Storytelling Bootcamp: Shop Owner Fulfills Dream with Downtown Business

Editor's Note: The Daily Inter Lake brought six rising freshmen together this summer for a weeklong storytelling bootcamp where they learned the fundamentals of interviewing and writing a profile story.

Whether it’s in an ice cream shop or a clothing store, Beth Kornick has always loved the retail industry.  

Kornick co-owns Princess and Buck, a unique and fun boutique in downtown Kalispell.

 “I’ve always worked in a front facing environment” Beth explains “... I always knew that I loved helping a customer find just that right thing and something fun and quirky.”  

After 14 years of working for the school district, Beth felt that it was time for her to get back into the retail business.

She then met her friend and business partner, Kyle Waterman. A month later they opened Princess and Buck. The store operates out of the former Wheeler Jewelry location and brings a lively and one-of-a-kind experience to Main Street while also preserving the building’s monumental legacy.  

Kornick never gave up on her dream. Even after having to give up her first store at age 20 and spending years working for the school district, she always knew that she someday wanted to own a store again. 

That’s when she started talking with her longtime friend, Waterman. He also had a dream of owning a store that brought something unique and inviting downtown. Together they formulated a plan.  

Kornick and Waterman chose the building because of its extensive history. It was the first finished brick building on Main Street. The building operated as a bank for around 10 years before Wheeler Jewelry took it over and owned it for the next 100 years. 

The building came with beautiful cases that are perfect for displaying clothing and an old vault that Kornick and Waterman turned into a photo booth. In 2025, they officially opened their shop.

When asked about the hardest part of her job working downtown at Princess and Buck, Kornick stated that “...sourcing products that are different from everybody else’s. It’s really easy to find products that everybody else also has, but it’s really difficult to find those unique products that customers are going to really like.”  

Princess and Buck is bright and fun, and sells a variety of clothing and items, like sardine dresses, disco balls and even Dolly Parton praying candles. Kornick explained that during the festival and summer season, they try to cater more toward tourists and showcase clothing and accessories that most tourists think Montanans wear.

“So maybe something with a little fringe, something a bit more Western,” she said. “But for our local people, we really know that that’s not necessarily what they wear every day or what they want.”  

She explained that for locals they might look for a fun top or a good pair of jeans.

Kornick said her work doesn’t really feel like work.

“I don’t feel like when I stay late at work that I’m working so hard because it’s my dream and it’s what I want to do, and hopefully, I’m making a place that other people love,” she said. 

The Inland Northwest Journalism Foundation (INJF) champions ethical local journalism as a vital cornerstone of democracy. Through grants, scholarships, and educational opportunities, we empower sustainable editorial initiatives and support journalists within privately owned media companies. By protecting community voices and preserving archives, INJF works to prevent news deserts and ensure impactful storytelling continues to inform, connect, and inspire communities throughout the Inland Northwest.

If you'd like to support local journalism in northwest Montana, follow this link: Inland Northwest Journalism Western Montana - Innovia Foundation