CLEVELAND, Tenn. — In the heart of Cleveland, Tenn., positioned behind a pink storefront, Wendy Smith has built more than a boutique – she’s built a ministry. Known to locals as the owner of The Pink Doxie, Smith has transformed her personal story of love, loss, and grit into a marketplace where clothes are only the door-opener to a much deeper conversation.
Smith claims the boutique’s name came naturally.
“I love the color pink…and then I actually have four dachshunds,” she explained with a laugh. “So we have Sassy, Peanuts, Snuggles, and Bugs, and at any given moment, they can be in the boutique or at my husband's office. We have a whole zoo of dachshunds, and I just love it.”
Snuggles the dachshund can often be found in store. Photo credit: Lesley Bryant, Photo Editor
Behind the playful name is a story of exquisite change and admiration for God’s much greater design. Months after marrying her husband in February of 2020, Smith lost the career she had poured herself into for almost 21 years.
The sudden upheaval left her questioning her identity. No longer tethered to her job, Smith found herself asking who she was without a title, a paycheck, or a long-time role.
“God showed me in that time period that periods of brokenness can lead us into the most beautiful moments and completely rebuild us into something beautiful…because we're gonna go through periods of brokenness. And that's just part of our life. But if we allow God to rebuild us and we completely depend on Him, then He's going to change our lives in a way that we never imagined it could be,” Smith said.
Her drive and passion would soon take tangible form. Encouraged by a friend who believed the Lord was telling her to open a women’s boutique, Smith began with small Facebook jewelry sales, and to her surprise, it stuck.
“Last July, I had a friend, and she is such a dear friend; she just kept saying, ‘Wendy, I really believe that God is putting it on my heart to tell you that you need to start a boutique.’ And I thought, ‘No. Mm. No, that's not me. I'm not really good at fashion. I'm not good at clothes. I'm not good at helping women pick out things. That's got to be another message for another friend,” Smith said.
However, Smith’s friend was not the only one encouraging her.
“My mom kept telling me, ‘You can do this, I'll help you. Can’t you just try it?’ And I said, ‘Okay, well, I'll try it a little bit.” By March, Smith took a leap of faith and opened The Pink Doxie. Now, she works alongside her mother, a lifelong seamstress, several days a week. Smith stated that her mom aids in keeping the boutique organized and creating plans.
While racks of stylish clothing and affordable accessories line the walls, Smith insists The Pink Doxie is not all about fashion.
Photo credit: Lesley Bryant, Photo Editor
“The clothes just get women in the door…I don't care if you don't buy a thing. It's not about that. I get to meet these incredible people in this community, and I get to share a part of your life; that's all I want. I don't care if we don't sell a thing. God has blessed me beyond measure in life,” Smith said.
Smith’s personal journey makes her message all the more powerful. After losing nearly 100 pounds herself, she has a soft spot for women navigating their own body image struggles.
“There are a lot of women who are still in between on their weight loss journey. And they come in, and they still see themselves as their former size or bigger. When we take that and show them how to dress their bodies, to look like a woman, like God created them, and show them that they are beautifully and wonderfully made – that is my goal.”
Faith is woven into every corner of the shop. A prayer request box sits on the front counter, employees pray over the boutique each morning, and customers often find themselves prayed over right on the sales floor. Smith has even received prayer requests from across the country, along with her online sales.
“I thought, right here in Cleveland, Tenn., I might not even know this person in Florida, and I'm getting to pray for [them]...what an honor.”
From the outside, The Pink Doxie may look like a boutique, but inside, it’s something much more. It is a gathering place where women are reminded of their worth, encouraged in their struggles, and uplifted by faith. The Pink Doxie is located in Cleveland at 2121 N. Ocoee St. For more information, visit their website pinkdoxieboutique.com.
