%20(1).png)
Main Street Reimagined Podcast
This is a podcast for dreamers, creators, developers, and entrepreneurs to learn, share, and be inspired to change your community through small business.
Main Street Reimagined Podcast
Episode 18: Create Your Dream Job with Beth Fox
Ever wondered how a leap from the corporate world can lead to a flourishing small-town business? Meet Beth Fox, one of Downtown Marion’s newest business owners, who traded her career at Mac Tools for the charm of Foxglove Hollow Home Decor. Discover how her experience in franchise development became her secret weapon as she designed a boutique that feels like home. From crafting store vignettes to guide her customers, to mixing personal history with business branding, Beth's journey is a testament to the power of passion and creativity.
Family and community are at the heart of Beth's success story. Her entrepreneurial leap wasn't just a solo endeavor but a family affair, with loved ones rallying around her dream. Listen as she shares the touching story behind the store's foxglove-inspired logo, a nod to her family's name and her love of flowers. This is more than a tale of entrepreneurship; it's a reminder of how family support and community connections can fuel rewarding ventures.
As the holiday season approaches, Beth's story shines a light on the importance of small business events like Pink Weekend. It's not just about sales—it's about offering personalized shopping experiences and creating lasting memories in Downtown Marion. From the excitement of a Christmas Gala to fostering a supportive network of local businesses, Beth's journey underscores the blend of nostalgia and innovation that small-town entrepreneurship can bring. Join us as we explore how her story inspires others to take bold steps toward their dreams, creating a thriving community along the way.
Guest Links:
Facebook: facebook.com/foxglovehollowhomedecor
Main Street Reimagined:
Facebook: facebook.com/MainStreetReimagined
The Main Street Reimagined Podcast, Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqfkmF5bRH0od1d3iiYKs3oEn_gvMYk7N
Henry Development Group:
Facebook: facebook.com/henrydevelopmentgroup
Website: www.henrydevelopmentgroup.com
Developing News Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/33110524eb5c/developing-news
Luke Henry:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/luhenry
Facebook: facebook.com/luke.henry.148
#SmallTownSuccess
#EntrepreneurLife
#FamilyBusiness
#CommunityDriven
#DowntownMarion
#ShopLocal
#SmallBusinessJourney
#WomenInBusiness
#PassionAndCreativity
#HolidayShopping
#LocalEntrepreneur
#SupportLocal
#BoutiqueLife
#PinkWeekend
#FoxgloveHollow
I have three daughters. I want to be a good example for them and I want to show them that look, while I was good at my job and I loved the people I worked with, I really felt I was being pulled in a different direction and I wanted to be more creative in my life and I want to be a good example to them to show maybe the perfect job isn't something you have to find. Maybe it's something you have to create. Maybe you have to create it for yourself. You have to find.
Speaker 2:Maybe it's something you have to create. Maybe you have to create it for yourself. This is the Main Street Reimagined podcast, a show for people ready to turn visions into realities and ideas into businesses. Hey, I'm Luke Henry and each week I lead conversations with Main Street dreamers who took the leap to launch a business, renovate a building or start a movement their ideas, their mindsets and their inspirations, as well as some of the highs and lows along the way. This is a place for dreamers, creators, developers and entrepreneurs to learn, share and be inspired to change your community through small business. Enjoy the show.
Speaker 3:Hey friends, luke Henry here, this is the Main Street Reimagined podcast and thank you so much for being with us. I so appreciate our growing community here that we're building of people that are listening and hopefully being inspired and learning new things from the Main Street Reimagined podcast. So this is episode 18. And I have with me today Beth Fox, hey, beth, hi.
Speaker 3:Beth is the owner of Fox Glove Hollow Home Decor, one of Downtown Marion's newest boutique stores, and I'm excited to have you hear her story. It's unique and it's exciting just to hear kind of the behind the scenes, all that's went into this, and I'm excited to learn a little bit more too. So Beth and I have been getting to know each other for a while now, since she's been going through this process, and Beth and I actually met through her daughter becoming one of our downtown loft residents and then, you know, it was like a whole family affair then that Beth got involved and said, hey, I, you know, I've kind of got this dream and if there's a space that comes available and we had a space come available and we were able to build it out and just make it perfect and she's done a phenomenal job. So with that, beth, tell us a little bit about Fox Love Hollow. For those that haven't been in the store, what kinds of things will they find there For?
Speaker 1:those that haven't been in the store. What kinds of things will they find there? So we are a mostly home decor boutique. We do have furniture, we have rugs. Some of the people who come in are like not sure that that's what we're selling. But everything in the store is for sale pretty much.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's really unique the way that you have it set up. I mean, it's very like homey feeling. So you walk in and it feels like you're in Beth's living room to some extent. You've got the mantle and the wall hangings and the rug and all of the things and so like you're kind of inviting people into this experience, right.
