Coming home

Madison Geroski was happy in her job with Kohl's department stores. For about 14 years, the former Fostoria resident was with the retail giant in New York City, and she'd worked her way up to being head designer for the Nine West Brand. But she had long had the ambition to own and operate her own store. And the impetus to go ahead and do just that came when her father, well-known Fostoria dentist Steven P. Geroski, died in the summer of 2021. Fast forward to April of this year, and Madison Paul — the name being a combination of Madison's first name and her dad's middle name — opened as a multi-faceted gift shop at 3110 Chappel Drive in Perrysburg's Levis Commons shopping district. And, for the holiday season, Geroski will open a pop-up shop, to be known as Merry by Madison Paul, around the block from her regular store, at 3130 Levis Commons Blvd. Geroski's mother, Cyndi Geroski, had seen the vacant Chappel Drive storefront and suggested that her daughter at least look at it. It resonated with Madison as a larger space than she'd be able to secure in New York, not to mention being close to her home area, relatives and old friends. "Before we lost him, actually, he was a big supporter of this idea, of me opening my own place," Madison said. "After he passed, I was like, 'You know, maybe this is a sign that this is the time for me to go after it.' That was how, in general, it came about." So far, so good She said her first seven months as an entrepreneur have gone well. "Everyone has been very welcoming," she said. "They're excited to have something new in the area. I've tried very hard to make sure that my product offerings are different than what anyone else around her is offering. It's been really good. I've been happy with it. "But it can always get better. Half the people who come in just say, 'Oh, we didn't know you were here.' That's our biggest thing — figuring out how to get the word out." She's been not only been happy to see quite a bit of business from people in Fostoria, but also to have received considerable help from the hometown folks in getting moved in and underway. "It's so good to reconnect, and even when I was opening the store, there were actually a lot of people who I contacted to give me guidance on, like, the business plan or helping me figure out how to find out the demographics of the area. "Renee Smith from the (Fostoria) Learning Center was a huge support. Aaron Smith, with financial planning. There are so many people from my childhood who I've reconnected with — even people who came and helped me paint the walls or unpack inventory." Reconnecting She's continued to receive a hand from her only brother, Steven P. Geroski V, who operates Red Horizon Engineering and plays in the popular country band SugarCreek. "One of the amazing things about coming back is, obviously, being near my family. Steven has a fabrication shop and steel-cutting shop four minutes from here. I see him all the time. He actually made the countertop at the check-out counter and he made the sign behind the check-out counter. And he's making a sign for the pop-up store. It's been neat to collaborate with him." Madison's store is divided into sections containing items related to subjects such as babies and children, home decor, gentlemen and celebrations and holidays. "It's a one-stop shop for anything you're celebrating," she said. "We have unique gifts and home decor and kids and babies products and apparel and it's all separated into different areas in the store. So, if you come in and you're looking for party plates and napkins for a birthday party, you know exactly what area you need to go to. If a gentleman in your life is celebrating something, there's a whole, separate area just for that. That was my main thing: That there was a clear distinction between the areas." She said the price ranges vary, from economical to high-end. And she's gearing the items she carries toward being unique in their origin and serving as conversation-starters. "When you come in, anything you find, you're not going to see in a Walmart, a T.J. Maxx," she said. "You can only find it in places that have relationships with vendors. That's a key part of the business, definitely. A lot of it, too, is building relationships with people like me, who are start-up business owners. "For example, there are soaps in the store that are made by a mom and four kids in California. There are also bath bombs and bath salts that are made by women who were previously incarcerated or victims of domestic violence. It gives them a job, gets them on their feet. "There are things with a story. I feel like when someone makes a product, it shows their passion. And a lot of times, it's a lot better for you, it's more natural, the material's more sustainable3. So, I've really tried to find products that you can't find everywhere and that support a mission or a cause." As well as in the store, items can be seen and purchased online at website MadisonPaul.com and Instagram account @MadisonPaulCollection. The pop-up store will be open from Nov. 3 through Jan. 31. Geroski is still looking to hire one person to work in the pop-up store during the day, Mondays through Wednesdays. She hopes to make the pop-up store an annual occurrence. "I would love to," she said. "We'll see how it goes." Former Fostoria resident Madison Geroski stands in front of her store, Madison Paul, in Perrysburg's Levis Commons shopping area. Provided provided Madison Geroski stands alongside a Christmas tree that will be at her pop-up shop in Perrysburg during the holiday season. Provided Photo provided FORMER FOSTORIA RESIDENT Madison Geroski stands alongside a Christmas tree that will be at her pop-up shop in Perrysburg during the holiday season. Photo provided FORMER FOSTORIA RESIDENT Madison Geroski sits in a section of her Perrysburg store, Madison Paul, which she opened in April. Provided Photo provided FORMER FOSTORIA RESIDENT Madison Geroski stands alongside a Christmas tree that will be at her pop-up shop in Perrysburg during the holiday season. Photo provided FORMER FOSTORIA RESIDENT Madison Geroski sits in a section of her Perrysburg store, Madison Paul, which she opened in April. Geroski stands in a section of her Perrysburg store, Madison Paul, which she opened in April. Provided