Ground Floor: New North Liberty vintage store a family affair

Yolanda Halferty and Dakota Zirbel share more than that special bond between a mother and daughter. They also share a business.

On May 5, the mother-daughter duo opened Vintage Soul, a home décor and clothing boutique in North Liberty.

The shop, which is located in Liberty Plaza, sells an eclectic mix of women's clothing, vintage furniture, jewelry, and unique gift items.

Halferty said the shop's quirky aesthetic reflects the creative flair that she and her daughter share.

'We've always been artistic and expressive when it comes to clothing and decorating our home,” she said. 'The store is an outlet for that creativity.”

Mother and daughter also share a background working in retail and a long-time desire to start their own business. They spent three years planning for their joint venture, and both women completed an entrepreneurship course to better prepare themselves to become business owners.

'It taught us the ins and outs of owning our own business,” Halferty said. 'You don't always have a book that tells you what to do. You have to do your own investigation.”

They said their business plan evolved from the original concept of a home décor store when they decided to add some clothing into the mix.

'It blossomed from there,” Halferty said.

'We expanded on the clothing a lot in the last two months since we've been open,” Zirbel said, noting they add new merchandise weekly. 'We have something for everybody, including curvy girl sizes.”

The women handpick all items for the store, with an emphasis on pieces that are not available elsewhere.

'We look for one-of-a-kind items that stand out from the average store,” Halferty said.

'We ask ourselves, can you find it at the mall?” Zirbel added.

While Halferty and Zirbel run the store themselves, the rest of the family has pitched in to help.

Halferty's husband, a business executive, is the 'numbers guy” and assists with business strategy. Her two sons print the store's custom t-shirts through their respective screen printing businesses, Kyote Sports of Mason City and Fangs For Nothing of Des Moines. Another daughter has created an exclusive line of throw pillows.

Zirbel said that while she and her mother occasionally butt heads on merchandise selection, the business partnership is working well.

'Her style is more girlie than mine, but we both understand the style direction we're heading to,” she said.

'I respect her choices,” Halferty added. 'And she can veto mine.”

At a Glance

' Owners: Yolanda Halferty and Dakota Zirbel

' Business: Vintage Soul

' Address: 185 Highway 965, Suite 3, North Liberty

' Telephone: (319) 459-1205

' Facebook: www.facebook.com/VintageSoulIowa