Family and faith is important to one local young merchant

• Family and faith is important to one local young merchant

Owning a business is always a big undertaking and a lot of work. Kaylee Jo Oliver is no stranger to that. Not only does she work as a waitress at Las Palmas Restaurant, but she also runs her own Boutique, The Neon Horizon.

Kaylee Jo became perhaps the youngest business owner in Shelby County, and at a young age. Despite that, she was determined to pursue her dreams. She began her entrepreneurial journey by setting up a section in the loft area of Rae Sterlings. Her hard work and dedication eventually paid off, leading to the exciting opportunity of establishing The Neon Horizons standalone store on the downtown Center square where Debs was previously located. “I didn’t start that way, though. I actually worked for Deborah Chadwick, and she was in this building. I started to work with her, not really understanding what I wanted to do right out of high school,” said Kaylee Jo.

Kaylee Jo faced numerous setbacks in the pursuit of owning her own business. As she entered college, she said she found herself uncertain about the path her career should take. It became evident that she was not in the right place and needed to change. “I’ve been praying and seeing what God wants me to do for His platform. I wanted to be able to share His word. And it ended up that the Holy Spirit led me to open my own boutique. I kept God first, and this is where he brought me,” said Kaylee Jo.

The Neon Horizon is an exciting new addition to the bustling square. Kaylee Jo is actively working on stocking up with more merchandise to create a welcoming and fully stocked environment for customers. "I filled a little bit of square feet. “I started with that up in the loft area of Rae Sterling,” she stated.

When she isn’t working one of her two jobs, Kaylee Jo loves spending time with her German Shepherd, Ellie. Her family loves telling stories about when she was little. She always had some animal, whether a snake or a lizard. She remembers showing her mom animals and revealing to her what she found. Kaylee stated, “I am a big animal person. I always have been ever since I was little. I was little talking about holding snakes.”

Her family also plays a big part in keeping her grounded in life. “Big prayer with a big family base is what we do. I was born and raised like that, and any problems I have, instead of dealing with it myself, I give it to the Lord. He will deal with it every time,” said Kaylee.