BIZ

Alexandria Nicole

On June 1, 2020, I woke up not realizing that this would be the day that would change the trajectory of my life and that this day would mark the beginning of my self-purpose coming into fruition. I was unaware that this would be the day that all of the suppressed hurts and pains resulting from being alienated in school for being dark-skinned and receiving unwelcoming glares at restaurants and verbally scolded for the existence of my interracial family would dissipate. This day would be a day of healing.

Having never truly understood the purpose or benefits of protesting, I reluctantly decided to participate in our town Solidarity March. Though riddled with anxiety and uncertainty, I persisted with the anticipation of a small-scale gathering of individuals, representative of how little I assumed that this community cared about people of color, a preconceived notion based upon the pain of my past experiences. Being that my only relationship with protesting, at the time, was the hostile and violent displays I had seen on tv, I told myself to remain mindful and focused on the energy of the walk and to be aware of when leaving might be the best course of action. All of these thoughts echoed in my mind as I approached the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge, Colorado, scanning the crowd and searching for others in the dress code of black shirts.

As I drew closer to Main Street, I began to hear megaphoned chants and saw people marching peacefully through blocked-off streets. Seeing hundreds of people marching in this small mountain town on a Monday afternoon became more visible, I began to sob uncontrollably. Witnessing our community marching and chanting, in unison, demanding equality for people of color penetrated my soul to its core. With my tears, I released every ounce of pain, that unbeknownst to me, had been shackling me throughout my lifetime.

I realized that I, too, had been a slave, not at all in the same essence as ancestors, but rather a prisoner of blatant microaggressions I had experienced for the duration of my life, which have dictated my behaviors and emotional states.

Dozens of disapproving looks, comments, and gestures over the decades of my life had formed psychological bars inhibiting the very essence of who I was and all happening so subconsciously that even I was unaware that these bars existence. As my tears flowed, I released these inhibiting boundaries and decided it was time to step into my newfound freedom. This freedom unlocked within me as I witnessed our community declare in solidarity their love for all.

The following week I met with the co-facilitator of The Solidarity Walk, Evin Harris. We discussed the potent energy of love and healing that the walk encompassed. I expressed how it had changed me and my desire to keep that momentum going via community conversations. The initial idea was to host one talk, but with the suggestion of my friend, Carime Lee, I decided to host them monthly. I spoke with Evin Harris and asked for her blessing on calling these events The Solidarity Talk. The objective of The Solidarity Talks would be to create change through conversations using languages of love, consideration, and respect while discussing topics prevalent to improving social equality and community. True to the spirit of the mission, each talk has been a triumphant display of engaging, thought-provoking, and respectful dialog that uplifts everyone participating and serves as a safe space for all community members to discuss their thoughts. Each talk features a specific topic of discussion, performances from talented musicians, an intentionally diverse group of 5-7 keynote speakers, and community conversation at closing!

This year, we are happy to announce that we will be incorporating free activities for kids and multicultural foods to enjoy during the community conversation to talk and connect with our diverse community members. Experiencing a dish, you may have never tasted before can help link one with a new culture.

I hope to accomplish the task of showing people that we are more connected through our struggles and human experiences than we often are aware of, and it’s through those commonalities that we can collectively heal and start the work to rebuild humanity from a space of love.

Sandy Helt

Meet Sandy Helt, a fashion-forward thinker who has brought style, one store at a time, to Colorado mountain town women. What started as a dream during Helt’s college years has resulted in a fabulous line of boutiques, now in seven Colorado locations. Crafting and creativity was a gift her mother shared with her and her sister as they grew up. It is where she believes her zeal for art, jewelry, and the fashion world came from, and she is very grateful for the passion her mother instilled in her. While Sandy was studying PreMed during college, she took an Entrepreneurship class as one of her electives. Sandy loved designing jewelry, a hobby she began while attending University, and decided that Entrepreneurship would be the anchor in achieving successes in life, and owning her own business became the goal. After graduating, Sandy began selling her jewelry designs. She left her childhood state of South Dakota and headed to Colorado, where she called Boulder her home for a short while. Her first business was initially called Pearl Street Jewelry, and Sandy would visit stores with samples that her clients could order. “I traveled through the state several times each year, taking my clients orders and shipping their selections to them.” When she moved to Breckenridge, Sandy decided to make Pearl Street Jewelry a full-time gig. “I was very busy and looking for opportunities to sell at farmers markets and through the art show circuit in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona while living the gypsy lifestyle out of my car. In the back of my mind, though, I couldn’t give up the idea of having a clothing boutique. The problem was I didn’t have the means, or I couldn’t find a great spot in Summit County to start something up. It was through serendipity that I found the perfect opportunity in Avon.” A fair-sized but manageable space opened up in The Annex at 142 Beaver Creek Place and became the first Valley Girl Boutique, lovingly named for the women of the Vail Valley who began shopping there. “The name was perfect and attracted Vail Valley locals as well as tourists. I wanted to create a store that appealed to people who lived in the area first and bring affordable, fashionable wear to mountain town communities because there was no place to find stylish clothing at moderate price points. I have always loved being a mountain girl, but I wanted to be a stylie mountain girl.” It all started as a one-woman show when the first store opened in 2007 at the Avon location, and it was not all fun and fabulous. It was a bit more rough and tumble as Sandy broke her ankle two weeks before she opened, but she persevered and opened a second store a year later in Breckenridge. Sandy still had her jewelry business during that time but said, “it was challenging to keep up with both the business and produce my jewelry line. I still needed jewelry, but after a few years, I relinquished that love and began supporting other artists creating unique pieces through sales in my store. I bring a wide variety of jewelry from different artists and try to find unique things to create an appealing selection.” Ruby Jane was developed to move away from the Valleygirl concept as Valleygirl Boutique was intended more for the women of the Vail Valley. “I was excited about growing Ruby Jane as a new concept and include home decor, wedding gifts, a baby section, more shoes, and jewelry. Clothing, of course, is still the anchor, but the selection is different from Valleygirl’s offerings. I also really wanted to bring Ruby Jane to more mountain towns. I was cautious in selecting opportunities that made sense for our business model. The Old Bay Street shop space and the building that housed the business became available in Breckenridge. We purchased it, which allowed me to branch out and take Ruby Jane from concept to reality. “We are a family-run business, myself, my husband, my sisters, my mother-in-law, my niece and sister-in-law have all been involved and still are. Throughout all of this, I was having children. I had my daughter Lyla about a year after I open the Breckenridge store. She turned 1 when I opened up the Aspen store. Being a working mom has its challenges, I had my second daughter two years later and have always brought them to Market with me. I stay involved. Right now, I am helping lead two girl scout troops with my girls. I want to do more with the community and the kids. I am very committed to keeping up with my children and being the best mom I can be.” “One of my favorite parts of operating Valleygirl and Ruby Jane is attending the markets. Buying trips are so fun. I love going to Market, seeing what’s new, meeting the designers, checking out new brands, labels, and new lines. I’m always trying to find something different, things that catch my eye. I try to shop as an individual would shop at any of my stores.” “I have an amazing management team, and I also love working in the stores. Each town, each store has its own identity. I love visiting each store, experiencing their differences, and connecting with all of my staff. I am always waiting for perfect shop spaces to open and be ready to jump when I find the next right space.” Sandy’s newest focus is on her online store RubyJane.