a proper introduction: coco blanca
Coco Blanca is a 3-1/2-year old company owned by three empty-nesters looking to fill a void with their creative energy, innate sense of style, spirited work ethic and desire to create a feel-good shopping experience. It all began in 2009 during a family vacation on the Cape when Elisabeth Squire and Gayla Reed began tossing around ideas for a business concept. Each evening after dinner, the two of them would take their glass of wine and their cotton throws and quietly head out the back door to the water’s edge under their private “planetarium.” Sitting upon the rocks under millions of brilliant white stars, their business plan took shape. Fast-forward one year, Susie Neithamer joined the team, adding her powerhouse management style.
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Within a very short period, they created a trademark look by using the neutral color palette of a coconut by the sea (with splashes of turquoise) and soon opened their second store. Their two home & fashion lifestyle boutiques are divided into 4 home collections—Beach Bungalow, Chic City Loft, French Farm House, and Rustic Lake Cabin—which are cleverly used as backdrops to display their home furnishings and fashion merchandise. The result: a clean, fresh, sophisticated, feel-good coastal style. This timeless yet modern lifestyle approach is forever influenced by a magical love story: “Imagine if Papa Hemingway and Audrey Hepburn had a love child born in a Paris flea market … Her name is Coco Blanca.”
These three spirited ladies of Coco Blanca—Gayla Reed, Elisabeth Squire and Susan Neithamer—wear all the hats, juggling them 7 days a week, with aspirations of spreading their feel-good shopping experience along every coastline. Each partner brings a unique talent to the business, though all three are very involved in the day-to-day operations and interior design element of the business, providing the utmost customer service with each of their clients. Elisabeth comes from a creative background in graphic design, photography and marketing so her hat usually can be found behind the camera, in front of the computer, and enroute to buying trips. Gayla Reed’s hat reflects her passion for style and all things beautiful as she constantly tweaks design boards for Coco’s customers and raises the bar for their expectations. Her hat also takes her enroute on buying trips with Elisabeth. Susie Neithamer’s hat is impeccable as she manages every aspect of the business including finances, scheduling, employee relations, vendor shows and fund-raising events, as well as product selection and developing incredible customer relations.
The common thread … all three Coco’s love wine, good food, good people and beautiful things!
