Meet Shushana | Business Owner, Marigold House

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shushana and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shushana, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The reality is, the business kind of fell into my lap. My father started our boutique in 2010. It was primarily a home goods store, and my parents were working together at the shop. I was focused on my tech career, traveling back and forth between LA & Sillicon Valley. In 2015, my father unexpectedly fell ill and sadly passed away. We considered closing down, but customers from the neighborhood would visit us, with tears in their eyes, reminiscing about how much they loved my father and shopping at the boutique. So, my mom and I, decided to hold on a little longer.

As I was spending more time at the boutique, I decided to make the shopping experience everything I want it to be, when I go shopping. First, I started to personalize the look and feel of our product selection to my own taste. I sought out unique Israeli artists and built our modern Judaica (Jewish giftware) selection. Before long, we completely revamped the store, and introduced a curated selection of products by brands and artists from all over the world. We (my mom and I) also designed a collection of baby gowns for the Jewish ceremony of Brit Milah. Our brand, RAYA Baby-which is a collection of baby gowns and baby kippahs-can be found at many Jewish gift stores and at most of the Brit Milah events in Los Angeles. Our Judaica boutique has also become a popular place to prepare for your Jewish Wedding: A great selection of modern Ketubahs, premium custom kippahs with hundreds of colors and many fabrics to combine, Kiddush cups, and we proudly carry probably the largest selection of tallitot in all of Los Angeles.

It’s beautiful to be a part of your customer’s life journey-they plan their Jewish wedding with us, then we see them again and again, as their family begins to grow, and the holidays. Every stage of Jewish life, involves a visit to Marigold House.

Shopping for one’s Ketubah (Jewish marriage contract), is a spiritual and emotional experience. The couple usually spends a lot of time with us, selecting other items for their wedding and we develop a bond. I didn’t realize how much of a connection was built, until they started inviting me to their weddings!

I have had so many great experiences in this business, but this is surely one of my favorites: One afternoon, a customer opened the door to our store, and shouted: “I browsed through the internet for gifts, but you have THE nicest things. So, I had to come here!” That was her greeting. I still laugh when I remember that day.

So, what was our thought process behind building our business? We personalized the Judaica experience. The passion and love that we have put into the boutique and how we interact with our customers, has resonated with the community.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career had a short start in the non profit sector, after which I delved into the tech world for over 10 years. Having had an opportunity to work with many larger online e-commerce companies, provided a platform for my business’ online vertical. When you are starting from scratch, you work on a budget (actual, a small business is always working on a budget!)

What sets us apart, is that everything is personal with us. For example, unlike many other companies, our emails, Instagram and Facebook are always responded by a real person, here in the shop (most of the time it’s me!). That personal attention, has been called out by most of my customers and is the reason for their loyalty.

There is a great deal of personal pleasure when customers appreciate what you make for them. I’ve got to admit, I feel freaking fabulous when I see a customer’s eyes light up, when we present them with their custom made kippot for their special events. While traveling to Silicon Valley was fun, being home based and serving my community has been extremely fulfilling.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love Los Angeles. There is so much diversity in culture and that has given us a seemingly endless selection of great food places. I love spending time in Santa Monica (my alma mater!) -I’d take visiting friends to one of the cafe’s on Montana ave, for a delicious Sunday brunch experience. Other favorite spot include Urth Cafe on Melrose, South Beverly Grill, and Tartine. LA’s must see spot include the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena and Santa Monica, in my opinion. They are my favorite places to be.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The entire Jewish community of Los Angeles and across the United States deserve a big shoutout! My business grew and evolved with their input and the friendship of everyone that supported me. Thank you for your friendship and trust in us.

Website: www.MarigoldHouseLA.com

Instagram: instagram.com/MarigoldHouseLA

Twitter: twitter.com/MarigoldHouse

Facebook: facebook.com/marigoldhousela

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/marigold-house-los-angeles

Image Credits
Marigold House