Owner of The Rivershops in Mattapoisett Aims to Support Local [WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS]

March is Women’s History Month, and to celebrate, we are tipping our hats to SouthCoast women that have made our lives better.

They make your favorite cup of coffee. They teach our youth. They brighten our lives just by being their true, authentic selves. This month belongs to iconic women, and so many of them are our neighbors, staking their claim in this small part of the world, unapologetically.

It’s time we give them a spotlight.

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Meet Nicole Klein

Fairhaven native Nicole Klein is a woman of business. She obtained a management consultant degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and from there, she immersed herself in several corporate roles.

“I have had different corporate roles, one of them being the chief operating officer for a tech startup,” she shared. “My husband and I are both entrepreneurial and are always looking for opportunities.”

Her career had brought her to Boston, then her husband’s brought their family to Pennsylvania. When one child became three children, she and her husband wanted to move back to the SouthCoast, raise a family, and become more engaged with the community.

When she returned around four years ago, she discovered that the owners of The Rivershops were looking to sell, and she knew it would be the perfect fit for her to take over.

“My husband and I are passionate about homes,” she said. “We have flipped homes, done different property development stuff prior, and I used to shop there with my grandmother when I was young. We saw an opportunity to get involved and knew the business had potential for growth.”

The Rivershops in Mattapoisett

Nestled in a plaza off Route 6, right next to the Mattapoisett River, The Rivershops is a lifestyle destination catering to all things home and style. Over 40 years ago, it was known as Rogers Gallery, specializing in custom framework and artwork. Decades later, the Rivershops still offers the same quality of expertise, but it has evolved into a hub for local home décor, furnishings, and design.

“We expanded the gallery to have more furniture vignettes and highlight more of the home capabilities that we have, featuring local artists, and we revamped the center store and made it more of a lifestyle boutique,” said Klein.

Klein has an impeccable eye for style and has brought in jewelry, accessories, and clothing of all price ranges to expand the River Shops.

“We still cater to the overarching theme of a certain aesthetic a level of quality that we stand behind, but we have really broadened the price points,” she said.

The Rivershops is a full-service interior design firm. Whether it’s a room refresh or a redesign from floor to ceiling, the professionals at the Rivershops will map it out every step of the way.

And thanks to the expansion of the retail store, you can find local art and stunning gifts for any occasion.

A Family of Working Women Inspired Klein

Klein grew up watching her mother, grandmother, and other women in her life make a name for themselves in the workforce. She considers herself lucky to not only have that family influence but to also have mentors along the way who have helped navigate the “balancing act” of being a mother and being a boss.

“It can be done, it just takes sacrifice,” she said. “I’ve been given the opportunity to mentor lots of women, and I always say that knowledge is power, have a thick skin and persevere.

When it comes to roadblocks, it's imminent, but Klein believes how you handle those roadblocks will define who you are.

“It’s not the setback or the roadblock or the hiccup, it’s how you deal with it and then how you move forward,” she said.

Here’s to you, Nicole, and your woman-owned business on the SouthCoast.

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