Ever wondered how a college athlete turned a passion for fashion into a thriving boutique business?
Meet Addy Cook, a spirited entrepreneur who navigated the challenging transition from an online store to a physical storefront during the uncertain times of COVID-19, all while juggling a full-time banking job. The surprising part? Her banking career proved to be unexpectedly accommodating to her entrepreneurial venture!
Our conversation with Addy takes you behind the scenes of fashion inventory selection and ordering. Hear about her practical approach to shopping using an app that targets local business and the strategic thought process behind each fashion selection. Learn how she tackled the complexities of maintaining a successful boutique, leveraging an app for customer interactions, managing live streams, and creating uniqueness in the market. If you've ever been intrigued about running a boutique, you'll want to hear Addy's insights!
And we're not just talking business. Marvel at the personal side of Addy's journey, as she shares her secret recipe for work-life balance and how baking provides stress relief. She opens up about her love for baking and the pursuit of her perfect sugar cookie recipe. Listen in as we discuss her involvement in community support events, her innovative business ideas, and the importance she places on shopping locally. This intimate conversation with Addy is a testament to the power of passion, resilience, and community spirit in entrepreneurial success.
Find Broke Gals Boutique across all social media and @ Broke Gals Boutique.
Music by: Kim Cantwell
Bowie Mural: Located at Creative Cakes
Connect w/Aaron: www.aarondegler.com
Ever wondered how a college athlete turned a passion for fashion into a thriving boutique business?
Meet Addy Cook, a spirited entrepreneur who navigated the challenging transition from an online store to a physical storefront during the uncertain times of COVID-19, all while juggling a full-time banking job. The surprising part? Her banking career proved to be unexpectedly accommodating to her entrepreneurial venture!
Our conversation with Addy takes you behind the scenes of fashion inventory selection and ordering. Hear about her practical approach to shopping using an app that targets local business and the strategic thought process behind each fashion selection. Learn how she tackled the complexities of maintaining a successful boutique, leveraging an app for customer interactions, managing live streams, and creating uniqueness in the market. If you've ever been intrigued about running a boutique, you'll want to hear Addy's insights!
And we're not just talking business. Marvel at the personal side of Addy's journey, as she shares her secret recipe for work-life balance and how baking provides stress relief. She opens up about her love for baking and the pursuit of her perfect sugar cookie recipe. Listen in as we discuss her involvement in community support events, her innovative business ideas, and the importance she places on shopping locally. This intimate conversation with Addy is a testament to the power of passion, resilience, and community spirit in entrepreneurial success.
Find Broke Gals Boutique across all social media and @ Broke Gals Boutique.
Music by: Kim Cantwell
Bowie Mural: Located at Creative Cakes
Connect w/Aaron: www.aarondegler.com
What happened to my hometown. It seemed so different. When I look around, it's funny how things have changed since I was young. What I wouldn't give to go way back and take a long look into my past. I remember this town the way that it used to be. Welcome to my hometown, our little town on the map and home to the world's largest Jim Bowie. Knife. To show you around our beautiful town is our tour guide, erin Degler. Erin has a love for road trips, taking the opportunity to stop along the way in small towns across the US, just like our very own, bowie, texas. Spend a little time with Erin each week as he takes you around Bowie, sharing the value of the small businesses, the organizations, the history and, of course, the people that make up my hometown. After this podcast is over, make sure you give it a like, a share, and please subscribe and review this podcast. I would now like to introduce to you your tour guide for today in my hometown, erin Degler.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to my hometown. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and join us today. Please welcome my guest today. She has gone from college athlete to entrepreneur in relatively a short amount of time. She is the go-to woman for all the fashion trends and all the fashion needs can be found at her store. Please welcome my guest today, the owner of Broke Gall's Boutique, Miss Addie Cook.
Speaker 3:Thanks, for having me, Thank you.
Speaker 2:Addie. So I talked about going from athlete to entrepreneur and in that intro it sounds like it happened pretty fast, but there's a lot of steps that kind of happened between that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was very fast. It was close together. I graduated high school in 2017 and started playing college volleyball in 2017, and I played through the end of 2019-2020 season and I started Broke Gall's in 2020. So there wasn't there's a slight gap, but just a couple months of not playing and then starting the business.
Speaker 2:And so when you started Broke Gall's, you're still in college.
Speaker 3:I was still in college. Yes, I graduated college May of 2020 and I started Broke Gall's. I want to say like March 2020 somewhere in there. No, that's not, I lied. I started it online in 2019, the end of 2019. I opened a storefront August of 2020 after I graduated. So I did start it the semester before I graduated, like late 2019, just online from my house in Wichita, and then I moved back home when I graduated in May and then I opened a storefront August during. Covid.
Speaker 2:During.
Speaker 3:COVID During COVID.
Speaker 2:Is when you opened the storefront.
Speaker 3:Storefront yes, Wow.
Speaker 2:So you started online? Yes, but it's the name of the store is Broke Gall's.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:But there's only one Gall now.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Which is you?
Speaker 3:Well, it started as three Broke Gall's, because I started it with two co-workers and that lasted maybe a couple months and then it was just me by the beginning of 2020. It was just me by myself. And then when I went to open a storefront, I was like it doesn't make sense to say three Broke Gall's anymore, but I liked the name. So I was like, well, I'll just take the three off and just be Broke Gall's.
Speaker 2:So originally it was the name was three Broke Gall's.
Speaker 3:It was originally yes For a short period, and then it changed to Broke Gall's.
Speaker 2:And so did it, but it started all out online.
Speaker 3:Yes, and all from my house.
Speaker 3:I did it out of like my spare bedroom at my house when I lived in Wichitawn College and then I moved. When I moved back I moved everything with me but I didn't really have anywhere. I mean I was like partially out of my mom's house, partially out of mine, like it was just all over the place, and my boyfriend Zach had a building in town that was vacant and I was like, can I? Like? At first I put it as can I store my stuff in there and then I put up there. I was like you know what I'm just going to open. So I just decided to open a storefront after saying I was going to store my stuff in there.
Speaker 2:Because really before you started, before you open, you store your stuff in there, but sometimes you had people would come there, right, that was the idea.
