Shreveport native Elizabeth Serio McElhatten knows how to balance a successful career with a successful home life.

Co-owner of King Hardware & Gifts in Shreveport alongside her husband, Nick McElhatten, Elizabeth demonstrates what it means to work hard, love a family and be true to one’s self.

When did King Hardware & Gifts first open? MCELHATTEN: [King Hardware] opened in 1955 by the Kings and had been in the same shopping center since it began.

Q: What inspired you to buy the store? MCELHATTEN: We are the fourth owners; the store fell into our lap. My husband is also a Realtor and was selling a property for the former owners. When he came home and told me the owners were about to sell, I immediately said, “I want to buy it!” I am a girly-girl, but I also know quite a bit about hardware. My husband and I are do-it-yourselfers, so this was a perfect fit for us.

Q: What are some products you sell at King Hardware & Gifts?

MCELHATTEN: We have so many great products from evergreen flags, Arthur Court pewter, jewelry, gourmet coffee and tea, Wusthof cutlery, LeCruset cookware, kitchen gadgets and accessories to home décor, Lampe Berger, Tyler Candles, collegiate merchandise, R&V works grills and fryers, Yeti coolers, Bayou Classic, lawn and garden items, Kamado Joe, Radio Flyers, jump house rentals and other rental items available.

Q: What makes King Hardware & Gifts unique in Shreveport- Bossier City? MCELHATTEN: We are unique because we are the only store where you can buy a wedding gift and chicken wire. Truly, we have everything, along with the personal touch and friendly service you don’t find at the big-box stores.

Q: What does a typical day look like for you at work? MCELHATTEN: Every day is so different. I get to work at 9 a.m. after dropping my kids off at school. I start my day checking emails, meeting with reps and taking care of bills, but that gets interrupted very quickly with sales calls and helping customers. We usually get a shipment in every day, and that is like Christmas morning. In retail, we order a year in advance during certain times of the year, so you often forget what you order at market. I help unbox, make tags, and then I display everything that comes in. At 2, I leave to go get my son from school, and he usually comes back to the store with me.

Q: Tell me about your children. MCELHATTEN: I have two kids: William is 3-1/2, and Katherine is 9 months. We bought the store a month after William was born. Looking back, I don’t know how I got through that time. They come to work with me occasionally. I have a playroom in the back with a crib. It is easier to take William to the store, he loves coming up there and helping put things together, and he loves to ride the Radio Flyer scooters around the store. Sorry if he has ever run into anyone.

Q: What is your advice to other women in the working industry? MCELHATTEN: My advice is to other women in this industry is find help. I have great help with my kids. I have a wonderful nanny as well – Nana, my mom. I also have extremely knowledgeable employees. That’s what keeps my store going.

Q: What is your favorite part of your job? MCELHATTEN: My favorite part of my job is that I do what I love to do – decorating, buying and helping customers. I also love to rearrange merchandise. The best part of my day is making the store look different.

Q: Where do you hope to be a few years down the road?

MCELHATTEN: This store began as a hardware store, and I would love to see the hardware side be a full-service hardware store again. I think people often forget we are hardware store because of the gifts.

Our bridal business is also growing. Brides register with us, yes, but we want the guys to be able to register for their tools, grills and fire pits.

Q: What is a current goal you have now? MCELHATTEN: One goal I have for the store is to enhance the quality and selection of products. The hardware side will be getting a makeover in the near future.

Q: What is one lesson learned over the years of being a careerwoman? MCELHATTEN: One thing I have learned: You cannot do it all. I am the kind of person that wants to handle everything, and I have learned there are some things you just have to let go.

Q: What is a common misconception in your opinion that people have about women in the workforce today? MCELHATTEN: Most people think that since I have two kids that I am not at the store every day. But that’s not true. I’m here when our doors open, and if I leave early, I am working from home taking care of orders.

Q: What is something that surprised you about buying a store? MCELHATTEN: One thing that has surprised me is how loyal our customers are to us, and we are so thankful for that.

Q: How do you and husband get along working together and balancing personal life vs. work life? MCELHATTEN: This store actually sets up perfectly for a husband and wife. He runs the hardware side, and I take care of the gifts. I’m not going to say that it’s easy every day, but I do enjoy having him there. It’s nice to have someone you trust to bounce ideas off of, and we work well together. My advice to other couples that work together would be that you have to separate work life from home life. You can’t let a fight about taking out the trash carry over into a discussion about the store’s budget.

–Betsy St. Amant Visit them at kinghardwareandgifts.com/.