About Us
The dream for Main & Monroe began in 2008.
Pictured: Then & Now.
The name for our boutique was inspired by our desire to pay homage to our history as friends. Monroe is named for Monroe Street in Tallahassee, Florida – a popular thoroughfare through downtown where we first met and became friends. While Main Street is in Lakeland, Florida – our current home where we have built our families and post-collegiate lives.
By serendipitous circumstance in an "Introduction to Textiles" course at Florida State University in 2004, we were seated next to one another. It was one of those connections that was immediate and organic. We didn't know that on that January day in 2004, we would become lifelong friends. By later that year, we were also working together at Victoria's Secret. It was from that experience that we discovered we worked well together – a feat not always manageable between close friends. We were delighted and optimistic.
After college, we both gravitated towards central Florida - Sarah to Tampa, and Andrea back to her hometown of Lakeland. In October 2007, we were on a night out with friends in Tampa; simultaneously having a great time but also hoping to find Sarah a boyfriend. The trip was a greater success than we could have anticipated because Sarah did meet her future husband, Todd, that night – who, like Andrea, was also from and living in Lakeland. Sarah moved to Lakeland where she and Todd married in 2012. The rest, as they say, is history.
We had always joked about opening a boutique together; dreamed about where our brick-and-mortar would be, how it would look, and the types of products we would offer. It took six months of quarantine for us to finally decide to put it all in motion. We launched this long-anticipated dream in October of 2020. However, the marble tables lined with chic sweaters and dresses with swans and succulents peeking from the shelves in our imagined brick and mortar, were replaced with an equally elegant online platform. By expanding our availability to our out of town friends, family, and clientele, everyone can shop their favorite looks from each season.
Andrea
Hey guys! I moved to Lakeland around my 6th birthday and have been a #lakelander for life since. I’ve loved every moment, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Lakeland High School was where I met my future husband, Kyle, in the marching band (yes, total band nerd here). Those formative years paved my way to Florida State, where I became a member of the world-renowned Marching Chiefs. While at FSU, I quickly discovered their incredible Fashion Merchandizing program and began building the foundation for Sarah and I’s future endeavor. During our senior year, my high school sweetheart proposed, and Kyle and I married in 2008. We have two amazing children: Nolan (4) and Peyton (2).
After interning with Dillard's, I accepted a job to be their Sales Manager (during a recession!) and worked my way up to the corporate buying office in St. Petersburg. There, I helped with purchasing for exclusive brands like Reba, M.S.S.P., and Nurture. We returned to Lakeland after my husband started a new job, and I began working for Florida Southern College. While there, I earned my Master's degree in Business and took a job in sales and marketing where I remained for almost 4 years before opening my own marketing agency.
Enter 2020, where the idea of Main & Monroe was re-imagined. Sarah and I have both reached a point in our careers where we have more flexible schedules and are able to make this happen (Finally!!). We are so excited to share this dream with you all.
Sarah
Hi all! I’m a Lakeland transplant, originally from Panama City, Fl. I spent some time in Tallahassee where I graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Textiles and Consumer Sciences. I have always worked in retail – starting with Sears in high school. I continued on my retail journey after graduating from FSU and moved to Tampa, Florida to open a brand-new Super Target. From there, I stepped into the specialty retail world and was the General Manager for The Limited for about 5 years. With the retail world ever changing I had the opportunity to join Ulta Beauty – a company I had always admired and knew would be a great career change. Currently, I am the General Manager for Ulta right here in Lakeland. However, I never lost my passion for fashion and apparel and knew that starting Main and Monroe would be my way to keep that passion alive.
I have an amazing husband Todd, who I met through Andrea, and we have been together for 12 years. We have two beautiful children, Felicity (5) and West (2). We live right in the heart of downtown Lakeland and love to get out and explore our area and support local businesses. My husband is a Lakeland native and is very involved in the community. He also owns and operates his own business right here in Lakeland.