Speaker 3:It was like because a lot of times, like I would post items like with it being online and they wanted to try it on, and which I understood. I like to try stuff on too. But it was like, oh, you want to come to my mom's house at five o'clock. So I was like I need somewhere for like to have stuff that people want to try on. So then I would do that and do like little parties and I was like, why not just be open? So I just open to have it a permanent thing.
Speaker 2:And what? But you opened. You started, had a storefront, but also, while you're doing that, you're also working full time.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:For the bank.
Speaker 3:Yes, and I worked in Decatur. So I, which, granted, the bank, was very flexible with me, so I worked. I had to work hours, but I worked my own hours. So I would get up and go to work at 536 in the morning and I would be done by two o'clock in the afternoon to come back and then I would open the store when I got back from Decatur.
Speaker 2:And then, how long did you do both? How long did you do both?
Speaker 3:I did both for a while. So I started at the bank in like the end of 2017. And then I worked in Wichita whenever I was in Wichita and then when I moved back, I, before I graduated, I was driving a couple of days a week from Wichita to Decatur because I was housed out of the corporate office there in Decatur. So that was a lot. But then I moved to Bowie and so it was just short drive.
Speaker 2:After you graduated.
Speaker 3:After I graduated, I moved back to Bowie and then I was just driving to Decatur and then let's see, like May-ish 2021 is when I stopped working. I couldn't do it any longer. It was too much it was just a lot. Which I mean. Granted, I did get sent to work from home because of COVID.
Speaker 3:So, that was convenient, but it didn't last long. They wanted us back into the office and I was like, can I please stay home and work from home? Because it made it so much easier on me, because I could work from the store or I could work from home and then go to the store and I wasn't having to commute 30 minutes, which helped. But then it got to be too much. There was no way I could keep doing both with no employees.
Speaker 2:It was just you trying to.
Speaker 3:It was just me like trying to keep a storefront open and work a full-time job, and I was like there's just no way.
Speaker 2:And then you still keep online sales and storefront. So you're really doing online and storefront yeah it was.
Speaker 3:it was based around online at the time. That was it kind of revolved around that. And then the store was open when I could be there, because I couldn't really have set hours having a full-time job. So that was kind of I was just I would post like, hey, I'm going to be here from three to seven or whatever time. I was going to be there that day, and that was how the storefront worked until I was able to do it full-time.
Speaker 2:And selling online has changed a lot, right Since you've done it. Since what? In the last four years?
Speaker 3:Yeah, a lot. Almost four years. Yeah, mm-hmm, I give a lot of that, probably to COVID, that the how much the online sales changed.
Speaker 2:And then has has really your process evolved even more? Yes, Right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so like when I started when I say online, that was more of just like I had a Facebook page and I posted stuff on there, Did some events here and there.
Speaker 2:So when you started in Wichita out of your apartment there house, it was pretty much just posting pictures product on Facebook. It was literally just Facebook.
Speaker 3:I didn't even have a website first, so my inventory was I had an Excel sheet and then someone buy something. I'd go in there and like delete it out, be like sold, and Manually, manually, and I like numbered the items and then eventually I was like okay, this is not sustainable, I have to do something different. And then I got a website and then the storefront, which the website has stayed Same. I haven't changed since I started the website. I've just stayed on the same platform the whole time. So that is one thing that stayed consistent.
Speaker 2:But, but to now? But then you didn't have an app. No, now you have an app. Have an app. Now they can shop through the app and still go to your website and shop. Yes, now when they buy the inventory, it just automatically.
Speaker 3:It's. It's much more convenient now. The website has been just like the same study thing that at. We added that on a couple years ago, which we really initially added because I was doing live cells where I would go live and and sell stuff and that was a big thing during 2020, 2021. It still is a thing, but it's not as big as it was. But I would do them and people would comment and then, as soon as I would, I would go home, sit down, get my laptop and my phone and I would manually invoice out every single comment on there and saying what they want to buy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so like I would number these items, I would like top number 103 and then they would comment like what size they wanted and I would go in and invoice them and I would have to go through like all the comments and then let them know I invoice them after I did it and it would take me a couple hours after doing the live cell to just get the invoicing done.
Speaker 3:And I was that's where you even packaged any of the yeah I was like there's got to be an easier way to do this is taking so much time. But I did that for a long time of just manually invoicing. And then they came out with this new platform that does when I go live, they can automatically just shop and I don't have to invoice. It picks it all up and that's through. The app comes with that, so that was just like an added bonus, and then the app's forced into its own thing of being so much more convenient for shopping.
Speaker 2:Because you have more people shop on the app or online, or is it, you know, like going to your website, or the website or the app? Yeah, the app.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it's kind of like how I would say, like Amazon, you know you can, just you're not going to go to Amazoncom, you're just going to pull up the Amazon app, add to cart, swap, check out. It's the same thing. You just get on there, swap, check out. And I like it too, because I have a lot of local buoy shoppers or around the buoy area that like to do that. And especially when I do a new release, if you can't get to the store then but you don't want your size to sell out, they'll just go on an order through the app and you can select pick up in store, swipe to check out, and then it tells us their local pickup and we package it and put it in the pickup bins.
Speaker 3:So then, you can just come get it whenever you're convenient for you and you don't have to mess with shopping in store.
Speaker 2:And worry about did it sell out? Did I get there in time?
Speaker 3:Yeah, or do you still have that Like I really wanted it? So that makes it a lot, because two before it would be like people would, we would release something, and then maybe they come in and say, hey, I want the medium, can you hold it? It's like we, yeah, we'll hold it for a little bit, but we're not going to hold it for two weeks. And somebody else wanted it, so you've paid for it and whatnot, because I was doing that and I got burned so many times that I just stopped and I was like so now they can take a month if they want to come pick it up.
Speaker 2:It's already paid for.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, we'll put it in the pickup bins and then you can get it when you want to and, like some people, I'm so sorry I haven't got there to pick it up and it's like. It's fine, Like you've paid for it. You've done your part. We'll do our part by holding it until you can get there.