Speaker 1:Right, and that was done by design, because I want people to not just see the product but know what to do with it, like know where I can display it or how how does?
Speaker 3:this work. What do I do with this? Yeah, yeah, because I think that a lot of people struggle with that ability to be able to put it in context, right, like, not everyone has the gift of being able to see something on a shelf and kind of envision how it could fit in their home, right, right, so, yeah, so that's a really cool way, and you have sort of then different vignettes I guess maybe you'd call them throughout the store, right, so people can kind of envision those things. So tell us a little more. So you've got home decor, there's some gifts and other things, right?
Speaker 1:Yes. So there's home decor a lot of floral. I love floral. I'm terrible at indoor plants, like I know. There are a lot of plant lovers out there who are cringing right now. I just can't keep plants alive, so I have to have plants that are going to last. So I like good floral that looks good and some of the floral in our store actually feels real, which is crazy. But we have a lot of gift. We have a kitchen section, we have a spa section for men and women, we have a little bit of baby and we have a full-size greenhouse in the store, which is I'm super excited about it. It was the one thing that I was like oh, I have to have that in this store and it fills the space nicely.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that is such a focal feature and super cool. I mean, I think that, as you're in this experiential retail space, people just they appreciate the warmness of those touches, even if they might not be able to put their finger on it, that it just feels good to be there.
Speaker 1:Right yeah, yep.
Speaker 3:So I think you've done a great job with that and so I'm excited to kind of hear the lead up. You know, I know bits and pieces of it, but kind of your full story of you know where you're from, how this all came together, how you know your different life circumstances have prepared you for taking this leap into having the store, because this is your first one.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:So tell us, tell us the whole story.
Speaker 1:So for the past seven years I worked for Mac tools, owned by Stanley Black Decker. So what I was doing there was literally helping franchises come into being with MacTools. So my job was to vet them to make sure they set up their business correctly and according to their franchise agreement, and then I prepared all of their legal documents. I helped them get loans. They set up for training to come to Ohio. So they did travel to Ohio and I was working with the US and Canada, so I had to know Canada law as well as the US. I worked with our compliance department, our legal department, and when they got to training I went through all of the arguments with them and then basically got them through the process. So it wasn't just me. They had region managers, district managers. They went for a mentor ride before they ever came to training. So they were on a truck with a guy who had a truck who would be in their area and would be a long lasting mentor for them.
Speaker 1:And as I was doing this, like when I first started doing, I was like these guys are crazy, I would never do this. But I started to realize these guys are really. They're investing in themselves, right? They are saying I love tools, I know tools, I know how to help people figure out what they want. And these are not just random tools, these are tools for professional mechanics. So they really were saying I want to either get out of being a physical mechanic and help mechanics continue their jobs by getting them what they need, or they were maybe retired and they wanted a second career. They were maybe retired and they wanted a second career. So, watching them, they were basically saying this is what I'm going to do. And they were all excited and they had this community. So, like when I was working with them, generally it was just me talking to them besides their district manager, until the time they came to training. And then, when they got to training and they were there with 30 guys who were all doing the same thing and all taking the same risk, they were saying oh, I have a community, I have a backing, I know what I'm going to do, they're training me how to do this.
Speaker 1:And over the years I started to go well, I don't want to be a tool franchise, but what would I do if I was going to start a business? And my husband kind of pushed me to say well, while you're good at what you do. What would you do if you could do whatever you want? And I love design and I love decor and our house. My poor husband has been through so much. We've painted every room in our house at least three times. Okay, but I'm willing to do it all myself, right? So I want to learn and I started to realize, well, at my age I don't want to go back to school. We've invested in our children and their careers and their college. So if I could do whatever I wanted, it would be to decorate. To decorate people's homes to find them, help those pieces like find the pieces that are perfect for them and for their style and for their home.
Speaker 1:So I started asking the stores that I love like what do you do, how do you do this? Then I set up a meeting with a store that I really like in Amish country and they were generous enough to sit down and talk to me and say this is what you need to start at, like, this is what you need to look at. You need to look at, like, where would I source my basically merchandise and this is where we go. And they were very, very kind to me. And then I started asking people in downtown Marion what do you do? How did you do this? How did you figure out what to do? And Chelsea was one of the first people I talked to.
Speaker 3:Yeah, from Maddie's on me.
Speaker 1:I talked to Jamie at the Remnant, I talked to Brett from Willie and Wade. Okay, yeah, talked to Jamie at the Remnant, I talked to Brett from Willie and Wade and, honestly, because we spent so much time in Columbus commuting back and forth, we didn't really know what was happening in Marion and we started going to little small towns and kind of seeing what was happening in other areas, like Lancaster and I think we went to Urbana and gosh, we went to Granville, we went all over the place.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a great way to learn.
