I remember the summer of 2012 vividly. I was holding on to dreams and sketching and my mind (that never rests) was in overdrive. I was writing the blog, and I had opened an online store. I was battling the decision to homeschool Gray, had a kidney surgery, and for whatever reason, I started thinking about opening our own storefront.
Our online business was growing and more than anything, Matt and I needed to get all that paint and the “shipping department” out of our garage.
#overtakingourlife
So for a few months we did some research, we looked at spaces, and finally we settled on this space…
And while it was filled with clothes and linoleum and dust, I knew the space could look amazing.
We all moved huge bookcases, painted every surface in the building, and ripped out the white ceiling tiles…
It was an intense month of work, and I drank gallons and gallons of sweet tea from McDonald’s. We came in early and stayed late and it was exhausting. And truly thrilling.
Oh, and I did start homeschooling Grayson that fall. In between reading lessons, he got in a little demo. It was a scary, exciting, nerves on edge kind of time.
On November 10, we held our Grand Opening.
It exceeded every expectation I held, and I was ready to really do this thing. After one week, we had basically sold out of most of our product. We headed to market in January, and well, we came back with a lot more stuff…
In January, the shop looked completely different.
And so it began. The crazy wild ride of owning a small business. While Perfectly Imperfect had been around since 2009, having a brick and mortar was just different.
It was a real, tangible representation of what we did on the blog, a place to escape, and a place to throw all my creativity into. It felt good.
And every few months, it grew. We added more inventory, and we continually scouted new lines and ways to make our store an experience.
We began planning window and “front wall” displays in advance, months at a time.
And sometimes, we still drank sweet tea and left a bunch of crap in the windows.
Because I. am. a. scatterbrain.
We brought on more folks throughout the two years, and some have stayed, and some have moved on.
It’s been quite a lot of fun, and I honestly never expected to love it so much.
I constantly find myself torn between the blog and the store and the online store–not because I love one more than the other, but because I love it all so much. I love what we’ve created, and I want to see it grow. I want to see it all through.
Watching it all morph and change has been exhilarating, and some days I feel like I’m totally on top of all of it. Others, though, I don’t. It is hard to juggle all three components plus family life–but the truth is, I’m not sure I could give up any of it.
It’s not always easy, and the store isn’t always where I want it to be, but business (like everything else) is a process. It’s not a one-stop destination. The pace and market and customer will always change, and I’ve gotta admit: I’m hooked.
Keep creating. Go for it. Don’t get too discouraged. Clear your head and daydream a little. Never killed anyone.
And I’ll keep telling myself the same.
Nice to see the progression. And the people. And the space.
Thanks sweet friend! Thank you for all you’ve done and for all of your hard work along side us!!! xo,
shaunna
You are truly an inspiration to us all. Balance is a daily struggle for all small businesses. It appears you’ve got this under control, at least what you share. As a small business owner, I know just how hard it can truly be.
You got this! Have a seat. Put your feet up. Lay your head back. And just breathe. Andddddd, Repeat as needed.
Happy Holidays to all.
Thank you, Hope! It is tough sometimes, but I don’t know that I’d have it any other way. Ditto to you…enjoy the holiday season!
🙂
shaunna
You need a Jimmy Fallon “Evolution of Dance” video to go along with this! ha!
Girl- you are amazing. You are truly an inspiration!
Beth, hilarious! And thank you–that encouragement means a lot!
🙂
shaunna
It’s so nice to see it all laid out! It’s hard sometimes to remember how far we’ve come. Y’all have done so much over the last few years, I can’t wait to see where you go. It’s got to be amazing.
Love your store! My daughter wants her bedroom to look like your store. 🙂 We bought some ASCP in Duck Egg for her to experiment with. We’ll be back soon…. without the twins. Oy vey!
Congratulations on your success I love shopping in your awesome store!!!
I am glade brick wall remains uncovered:) it make interior looking fancy and cozy
Great job!
I love you photography. Great post, thanks for sharing!
http://www.endlesshouseaffair.com
“Keep creating. Go for it. Don’t get too discouraged. Clear your head and daydream a little. Never killed anyone.
And I’ll keep telling myself the same.”
Thank you, this was exactly what I needed to read today. You are brilliant, keep at it.
I just found your blog (via Décor and the Dog and Bower Power Blog) and I’m so happy I did! Your store looks amazing. I think I could spend days walking through and admiring every section and every little detail. I love hearing stories about people whose dreams come true. You’re story is inspiring. Congratulations!
Thank you for sharing. I’m just starting my journey and hearing other people’s ups and downs is so inspiring and helpful.
Thank you so much for sharing your “Shop Talk” posts. I think I have read them all multiple times! I have finally taken the baby step of opening a booth in an antique market. I would love to have my own store some day and this is a start. Thank you for giving me an inside glimpse of someone living the dream!
Shaunna
Just stopped by to catch up. What a life! You’re living my dream, but I started WAY too late in life.
Enjoy the ride, so happy things are progressing for you!
gail
Need to print this out. Have moved from my day job to my dream job. Will be taking more steps this year! Loving this journey!!!
I keep checking your blog. There is a pop up that I can’t remove from the right side of the blog. I wonder if that is blocking my viewing.
This is inspiring and what I plan on doing in the future!
thank you for this post , been a fan of your blog for sometime now & don’t always comment much, but I have brick & mortar studio I opened last year beat my wildest expectations too on the response , I am not exactly retail more just workshops and paint 🙂 I have been taking January to just be still and create at home for my family , needing that extra push to go and reinvent the studio and my workshops, love it all too (just started blogging a little over a year ago). LOVE watching your journey! & loving your book too xoxo
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Omg. Wonderful website. Thanx for useful information.
I just came across your blog and I was lead here for a reason! I love your inspiration! I have a home based design service. And I am so ready to open a storefront! But hesitant about that BIG leap into overhead cost! Need some advice. 1. Do you recommend starting ecommerce first?
2. Did you need to raise capital and if so who did you go through? Any advice you could offer would be appreciated. By the way I love your store and I am so thrilled for you!
Celia
I also have another website ornatelayers.com
Love seeing your success in your blog and store. You inspired me so much, and still do, when we decided to open our own shop…moving from a vendor mall to our own brick and mortar.
I do have a question for you. We have drop ceilings (that I hate) and see that you removed that and the insulation. Did you put in some other kind of insulation or just left it out?? We’d love to get rid of ours.
Thanks!
Veryy good blog post. I definitely love this website.
Keep writing!