Susie Coyne Blackwell began cheerleading at the age of 10. By the time she was a senior in high school, she’d been captain of her team several times. But unlike many, Susie’s cheerleading career did not end with graduation. Today, at age 46, Susie still remains a cheerleader.

“I remember when I first started cheerleading,” Susie mused. “I was nervous. But when I looked up and saw the people in the community rooting for our team, then I got excited and engaged.” Those words sum up the cheerleading motto: Take your eyes off yourself, work as a team, and keep the common goal in mind. And, that is the mindset of Susie Blackwell.

So it is no surprise that when Trish Naylor came into Susie’s boutique, Splurges, to request a small favor, she left with a blessing beyond belief.

“The first time I met Susie,” explained Trish, “I asked if she would put up a flyer for the Drake Naylor Invitational skeet shoot. After she saw pictures of my son and realized the fundraiser was for Greensboro Cerebral Palsy she asked, ‘What else can I do?’”

True to nature, Susie took her eyes off her own business, and focused on Trish’s needs. Immediately, Susie donated a designer purse for the silent auction, and later she “joined the team” by holding a fundraiser for the group. Additionally, she gives Trish ongoing support by spreading the word about the Triad’s newest online magazine, seekthetriad.com, which also benefits the program.

“I have a special place in my heart for special needs children,” explained Susie with tears in her eyes. “My brother, Billy, has Down Syndrome.”

When Billy was born, the seventh child to Bill and Dolly Coyne, the whole family rallied around him. In fact, when Billy was four-years-old, the family decided to uproot their comfortable home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to move to the Triad so that Billy could attend one of the best schools in the country—McIver Educational Center. However Susie’s love for Billy goes even deeper.

“When Susie was 10 years old,” said her mom, Dolly, “she would get up at 3 o’clock in the morning to feed him so that I could rest. And then, when she was in high school, she would take him to the games while she was cheerleading. He was like the mascot and she was always proud of him.”

Susie continues to be Billy’s personal cheerleader. When he completed school, he wanted a job. Susie created one for him. Billy works for Splurges. He labels, stamps, and sorts the goods.

When you go in the boutique—located in the courtyard of the newly renovated Factory in downtown Kernersville—you might notice that the pricing labels are a little crooked. But now you’ll know that they were put on by special hands. And if you’re really fortunate, you’ll get a chance to meet Billy on one of his visits to Splurges.

Probably the thing you’ll notice most though, is the powerful, positive, personal energy—a true splurge of spirit! Walking through the doors, uplifting music buoys your soul as you look outward and then upward at the various leather, crystal, woven, metal, wax, and bejeweled accessories that culminate in a collection of colorful, contemporary, paintings near the ceiling. Splurges features contemporary paintings by Susie’s father, Bill Coyne of B Coyne Gallery, throughout the store.

What makes the experience especially exciting is that you realize that you’ve never seen these things before. And it’s true. You haven’t! Most of the fashion, accessories, gifts, and art are one-of-a-kind and created especially for Splurges.

One shopper, Mary Ann Greer, comes all the way from Virginia to shop at Splurges. And, every time she wears her purchases, people notice and speak up. So two weeks ago, Mary Ann brought down two of her friends.

“We had so much fun!” Mary Ann exclaimed. “In the half-price section we found necklaces and earrings for less than $10. I bought Christmas presents for three friends and then some boots and a long-sleeve shirt for myself.”

One thing that Mary Ann depends on is Susie’s honesty. It seems that very few people will tell you the truth if you ask, “How do I look in this?” But Susie wants you to look your absolute best. So she’ll give you guidance you can trust.

“When I try clothes on,” confided Mary Ann, “Susie will tell me if it looks fantastic, but she’ll also tell me if it’s not quite right for me. She knows me! And, when she goes on her buying trips to New York or Atlanta she is thinking about me and buys items that I might like.” Obviously, Susie treats Mary Ann like she’s special. But more amazingly, Susie treats everyone that way. If you have a certain type of dress, or purse, or jewelry you are looking for, Susie would do her best to find it for you.

“Susie really goes the extra mile,” said newlywed Erica McDonald Dougherty. “When I was shopping for my wedding, I looked all over for just the right hair clips. I found them at Splurges—perfect yellow flower clips—but they only had four. Susie called the vendor and found one more for me. She just goes out of her way even on a small purchase.”

Incidentally, even though Erica moved to Ashville, she still comes back to Splurges. Her smallest splurge so far has been $12 and her largest splurge to date is $200.

Of course, Susie’s family is cheering her on, as her second Splurges boutique opened in Kernersville last month at the exact same time that she was celebrating her second anniversary of her store in Greensboro. In line with family tradition, Susie’s extended family and her husband Marty and their children, Lauren and Reese, all had a hand in her success.

As you would expect, by her family being a cheerleader for her, Susie is empowered to be the cheerleader for others and even for the town of Kernersville.

“It is a bold move to open a second store in this economy,” Susie shared. “But I can’t think of a better place than beautiful downtown Kernersville.”