As a boutique owner, Sheldon Martin handles all aspects of the business from managing a full sales team to merchandise buying and maintaining current to cultivating new clientele. Martin is deeply motivated by the opportunity to contribute to the community that has consistently supported her. Her current passion project involves addressing poverty and homelessness alleviation in the River Region, where she serves on the Executive Board of Directors for Friendship Mission, Inc. She is also active in the Junior League of Montgomery, a 2024 Cancer Wellness Foundation Woman in Blue, serves in the Montgomery Modern Affinity Group at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, is a volunteer with Meals on Wheels for the Montgomery Council on Aging and has previously served as an Administrative Board member at First United Methodist Church.

She shared, “The paramount milestone of my professional journey was celebrating the 40th anniversary of my business. This achievement was significant after navigating the challenges posed by a global pandemic that reverberated throughout the entire industry.”

Guilty Pleasure: I’m a huge foodie and chef, so I love to wander around the grocery store or farmer’s market to see what inspires me to cook or eat.

Childhood Aspiration: I wanted to be in politics or community service. I always wanted to be a catalyst for change and to help those around me, even at a young age.

First Job: I had a lemonade stand outside of my mom’s business every summer starting at age 7.

Best Advice: Don’t give up. There’s always an opportunity to be found even when there seems to be none.

Biggest Influence Personally & Professionally: My mother. An immigrant who arrived in the United States during the 1970s, she eventually established herself in Montgomery and founded a business in the early 1980s. Her entrepreneurial journey took place in an environment that wasn’t always welcoming to individuals of diverse backgrounds. This experience has instilled in me a profound lesson—that regardless of one’s circumstances, ethnicity, or position in life, unwavering determination and persistence can lead to success.