By Alyssa Faykus alyssa@brenhambanner.com Apr 7, 2020
Living the Dream
Beth Teverbaugh, owner of Scrubs N Stuff Boutique in downtown Brenham, is living her retirement dream after 35 years in health care.
“I used to tease my husband for years, ‘One of these days. I’m going to have a store in downtown Brenham.’ He thought I absolutely lost my mind when I decided to do this last year,” she said. “It was about six months in the making. It was something I pushed forward with. It was my way of giving back to the community and staying involved in the community.”
As with many other businesses, Teverbaugh is learning how to navigate the business world in the wake of a global pandemic, especially with a large clientele of nurses.
“It’s pretty much shut my business down. I’ve had several nurses come in because they are working so much,” Teverbaugh said. “One nurse bought some scrubs from me and said ‘I can’t keep up with the laundry because I have to work everyday.’ I’m here to serve the healthcare professionals.”
A leader throughout the pandemic
Teverbaugh takes a two-pronged approach with her wares: One part scrubs for healthcare professionals, one part boutique for all. Now, she is conducting business by appointment and doing one-on-one shopping sessions, along with online orders.
She closed her business a week before Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to close non-essential businesses to help flatten the curve.
“I chose to close my business because to me, I felt guilty trying to encourage people to come and shop when the governor and the CDC was telling people to stay home,” she said.
Teverbaugh believes social distancing is the right thing to do, especially when one of her former coworkers, a nurse, contracted COVID-19.
“I am scared by it, but I understand it,” she said. “I understand the reason why they are doing what they are doing. It is a nasty virus and I have talked to a nurse that has it. She’s home bound, quarantined right now. She told me it’s not a good place to be. It’s sneaky and it’s been really bad.”
Putting the Brenham community first
Teverbaugh is trying to figure out how best to serve her community in this unprecedented time.
“This has got me stressed out because I am a healthcare professional,” she said. “Being a nurse, I’m kind of caught in the middle of ‘What do I do?’ Part of me is having a hard time just sitting back and watching it. I want to go help, but I’m not quite sure how to do that.”
Nurses that shop with Teverbaugh have expressed isolation being a problem in the profession.
“They are working a lot. They’re worried,” Teverbaugh said. “The big thing I hear is the isolation from their own families. They are committed and want to serve the community.”
Even Teverbaugh is starting to feel a bit isolated, using her shop as a getaway from staying in her house.
April 1 was the one-year anniversary of her store, but this was not what she had in mind to celebrate. Once she is back open to the public, she plans on having a one-year celebration.
Before the pandemic, business was going well in her eyes.
“I was really happy and pleased with the support I got from the community,” she said. “My business, it took off really quick. It’s been awesome. I thought for sure I would struggle more before all of this. The business has done really well. The community has really supported me.”
Her dream of being downtown has come true, and so many positives have come from it.
“Being downtown has been amazing,” she said. “To be with all these other business and supporting each other. That part has really been nice.”
Teverbaugh has a bachelor of science in nursing from West Virginia Wesleyan in 1985, and an masters of science in nursing from University of Phoenix in 2007.
Teverbaugh is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Program and Washington County Lady Lions Club. When her sons, Jacob and Kaleb were in school, she and her husband, Ken, were involved in Pee Wee football and the Brenham High Athletic Booster Club for many years.
See the original article in the Banner Press >
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214 E Alamo St, Brenham, TX 77833 | (979) 353-5573
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10am-4pm Sat
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