I was recently featured on Canvas Rebel's Website Here: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-nicole-doud/.
This is the article!
We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicole Doud a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
When I was 23 years old, I took one of the biggest risks of my life – opening my gift shop, Little Luxuries of Mackinac.
At the time, I didn’t have a big business background or a detailed playbook for success. What I had was a strong belief that I could create something special. I loved beautiful, thoughtful products and the feeling of finding the perfect gift for someone. I wanted to build a store that captured that joy.
Opening a store at that age felt both exciting and terrifying. I was young, figuring things out as I went, and learning every part of the business firsthand – buying products, designing displays, helping customers, and managing the day-to-day realities of running a store.
Over the years, Little Luxuries grew into something much bigger than I could have imagined at 23. It has become a place where people find meaningful gifts, celebrate milestones, and bring a little piece of Mackinac Island home with them.
Looking back, taking that risk taught me that sometimes the biggest opportunities come when you trust your instincts, work hard, and are willing to start before you have everything figured out.
Opening Little Luxuries did not just start a business – it started a journey that has shaped so much of my life.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I opened Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island when I was just 23 years old. At that time, it felt like a huge leap of faith. I didn’t have a long resume in retail or a big corporate plan – what I had was a love for beautiful products, thoughtful gifts, and creating a space where people could walk in and feel inspired. I believed that a small shop could make a big impact if it focused on quality, experience, and genuine connection with customers.
Little Luxuries has grown into a carefully curated gift shop that focuses on bath and body, home items, baby gifts, and unique gifts that people are excited to discover and share. Being located on Mackinac Island, we serve visitors from all over the country who want to take a piece of the island home with them, as well as loyal customers who shop with us online year-round. My goal has always been to find products that feel special – items that people wouldn’t necessarily find everywhere else.
What sets Little Luxuries apart is the experience. From the displays to the products we choose, everything is intentionally selected to feel beautiful, welcoming and memorable. I’ve always believed that shopping should feel fun and personal. Over the years we’ve hosted artist events and special in-store experiences that bring people together and create excitement around the store.
One of the things I am most proud of is that Little Luxuries has become a destination for visitors and a place people come back to year after year when they visit Mackinac Island. Many customers tell us they stop in every summer as part of their island tradition, which means a lot to me.
More than anything, Little Luxuries represents a journey that started with taking a risk at a young age and growing it into something meaningful. It has allowed me to build relationships with customers, support incredible designers and makers, and be part of a community that I love.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I use to have two other gift stores. I opened the Artists Market in 2015 and Canvas and Paddle in 2017. We also have three boys and after Covid it was difficult to keep staffing all three stores. I had to pivot and make a change. I decided to close both stores and only keep Little Luxuries, which is the largest of the three. I am very happy of the decision I made, but of course, I miss both stores and being able to create three different experiences for customers. I am grateful to have Little Luxuries, my first baby, and I have combined some vendors from Artists Market and Canvas and Paddle into Little Luxuries.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
I have always loved the marketing side of a business. My major in college was Communications which relates to marketing, working with people, and so much more. I started a blog early on in my business and my customers have always enjoyed ‘keeping in touch’ with the store, the island and our family. Plus, it’s fun! We send weekly emails to our email list and post frequently on Instagram and Facebook. We share stories as well on Instagram, reels and we try to keep up with Tiktok. It’s definitely a lot of work in today’s world to keep up with marketing compared to when I first opened in 2009. I have an employee who has worked for me for eight years and knows me very well! She does our marketing and understands the Little Luxuries brand very well. We are not gaining tons of followers monthly, like some businesses are, but we have a wonderful customer list that follows us frequently.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.littleluxuriesofmackinac.com
- Instagram: littleluxuriesofmackinac
- Facebook: LittleLuxuriesofMackinac
Image Credits: It's Wonderful Photography
GM! FIRST I want to say Little Luxuries is my FAV store. I’m always thrilled to receive the emails from you and items that go on sale and of course new items every year. Coming on the island every year has become my (go-to)with my husband Mark. Hes happy you’ve the bench in front so he sits there while Im in the store (long amount of time) I refuse to leave empty handed. I never do. LOL. I have a lot from your store in my home. From wall hanging, to stationary, to towels and more. One thing Nicole, I would LOVE to purchase a “Island Girl” tee or sweatshirt but Smalls are too big. Any chance you’d get XS for us Petite gals? Every year my fingers are crossed. But really being on the island and your store is the best place to be , for me. All year Im so busy as a Medical Sign Language Interpreter and I must say when I enter your store I feel (this is the place I wanna be). Sincerely.