Her moment to shine
Magazine features local business woman
Read full article at the Examiner.net
By Eileen Weir
Special to The Examiner
Posted Jul 12, 2008 @ 12:56 AM
Independence, MO
If you have visited a boutique or beauty retreat anywhere in the metro from Liberty to Leawood this month, you have likely seen the face of local entrepreneur Cindy McClain smiling from the cover of “Her Life” magazine, a local publication dedicated to “keeping women connected.” The slick July edition features McClain and the multitude of talents she has shared with the Independence community as she and her husband, Ken, have transformed the historic town square over the past decade.
Part visionary, part business woman, McClain has taken her artistic skills and applied them to all of the businesses she operates, creating curb appeal and beautiful interiors for the boutiques and eateries around Independence’s premium walkable shopping and dining district. Managing a family of six children, McClain’s ability to keep countless balls in the air – both personally and professionally – is among the highlights of the feature story.
Eye-catching with its dramatic photography and full of useful information for women, “Her Life” brings attention to women in the Kansas City area who represent the modern lifestyle of balancing home, career, and service to the community. Articles like the one on this month’s cover give readers glimpses into the personal philosophies and circumstances that inspired ordinary women to aspire to the extraordinary.
Long credited by her husband as the “perspiration” to carry out his “inspiration,” the fairer of the pair cements her reputation as a tireless worker and master organizer in the pages of Kansas City’s newest mag. For all who have wondered how McClain keeps a household and all those businesses running smoothly, “Her Life” holds the answers.
McClain will display her flair for fashion and home décor with a July 18 style show staged at the relocated and expanded B Here Now showroom and design center at 205 W. Lexington Ave. in Independence.
The evening event will begin at 7 p.m. with socializing in the renovated space. Guests will no doubt feel inspired to spiff up their own homes with a new piece of furniture, an irresistible accessory or a fresh fabric for a family heirloom. At 7:45 p.m. a runway show of men’s and women’s fashions will be presented featuring ladies styles from The Uptown Boutique and menswear and ties by Christian Michael.
Tickets to the event are $20. Call (816) 836-7369.
About Independence Square
The city of Independence was founded in 1827 in Jackson County. The famous Jackson County Courthouse and many other local buildings date back to this period. Renovated several times over decades, the courthouse’s survival through the Civil War and Great Depression is a monument to the Square’s history and a symbol of its endurance as a vital center of commerce and justice. From 1830 to 1880, the first wagon trains departed the city bound for the frontier of Santa Fe, California, and Oregon loaded with people and goods.
By the turn of the 20th century, Independence Square was a modern town with miles of paved streets, thriving commerce, electric lighting around the Square, an electric streetcar, and three railroad lines bringing citizens to the county seat. Business was brisk at trading posts, the local harness and saddle shop, and at the Courthouse Exchange saloon (which is still open for business). Before Harry Truman was elected president in 1945 (which was no surprise to locals), he grew up in Independence and worked at J.H. Clinton’s Pharmacy and Soda Fountain (now operating on the Square as Clinton’s Soda Fountain). Today, the Square is continues to draw residents and travelers alike seeking food, drink, modern wares
