Level 48 Styling Co. opens in Mountain Grove

Level 48 Styling Co., a distinctive boutique and vendor marketplace, debuted in Mountain Grove last weekend. The store, owned and operated Gayela Linton and her daughter, Taylor McLear, is set to invigorate the local business scene with its unique offerings. The beginnings of Level 48 can be traced back several years, when McLear, then a teenager, came to her mother with a business plan. The proposal, which was to open a clothing boutique, was effective, and the two launched Olive & Blush soon after. Olive & Blush, initially a small booth at E. Marie’s Boutique, quickly outgrew its humble beginnings. It expanded to four other vendor locations and even ventured into pop-ups. Following the success of Olive & Blush, McLear was inspired to embark on a solo journey. In September 2023, she opened Downtown Daisy, a women’s boutique in the Grove Sq. building. Meanwhile, Linton continued to manage Olive & Blush. For a while, the two operated separate booths in Upstairs Marketplace. “Taylor has had an entrepreneurial spirit about her since she was young,” Linton said of her daughter, who is now 22. Downtown Daisy saw unparalleled success within its first few months; and bigger things were yet to come. (Read the rest of the story in the June 5 issue of the Wright County Journal.)