Five minutes with Ruby LaMore!

Ruby LaMore has been with Jennifer and I for ten years as well as being a shop dog the entire time. As you can imagine Ruby is very spoiled but is one of the happiest dogs you will ever meet. If you lived like her, you would be happy all the time too! Her entire world revolves around being petted and getting treats. Every day at 12:30 her "paw" Pilot will go off and she will stand by you letting you know its time to go to Mad Cat for a treat. What can you do. You take her and life is good. So here is the much requested:

Five minutes with Ruby LaMore

Where are you from?

RL - I was born along with eight brothers and sister in South Beloit, IL. My adopted mom, Jennifer, picked me out because I fell asleep in her hand. I don’t remember it but it’s what I was told. Some people say that when I went home with Jim and Jennifer that I won the lottery but I haven’t seen any of that money yet. But, I’m cool with that.

What exactly do you do at J. LaMore?

RL - As the resident dog, my job is to draw people into the store as they walk by and then greet them with a smile and a tail wag. The more pathetic I can look the better. Its hard work but let me tell ya, it’s all in the eyes. I sometimes lay out on the front patio chill’n or catch’n some rays and, because I don’t wear a collar, people walk by and they think I’m homeless. I’m well schooled and I’m really working the eyes trying to get my stomach to growl from hunger and there’s no one around me so these humans just can’t stand it. They want to take me home with them. They go into the store for sure then. My dad Jim plays it up really good too. When they ask he says I’m homeless and hungry and can barely get across Monroe Street without getting hit by a car and the people really freak out then. It gets’em every time! LOL! LOL! I swear, if that gag kept going I could be riding in a Benz right now live’n the good life.

How long have you worked at J. LaMore?

RL - Since I was eight weeks old, which brings me to my unresolved issue I have frequently taken up with my adopted parents, Jim and Jennifer. You see, I’m a “Golden Retriever” which means I’m a “Sporting Breed” not a “Working Breed”. Every book you read will say it! That is not in dispute here!

“S_P_O_R_T_I_N_G” Say it with me now, means hunting ducks, geese, rabbits, squirrels and other animals lower on the food chain as well as doing other outdoor activities. Jim isn’t going into the woods anytime soon let me tell ya. I heard he got lost in the Arboretum once. In general, sporting is just having a really good time.

Working breeds are those other dogs like Border Collies and Australian Sheep dogs! OMG Yuck! Do I look like a Border Collie to you? I mean seriously! They got those freaky eyes and they’re always chasing around smelly ole’ sheep and stuff - No thanks! They also live in the barn and sleep in the hay. I have my own queen size bed with an electric blanket. Sometimes I sleep by the fireplace too. By the way, have you ever seen a Border Collie on the cover of a greeting card? I don’t think so! I’m looking into renegotiating my contract as we speak.

What life or work experiences have molded you into the dog you are today?

RL - Since “working” (there’s that word again) at J. LaMore I’ve been in Madison Magazine twice and I have my own Facebook page. People bring in their kids and their dogs all the time to see me. I hang out at the Union a lot in the summer and I go to concerts on the square all the time. Our friends have a cabin up north on Manitowish Waters and we go up there and hang out on the pontoon boot a lot. I’m treated pretty well as you can imagine so being me is a pretty good gig! We stay at the Drake Hotel in Chicago and they really treat me well there. I have my own menu. Sweet! So yeah, I have tons of life experiences. Travel, love, treats, Its all good!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

RL - The movies! Seriously! I can beat Air Bud. What does he have that I don’t have? I’m super smart, always in a good mood, I’m in great shape, I work cheap and I take a pic like no one else! I can count by wagging my tail and if my dad could learn a foreign language I could count in any language you want. Hollywood here I come. Do you know an agent by chance?

Tell us a funny story about yourself.

