Waypoint Bank – Cozad customer makes it her mission to sell clothing that’s affordable and stylish 

She’s not exactly a Jack of all trades, but Jill Gengenbach seems rather adept at handling all kinds of responsibilities.

As the owner of Mode Boutique in Cozad, Jill manages a lot. This includes juggling being a mother of two, helping her husband Jeff maintain the family farm, and keeping the women of south-central Nebraska connected to the latest fashion trends.

Jill opened Mode Boutique in 2018 to offer affordable women’s clothing and give Cozad-area residents another reason to shop locally.

She wants her customers to find on-trend clothing without going to a larger city, such as Kearney or Lincoln – or a big online retailer, Jill explains. Ideally, she wants to sell outfits – including a couple of tops and bottoms – for around $100. 

Mode Boutique serves more than only Cozad

So far, the business model has found a following in Cozad and beyond. 

“I have shipped to Florida and Michigan,” she said. “Customers share with their friends that they liked the shop and want to support a small business.”

Customers can monitor the store’s inventory online using the Mode Boutique Facebook page. Jill frequently scrolls on her phone to add fun inventory and works with suppliers to keep current fashions in stock. 

Keeping her store affordable means running a tight ship. For starters, Jill is a team of one. “The only way I can keep clothing affordable is without employees,” she explains.

That means she needs to clock out when it’s time to pick up the kids from school. Thankfully, her boss is okay with that.

“Running my own shop makes it so that my hours can be a bit flexible. For example, during the school year, I hang a sign on the door that says ‘Closed from 3-3:30’ so I can go to pick up kids from school.”

She says that her daughter Charli, now 8, “has grown up at the shop. She was still in diapers when I opened in 2018; now she’s big enough to help. It is great having my own business while still being able to be a mom and wife.”

The lean operation also made it possible for Jill to keep the business afloat during the Covid-related shutdowns. “To be successful, you have to be smart. Some days, you may not pay yourself. You must be frugal – it’s not for the faint of heart.”

A modern-day woman with an ‘Old Soul’

The frugal nature also shines through in her home life. For instance, last fall, she canned 112 pints of sauerkraut, which her husband Jeff says is the best he’s ever tasted. She says she’s an ‘Old Soul’ and gardening is another one of her passions.   It’s one of her goals to pass on traditional skills to her kids, such as teaching them to make pickles and German-filled noodles, complete with homemade Gengenbach sausage that her husband makes with his family every year.  “It’s so dang good,” Jill shared. Yum. 

When time – and weather – permits, Jill and Jeff like to take their kids to the lake on weekends for boating and fishing.

The entrepreneurial acumen also came early in life. “My mom joked that I would always own my own business.  As a youngster, I’d buy potpourri and make bags to sell.”

Even now, Jill says her parents are her “number one supporters. They give out my business cards on their trips from where they live in Colorado to North Dakota.”

Jill made her way to Nebraska after high school to attend McCook Community College, where she earned her degree in early childhood education in 2006. She settled in Cozad later that year and then met and married Jeff – a lifelong farmer in the Cozad area.

She’s struck up a strong relationship with her community.

 “I believe in our community,” she said. “It’s such a cute little town and a good place to raise your kids. My hope is that my kids will go away to college but come back.”

Similarly, she’s a fan of her local bank.

“Everybody who works at Waypoint Bank – Cozad is so friendly and like family,” Jill says. “It doesn’t matter the size of the customer; they are happy to spend time talking to you and making you feel welcome.  If you are there to deposit a paycheck or have a million-dollar account, they genuinely care about you.”