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hen Cindy O’Day opened the doors in 2004 to O’Day Cache, her Asian-influenced decor and gift boutique in downtown Fargo, some people thought she was nuts.

“There were still a lot of empty spaces,” said Cindy of the pre-gentrified location. “People who knew me from my home-based business asked me, ‘Why are you going there?’ But I knew people would find me.” two entryways - to its former home base on Broadway. Teresa has an eye for detail and keen sense of mixing vintage-inspired wear with modern pieces. And she cleverly stocks no more than six pieces of one item at a time so her customers always feel a sense of excitement when they make a purchase.

And they have. With its white-scripted window logo and floor to ceiling displays of everything from jewelry and deluxe bath and body goods to chinoiserie furniture and children’s tchotchkes, O’Day Cache is a downtown destination in and of itself.

“My customers know that my store changes almost everyday so they always want to come back for more,” she said.

Fast forward six years when her daughter, fresh from college, wanted to open her own clothing store. Just like her mother, there was no better fit for Teresa O’Day’s boho-chic clothing shop, Proper & Prim, than downtown Fargo.

“It was downtown or nowhere,” Teresa said.

Proper & Prim started as a retail space inside O’Day Cache but before long blossomed into its own store, situated beside - and connected via

This successful mother-daughter duo has more in common than a shared love of their hometown’s cultural center, though. They are enthusiastic entrepreneurs, intrepid travelers, and delightfully devoted to one another.

“What I like about Teresa is that she’s compassionate, caring and fun,” explained Cindy just a couple of days before she flew to China to curate new merchandise for the holiday shopping season.

Teresa is equally enamored with her mom. “She’s really funny and fun to be around. Plus she’s interesting and goofy. All my friends love her too.”

The O’Day’s captivating personalities is one of the things that keep their clients coming back for more season after season. Customer service has long been a cornerstone at O’Day Cache. Cindy has been known to text photos of new items to customers before they hit shelves and clients often email her ‘gift lists,’ especially around the holidays.

“I want to feel like a friend to them,” said Cindy. “I want my customers to know that I truly care about them as people. I know their styles and if that mixes well with the trends.”

Teresa, who credits working at O’Day Cache as a teen for developing part of her business acumen, is following her mom’s lead at Proper & Prim by driving customer service through social media. She has an active Twitter following and regularly posts hot items to her store’s Facebook page.

“I made a conscious decision about my store and how I want to interact with my customers,” stated Teresa. “When I post something to Facebook I’m creating a conversation with my customers. I want them to ask about the piece, find out if I have it in their size. In the best circumstances, they tell me to ‘hold’ it for them and they come by later that day to snap it up!”

B ut if you think that, as a mother, Cindy is constantly checking in on Teresa, you’d be mistaken. The two women have developed a mutual respect and understanding of each other’s business and how they like to run their respective stores. For example, Teresa keeps longer evening hours to ensure that students and young professionals have ample time to shop after school or work. Cindy knows her clientele prefers to shop during the daytime so there is little need for her to stay open past five (except for the holiday season).

There is a bonus to working side by side, too. O’Day Cache and Proper & Prim share employees, and staffers are knowledgeable of the wares in each store. Even better, Cindy and Teresa have someone to cover for them when they need to run an errand, or say, grab lunch!

“When I need to run across the street, it’s really nice knowing I have my mom, someone I trust, watch my store,” said Teresa.

Working side by side, in business and in life, Cindy and Teresa O’Day have found a relationship of which mothers and daughters everywhere can be envious. [AWM]