RL- Well, one cold and snowy day all of us had left work and we were hungry. So, we decided to go to Uno’s pizza off of State Street to get a take out pizza. My mom and dad ordered the biggest pizza in the world and it was loaded with everything a dog would love. When we got home I was hungry from smelling this incredible thing in the car and crafted a plan. Mom and dad got all comfortable and settled in with slices of pizza and beer to watch a movie in the movie room. While they were gone, I jumped up on the counter with my front feet and with my mouth I pulled down that entire box of pizza. It had like three pieces missing and I ate the entire thing in record speed. When mom and dad came up to have another slice it was in my belly much to their dislike. My mom worried that I would get sick but my dad worried about all the bad gas he thought I would have. It was all good though.

Meet the J. LaMore Staff. . . !

Jessica is the face of jlamore.com. You know the story: A reluctant superstar told to play a different postion for the good of the team. She is expected to do it all and look fantastic at the same time. When the website started three years ago Jessica took one for the team and jumped in with both feet. This was a huge challenge and all of us were struggling trying to make it look right. Today, Jessica has changed as much as the site has. She's no longer the shy bashful girl who came looking for a job and hardly said a word in the interview. So without further interruption here's:

Five minutes with Jessica Ploessl

Where are you from?

JP - I’m from Oregon which is just south of Madison.

What do you do at J. LaMore?

JP - What don’t I do! I like to do a little bit of everything at J. LaMore! My favorite thing that I get to do is be creative by styling myself and other models for photo shoots and fashion shows. I also do a little of the buying with Jennifer which I truly love…I’ve always been able to keep up with the ever changing trends of the fashion world and it’s great to actually put that talent to use.

How has J. LaMore changed since you started?

JP - J. LaMore has definitely changed since I started here 3 years ago. We have jlamore.com which is a huge part of my everyday job. I model on the homepage, product pages, and lookbook and it’s so rewarding to be able to look back and see how far the store and the site have come. Also, the people that are now on the J. LaMore staff are amazing and they make the store and site the best that it can be.

What life experiences have changed you?

JP - Being an aunt has changed me in many ways. My niece is now eleven and with her getting older she is definitely getting smarter and more interested in the world around her. It’s a challenge everyday to answer all her questions and keeping an eleven year old entertained is a whole different world. Also I always have to keep in mind that she looks up to me so I’m always trying to be the best example that I can be!

What have you learned at J. LaMore?

JP - I’ve learned a lot of new things in the past 3 years at J. LaMore. I feel so lucky to be able to work at a store where the owners allow me to be such a huge part of everything that goes on at the store. A resourceful tool I’ve picked up is I’ve learned how to interact with so many people whether they’re customers, J. LaMore friends, or vendors that come into J. LaMore. At first I use to be a little more on the shy side and having to be able to communicate with new people has really brought out my outgoing side.

Tell us a funny story about yourself?

JP - I always have weird, funny, awkward stories to tell. Just the other day I was at home and walked from my bedroom to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As I was walking I saw the mail lady trying to get up to my mail box but our dog was jumping all around making it impossible for the mail lady. So I ran outside to get the dog. While apologizing to her about the dog acting like a crazy animal I realized that I also had to apologize for not having on any pants! There I was standing there in my underwear.

Meet the J. LaMore Staff. . . !

Jennifer LaMore's name is on the door, the website, and everywhere else these days, and her reach gets longer and longer all the time. It's quite remarkable what a small town girl can accomplish. She has a nation wide following of customer friends, friend friends, and business asscoiate friends and always has time for each one of them. It doesn't matter what time of day or night, she is always there, especially if you're one of her friends. Jennifer is in a business that fits her perfectly because she genuinely loves people, has an incredible eye for fashion and style, and that's what makes J. LaMore and jlamore.com a huge success. She loves what she does. It's really that simple! So here is:


Five minutes with Jennifer LaMore


Where are you from?

J. La - I grew up in a small town just outside of Madison called DeForest. The population was around three thousand. The only things to do growing up was go bowling or play sports! Needless to say, I had a 170 bowling average and was the short stop on the local soft ball team! Between, bowling, softball, pompom, basketball, track, swim team, and choir I was a very busy kid!

