Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel McNeel.
Rachel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Rachel McNeel, and I’m the owner of The Pink Peony! I have a love for fashion that dates back to my early childhood. I grew up in a very low-income family and was one of six children. My mom made most of my clothes and taught me how to sew at a very young age. One Christmas, some people from the church we attended bought us Christmas gifts, and one of my gifts was a Barbie doll. I started sketching clothing designs and using leftover fabric scraps to sew clothes for my Barbie, and that’s where my love for fashion began! I’ve always been a big dreamer, but if you had told that little girl that she would one day own a clothing boutique, she wouldn’t have believed you for one second!
When I graduated high school, college wasn’t an option that was available to me. I was homeschooled throughout my juvenility and home school diplomas weren’t recognized by colleges back then (yes, I’m that old haha), which made scholarships and financial aid not an option. So, I dove into the work force and worked extra hard to work my way up the ladder. I’m honestly thankful for that time in my life because it taught me perseverance, which has played a huge role in this journey of being a small business owner.
Fast forward to 2015…… After spending all my adult life working in lending and in the legal field, I found myself struggling as a single mom, trying to figure out how to provide for my three children while still getting to be a hands-on mom. Jobs that paid well were demanding, and I had to leave the kids with babysitters much more often than I was okay with. The heaviness of not being able to have that balance was real. I wanted a change, but I didn’t see a way to make that happen.
In 2016, I started dating this handsome guy who was kinder to me than any man had ever been. He was truly my knight in shining armor! It was a fast and furious romance, and nine months later, we were married! Shortly after he asked me to marry him, we were talking about life and dreams, and I mentioned to him that I had always wanted to open a boutique. His immediate response was, “Then why haven’t you?” That was the beginning of his mission to ensure that my lifelong dream of opening a boutique became a reality……and because of his persistence, it finally did!
On June 16, 2017, we opened The Pink Peony in an old building in the heart of downtown Corsicana, Texas (fun fact- our wedding flowers were pink Peonies which is where the boutiques name came from)! The building had a loft that I fixed up as a hangout for my kids. Anytime they weren’t in school, they would hang out with me at the shop. The balance of being a present mom, while also having a career, was finally becoming a reality!
The following year, we moved to our current location (right around the corner from the first one), and we’ve been here ever since! From the day we opened the boutique, we have been humbled by the massive amount of support we’ve received from our customers. Our community has been so supportive of us, and we also have people who live in large cities that shop with us, which is the biggest compliment I could ever receive! Because of our wide range of shoppers and word of mouth, we were contacted by Nordstrom during the Summer of 2018 and were asked to partner with them in hosting a beauty event in our boutique. This was a huge honor! We’ve since hosted several of those events, with makeup artists from Chanel, Trish McEvoy, and Charlotte Tilbury. These events are always a big hit, and we look forward to hosting more of them in the future!
In May of 2021, our family took a devastating blow when my husband was diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer. Soon to follow was our daughter’s struggle with significant mental health issues, which required 18 months of out-of-state treatment. We were in the trenches of life, and I had to shift my focus from the boutique to caring for my husband and daughter and being there for our other children as well. The constant doctor’s visits, hospital stays, and out-of-state travel, coupled with my day-to-day tasks, took a toll on me. I kept the boutique open, but I wasn’t present or engaged, and I was struggling to juggle everything. I had great employees, and friends, who jumped in to fill the gap so I could focus on taking care of my family. I couldn’t have made it through this time in my life without them!
As my husband’s illness progressed, he started having conversations with me about how important it is to him that I shift my focus back to the boutique. He told me he didn’t want to see me give up on the dream I’ve worked so hard to achieve. His pep talks, along with a whole lot of prayer, gave me a renewed mindset and the strength I needed to shift gears once again and focus more on the boutique and on ways to grow it.
In July 2024, another dream came true when we launched our own clothing line! This growth meant we would need a new website with more user-friendly features to support the growth. After many long hours and sleepless nights, our new website launched on February 4, 2025 (my birthday!). This launch was the best birthday present I could’ve received!! We’re in the early stages, but seeing the growth the website is already bringing is exciting and makes all the extra work it creates worthwhile!
I’m excited about the future of The Pink Peony, and I’m so grateful that God has given me the opportunity to live out my dreams along with giving me the most supportive husband to cheer me on!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been anything but a smooth road! About 6 months after I opened the boutique, the city decided to put in new sidewalks. The sidewalk in front of my store was the first one they tore out, and the last one they re-built. We were without a sidewalk for three months, which was a business killer- especially for a business that was in its first year. With no parking available and no sidewalk, I had to switch to doing Facebook Live sales in order to keep the lights on. We somehow made it through the construction only to be hit with a notice from my landlord the following week that he would be putting the building I was leasing up for sale at the end of my lease, which was 90 days away. Although he was willing to allow me to stay until the building sold, I knew that I had to act fast to find a new location.
A building became available right around the corner from us about 30 days before my lease was up. The building needed a complete overhaul before we would be able to move into it so with the help of family, we (my husband and I) spent the next 30 days renovating the building. We would work our regular jobs during the day, and work on the building every evening and into the night. The kids were troopers and ate pizza on the floor every night then would sleep on bean bag chairs while we worked into the night. If our marriage survived that, it could survive anything!
Then there was the COVID shutdown of 2020. We had to be closed for 8 weeks which was very difficult. After re-opening, there were supplier delays which made things very difficult for a while.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a clothing boutique that specializes in stylish, high-quality apparel for women. Quality is a top priority for us, so we are careful only to carry brands that meet our expectations for quality. Customer service is also a top priority for us. We love helping our customers out together outfits that make them feel confident and beautiful! Seeing someone try on an outfit and get excited about how they look in it is always a favorite part of our days!
We carry a variety of styles, from Athleisure to Wedding Guests and everything in between, in sizes XS- XL! We also carry Kendra Scott and Lilly Pulitzer Home & Gifts.
Giving back is something that’s important to us. When I first opened the boutique, I made a commitment to give back to the community and to missions, which is something that is very near and dear to my heart. I take that commitment seriously and hope to be able to give more as the business continues to become more successful.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Pray. Pray a lot haha!! My second piece of advice is something that I was told early on and eventually learned through trial and error. That piece of advice is to identify your avatar and zone in on that. Trying to have something for everyone just doesn’t work. Find what works and run with it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pinkpeonytx.com
- Instagram: @thepinkpeonycorsicana
- Facebook: @thepinkpeony-corsicana
Image Credits
Sarah Kalinec- @daretoaimphoto
Daniela Spurger- @danielamichellephotography
