Worcester County Maryland is bursting with bright local businesses that we all know and love. With so many new business owners entering the scene, we want to take the time to highlight some of the women in the industry that do a stand-out job with their products and services.
Areas like Berlin have gained these four hardworking business owners as additions to the community with delicious food, sustainable products, stylish clothing, and marketing solutions. Keep reading to learn more about these awesome women-owned spots that we’re happy to have nearby!
Kaiju Sushi & Ramen Bar – Nicole Lin
Located in Berlin, Nicole Lin has taken it upon herself to bring more diverse food options to the community with Kaiju Sushi & Ramen Bar. Nicole is originally from Fujian, China, and after living on the Eastern Shore for a few years with her family, she and her husband looked to start restaurants dedicated to showcasing delicious foods from across Asia.
Being a business owner for 7 years has its ups and downs, but after the success of their Salisbury, MD restaurant called Manna, Nicole and her husband expanded their ventures to create Kaiju. Their restaurant is unique with dishes you can’t get anywhere else! This includes ahi tuna sushi burgers, Kani fries, and Bingsu (Korean shaved ice), as well as a variety of different dishes like Japanese sushi and Ramen, Korean staples like bibimbap, and bulgogi. Stay tuned for the twin ramen bowls coming this summer!
Nicole says that when people visit their restaurant, “We hope to inspire people of all ages to step out of their comfort zones and try something new!” Their customer service model is striving to make everyone feel like a part of the family and inspire people’s taste buds for many years to come.
Love Your Mama – Lizzie Ottenstein
Lizzie Ottenstein, the founder of Love Your Mama in Berlin is a Worcester County, MD native. As much as she loves her home on the Shore, Lizzie knew something was missing in the area that the community could benefit from. LYM provides earth-friendly options and alternatives for things used in daily life that would usually be thrown away after use, to eliminate landfill waste.
Lizzie not only maintains her own low-waste lifestyle, but she also works on spreading awareness and bringing a shift to a more sustainably aware direction. “I’d love for anyone and everyone to try just one sustainable swap in their lifestyle and see the positive impact it creates,” Lizzie says. “More specifically, we’re here to help anyone who wants to begin living a life that’s more environmentally conscious”
The unique store also provides over 40 bulk and refill products for customers to take advantage of. Bulk products for cleaning the home, laundry, bathroom, apothecary, and personal care. Customers can bring their own containers to fill with as much product as they’d like, feeling confident that what they’re buying is very clean, non-toxic, and up to Love Your Mama standards.
Heart of Gold Kids – Emily Vocke
Heart of Gold Kids on Main Street in Berlin was created by Emily Vocke and her family to supply the community with a local specialty baby/kids clothing store. The idea was inspired after Emily had her oldest son and wanted to create a friendly space for moms and their children to shop, make crafts, and build memories together.
After the pandemic, Heart of Gold Kids gained a website so that the community and others from out of town could still enjoy the variety of clothing, toys, gifts for ages newborn to size 10, and even matching sets for parents. With the online shopping option, store pick-up is a popular choice, especially because of the free gift wrapping available with any purchase!
Heart of Gold Kids has expanded with another seasonal location in Fenwick Island, DE. Emily and her family are looking forward to hosting more events and continued adventures in Berlin. “We have enjoyed meeting families and watching our little customers grow over the last 7 years,” Emily says. “[We are] looking forward to another great summer season coming up!”
Olea Marketing Solutions – Olive Mawyer
Oliver Mawyer has been in Worcester County for the last 15 years and formerly worked as the Executive Director of the Berlin Maryland Chamber of Commerce. This position sparked a love for not only the area but for helping small businesses locally. Thus, Olea Marketing Solutions was born to assist small businesses, solo entrepreneurs, and non-profits to gain
a competitive edge in this ever-changing digital world.
OLEA provides marketing solutions such as branding, website design and revamps, social media strategies, management, and email marketing. When working with clients, Olive knows the importance of treating every business differently depending on their needs. The company is unique in that the clientele and work are very relationship-based after years of working closely in the Chamber and with the community.
Partnering with solo entrepreneurs, small businesses, and non-profit organizations that lack resources or are struggling to gain a presence online is the top priority. “We believe in going above and beyond for our clients,” Olive says. “It’s not just about providing a one-time service and we ‘see you later.’ We stay with you to continue to help grow your business, whatever that entails.”
At Worcester County Economic Development, we are proud of every one of our local small businesses. We encourage the community to continue supporting each other in great efforts like the examples above. Kudos to Nicole, Lizzie, Emily, and Olive—we’re happy to have you in Berlin, Maryland!
Check out more local businesses and the latest news in town here!