Speaker 2:Which is nice for the customer. So how do you? How do you decide? How do you? Because you don't have I mean, you're not a huge retail store. You have a relatively smaller space, so it's not like you can, and, being a smaller business, you can't carry tons of inventory, no. So how do you pick the right fashion that is gonna sell?
Speaker 3:My mindset when I go to market and do my ordering is always thinking about my ideal customers. So like I have very consistent, like I have a lot of customers that buy from me consistently and I know what they buy and what they like. So I like try to picture them when I go and be like, oh yeah, customer A would like this item, or customer B and a lot of it I try to split by age group so like I have a lot of customers in like this age group that dress similar, and then some, so that when I go that I can like picture those items for them. Cause if I just go and be like Adylexis, Adycar, Adycar, it doesn't work out the same because not everything I like they like.
Speaker 2:So there are things that you pick that you go. I don't like this, but I know customer A. This is ideal for them.
Speaker 3:It's so funny. I have a funny story with that one. I took my, my cousin Hensley, with me to market one time and I was like I picked up the shirt I was like, oh, the broke gals would love this. And she was like, no, do not get that. And I was like Hensley, I promise. I was like they like this is so then they would really really like this. And she was like, are you kidding? Like you would never wear that. And I was like, but they'll like it, watch. And so I got it. I ordered it. It came in, I ended up reordering more packs of it and I was like sitting in her screenshots, I was like I told you she's like you were so right, like they did like it. I was like I know, like I can. Just, it makes it easier when you have like you can put a customer persona together that you know what they like or pieces that they'll like. But some of it is just stuff that Addy likes too. That I'm like Addy likes it. I'll see if y'all like it.
Speaker 2:But so you've had experience over the last three, four years, four, almost four years doing that three years. So how did? How did you do it in the beginning, when you didn't really know what your customers liked?
Speaker 3:A lot of trial and error. Yeah, it was like getting to and I still buy a lot of stuff that they don't necessarily like and that I get stuck with, and it's just like a learning process of like figuring out and like taking those failures and like learning from them is like a big thing instead of just being like, oh, I don't know why this isn't selling, I'll have to put it on sale and then see and just go and order something else. Similar to that Of like trying to like take mental notes and learn from bad orders to not do it again, cause I and I had a season too of knowing, like when the store is busier and when it's not. I had one season that I did really, really bad on ordering and I ordered way too much inventory.
Speaker 2:Not knowing it was not gonna be a.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it was more of like knowing summer slower than winter and coming out of, you know, Christmas season and I'm like, oh my God, the store was booming, it was so good I got to get all this new inventory and you're ordering so far ahead. So when I went to market in like January after coming off a hit Christmas season, I'm like we need all of this and I ordered so much stuff and then it all came like how did I order that? It was so bad and I got stuck with a lot of inventory that I had a hard time moving, cause then it goes out of season so fast and you don't have a limited time to sell it, I only have these few months that this inventory is good for that, using those as learning curve.
Speaker 3:So then this next year I'm like okay, addie's, I know Christmas is good, but we're coming into summer, it's gonna be slower. You have to know, like not to order as much and just to like on stuff like that, to stick with more good basic styles that go like across the board from like season to season. I try to get a lot of those, cause I like that. As for my closet as well, like something that I can wear all year long and not specifically just for X season.
Speaker 2:It can be.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's versatile.
Speaker 2:And that has to be hard to come off.
Speaker 3:a holiday season where sales are booming and it's almost you know, then you gotta pull yourself back when you do that and you're like I finally got money in my bank account, let's go spend it. And then yeah, but you get stuck with it.
Speaker 2:And then you think, and I'm gonna sell it again in the next few months, but it doesn't happen, Cause, really, how far in advance do you, is it you purchase what two to three months in advance for the next season?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it depends. So, like some vendors do their lines so far in advance cause they don't produce until orders have closed. So, just for instance, like I went in August yeah, august and a couple of my vendors, I had to go pre-order for their spring line.
Speaker 1:And it's tough.
Speaker 3:It's hard like going into like when you're in a mindset of a different season and going and ordering for an, and so I had to do that and then go and order some fall as well, so it's kind of challenging to cause. You gotta really like flip your mindset of to like putting outfits together and like knowing how the store is gonna flow, of ordering that far in advance. It's kind of tough.
Speaker 2:So does it ever happen that you order something for the spring and by the time it spring comes, that that's already at a trend? Does that ever happen, or?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it does. But when I am ordering that far in advance I try not to go with like super trendy, trendy things that it's like oh well, by the time that gets here it's probably gonna be out. Only thing that does help me with that is that, like this direction, like Buoy and like smaller towns, hit trends a little later, so it's when it's super on trends, say, in LA. It might not make it here until a couple months later. So it does give me a little wiggle room with that.
Speaker 3:That it doesn't hit till a little later, so it hangs around a little bit longer. But I do try to like avoid ordering. When I'm doing that I try to go with like good classics and less on like super trendy.
Speaker 2:And so, mentioning that you have, you know, different trends. You really sell all over the United States.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Because of online sales, store sales? Yeah, so did those customers. Did it take a while to connect with those customers that are online? That might be in New York or LA or some of the other states, is it you know? Is it harder Cause you also on your Facebook page? You also have a VIP group for Broke-Als, correct? Did that start right from the beginning?
Speaker 3:No, first I started with a page and I added the group on not long after that. So I've had it a little while and that's where a lot of my I would say out of Montaig County customers have came from. And some of them are like great customers now, like I have one that lives in New York and she's an awesome customer. I feel like she lives here cause she's like on the live sales. And I have one that lives in Hawaii that she's a good one too and I like when I see their name I just think that they're from here, even though I know they're not and I have to ship their orders.
Speaker 3:But a lot of those did come from Facebook I've had. I get a lot of orders too that just, for instance, like I carry Consuela and I'm a listed retailer on Consuela's website, so I will get like out of state orders from that. Or we've had a TikTok go viral and I got some orders from that, so that was pretty cool. But different stuff like that, but most of it, I would say, comes from our Facebook group and like maybe someone from Buoy shares a post, but they're friends with someone else that's out of state, that becomes a customer of ours too, that they saw it from them.