Speaker 1:So through that process I kind of started to see okay, so this is what people are doing, and it occurred to me very quickly well, huh, if I'm going to do this, I need a mentor, like I need. I need someone who's done this and who knows what they're doing. And my younger brother, Jason, lives in Detroit and he was part of a program with Goldman Sachs where small business owners went to a conference and he met some other people in Detroit where he's located. And one of those ladies her name is Bridget Bobian. She owned a store in Detroit, a home decor store, and her mom owned a store before her years ago. So he called her and said hey, this is what my sister's looking at doing. Would you be willing to talk to her? And she said yes.
Speaker 1:So he hooked me up with her and we talked and at first I thought, okay, this lady is going to talk to me once and be like, okay, you're on your own. But no, she, she said, I'm, I'm willing to go all the way with you. So she helped me through everything. She went to atlanta market, which is where a lot of home decor like is sourced from. She went with me and she told me these are the vendors that I trust, this is what I think we're going to take an educated guess and say this is where I think you should buy and these are the things I think you need to start your store.
Speaker 1:So she's been amazing and I I value her very much and she sold her business a year ago, so Okay, so that was right around the time, like you were really winding up this idea, right so? Yes, and she actually said that helping me kind of was a goodbye to her store. In one way, she was saying goodbye to her store, but she was helping me open my store.
Speaker 1:And she actually did come and help me set up my store as well, so it wasn't just me I would love to say it was all me. But she was also helpful in saying like this let's, let's make this display a little higher, or let's change this a little bit. And she was really great and I still talk to her.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, that's. I mean, that's invaluable and such a good strategy. You know, often encourage people to go and meet people in similar businesses and non-competitive markets, just because you can learn so much from each other. So, and I recall meeting Bridget at your like soft and she was there, right.
Speaker 1:She wasn't there that night. She was the night before. Okay, might have been at that whenever.
Speaker 3:But I know that she was very integral to helping you get everything set up and just launching this. So that's so awesome and what a neat story. I hadn't heard the whole story about her letting go of her business and this kind of help helping soften the emotional sort of roller coaster I'm sure that that brought with it.
Speaker 3:I mean, I know people that have sold their businesses, and it's very challenging to kind of let go of that and have something else that you can invest your energy into. So it sounds like you were a great, great outlet for that.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:So that's cool, so, uh, so from selling Mac tool franchises or helping onboard people on that uh, to having a home decor store, so that's uh quite a leap. But uh, what it sounds like you've always had a passion for just design and decor and everything. Was there anything like before that that? Has this always just been a hobby? Has it ever been you know where you formally trained with any of this or you know anything kind of before that that really helped set you up to where you are today?
Speaker 1:No formal training at all. But if you asked my kids, like, when it comes to the change of seasons I'm almost like obsessed with changing the house and changing the decor and getting things out. At Christmas time I actually move furniture around in the whole nine yards and there's usually three to four trees in our house. So my younger daughter, maybe about a year ago, said Mom, do you realize like when you're most happy, you're doing this, you're decorating? And I said, oh, I guess I am.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. So that was all part of kind of this decision making process as well. Some people close to you it sounds like some family members that are kind of like calling out your gifting that maybe you haven't acknowledged before, to be able to kind of take that out to the market and out to the world.
Speaker 1:Oh, and I was always doing something like there was always some project at home. So even when I was working at Mac tools, my my friends at work would say, hey, I want to redo my living room, will you help me pick a paint color? Or what do you think about this wallpaper? Or what about this furniture? Like literally, I was getting asked often.
Speaker 3:Anyway, so I was like this is fun. Yeah, yeah, that's a great indicator. Again, you know I've heard lots of uh, small business stories that kind of start that way. I have a great friend that uh has a now very large furniture making operation. That started with them making a dining room table for themselves and then their friends came over and saw it and said hey, I love that, will you make me one? And then another, and then another, and then another, and now they make thousands of tables a year.
Speaker 1:And that's how it starts.
Speaker 3:That's, that's how it starts. So I mean again, if there's someone out there listening, I think that you know these are little clues that you can get, that are maybe easy to overlook but hopefully start kind of being noticed when you have that drive or that spark that you want to do something, and then you're trying to find where to do my giftings overlap with my passions, overlap with what I can make money at and you know, it sounds like you found that spot on the Venn diagram there where all those overlap.
Speaker 3:So that's awesome and and I can just tell I mean from having, you know, met your family as well like kind of art and creativity, like they're just sort of seemingly in the DNA, is that?
