32nd Annual Loudoun Small Business Awards Finalist Spotlight: Madisonbelle
Thank you to Owner Shelley Scheerschmidt for sharing her story with us. Congratulations on being named a finalist in our Retail & Consumer Service category for the 32nd Annual Loudoun Small Business Awards!
Madisonbelle opened in Historic Downtown Leesburg in 2004, and I’ve had the joy of owning it for 9 years. I came from more than 20 years in corporate marketing, product management and strategic planning, and I applied that knowledge into repositioning and transforming Madisonbelle. I built the website, brought in a new POS system, created and maintain our social media, and put real numbers behind our buying. But the most exciting change has been who we’ve become: a styling company that happens to sell clothing. Women come to us because getting dressed should feel easy, and making it easy is what we love to do.
Owner Shelley Scheerschmidt
The trust our clients place in us. Some women have been with us for years. They come in to shop, but they also come in to catch up and share what’s going on in their lives. And I’m proud of what three people can do! Sue, Annika and I run this business together, and my team is exceptional with clients. We find the most joy in helping women understand their personal style and bringing out their best look for everyday life.
Most stores sell clothing. We teach you how to wear it. I created the Madisonbelle Method, our own way of helping a woman understand her style, her shape and her colors. Our flagship program, Belleprint, is three private appointments, and the client leaves with her own illustrated style guide. Clients tell us it’s changed the way they get dressed. We don’t dress women for their age. We dress them for their life.
Our Wardrobe Reset program collects gently worn clothing and gets it to people who can use it. We also host a summer intern program for young women who want to learn retail and styling. We’ve been on Loudoun Street for over 20 years, and we love being part of downtown.
Storefront in Downtown Leesburg
It would be recognition that we’ve made a difference in so many women’s lives. It would also help us get the word out about Madisonbelle, and it would show that brick-and-mortar retail, in-person styling and women’s clothing still matter in Loudoun.
My mother. Before Madisonbelle, she and I co-founded EarthGEM, a heritage jewelry business. She taught me how to build something from the ground up, and to love craftsmanship and the story behind every piece. Pieces from that archive are part of our Heritage Collection at Madisonbelle today, so her influence is still in the store.
I’ve always wanted to run my own business, and I’m thankful for the opportunity over the last 9 years.
You’ll find me in my greenhouse, propagating plants and hunting for garden antiques. I’m also on a mission to master sourdough! In warmer weather we’re out on the boat. Gardening and styling come from the same place for me: taking care of something and watching it grow.
I want to grow Belleprint and the Madisonbelle Method so more women can experience styling the way our best clients do. That means deeper relationships with our clients, a sharper inventory, and new programs, workshops and content that go beyond the dressing room. The store will always be the heart of it. Longer term, I’d love to teach the Madisonbelle Method to other independent boutiques and help them become the place women trust, not just the place they shop. If what we’ve built on Loudoun Street can help other boutique owners do that, that’s the best kind of growth.