How did you get started in your own business?

J. La - I have always loved fashion and helping people. I had worked managing a local boutique and absolutely loved my job. I loved the customers, the clothing, the hours, everything! I had always dreamed of having my own boutique, but wasn’t quite sure how I could make it happen. My husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, and I talked incessantly about my dream of owning my own boutique. We would get together over wine and write out our business plan on restaurant napkins! My dream became his dream and we decided to go into business together! We opened J. LaMore in 1999, two years before we got married.

What has changed at J. LaMore over the past ten years?

J. La - So much has changed in the last 10 years. If someone had told me 10 years ago that a significant amount of commerce in the world would be done on the World Wide Web, I’m sure I would have scoffed it off. I always expected the web to impact our lives, but I had no idea it would literally run our lives.

Who or what has influenced you throughout your life?

J. La - I grew up in a large family with two sisters and two brothers. My dad worked three jobs and my mom stayed home to raise all of us. I didn’t really acknowledge it as a child, but as an adult who decide not to have children, I can’t even imagine what my parents went through in raising five kids! I’ve always loved to work, and to work hard and I think that came from watching my dad. As an adult, the biggest influence has been my husband Jim. He truly amazes me. I’ve never met anyone who believes in me as much as he does. He’s my biggest cheerleader, my endearing critic, and a believer in all I do. He encourages me on a daily basis to be the best I can be.

If you could do it all over again, what would you change?

J. La - When I think back to the beginning, I worried so much about everything! It was so new, I was learning so much, and it went by so fast! I wish I could go back and relive the first few years and really comprehend and appreciate the accomplishment it was. It’s so hard to do when you’re in the middle of it all stressing over every detail. Outside of that, I really don’t think I would change a thing. I absolutely love what I do and feel so blessed to have this be my life.

How would you define yourself?

J. La - I’m strong, very driven, hard working along side of loyal, fun loving, caring and giving.

Tell us a funny story about yourself.

J. La - It was Christmas time a few years ago and my husband and I were off to chop down our Christmas tree. He wanted to go to the local pre-cut place, but I insisted on walking out into the wilderness to find our own perfect tree. It’s freezing cold outside, but I have to make sure we see all of the trees available. We finally find “the one” and proceed to chop it down and drag it back to purchase it. I’m pulling the lighter weight front side, while Jim is carrying the heavier back side. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something crawling up my sleeve. I glance down and there’s a mouse almost on my shoulder! I screamed so loud, the mouse popped off my shoulder on to the ground and stood there shaking! I continued to scream and flail my arms up in the air while jumping around the tree farm. It was quite a scene. Of course, Jim fell to the ground he was laughing so hard.

Meet the J. LaMore Staff!

As previously mentioned, all of the people who work at J. LaMore and jlamore.com have to have a certain skill set. Which now brings us to "Mandy Mandy" as I having fun calling her. She has brought J. LaMore and jlamore.com to new heights of creativity in promotions and marketing we so desperately needed. Her designs for the homepage, lookbook, flyer's, posters, and fashion shows have caused Jennifer and I to rethink how we do a lot of things. We feel Mandy is responsible for jlamore.com to be voted a top 100 website by thefind.com this year.

Each person Jennifer and I work with was given a list of question to answer so you could get to know them a little. So, here's -

Five minutes with Mandy Braatz

What’s your job at J. LaMore?

MB - My job at J. LaMore has to do with all things creative. I am the resident graphic designer and creative director. On lookbook photo shoots I help to style and direct the models and I have also started to do some of the photography. Most of the time, however, I am in the “cave” with Jim looking over my shoulder, telling me to make my fonts bigger. He’s my special helper ;)

How did you get the job?

