From the first day that Lively Athletics opened its doors at 109 N. Oak Park Ave. during the summer of 2014, the business was truly a dream come true for sisters Anne Pezalla and Kate Marlin.
But now, 10 years after launching a store that still mainly caters to the athletic needs of women, the sisters have decided Lively needs some new blood. Via social media, they recently announced plans to step away from Lively and their hope to find an enthusiastic buyer who can breathe new life into the shop.
Citing a busy past couple of years, including recent family shifts, work burnout and new personal goals, Pezalla says the decision to sell was not one made lightly.
“The decision to sell Lively was so hard for us – this store has been a second home for us,” she said. “There was a long time where I didn’t know who I would be if not a small business owner, but things have changed for us. My husband and I sort of fell into real estate investing, and I own and manage several short term rental units in Oak Park. That has increasingly taken more and more of my time.”
In addition, the sisters said they were very shaken by the death of their father, Paul Pezalla, who passed away of prostate cancer in late 2023.
“He helped us a lot with our business over the years, having himself owned two Oak Park businesses [Prairie Woodworking and Wacker Bait & Tackle]. I don’t know if we ever really bounced back from the painful experience of caring for him as he died. This experience also made my sister really think about life, and she’s currently planning on going back to school for a healthcare-related degree.”
For the sisters, the shop in Oak Park was their first foray into the world of business ownership. It was, however, to them a no-brainer to open a women-focused activewear store in their hometown.
While opening up shop in Oak Park may mean having to deal with high property taxes, limited parking and increasing rent costs, the sisters couldn’t imagine a more perfect place to plant the roots of a business dedicated to helping other women like themselves have a local spot dedicated to outfits, gear and more for workouts like running to yoga and everything in between.
“We never considered opening anywhere other than Oak Park,” Pezalla said. “We grew up here and are raising our own kids here. We love it here – it’s home. We knew the community would support us here, and we have been proven right over and over again.”
Over the last decade, Pezalla and Marlin’s goal has been to deliver a friendly approach to women – and now men and children, too – selling apparel, footwear and accessories for all, no matter where they’re at along their fitness journey.
“I think the fact that we ourselves exercise for the joy of it, not to break any records, really resonates with our customers and helps create a welcoming vibe in the store,” Pezalla said. “Kate and I sort of simultaneously fell in love with running as adults. For me, it was a great way to deal with the stress of graduate school. For Kate, it was a new challenge and a way to stay in shape. I think this has helped us with our customers a lot over the years. We aren’t selling shoes to Olympic athletes; we’re selling to people who might be going for their very first run ever in the shoes they buy that day.”
Pezalla said that while she once used to love creating video content for Lively and chatting with customers for hours on end, she and her sister feel that neither of them can muster up the same passion for Lively.
“Luckily, we have amazing employees and a superstar manager so the store is running really, really well,” she said. “But, I can only imagine how it will improve and grow under the care of someone who has passion and fresh ideas.”
While the sisters don’t have a set time frame for selling Lively, Pezalla said she hopes to have a buyer selected by the end of this month to set the gears in motion for transitioning the store over the summer.
“We’re going to take our time with the sale and really pick someone who we think will carry on the culture of Lively and take the store to the next level,” she said. “We know the support we’ve gotten over the years is because Oak Park liked to see two sisters building a community-oriented, small business together. We don’t take that for granted, and we want to make sure that this is a fun and happy transition.”
Pezalla said that the sisters have already met with six prospective buyers, with additional meetings scheduled.
“If someone reading this article is interested, we hope they’ll reach out,” Pezalla said. “I think we’ve built a great business… and the fact that it’s profitable, turn-key and not owner-operated is another huge bonus.”
Pezalla said the sisters’ dream owner would be someone who has secure financing in place to purchase Lively and the desire to maintain the store’s positive, community-centric culture.
“We’ve never had a problem hiring or retaining employees, and we try to treat everyone who works for us as a part of our Lively family,” she said. “The fact that many of our employees stay for years and ask us to hire their own children is one of the biggest compliments we could get. So, we’re looking for someone who understands that the magic of Lively starts with the care we show for our own employees, which then extends out to our customers.”
“The potential for growth is there and so ready for the next owner,” she said.
While acknowledging the many challenges of a small business, particularly at time when big box stores are so dominant, Pezalla said stores like Lively are still very much wanted and deserve space in the retail world. But other things have also changed.
“Gone are the days where you can just stock cute stuff, open your doors and await customers. Now, you have to understand search-engine optimization and social media,” she said. “But I know I personally don’t want to live in a town without a cute downtown and I put my money where my mouth is. There will always be a place for small business and I will continue to be an advocate for boutiques, even when Lively has sold.”
In the past year alone, Pezalla says that Lively’s online sales have risen 207 percent, a testament to both the in-demand products Lively sells and the strong clientele base the sisters have worked to maintain all these years.
“The small businesses that are thriving are ones that understand their community and are willing to take risks and tell stories,” she said. “I see my teenage daughter out shopping with her friends all the time. I think the social aspect of enjoying the sunshine, walking around with a coffee in hand and looking at beautiful things won’t be going away.”
Though the end of family ownership of Lively draws near, Pezalla said what she has loved most about being a small business owner can be summed up with one word: community.
“When we opened, I think Kate and I both naively saw ourselves as two sisters embarking on our own adventure. But, Oak Park was there for us right from the start. I had friends from high school and my kids’ preschool in the store setting up merchandise the night before we opened. Our very first customers were loyal runners from my running group, Best Foot Forward. And as the years went by, I’ve made friends with so many customers. What Lively has done in terms of building community is something I will never take for granted.”
For those interested in reaching out to Lively as a possible buyer, the sisters can be reached at info@livelyathetlics.com.