D+K Renewals is our Saint Cloud FL Business Spotlight. Jeanine Corcoran broker for Corcoran Connect interviews the owner Dawnelle Sarlo in this episode. Welcome to the 32nd episode of Discover St. Cloud Florida. D+K Renewals is located at 1310 11th St. St Cloud, FL 34769.
Jeanine opened by saying she loves the business spotlight segments and interviewing local business owners in Saint Cloud FL. D+K renewals reminds Jeanine of a store she used to frequent when growing up as a child. Kristin added that Dawnelle has such a cute aesthetic in the store, she loves it.
Jeanine said Dawnelle has 3 children and has been married for 15 years. Darnell opened D+K Renewals one year ago this month in September 2021 and this is her second location.
Jeanine started the interview by asking Dawnelle how long D+K Renewals had been in business? Dawnelle replied that D+K Renewals has been in business for 6 years. She started the business online before moving to Saint Cloud FL. Dawnelle said the D in D+K Renewals represents her first name, and her cousin Kirstin represents the K the business name.
Dawnelle continued that when she started online 6 years ago, she was just selling textiles. Then, she moved to Saint Cloud and was running the business out of her home which was difficult. Dawnelle said she had a 2,000 sq. ft. garage when she lives in Washington state but when she moved to Saint Cloud, everything was in her home, and it wasn’t working.
Dawnelle spoke to her husband about the situation and said downtown Saint Cloud FL is so much fun and if I’m going to be paying rent and have the overhead why not make it a retail store. She continued that the reaction from a person online versus in person is so different. She likes seeing the reactions on people’s faces in person to what she is selling in her store.
Jeanine asked her if she does live videos? Dawnelle said she does live sales and does a lot of posting on social media. She said her business has been open for a year now in Saint Cloud FL and that it is her second location.
How did you get started in this business and why did you choose it Jeanine asked? Dawnelle replied that she has a bachelor’s degree in interior design. She traveled to Ghana for two months when she was 18 and spent time teaching the people there and learning about the people and fell in love with their textiles. Dawnelle wanted a master’s degree in interior design.
She added that you can see some textiles in big name stores that are very expensive, but Dawnelle has a different approach. For example, one of her sources is a women in India where she gets the most for her work and Dawnelle gets an authentic piece with a story to tell her customer and a great value for them.
We hope you enjoyed Jeanine interviewing Dawnelle Sarlo of D+K Renewals our Saint Cloud FL Business Spotlight. This will continue to be a monthly focus for the Discover St. Cloud Florida podcast.