Speaker 2:So it's a way to. So then, how do you so? As you mentioned, you say that those customers on a live sale that aren't from our area. How do you connect with them in a way as being a small business, in a way that you feel like, oh, they are from here.
Speaker 3:I don't know. I think it was because there for a while was doing live sales so often, and a lot of it I did interactive live sales where I would like play a game or like do other things, and just like one from things they buy. Like I figure out their style, like if they buy more than one item, like over a period of time, I figure out like stuff they like where I can like picture them wearing it almost. I know that sounds weird, but like I can picture their style and things and two, like all of them like message with me, like let me know they really liked an item, or have questions, and just like conversating with them. That then I feel like that, just like anyone else, that they're from here and I know them on a personal level.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's a great way, because when we take it to a message, you know that, versus just seeing them on a live sale, does make it connect more, and so do you still do a fair amount of live sales.
Speaker 3:I don't do as many anymore. That's something I need to get better at. I need to do some more, but a lot of it's because of summertime everyone's schedules are so all over the place that the time it took for me to do it wasn't worth the return I was getting, and I have to have new styles for it and things like that. But I do need to get back into it, like now that school's back and we're back, people are on a better schedule that I can plan around them better and like have people on there to watch. But a lot of people, too, just watch the replay. They're not on their live with me. They'll watch it, say, the next morning, while they're getting ready.
Speaker 2:Because when you do it live, it stays on your app or on the. Do you do it through your app or your Facebook page, or both Both?
Speaker 3:When I go live, it goes live online my app and Facebook Facebook group and Facebook page so it goes all at one time and from my side with my computer, anyone who comments from any of those platforms all comes to one place for me so I can see how many people are on X platforms and stuff and where they're commenting from, but it all comes to one spot, so it's not like I'm on four different platforms at one time.
Speaker 2:And when you're going live.
Speaker 3:It's all on one unit.
Speaker 2:One central thing Then when you usually do it live, you usually do it by yourself, so you're trying to keep track of all that.
Speaker 3:Which is against, I would say against the norms. Almost most boutique owners and people who run boutiques. They have like team lives, like there's a person behind the computer, there's other people, one responding to comments and then there's a couple people doing like clothes. Yeah, I've had them with other people, hope being one. She doesn't live here anymore and I would have her do some with me from time to time, but I'm a lot more efficient by myself. I'm a good solo worker.
Speaker 2:So you're trying. So then you're trying to answer people if they ask questions, as you're trying to show the product.
Speaker 3:Yes, but I don't type out responses. So like if someone asks a question, say like hey, how does that fit compared? Or whatever they may ask, I just respond to them verbally. As I'm watching it, I don't like type out a response because that would take way too much for me.
Speaker 2:So it's just easier to.
Speaker 3:So that's how some of them do, that they like type out responses instead of like verbally responding to them. But I'm like I find it more interactive to just talk to them on there, like they're talking to me. They comment, and then I respond to them.
Speaker 2:It does make them feel more a part of the soul.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was like I like to let them know that like I care that they're there.
Speaker 2:Makes a difference.
Speaker 3:I'm just a viewer like that. I actually respond to them and interact with them.
Speaker 2:Just to type in a response. And so since COVID coming out of that has, have you seen an increase in in-store sales versus online sales, or do they?
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:They're still a good mix of both.
Speaker 3:No, I mean yes, there is a mix, but before we were majority online, very little in-store. When we moved locations, that kind of flip flopped, we became a lot more in-store and a lot less online. I say a lot less online. There is like my orders that pick up in-store, but I just kind of consider them with the store. They're just doing that for the convenience aspect of their size, not selling out or whatever.
Speaker 2:You mean more of online, if you're having to mail the package.
Speaker 3:Chipping packages. Yeah, yeah, we do we a lot more local now.
Speaker 2:And so how did you see, your did business change and traffic change when you moved locations? Because your first initial space you leased and then you moved to a different location that you could own.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:So has. Have you seen an increase in business because it really one's a little bit harder to get to when your newer place is easier to get to? Did you see a change in business because of location?
Speaker 3:Yes, when I, when I bought that building and redid it and repainted and did the you know, did all the things to the building One, I think it had been the same for so long, like the same maroon color, that it just kind of blended in Like no one really noticed.
Speaker 3:I mean, they knew it was there but it wasn't like eye catching I guess you could say, and that painted the building white and put a black and white awning on it and everyone was like, well, what is this Like? It just changed the whole look of the building and it stood out that, on top of having a lot more parking and a lot more convenient parking, my old store, the location was fine on that side street, but the parking was not. It was not good. It works better for people who don't have like constant foot traffic that's more appointment based, I would guess you could say and not like retail Cause my new location, the parking is so much better. And I noticed it too that a lot of my customers oh my God, the parking is so much better here, it's so much easier in and out because a lot of them would tell me that they would be going to my old store and they're like I couldn't find a parking spot and I just, I just left.
Speaker 2:So they just keep on going.
Speaker 3:So like I'm not going to park a block away to walk there to, you know, come shop. So now it's like, oh, just whip, brought in and it's easy in and out. And we think a block that doesn't sound like much but it does make a difference, especially if it's 100 degrees out, I mean, I'm that way, I'm like so parking spot closer, if not, I might have to keep going.
Speaker 2:And I mean if your store is busy you might have to park five spots down versus around the block.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it's. There's so much parking just around there in general that it's made life a lot better over there.
Speaker 2:So what you know over the time of BrokeGalz. What successes have you had with the business?
Speaker 3:Growth like study growth has been nice. I mean we don't. We're not growing as much now as when we like from 2020, 2021, part due to the economy, part due because we hit that spike so fast of growing and growing out of our old space. But just like the study growth and like growth of community within, like BrokeGalz of customer wise and like growth of our page a lot of that. And then like also being able, like having the opportunity to be able to purchase a building it's my first like big girl purchase, I guess you could say, of being able to buy a building. I mean that's. I would consider that success that I wouldn't have probably done without BrokeGalz.
