Nancy Carney wasn't always the Motown-singing and dancing proprietor of Main Street fashion accessory store Nancy's Fancy.

A quick peak inside her downtown shop shows tables of jewelry and purses organized meticulously by color. Motown hits feed her daily store soundtrack. Sometimes you may even catch her spontaneously dancing.

But a year and half ago, Carney was far from feeling that fancy.

One spring morning in 2011, Carney drove to her sales manager job at a large anti-virus software company. She arrived at work that day and noticed her boss and good friend was not in the office, which was unusual.

Carney had a feeling that she knew what was coming next. Soon she was called into a meeting. Carney was getting fired, along with the rest of the managers.

“Our company had just been bought, so lay-offs were expected,” Carney says, “but it is unusual to lay off the sales department if they are making their numbers, and we were making our numbers.”

The next morning Carney woke up and found herself singing and dancing and then laughing in the kitchen.

“I never realized what a rut I had been in,” she says. “I was so happy to never have to go back there. And I have been dancing ever since.”  

Carney put pen to paper to figure out what she wanted to do next.

“I wrote down everything I loved and I asked advice from good friends. I had never envisioned myself owning my own business before but I had always loved to shop. I was known for my accessories. At work people always commented that on Monday they waited to see what new stuff I had bought on the weekend.”

Carney took a leap of faith. On March 21, 2011, three weeks after she was laid off, she opened Nancy’s Fancy at 342 Main St., next to Café Alfresco in the space that was formerly Zoe’s on Main. She slowly sold off the home décor inventory from Zoe’s and focused on well-priced fashion accessories.

“I get to indulge in my passion,” she says, “I feel like I’ve retired even though now I work seven days a week.”

Keeping with the joy that she felt the first morning after her lay off, singing and dancing are encouraged at Nancy’s Fancy and Carney takes pride in making her own music mixes to keep the store fun.

“There is no place I would rather be,” she says.

Want to Go?

Stop by Nancy’s Fancy if you feel like dancing and get a pouchee, the organizer that lets you easily switch from one purse to another or discover baggalini, bags designed by two flight attendants to provide both order and beauty.

Then review your experience on Patch!

• Where: Nancy's Fancy, 342 Main St. 
• Contact: 727-733-4766, http://www.nancys-fancy.com/
• Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.