Master’s Degree Helps Alum Dress Up her (and your) Future
Master’s Degree Helps Alum Dress Up her (and your) Future
By Dan Silvia, Communications Manager
Wondering what to wear? It’s an easy decision when you’re walking across the stage to receive your diploma. It gets a bit more complicated when you’re getting ready to walk down the aisle.
That’s where Megan Goeke can help. A 2012 graduate of Bellevue University's Master of Science in Organizational Performance program, Goeke recently opened Hello Beautiful Bridal & Formal Wear at 5012 3rd Avenue, Suite 150 in Kearney, Nebraska.
“Throughout my program, the education reinforced what I already knew as a leader and helped me develop my skill even further,” Goeke said. “Completing the MSOP program, really built my confidence in my ability to continue to perform at a higher level as I prepared to start my own business.”
Goeke became interested in the MSOP after a colleague at U.S. Cellular, her employer at the time, raved about it.
“I loved that I could apply the lessons from my classes immediately. Every course directly impacted what I was doing at work, so I could see my education immediately in action,” she said. “My professional experience provided so much context for the lessons we were learning - it made me really appreciate coming back as an ‘adult’ learner.”
Goeke praised adjunct professor Eric Hogan and his "Applied Project" course, where the business plan for Hello Beautiful began to take shape.
“Eric was so valuable because he provided critical feedback as I was constructing my business plan. This was an incredible experience, because I got to spend time working on a goal I'd carried with me since I was very young, to open a bridal shop,” she said. “While creating the business plan, I had the opportunity to do all the research I had always needed to do to understand how realistic this goal actually was.”
That goal is becoming more real every day. Hello Beautiful opened in December and Goeke is planning a formal Grand Opening ceremony for late January.
“Hello Beautiful Bridal & Formal Wear is a life-long dream come true. Just like getting my Master’s degree was,” she said. “We had been eyeing a location in a high-traffic area in a growing part of the community. We wanted a large floor space which would allow us to design that incredible experience. When we walked through it, we just knew.”
Goeke said the shop is receiving dress shipments on a daily basis.
“What's a bridal shop without incredible bridal lines? We spent a lot of time researching and networking to make sure we ended up with some really incredible dress lines,” Goeke said. “We are a full-service shop so that means we offer bridal party, mothers-of, flower girl and tuxedo styles. We are carrying prom lines and social occasion dresses too, including an awesome "Little Black Dress" wall where we'll feature black dresses for many occasions.”