Speaker 2:And so then, what challenges have you had? Sure, there's. I'm sure you probably say that there's a lot more challenges than you probably feel like successes Cause, as business owners, we always think of all the challenges and hardships more than we think of successes, they come to your head a whole lot more often.
Speaker 3:One would be, I think, like with the way people think I find a big challenge. So, like I shared this post like a couple of weeks ago about like with Amazon, Sheen Tim U, all these like China, Amazon's not China based, but same difference a lot of it comes from China Big store one side, but these retailers that are manufacturing super of low quality items and selling them for really cheap and people think they're getting an awesome deal, versus and they're sending their money there.
Speaker 3:And when you go to just, for instance, when you have a benefit or your kids playing and they got a sponsor on the back of their uniform, it's not Tim U or Sheen or Amazon sponsoring and helping the community, it's all your small business owners. You see all of those and I find that a big challenge for people like you. Make your money and you go and you spend it here and it's out of our community, versus, say, you come to my store and you buy something. That money it's not like it's just going to Addie's pocket and just like out the door, I pay two employees. That provides for two more families.
Speaker 3:I shop local, so you spend money with me, then I spend it with someone and the money's staying local and it benefits so many more things. Yeah, our prices might be a little bit higher than Amazon, but we do a whole lot more things. We have a whole lot more interactions. It's a unique experience. You're not just customer 2423 for Amazon. You actually mean something to a small business owner and I feel like getting people to understand that it means a lot to, and it has a purpose, to shop local and not at the big box stores.
Speaker 2:And I think that's a challenge for people in our community is to realize the impact that has of spending your money with a small business. Because you're right, when you spend money with that small business and you see this small business that sponsors a team or this or that or a benefit, you know you're a little more dollars went to help that, so it's not just helping. You know, when our customers come in and spend a little bit more than they might at Amazon, they're not only supporting us but they're supporting the community, because we're able to now give back to the community because they came to shop with us.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like you're not going to, and it's frustrating to to have like people who've never even stepped foot in your business and then they come in like, hey, can you donate $150 to our? What it's like, well, I mean, have you done anything for my small business? Like you just want to hand out, like I love supporting like all like the Buies Stuff teams benefits, like the fall festivals and all the different things I will give almost nine times out of 10 to it. But have something to do. Like don't just have the audacity to come in. You've never even I've never been in here before. Would you donate? It's like, well, I mean sure.
Speaker 2:It goes. It goes both ways. Yeah, so you know, I think respect the small business enough that if you're going to ask, if you're going for that, ask that you've also done business with them.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:I think that's only fair to small businesses, because small businesses are. People ask them a lot for donations, especially if you give once or twice, then you're on the list.
Speaker 2:You're on the list, so everybody's coming to ask, and even if you shop. Also, I think it's to be aware, as as somebody that comes in for donation, that that small business only has a set number of advertising sponsorship dollars and they would. We would all love to give to everybody that asked, because all of them are great organizations, great benefits, but there's a comes a point where we just can't.
Speaker 3:Yes, and anytime that I can, I will like. I always want to help in any way I can, but it just like goes back to you're not going to call Jeff Bezos and ask him for a donation for your kids. Sport.
Speaker 2:I haven't seen. I haven't seen Amazon on either of our baseball t-ball shirts.
Speaker 3:But as small business owners we almost always give to that stuff. But it's like make sure you're giving back to keep us in business too, so that we can do that comes with a price. Yeah, because it is.
Speaker 2:It is a cycle and it you know it. We need the money so we can give it back to you. You can need it so you can give it back to the teams and organizations of benefits. It's just kind of it's a big, it's a big cycle, yes, but you're right, that is a challenge is to share that with our customers. But what other challenges have you had and that you've learned from?
Speaker 3:It's a tough question. I mean there's I mean various challenges is being a small business owner. A lot of them I consider more of like my own failures that I learned from and then try not to make the same mistake twice. But I mean a challenge all small business owners struggle with like just getting people out shopping. Of like keeping the foot traffic up. Of like consistency. It'll come in peaks, but it's like it'd be a lot better if we just stayed even like all the time. Everybody would just come shop all the time and then we could just stay consistent. But it's challenging, especially like in a small town, to like get people out and moving and shopping downtown. A lot of it's like we have to have events and stuff to get people out, but it's would be a lot more convenient if could just like keep it consistent and like people wanted to get out and shop and come downtown and support other small businesses.
Speaker 2:More of just I'm going for the event. More of you were the first one I thought of when I needed this or that. Yes, you know, I was in your store the other day, where we're talking, and you had customers come in and one was just looking for a buoy shirt. Now, I'll be honest with you you can probably get a buoy shirt at Walmart, and she probably could have, but instead she came to you looking for a shirt and that's that's what makes the difference.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:When you go out of your way and go to the small business, say this is what I need, can you get it for me? And if you don't have it, then can get it or there's other options. But because to you, like you said, you go on Amazon, they're not going to give you advice of, well, try this, try that. As a small business owner. They're going to go into your business and you're going to give them other tips, right?
Speaker 3:And I try really hard to like, if someone makes the point to come in and ask for something and I don't have it, that I refer them to another small business in town that I think would have it and maybe not close. Like someone said, I need this size of something of a t-shirt and I'll be like, well, hey, we have a lot of places that make t-shirts in town. Like call one of these people or just like referring people or be like people who visit that come from somewhere, like hey, I just drove in just to come shop here and it's like awesome, we have some really cool shops downtown. You should go around the corner down here and shop at these other places, which is like really awesome.
Speaker 3:I know Linda sends people to me of people come in for like adult size clothes. To her she's like, well, I only have kids, but BrokeGas has adult clothes. Or someone comes like looking for a baby gift or something. Like you have anything? I'm like no, but Linda does. So like go down there. So like just to like work together to when you do have shoppers in town to keep them there and in the small businesses downtown.
Speaker 2:And you're right, it's not. No, I don't have that. I can't help you. It's, I don't have that. But let me tell you where you can go to get that. Yes, because you don't have.
Speaker 3:you don't have kids, especially if they made the point to come into my store to ask me. I definitely want to send them somewhere else where they can get it. No, I feel like no because they're going to.
