Second Avenue's women-owned businesses

Second Avenue has one of the oldest concentrations of independent small businesses in Niwot but it's also known as a place with a long history of female entrepreneurship. That history continues to the current day. "When we started there were a lot of women-owned businesses in town, and there still are," said Jan Kahl who owns Niwot Jewelry & Gifts with her son, Jason Scarbrough. Angie Miltersen, who owns Few of a Kind Vintage + Mercantile, sought out Niwot as a place to run her first business because she liked what she saw in town. "I've always been a fan of this community. I'm friends with the owners of the Garden Gate and work up the street at Rocky Mountain Christian Academy," she said. "When I heard Eric (Bergeson) was moving up the street, I talked to him about the building and reached out to the building's owner, Anne Dyni. She gave me my first shot." But even with a history of female entrepreneurship, women here don't necessarily feel the need to be identified by their gender. Nor did their gender have an impact on why they chose their careers. "I got into it because my father was a jeweler in Boulder," said Kahl. "It doesn't matter what your gender is. You run it fair and above board. You treat everyone the same." Patty Machen, who owns The Old Oak Coffeehouse with her husband Michael Tomich, agrees. "There are supports, more overall as a business," she said. "Everyone is very inclusive in their support. That doesn't mean that female support doesn't happen, there are a lot of us here." Although gender didn't necessarily impact their choice for a business, it may impact decisions they make about managing their business. Machen explained how her approach affected her coffee shop. "What's been neat as a woman-owner of a local shop is that my main focus is community even more than coffee," she said. "It's been the driving force to begin it, and I think that's what's held it together. The relationships. And that can be a particularly female-approach." In some cases, a career was impacted by another woman. This was the situation that Carissa Brandes, who owns Niwot Inn & Spa with her mother, Cornelia Sawle, encountered. "Growing up, seeing everything she accomplished, she always had that 'Can do' attitude, I knew anything was a possibility," Brandes said. "I could talk for days about my mother, she's incredible. You can find her up on a ladder or chipping ice on the back porch. Everywhere. She's just 'go, go,go.'" Although Niwot is a supportive community to women, retaining a positive approach to working and connecting with others is important. Said Miltersen, "I feel supported here and I reach out to be involved in the NBA marketing events team. I love being a part of those committees. I know that women can be competitive with each other, but I feel like women should come together, support each other. The things that we can do coming together are incredible." "There is a lot of support in Niwot. There are all these women, and men, who put their time in, create events, make it work," added Kahl. Anne Postle, who has owned Osmosis Art and Architecture for over 20 years, echoed this sentiment. "Niwot has been a fantastic coalition since we moved here in 2001, and for the gallery since 2009. The town has a very supportive business community and offers great opportunities to get involved."

Brandes described how she sees women working together in town. "We all kind of build each other up. Here, since we don't have a restaurant, we send guests to Lisa at Farow or to shop at Little Bird with Liz, or Few of a Kind with Angie."

Similar to what business owners feel in Cottonwood Square, on Second Avenue, what matters to women owners above all else is the business that gets done and the service that is being provided to the community. "It's been great having a business in Niwot because it is a small town," said Machen. "The opportunity to have a business that feels meaningful because you're involved with the people, it's amazing."

Women-owned businesses on Second Ave:

2nd Nature Hair Lounge

Cimmini's

Colorado Landmark Realtors

Few of a Kind Vintage + Mercantile

La Musette

Little Bird

Niwot Inn & Spa

Niwot Jewelry & Gifts

Nourish & Co.

The Old Oak Coffeehouse

Osmosis Art and Architecture

Pilates of Niwot