MSNBC Profiles Maplewood Family Business

Clearly, MSNBC likes Maplewood Village.

The network's "Your Business" program recently profiled Alchemy Hour, the clothing store on Baker Street in Maplewood, on its Sunday morning show.

It is the second time in just a few months that the network has spotlighted local businesses. MSNBC's producers met and interviewed the shop's owner, Janean Harvey, when they were filming a segment on Maplewood Village for Small Business Saturday back in November. They were particularly interested in Harvey's backstory: her parents, John and Helen, investors in the store, were retail veterans who formerly owned Freeman's Fish Market on Maplewood Avenue.

The senior Harveys said in the video they helped to launch Alchemy Hour because they knew Janean's idea had great potential and was a smart investment. It seems their instincts were spot on: the store has been so successful, the Harveys recently opened Alchemy Hour Men's next door.

Helen told Patch that the way the store came into being was "magical." She said she initially had a dollar figure in mind of what start-up costs would be. Coincidentally, as they were in the planning stages, they received a letter about an old insurance policy  -- and the amount in the policy was the same number they had hoped to spend opening the shop.

"It's like the universe was saying yes," said Helen.

Janean said she is grateful for the television coverage. "I think that MSNBC did a really great job at showing the store," said Janean. "I thought that all of the shots of the product and the outside of the store looked great."