The torch is being passed from one entrepreneur to another at the Bona Fide Boutique. Described as “a small town’s city escape”, the store offers womenswear, self-care products, accessories and more. The store was first opened by Morgan Jmaiff, who started the business back in 2019, until she shared that she would be selling. As she was expecting her second baby, she shared with her customers that she would be shifting her focus to spending more time with her family.
“As much as I love this business more than a lot of things in life, I love my family more. It’s time for me to turn my attention there, and give my babies a childhood outside of these beautiful walls. Part of me is heartbroken to let go of this chapter, but most of me is very excited to spend time raising my babies without any distractions for a while, on my own terms!” – Morgan Jmaiff (Bona Fide Instagram)
The search was on for a worthy candidate to take over the business Jmaiff had built. In enters Anna Polovick, an entrepreneur from the Okanagan with personal ties to Golden. They announced the news towards the end of 2023, although Jmaiff agreed to stay on for a transitional period.
I sat down with Polovick so she could share her experience so far and the future of the Bona Fide Boutique.
What sparked the idea for this business deal?
I was here in the summer on a break from our other business in Kelowna. I went out for lunch with a girlfriend and she was telling me that Bona Fide was for sale, I was shocked! Right after lunch, I went over to the store and had a quick chat with Morgan about it. I told her I was interested, but then I had to convince my family that I could do both businesses since I have such a big role in my other business. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, I went to school in Toronto for fashion merchandising, so I’ve always thought it would be a fun thing to do. Plus my son lives here full time and I wanted to be able to spend more time in Golden while also having the opportunity to be more a part of the community. I love Kelowna, but when we come to Golden it feels like home. It’s just such a great community.
It’s been interesting, she [Jmaiff] built this amazing store and a brand, and since it’s a small town people know her, and everybody has been so amazing, but I still feel like I’m carrying on the torch of what she started. Morgan has continued to support me, any questions I have or if I’m looking for direction, she’s been there.
Do you have any additional experience with business/entrepreneurship?
I grew up in a very entrepreneurial household. My dad is a very successful businessperson, he’s owned and sold multiple businesses. During COVID, he wanted to buy an agricultural business in the Okanagan, so he bought a garden centre. Then he said, “Anna and Jeremy (my partner), I think you should run this.” That started us on our entrepreneurial journey.
I also did flowers out of my home here in Golden for four or five years for weddings back in 2015. I love flowers and putting them together, but it was a hard industry. I wasn’t able to just run to a flower wholesaler, so I would drive to Calgary every week to pick up my flowers myself.
We’ll start receiving plants soon for the garden centre, but my dedication for this year is to be here. I need to be able to see a full year in the store and I want to be present and give people the opportunity to get to know me.
Are there any changes or updates that you have planned for the store?
I feel like I’m carrying on her [Jmaiff’s] legacy. Of course, there will be little changes, like updating fixtures, but really keeping it the same. I didn’t realize how many people would come into the store, they’re almost worried, asking if any changes are going to be made. I’ve always been a fan of Bona Fide so I want to keep it very similar and make sure we provide good value and service to the people in the town and people who come and visit.
We will be looking into bringing in more and different product lines, maybe even adding some sort of service element to the store. Everybody loves the space here, so being able to use the space for community involvement would be so cool. A couple of people have reached out to us about that already, and I just think, ‘cause it’s just got such a good vibe, doing something like that would be great.
At this point, I’m just trying to get my bearings. We also have our business in the Okanagan, which is starting up soon as well. So balancing the two will be interesting! Right now, I’m just trying to absorb everything, get to know our customers and find out what people want. Taking it all in, while also trying to make it my own as well. They’re big shoes to fill, but I’ll get there!
What are the pros and cons of running a business in a small town?
I really thought about this question, and to be completely honest with you, I can’t think of any cons. As a business in general, I think Amazon and stuff like that make it so easy for people to shop a huge selection online, but that’s pretty universal. The pros are our amazing community and getting to know people – I love connecting with people, so that has been amazing.
What would you like to share with the community about your vision for the store?
I’m excited to meet everyone and get to know everyone better! I’m here to help them with their clothing, fashion, and self-care journey. I’m excited to be here and hopefully provide value and great fashion to the community!
I’m proud to carry on the torch that Morgan has handed to me, to continue running this business that she made. I know that I can learn a lot from her, and I will continue to carry it on but also put my spin on it when I feel ready.
The Bona Fide Boutique is located downtown right by the Post Office and is open Monday to Saturday (hours vary). Stop in to check out their current stock and say hi to Anna when you get a chance!
If you’re interested in more stories like this, check out our local business stories here.