MB - I studied abroad with Julie’s older sister, Marianne, who knew that I was into fashion and suggested that I become a J. LaMore shopping “friend”. Once I got back to Madison, I stopped in to talk to Jennifer and Jim about helping out on lookbook photo shoots and getting some experience and they took me on as a fashion intern for the summer. Luckily, they liked me enough to keep me here permanently!

How has jlamore.com changed since you’ve been here?

MB - It has become the epitome of awesomeness! Over the past year we have been striving to create a new, more fashion-driven website through more frequent lookbook updates, more images and shopping features on the homepage, and more interesting pages to visit. Overall, I think it’s prettier to look at now.

What life experiences have you had that have changed you?

MB - Studying abroad in Greece for a semester has definitely had the biggest impact on my life thus far. It’s a very eye-opening experience to live in a different country because it humbles and matures you in a way that you could not at home. The people I met there and the things I did are some of the best memories I have in my life.

What have you learned while working at J. LaMore?

MB - Not to piss Jim off. Julie will never stop talking. Jessica tells the best “stories” about nothing. And Jennifer hates walking in anything but heels.

Tell us a funny story about something that happened to you?

MB - Senior year of high school I went to Mexico for Spring Break with my family and some friends. One night we were walking around in downtown Playa del Carmen where they were putting up a new shopping centers and restaurants and whatnot. Because of this, there was a lot of construction. I was chatting with my friend and not really looking where I was going and as we rounded a corner I fell straight into a pothole. My friends and family all turned around to see me, just a head and shoulders, peeking out above the ground. My brother and sister immediately erupted in laughter as my parents helped me out. It hurt a little, but I was mostly just in shock after falling into a pothole in the ground. To this day, they all say they wish they had taken a picture.

Meet the J. LaMore Staff. . . !

All of the people who work at J. LaMore and jlamore.com have to have a certain skill set. They have to bring something to the table other then a warm personality and a friendly disposition. Warm and friendly is very important but it's not everything these day. It's not like it used to be and these young women need to know a lot of stuff! So, Jennifer and I have decided this week to introduce all the people who work here and let them open up and answer some questions so that you can get to know them a little. We had a photo shoot with each one in the studio and let them pick their own pictures and answer the questions we gave them without any interference. Except spell check. I can only take so much. - Jim McCarthy


Five minutes with Raquel Burish.

Who are you?

RB - Well to start off with the basics, my name is Raquel Burish and I am going to be a junior at Edgewood High School. I love to spend time with my family and friends. I always joke about how my family is exactly like the family in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. My best friend is my mom and I am the most happy around her. I am lucky because I have three very supportive parents that introduce me to many different experiences. I usually spend my summers on the lake with the Mad City Ski Team but I decided I wanted a change this summer so I am not skiing this year. My goal for the future is to pursue an acting career. My mother was an actress and has been coaching me along the way as I write monologues, and perform among audiences.

What do you do at J. LaMore?

RB - I was hired as a project manager intern which basically means I learn how everything works behind the scenes and work on projects as they are given to me. My biggest project I am working on is for the upcoming fashion show. For the show I help with developing the theme, organizing outfits, picking music, and all the chaos backstage! At the store I also help and model for the lookbook and the home page on the website, as well as learn how to keep a current inventory. In Jim’s words I am enrolled in “Marketing 101”.

How did you get that position?

RB - I have been coming into the store alongside my mom since grade school. All I would think about when I was little was, “I can’t wait till I am old enough to wear the clothes at J. LaMore!” Once I got older I started buying my own clothes, but I noticed the age range of the staff. Towards the end of this past school year I stopped in one afternoon and talked to Jennifer about possibly working for her during the summer. After stopping by a couple more times Jennifer and Jim decided to offer me an internship which I was more than thrilled to accept!

What do you want to learn?

RB - Most of my friends in high school work with each other at grocery stores, country clubs, or restaurants. While all of those are great jobs, I wanted a different experience. I want to learn how J. LaMore stays up to date with current trends and styles also how they keep their business successful alongside other competitive boutiques. Marketing is something I knew I would learn and begin to understand at a different type of job. So far I learned so much on what it takes to keep a store noticed and how to go above and beyond your competition.

