sheboygan store ready for this month’s grand re-opening.
“Sheboygan is such a beautiful area,” she said. “And I’m young, so it’s kind of an exciting idea to have a change and a whole new community to be part of.”
Alayna said she quickly learned it’s “really foggy” in the mornings and is already enjoying the local restaurant scene, eager to explore more of what the area has to offer.
“I will say that every single person we’ve met throughout this process has been so sweet and welcoming,” she said. “That is the biggest thing we have noticed – is that everyone is so kind. So, we are excited.”
More and beyond
Besides visiting the Sheboygan and Janesville Mainstream Boutique stores, Alayna said clients can also shop online via live events on the shop’s website (mainstreamboutiquejanesville.com) and social media channels – an avenue of the business that has taken off in recent years.
Though leery of live-streaming before COVID-19, once the pandemic started, Alayna said it became a necessity.
“When COVID-19 hit, we had no choice,” she said. “But it ended up being the best thing. We’ve met so many people through it, and the reach is just crazy with social media marketing. It’s how most of our customers have found us and consistently keep shopping with us. So, in the end, it was a great thing.”
Initially, Alayna said the goal for the Sheboygan boutique is “to get it up and running and full of beautiful inventory.”
“We’ve been hearing that people are really excited for it to reopen,” she said. “So, we are really excited to get it back up and running to the point where Dana had it. She ran a beautiful business.”
Beyond that, Alayna said she’s eager to learn more about Sheboygan and meet the community’s customers.
“I love fashion, and I love styling people,” she said. “That’s my favorite part of the job. I’m excited to get in there and start. Our mission statement is to love, strengthen and celebrate women in our community through fashion. When we style people, we really do that.”
A peek at the racks
Mainstream Boutique, Alayna said, carries women’s clothing, accessories and shoes in sizes extra-small to double extra-large.
The store, she said, welcomes shoppers of every age, often seeing daughters, moms and grandmas browsing together.
“It’s truly multi-generational,” she said.
Alayna said what she believes distinguishes Mainstream from other boutiques is that customers value both the boutique’s high-quality clothing and its styling services.
“All of our stylists are trained and ready to help people find what’s best for their body types and their lifestyles,” she said. “If you are shopping for a specific event, we love to help with that. Or if you are stuck and you need a closet refresh, we can totally help, too.”
Alayna said Mainstream Boutique Sheboygan’s grand re-opening is set for Oct. 9, with a ribbon cutting taking place at noon the following day.
