By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Opening a boutique amid a pandemic was somewhat risky, but if you are a veteran of the United States Army, you have lived on the edge of life and so taking a leap of faith is part of your inner core.
Krystale Shaw-Brown served in the Army until her retirement about three years ago. She may have retired but her husband, Sergeant Floyd Brown continued to serve in the United States Army. The couple are proud parents of two boys, ages 6 and 7, so she continued to live a life filled with the military for a little bit beyond her own retirement.
In Summer 2020 when hubby was given orders to deploy to Korea, it was time for the family to make plans for their future beyond the military. So naturally, returning home to Galveston to start a business is what drew their attention.
Both Krystale and Floyd are from Galveston and had known each other since they were kids, but they didn’t get married till they were a decade or so beyond high school graduation.
Creating an online boutique while still serving our nation was a task Krystale took on but found that her focus had to be on the military and her family. So, when she retired from the military and the chance to open her own in-person shop presented itself, she — along with the support of her family — jumped at it.
Thus, was born Lady Brown Boutique at the corner of Market and Rosenberg Streets in Galveston. She opened her doors in September 2020. “Business has been good. We get all kinds of clients who come into our shop,” said Krystale.
Lady Brown is the name of her deceased Grandma-in-law, “Everyone used to call my husband’s Grandma Lady Brown and I wanted to use her name because she was the kindest, most soft-spoken and sweetest person I had ever met,” explained Krystale.
“Her real name was Lilian Brown, but everyone called her Lady Brown,” Krystale added.
Going from working with Apache helicopters to providing dresses, wraps, purses, shoes, sunglasses, candles, and all kind of other female delights to her customers seems to have been an easy transition for Krystale. “I had been dreaming of owning my own boutique for about ten years and now here I am,” said Krystale.
Her time is divided between homeschooling her children and providing a unique shopping experience for her clients. The boys are usually at the shop with their classroom in the back area where they log in for online learning under her close supervision since she is just a curtain call away from them.
Not only does Lady Brown offer shoppers all the delights of bright colored dresses, beads, greeting cards, flip flops, swimsuits — essentially everything a woman needs on a Texas island — Krystale makes sure every client leaves her store feeling a little better about themselves.
“Sometimes clients come in and they have had a hard time with life, and I’ll spend time in prayer with them. I always offer words of encouragement and praise and I don’t expect people to buy something. I truly feel best if I have made other people’s day a better day,” explained Krystle.
On one somber occasion, Krystle recalls a mother, and her 28-year-old daughter came into the shop.
“I could just see something was wrong, the young woman was eaten over with cancer, and they had just received bad news from the doctor. We spent time just praying and sharing and when she left her mother reported that she was so surprised that a stranger had been so kind to her,” Krystale explained.
(The young woman was taken home to God just a few days after visiting the shop.)
If you step into Lady Brown, you will be greeted by her or a staff member’s easy smile and a sincere welcome to browse and enjoy their display of goods. If you are thirsty, she has water on hand to give to those in need of hydration.
Though she loves owning a boutique, family comes first. Between the shop and her husband’s military schedule, they try to make sure the whole family is together at least once every 30 days.
Sometimes she and the boys go to see him in Virginia, where he is currently stationed. Other times he comes home to Galveston to be with his family, and he also helps run the boutique.
Krystale is the youngest of eight children, and her siblings all pitch in to help make her dreams a reality. While she’s in Virginia, one of her family members is keeping the business going. “If the shop ever becomes too much, I’ll close it in a heartbeat, my family comes first,” said Krystle.
Visitors to Lady Brown will find the store is designed to inspire and empower woman which is as Krystale intended the store to be. “It is important to me that women leave here feeling good about themselves, that’s what really motivates me,” shared Krystale.