Speaker 2:They're going to your advice. Your is going to be a lot worth, a lot more than somebody else's. And because you, you don't have kid clothes, is just adult.
Speaker 3:I do have some like tween sizes, not a lot of a small section, but not like little kids not like baby or toddlers.
Speaker 2:So you're the, yours is all older, yes, yeah. So the challenges are plentiful, the successes, I'm sure, are plentiful, but they don't think about them as much they don't feel plentiful Right.
Speaker 2:So you're very busy, you know you spend a lot of time at the store. You have other jobs, so you also do broke gal Bakery, yeah, where you make stuff. So how do you find so, as you bake stuff and sell stuff and do those things, you also have started doing social media management. So that's a lot of things. So how did? And you work at the sale barn, you work for your family, you do a lot of things. So how do you balance? You know, how do you balance personal life and all that? Just how do you balance it?
Speaker 3:I'm not the best at balancing I'll be the first to say I'm not great at it. I try to prioritize things. So like, say, my social media thing, I know I have to get those done on X data. I make the schedule. I have to go to the, I go to these businesses on these dates, take pictures and do that stuff. So I know that that's priority and I know which days I have to do that and it has a deadline. So, which really helps me. If I have something that doesn't have a deadline, I'll just keep pushing it back. So like, with that part of it, I try to prioritize things, like for I do the bookkeeping and stuff for the cattle company and like, for that I know what days bill days are. So then the rest of it I try to get done when I have time. But then also sometimes my grandma, she gives me deadlines so she knows I'll get it done if I have a deadline.
Speaker 2:I was about to say because you don't want to make it when I need it.
Speaker 3:mad, no no, she'll give me like for just like accounting stuff. She'll tell me I need you to get this done by exodate. I'm like, okay, I now will. I'll get it done by that date. I just need a deadline. But for like other stuff, like having dates to get things done really helped me the bakery, I do that and all my free time. So how do?
Speaker 2:you. So how do you fit that in on your free time? Because?
Speaker 3:I mean the reason I do that. I really love baking, Like it's kind of say like it's very stress free for me and like meditating almost, like I enjoy doing it. So a lot of times I'll do it like in the evenings, like when I get home, like I can bake such and such, or in the mornings, Like early, I'll like finish it, so say I'll like make the cake, roll some balls and then like I'll dip those in the morning. So then I'll like dip them first thing before I leave the house. So I just kind of like fit it in here and there. I don't.
Speaker 3:I'm not super consistent with that on like hey, on Friday she has this but, I try to like once a week or every other week, like have a couple of different things to offer, but I I take orders, so like I have a big one coming up next week I'm doing the kids for truth their fall festival. So after like have 200 individually.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So like that stuff, I like to take orders too, cause I'm like they can tell me specifically what they want, how they want it decorated, and then I know what data have to have it done by, and it goes goes much better that way.
Speaker 2:So how did you find out that baking just kind of relaxes. You enjoy it.
Speaker 3:I don't know. I used to like as a kid with Melinda I used to always bake. Like that was what I did. And like when I go put like hang out with something, like like you want to me to teach you how to make this, I'm like, yeah, that sounds so fun, kind of lick the bowl. So like I just as a kid enjoyed it and then I didn't do it for a long time, like in college and stuff, and then I just started one day to start doing it again. I was like you know what? I really enjoy this and I don't really like to eat them.
Speaker 3:So I think that helps because I feel like if I did, then I wouldn't enjoy this much. But I'm not a huge sweet eater, so like I'll make one package and like some like excited for other people to eat them.
Speaker 2:And so, and so you might. So you don't necessarily taste it.
Speaker 3:No, no, I mean I'll like sample and make sure it tastes good, but other than that, like the cake balls and like Oreo balls, all that kind of stuff I'm like. I already know how those so I don't ever sample those. But if I make like a new cookie or a new something like, I'll taste it just to make sure it's not disgusting before I sell it.
Speaker 3:But, I'll say it's pretty good. I did. I went through a trial of like trying to find a good sugar cookie and I would taste it and I'd be like I think it's pretty good and then I would have my mom taste it. She's like that tastes horrible. So you have a fat.
Speaker 2:I have.
Speaker 3:Zach taste. He's like I mean it's okay. So you found the perfect sugar cookie.
Speaker 1:I found one that's really good.
Speaker 3:I did a lot of editing to my recipe and I've gotten it down. I think that I think it's really good, and my mom gave me approval, five stars, and so did Zach, so I was like, oh, my taste tester said that was good, so it must be good.
Speaker 2:So it's good to go out in the world. Yeah, and so your degree is in business Finance.
Speaker 3:Yes, business finance.
Speaker 2:So you know you utilize that you know in the cattle company. But BrokeGalz really came about because of your love for fashion.
Speaker 3:Shopping, shopping.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're baking just out of what you enjoy doing in your downtime. I thought, well, I'm not going to eat it and I have a bunch of it and it's going to make people happy, so why not do it? Your social media management came out of I see a need and you've learned that through your business of managing social media and scheduling and doing all that. It came out of that experience, came out of doing it for yourself and then recently seeing a need for social media management and then starting to do that. What kind of what I'm getting at is that none of those were really started, because this is going to make me a ton of money.
Speaker 3:No, no, I'm very. If I have an idea and I have a lot of ideas too then I just go with it. If I see something that I think will work, I just I don't really think about it too much, I just kind of go with it. Like the social media thing I did a social media presentation. I saw the need for it and how many people needed it and I was like you know what I could do that I was like I think the next day I called you. I was like, hey, what do you think about this? And since then I've just kind of gone with it. Same with the baking. I was like I really want to make something and I make something and I'm like but I don't really want to eat it. So like, well, I could sell it and like other people like it. So that was kind of how I didn't do it to make any money. If I make money, that's awesome bonus.
Speaker 2:It's good.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but that's yeah. My mindset doesn't really work like that.
