D+K Renewals The Saint Cloud FL Local Business Spotlight
D+K Renewals Owner Dawnelle Sarlo Is Our Saint Cloud FLLocal Business Spotlight
D+K Renewals is the focus of our 32nd episode ofDiscover St. Cloud FL. Dawnelle Sarlo is interviewed by Jeanine Corcoran broker of Corcoran Connect.D+K Renewals is located at 1310 11th St. St Cloud, FL 34769.
Jeanine loves interviewing the local businesses in Saint Cloudand these spotlights are her favorite. She stated that D+KRenewals reminds her of a retail store she used to visit oftenas a kid. Kristin said Dawnelle created a great aesthetic in herstore and she loves it.
Jeanine began the interview and asked when she started herbusiness. Dawnelle answered that she started her business six yearsago. D+K Renewals started as an online business when Dawnelle livedin Washington state. She is often asked what the “D”and “K” stand for in the business name D+K Renewals.The “D” represents her first name, and the“K” represents her cousin Kirstin.
Video Interview Of JeanineCorcoran And D+K Renewals Owner Dawnelle Sarlo
When she started D+K Renewals as an online business six yearsago, it was only the textiles she was selling. Dawnelle was runningher business from her home after moving to St. Cloud FL and it wasdifficult at first. She did have a 2,000-square-foot garage for herproducts to operate from when living in Washington. However, whenDawnelle moved to St. Cloud FL, all the products were now in herhome. It wasn’t working for her.
D+K Renewals Opens Its Saint Cloud FL Retail Store InSeptember 2021
She talked to her husband and decided to open a retail store indowntown Saint Cloud FL. Dawnelle figured if she was going to payoverhead then why not do it in a retail store environment. Having aretail store allowed her to see her customer’s reactions towhat she offered versus an online customer where you get nofeedback. Dawnelle loves seeing the people’s reactions andthe expressions on their faces when in her store.
She was asked if she does live videos by Jeanine. Dawnelle saidyes. She likes doing live sales as well as posting on her socialmedia channels. Her business in Saint Cloud has now been open for ayear and it is her second location.
Dawnelle was asked by Jeanine how she got started in herbusiness and why did she choose it? She replied that she had abachelor’s degree in interior design as that was her focus incollege. When Dawnelle was 18 years old, she went to Ghana for afew months and taught people there about textiles. She also learneda great deal about the people and fell in love with theirtextiles.
Dawnelle’s approach is vastly different from the big boxapproach when it comes to textiles. Big box stores offer textilesthat are very expensive and there is no story behind them.
Who Is Dawnelle Sarlo Owner Of This Unique RetailStore?
She gave an example. One of Dawnelle's sources is awoman in India. She makes authentic pieces for her storein St. Cloud. Dawnelle pays her well for her work and in return,she gets an authentic piece with a unique story to tell hercustomers and as a result, can offer great value to them.
Jeanine then asked Dawnelle to tell the audience about herself.She answered that she is a mother and has 3 children. She’sbeen married for 15 years. Dawnelle is the oldest of 7 children andshe likes to make people smile. Dawnelle likes to be surrounded byhappy people and good vibes.
Jeanine then asked Dawnelle about the products in her store andif she had a number one bestseller or category. Dawnelle answeredthat in-store plants sell the best. She likes helping introduceplants into people’s homes. She also likes helping educatepeople on the textiles in her store and where they came from andtheir meaning.
How do you serve the people of Saint Cloud and the town itselfJeanine asked. Dawnelle replied that she brings a different vibe toSaint Cloud than you can’t find elsewhere. She loves to seethe reaction of people that come into the store. She feels it whencustomers walk in, and they can immediately feel at peace.
The Owner Of D+K Renewals Offers A Peaceful ExperienceIn Her Store
Dawnelle feels like people have an actual experience in herstore. She said there are so many things to look at and touch inthe store and she likes to provide that for people.
Jeanine commented that they had a store like Dawnelle’swhere she grew up in New Jersey called Pick Wick Village. She saidit was her favorite store, something new in the 1970s. Jeanine saidit was her happy store.
Jeanine asked Dawnelle what state she moved from coming here toSaint Cloud. She replied that her family is originally from theEast Coast, and they were living in Washington, just outside ofSeattle for the last 10 years prior to moving to Saint Cloud.
Dawnelle said she moved here because of Covid to be close tofamily as her in-laws live here near her and her husband. Herhusband’s grandparents live close by as well and so does hergrandmother who lives an hour south of St. Cloud.
Jeanine asked her what she would say to someone moving to SaintCloud FL. Dawnelle said she really loves it here. She likes itbecause it is centrally located, and you can easily access Orlandofrom here. If you want to go to Orlando for the food, theshopping, the city, or the theme parks, you can. She continued thatyou can also get to the coast quickly and enjoy the beaches whichshe loves.
The Small-Town Vibe That Saint Cloud FL Has IsAttractive To Out-Of-State Visitors
Dawnelle said that Saint Cloud has that small-town vibe which isperfect for her and her family. It has a small-town feel. She walksinto the grocery store and sees people she knows. She loves thesmall-town southern feel of living here.
Jeanine asked her about the people coming to visit SaintCloud what is the one place that they shouldn’t miss asidefrom her store of course. Dawnelle said it would have to be thedowntown area; she loves it. She spends a lot of time downtown andshops at all the cute boutique stores here. It is a fun place tocome and walk around and dine at great restaurants and shop.
We hope you enjoyed Jeanine interviewing Dawnelle Sarlo of D+KRenewals our Saint Cloud FL Business Spotlight. This will continueto be a monthly focus for the Discover St. Cloud Floridapodcast.