Beach Babe Life: How Malinda Howell is soaking up retired life at the beach

By: Ashley Daniels

Malinda Howell traded in her heels for flip-flops when she moved to Myrtle Beach three years ago.

Originally from Ocean City, Maryland, Howell then lived in Augusta, Georgia, for 23 years and worked in sales in the mortgage industry for 42 years before retiring in 2022 and moving here to the coast.

“There were 10 of us girls that met about the same time in 2017 in Augusta, and somebody came up with the idea to do a girls beach trip to Myrtle Beach,” says Howell. “That’s when we named ourselves the ‘Beach Babes.’ We’re all old; we’re not young chicks, but that’s OK!”

Shortly after she moved to the beach, Howell discovered a consignment shop that was up for sale in the Shore Drive section, purchased it in May 2024, and renamed it Beach Babes Consign & Find after her group of girlfriends.

“I closed it and revamped it because I wanted to create more of a boutique look, so I changed the whole store and we reopened in June of last year,” says Howell.

Within just over a year’s time, Beach Babes grew from hosting 230 consigners to now 420 consigners in-house selling women’s apparel, accessories, jewelry, furniture, home décor, and more.

“I get a lot of repeat business with our home décor customers and consigners because I am so close to the condos,” says Howell. “And Facebook has been probably my biggest advertisement that I have grown the most from and word-of-mouth, with people coming in and telling someone else about us. I have truly been blessed. It’s been amazing to see what has been accomplished here in a year.”

Howell adds that, although she feels she’s the “new kid on the block,” she’s grateful about how well Beach Babes has been accepted in the Shore Drive neighborhood.

“This is a whole new world for me! I mean, I’ve done sales my whole life, but I also did some home staging on the side for friends and family, so that helps me with my marketing and merchandising in the store,” she says. “I do have an eye for that. … I said when I retired, I wanted to do something fun, and this is something fun and totally different!”

Although Howell’s career switch from mortgage sales to retail sales looks a little different in retired life, she says there are some similarities – just more improved.

“I still have that connection with people,” she says. “I love to work with people and meet people. In the mortgage world, I worked with builders and developers and buyers, sometimes sellers, so I’m still in the loop with people.

“Like I said, this whole thing has been a blessing,” continues Howell. “I would have never dreamed when I retired in 2022 that this is what I would be doing. Because I had no clue what I was going to do, I knew it was going to be something fun, not stressing over someone’s credit or stressing over whether or not buyers are going to get the house that affects their livelihood. But this is fun. I help customers pick out a dress or a top or a picture or something they’re looking for, for their home and everybody’s happy at the end of the day.”

When Howell isn’t helping customers at Beach Babes, she says she’s a “beach sitter.” She is a Beach Babe, after all.

“Especially in the evenings. By the time I get home, I pack myself a little cooler with a glass of wine, a sandwich or chips or something and I go and sit on the beach sometimes until nine, 10 o’clock at night,” she says. “About the time the sun sets, I’m marching back in. I’m fortunate to live right across the street from the beach. That’s what I’ve moved here for, you know?”

Look for Beach Babes Consign & Find to start decorating and stocking up on Christmas décor at the end of October and early November, and a potential holiday special event in the near future. Check back for updates on their Facebook page.

Beach Babes is located at 9630 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach.