How It Started

I have worked in retail since the age of 15 when I worked various jobs at the mall, in the suburbs of Cleveland where I grew up. I went on to undergrad at The Ohio State University while majoring in Textiles and Clothing and earning a degree in Fashion Merchandising, and during this time I was working at the opening of the first Nordstrom in Columbus. It felt like a natural next step when I accepted an internship position at the Lane Bryant corporate office, where I gained experience in visual merchandising. I worked while I attended grad school at Franklin University where I obtained my Master’s of Marketing and Communications in 2007.

I had met my husband at Lane Bryant and we were married in November of 2007 and had recently made a move to Westerville. During this time we had come up with the concept of a retail wine and gift shop. The area was quaint and had that small town feel but lacked in diversity of shops in what had been a historically Dry area. We pushed our vision through and opened in April of 2008, and today, after various iterations of the business, we continue to evolve and grow in a now vibrant Uptown retail community.

Building a business from the ground up and continuing to evolve the business model over the years has been one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences. With the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic we made a swift pivot to a new business model, and we have continued to use our previous experiences to navigate through this new phase of our business.

Facing challenges and learning through trial and error has been the best education in the small business world. Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with other women, friends and colleagues, that have aspired to start a small business and have taken the leap. I found that working with women on this level and helping them follow their dream is something I am deeply passionate about. I started this consulting business not to replace the businesses that I built, but to marry my two passions and to help other women in our community through all that I have learned on my journey.

The name Mint Stand Consulting was inspired by my daughter, Laila. When she was younger, our garden had become overrun by mint that we had planted there, and she began her own small journey of entrepreneurship, selling mint in our front yard every summer from the time she was 6 until the time she was about 10. It is one of my favorite memories and it felt like a heartfelt connection to this business.

I truly look forward to working with you and helping support you in your entrepreneurial endeavors. - Tatjana