What life experiences have a profound impact on you?

RB - This August will be the two year mark of when I shattered my femur while water-ski jumping. I broke it in three places and it shattered into 15 pieces in one area. I was in a wheelchair for a month and had to miss the first two months of freshman year. Since the accident I have not been able to be in any competitive sports because of healing and rehab. During that time my love for acting surfaced and showed me a side of myself I did not know I had. After going through the past two years, I believe now that I can get past anything.

Tell us a funny story about yourself.

RB - Well any day I am with my mom there is a story to tell. One of my favorites was on Christmas Eve and as usual we were running 15 minutes late. We had just got into her car to drive over to my aunts for dinner. At the end of our ally there was a large snow bank we had to drive over in order to get onto the road, a few minutes after we slowly drove over the bank we noticed the car had a flat tire. Now my mom was in a very bad mood, we rushed back home to switch into my car, we pulled up to the garage and I ran out of the car to get my keys from inside, as I ran in front of her car I slipped in my new heels on a patch of ice and flew head over heels on the ground. I popped just my head up to see my mom’s reaction as she was still sitting in the car, and sure enough she was dying laughing.

Meet the J. LaMore Staff. . . !

It seems that everyone I know has asked me at one time or another about the people who work at J. LaMore and jlamore.com. So this week I decided to introduce all the fun people who work here and keep the machine running smooth. Julie MacGuidwin is our resident geek and chatterbox. She can talk like no one else and it's the funniest thing. Jim, at one point, told Julie on one of her chattier days that she had to stop talking for two minutes. She couldn't do it. She froze at her desk as we all watched her freak out trying not to talk. We still tease her about it. So let me introduce Julie MacGuidwin. I asked her a few questions so you can spend some time and get to know her. - Jennifer LaMore

Five minutes with Julie MacGuidwin!

What do you do at J. LaMore?
JM - What don’t I do at J. LaMore is the better question! I spend about 70% of my time behind the scenes working on our website and doing other computer related things. The other part of my day is spent helping customers look fabulous!

How did you get the job?
JM - I was looking for a nanny position on craigslist when I came across Jennifer’s post looking for a “fashion minded person to work in retail”. 3 years ago I applied to be a sales associate, and today my job has expanded to much more than that!

How has the store changed since you started?
JM - The biggest change was the website. When I started working here we didn’t have one and one of my jobs was to create an inventory system that connected directly to the website which would be accurate in realtime. We still use it today and now look where we are! The store has also become less quiet since I started working here….I always have a story to tell or something to say!

What have you learned while working at J. LaMore?
JM - I’ve learned SO much working here at J. LaMore. For the obvious, I’ve learned all about fashion, retail, and customer service. Personally I have learned how to balance working and going to school. Along with working at J. LaMore, I baby-sit 3 or so times a week during the school year. Not to mention I’m active in my sorority as well! It’s been a challenge to get everything I need to done in all aspects of my life, but working here has definitely taught me how to do it well!

What life experiences have had a profound affect on you?
JM - Many times people travel and learn something profound from that experience. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel a lot (all around the U.S., The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Greece.) I’d say these experiences affected me in specific ways… but all I really do on vacation, regardless of my destination, is layout on the beach! I have learned how to get the perfect suntan, though ;).

Tell us a funny story about yourself.
JM - I have way too many funny stories about myself. Everyday I come into work with a new one. A favorite of mine happened 3 years ago while the J. LaMore gang was walking to the "Best of Madison" party. In downtown Madison, there are vents on the sidewalk. We were walking to the party, and the other girls walked around the vent, so I assumed they did so because they had skinny heels on and they didn't want them to fall through the cracks. I was wearing thick heeled pumps and thought that I wouldn’t need to worry about it. Turned out that they all walked around it because the vent was blowing up air. My dress blew up in front of a restaurant window full of people. We had a good laugh about this one.