Speaker 2:And so you do say you have big ideas, you have a lot of ideas We've talked about before. We both tend to have lots of ideas and sometimes that can be burdensome because you can't get all to the. You can't get to all those amazing ideas that you have, yeah, and there's just so many of them. Some of you have to let go. But some of the ideas that you had that we've done recently is one is Christmas in July. That we had in our community is it was your brainchild for businesses to get together. Do that. One we have coming up in November will be Pink Friday.
Speaker 2:Real excited about that and you did Pink Friday last year I did, but now you had the idea and to get other businesses involved in Pink Friday, so Pink Friday is going to be pretty cool this year.
Speaker 3:I think so.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And that was the thing is, like I have done it for a couple of years, but last year being my biggest year of doing it, and like in the moment I was like this is awesome, like this is going so great. And then, like afterwards, of looking at numbers and seeing like I had a hundred people come in my store that day, and one day, from 7am to 6pm, I had a hundred people come through my doors and check out, I was like, imagine if all these other businesses like had the same turnout, all these people circulated through our community, what it could be. And that was kind of like where it hit me. If, like, if.
Speaker 3:My first initial thought was like, oh, our smith street could be, like we could have a whole Pink Friday thing. And I was like, well, what if we did like the whole downtown and like everybody could just pitch in? And then it helps too with all these other participators because they may bring me customers that were specifically coming to shop with them, if they made the rounds and then I got an order out of it, or vice versa, like someone who came to shop with me goes down the street to shop with someone else and then it just kind of domino effects through our small businesses. I was just thinking I was like man, if we were all on the same page and we did this together, like it could be really cool thing.
Speaker 2:It could be really big. Yeah, and Pink Friday for those that don't know is the Friday before Black Friday, right? Yes, and it's for 17th, 17th of November, and it's for small businesses.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it really the whole focus of it is. Black Fridays became honestly like a week long deal and it's all big box stores of. Like people go and shop all these big box stores to get these TVs and Christmas presents and whatever, and the small businesses get left out of that. So Pink Friday really amplifies. Shop small first before you go and do all this big box store shopping. Like keep your money local for the max amount you can and then whatever you can't get from these small businesses, then go and do that. But try to get everything you can local first and we're going to be running like awesome specials too. So it's like saving you money.
Speaker 2:And a challenge to small businesses, small business owners in our community. You didn't just say on your Pink Friday last year, this is the sale, it's going on all day. You made it an experience. Yes, and a hint to small businesses is for the customer making an experience. You had different sales all day long. You had snacks, drinks. It was just an all from certain time, certain time to this time to this time. It was just an all day event.
Speaker 3:Which is just another example of why Amazon doesn't give you something that cool. We're pretty cool small business owners. That's it. My thing was I did a fill the bag, so however much you could fit in your bag was X% off at these times, and then whatever you couldn't fit was a different percentage. We had mimosas and we had beer and we had wine, we had coffee and donuts and all the different things and it was so fun. It was such a fun day and everybody was so excited about it. I had people lined up at my door at 6.45 AM and you opened at 7, right.
Speaker 3:I was opening at 7. They were lined up at the door. I was like you're going to have to hang on one second. I'm still setting the rest of the stuff up. Give me one minute. But just how excited people were to do it. A lot of other things like when's the last time you got that excited about shopping so community wide? And then it'd be so awesome.
Speaker 2:It's going to be. I mean that Friday is going to be pretty huge. It's going to be a lot of fun all over town. It's not just going to be downtown businesses, it's going to be businesses all over town, so there's going to be a lot of places for people to go.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I hope town is just so packed that day.
Speaker 2:Yes, and so because, addy, she's not like me, I'm a procrastinator. You've started away ahead of time.
Speaker 3:I'm trying to, because after we do this, it's in October. I have a deadline.
Speaker 2:I'm going to get it done, as you've mentioned, to other businesses, so now they hold you accountable.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so so you do have a lot of ideas and those ideas are helping our community. They're helping other small businesses be able to have ideas that they didn't necessarily have, but also some of the successes that you've had with your experience. You're sharing that with other businesses and they're able to, which is, which is neat, that they can dovetail onto that experience. And sometimes it's nice to small business owners we can jump the curve and not have to go through all those ourselves.
Speaker 2:We can say, well, addy's done this and this is what works, so, and she can share with other small businesses. Hey, that's what works, and it's a good thing for the customer, because the customer gets that experience and they don't have to watch the other small businesses bumble and fumble trying to figure it out.
Speaker 3:Well, and to another, like positive thing I see about it is like as small businesses, we all kind of like run our different cells and specials at different times, and as a customer, to try to keep up with who's is when and what and what time, and like all these different businesses where we're like all together, like hey, everyone's doing this on the same day, like you can hit all of us at one time, you know, make your way through town, we all have our specials going on. I feel like as a customer, like that makes it so much more convenient to be like having a list and be like so and so has this cell, so like it's all at one time and not being like well, addy's is on Friday and Jennifer's is next to you know, I've ever once been different times in different places, so and going back to another advantage of shopping, small businesses and those kinds of events like when was the last time you went to Walmart and got entered into a drawing for free gifts and we?
Speaker 3:had some like super awesome giveaways.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because we had like what? Four different giveaways, and then the Christmas in July.
Speaker 3:I came up with that super last minute and we threw it together like the week before and we had four big giveaways. So I'm like there's no telling what your jewelry, all kinds of stuff.
Speaker 3:Pink Friday one is going to be like, and also this time we're like adding an extra bonus of like the more places you shop, the more entries you get. So it's like, yeah, you don't get that anywhere else, like you don't get that cool experience, and like also get a chance to win a weed eater. That was one of our Christmas in July ones.
Speaker 2:I think probably the prize is given away during Christmas and I was probably well over $1,000.
Speaker 3:Oh for sure.
Speaker 2:That was that was donated by our small businesses. So, and then that's a way for our small businesses to say thank you for shopping with us and also give the customer a chance to win things in return.
Speaker 3:Everyone likes a fun game too. Like everybody wants to win, so that's like an added bonus is like ooh, I'm out.
Speaker 2:Win that you know kind of like a gamble almost. And when we did, when you did the drawing, you did it live, and so people got to watch and see that, and so it's no, I'm not lying, I didn't just like pick a name out of there.
Speaker 3:I really did draw.
Speaker 2:You really did and I think it was a little. You just threw the name out, right, yeah, yeah. So again it's about. Again it's a challenge to small businesses to make it fun for the customer. But For us to make it fun for the customer, we have to have customers come in. Correct, that's. They're the other part of the fun. If it's just the business owner there by themselves or with their employees, it's not a whole lot of fun.
Speaker 2:It makes your day to again. When I was in there the day, another customer came in and looking for an event for clothes for that and you help her pick them out. It's a neat, it's fun for you.
Speaker 1:That's what you enjoy.
Speaker 2:Yep, just as me. If people come in the gym, I enjoy showing them around, enjoying them, showing them different exercises, those types of things. It's the things that small business owners we enjoy Right Now Addy and I have. We didn't go into a lot of detail like sometimes we do, but Addy and I Addy has been on the Mind Body project before. That was a couple of years ago. We did that on a series of women, inspiring women, and there we go into even more detail about college working in corporate atmosphere and a little bit more detail. But even now, two years later, things have changed a lot and your business has evolved Different location, different abilities. You've evolved as a business owner. You've evolved as a person, going into different things, trying. You're not just. If someone was to say, addy, what do you do, what would you say?
Speaker 3:Initially, if someone asked me like high level, like what do you do? I say I own Broke Gallus Boutique. But then if they want like more detail, I'm like, well, if you really want to know, I do all these other things too. But to keep a high level, I say I'm a boutique owner and then the other things fall underneath it. But for the most part I'm like, if you want me to list out all these irons I have in the fires that I can't seem to get done, I'll let you know.
Speaker 2:But there is a lot more to Addy than just Broke Gallus Boutique. Yes, there's a lot of the things you're interested in. There's a lot of other ideas you have, and these are just some of your outlets for those ideas. I'm sure there's a lot more to come and there's a lot more that you'll evolve into, because I'm sure, just like social media management, six months ago that's probably not something you would have thought of.
Speaker 3:Was it not?
Speaker 2:on the mind at all? Not at all. So it's always interesting that the interactions you have, the experiences you have, what else is gonna come up in six months? So it's always evolving, always changing. So you have been in Bowie, your roots in Bowie, your family. What makes you call Bowie my hometown?
Speaker 3:I would say the people in the community definitely make it feel like home, because a lot of the same people from even when I was in elementary school that I knew and loved and then I owning a business, I've found all these other people in Bowie that I didn't even know that now I consider my friends. I feel like that's you don't get that in big towns. That's very unique. I love that somebody comes into my store. Then I'm like I know them now. Then I see them at the grocery store and I talk to them and then be like who's that? I'm like that's my friend, she shops with me and I like learned to.
Speaker 3:I just have met so many more people and it's such a small town you wouldn't think that you can meet more people than, like you already know, in town. But I have in like Bowie growing too, it also helps like people who have moved here from other places and walking welcoming them to Bowie. I would just say, like the community aspect and everyone really supports everybody. It may not seem like that, like from the outside looking in or like high level, but a lot of times we all have each other's back. I think that makes it a really cool place to be.
Speaker 2:And just to touch on people moving in have you seen an increase in business with people moving in? I've had new customers from it.
Speaker 3:I wouldn't say necessarily that like there's that much increase, but I have had new customers and like new faces come in that like told me that they've moved here from wherever it may be, like from other places, a lot from like the Metroplex, a couple from California or whatever. So I have like seen new people and had new customers from that I wouldn't say there's necessarily been a huge spike or anything, just new faces. New faces.
Speaker 2:And one last thing I wanna point out is that the same challenge that you mentioned, which is people, is the same success that you mentioned. They're challenging, but yet they're part of our community. We would help each other. That's the people that make our community. They challenge us and I think it's the same as our family members. They challenge us, they make us mad, but they're also our greatest strength, right. They support us when we need it.
Speaker 3:Sometimes they Our lives would be really boring without them.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, so it takes the people to be challenging. It takes the people to help us be successful, to make our community. So our greatest thing is sometimes our challenging thing. But, that's just part of it.
Speaker 3:Full circle.
Speaker 2:Full circle. So, addy, they can find you where I don't. Social media website, all that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, all of it's BrokeGal's Boutique, brokegal'sboutiquecom. It's BrokeGal's Boutique in the app store. Our Facebook group is BrokeGal's Boutique BIP, and then our Instagram Facebook. It's all the same.
Speaker 2:It's all.
Speaker 3:It's all BrokeGal's Boutique.
Speaker 2:So another good point to show small businesses is be consistent across all platforms.
Speaker 3:Yes, If you can, makes it so much easier.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and if you have the right name, nobody's taken it yet on Instagram, Facebook the World Wide Web.
Speaker 2:So you can do that, but so we'll also put that in the links in our show notes BrokeGal's Boutique across all platforms. So yep. So thank you, addy, for joining me today, thanks for having me. I appreciate you taking all the time and thank you for what you do for our community giving back, making it look a little prettier than it was before and just helping our businesses grow and have new ideas, because we'll take all the ideas you have.
Speaker 3:So Got lots of them Well we can take them.
Speaker 2:And, as I've always said, when you come with ideas, I'm always like go ahead. I think it's a great idea, so I'm not. If you're looking for an idea to maybe not go for, then I'm not the right person to come to. So yeah.
Speaker 2:So, but thank you, addy, I appreciate you joining me today and appreciate you sharing your story. And again, if you want to find out more about Addy's story, you can go to the Mind Body Project from a couple of years ago and look for Addy and we go a little more in depth and everything, but some things we didn't cover today because you're evolved and you're different now than you were two years ago. So thank you to each of you for stopping by and visiting with us. We're looking forward to seeing you around my hometown. ["mind Body?
Speaker 1:Project"]. Thank you for listening to today's podcast. If you would like to connect with Erin, you can do so by going to erendeglercom or find him on social media as ErinDegler, on Instagram, facebook and YouTube. Once again, we greatly appreciate you tuning in. If you have enjoyed this show, please feel free to rate, subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcast. We greatly appreciate that effort and we will see you around in my hometown. ["mind Body Project"].