Speaker 1:seem to be the case. I mean, my parents are both musicians, so I was raised in a creative home and my husband is creative as well, but we're both also really analytical, so we're able to do other things. But yeah, actually one of the things that kind of I thought about going back to school for interior design, because when our kids were looking at colleges they were looking at art colleges.
Speaker 1:And we sat through a meeting for parents and they said you know, if you like to decorate your house randomly, if you're obsessed with HDTV, if you're this or that, you might want to do interior design, and I was like whoa, that's me. Maybe I want to do interior design.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, and here you are. It sounds like you didn't necessarily need the formal training. Probably a lot of that program is not just the creative part, but probably the business-y part, and so it sounds like you've kind of gotten that through other avenues over your career and so it substitutes well for a formal degree with all the things you've learned. So, speaking of your kids and the artistic abilities and everything, I know that there's a special story behind your logo. Yeah, tell us about that.
Speaker 1:So our middle daughter created our logo for us Because our last name is Fox. I knew I wanted that to be the image really for the store, but I love flowers. Like I said before, I can't grow them but I love them, so I was looking for a way to incorporate that into our name. Foxglove is a flower and it kind of fit that need for me and also hollow was thrown in there because it sounds homey and comfortable and, you know, like somewhere you want to nest.
Speaker 1:So, that's kind of how that came to be.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah and then yeah, so so she designed that. Was that like a one and done? Was that an iterative process? That you were kind of involved with.
Speaker 1:It took a couple months. Um, she is more of an animation style artist. Um, she started in animation and she moved to another um major called visual development. Um, but basically it was hard for her because she wasn't graphic design for her to kind of draw it and then adjust it. And then I'd say, okay, well, add, add a little bit of this. And when it? Finally, when she sent me the version that we have, I was like, oh, that's it.
Speaker 2:That's it.
Speaker 3:That's perfect, yeah, yeah. And then it sounds like before we hopped on here and started recording. You mentioned something about a like holiday version, so you're still kind of adding different additions to the logo for special occasions.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so for Christmas she added some holly and she put a Santa hat on my fox. It's super cute. I'm super excited for people to see it.
Speaker 3:That's great, yeah, and it's so cool that you're able to make it like kind of a family affair. How about, as you were kind of developing the idea and the product mix and all of that. Talk a little bit about how your family was involved with that.
Speaker 1:So my husband does work in the advertising kind of world, but he's more of the digital side so websites, apps, all that stuff and he told me pretty early on, you really need a brand book. And I was like, what's that? So he worked with our older daughter, who also works in that field, and they developed a brand book for me. So they said, okay, you need to have a standard. So whenever we put your logo on anything, it needs to be a certain way and you can't divert from that.
Speaker 1:We can change colors, we can adjust things, but you need to say this is my color palette, this is what I want, and don't change from that because you're really developing a brand. So my oldest daughter helped with that and then my middle daughter helped with the logo and my younger daughter has been a big help for me in the store, helping me unpack boxes and label all the things and just help me, like not lose my mind in, you know, a world of cardboard and packaging.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, what foresight you had and sounds like with Matt's help, to do that kind of brand guide idea. I mean I think that so often we see small businesses that kind of overlook, you know, even a kind of a shred of that level of sophistication. You know it's. It's very challenging Sometimes small businesses they don't have a real logo, they just kind of have like their name or their saying and they use different fonts and different colors and it can get very confusing. And you know the saying in marketing is if you confuse you lose. So you know, being able to kind of have that specificity and clarity around how you're going to use your logo and keep the colors consistent and everything, I mean it sometimes sounds maybe like overkill until you see it done very haphazardly and then you realize the value of that.
Speaker 1:Well, it kind of started in him saying you need to think of a mission, like what is your mission statement? What is it you want to do? And Bridget also said think of key words. Think of like three or four words, like when people come into your store, when they're in that place, what do you want them to feel? So that's kind of how we started and then we moved forward from there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, that's really helpful. Again, hopefully there's someone out there listening that is maybe considering opening a business or they've got a small business, and this is something that's something that's relatively simple to do. It's just a matter of deciding what those things are going to be, what the color palette is going to be and, again, yeah, making it something that elicits the feeling that you want and the look that you're going for, to make sure it resonates with your client or customer. So, really good. So you know that we like to talk about the leap right Kind of this segment. Every show where we talk about like that particular instance, you know a moment in time where you've been thinking about this. It seems like a lot of things are lining up, You're getting support from your family, your ideas are going crazy and you know, but now it's like time to to make a commitment and actually, you know, take the leap, take us through, if you can remember kind of the circumstances around that and if there was a particular moment in time that that you look back at.
Speaker 1:So there are a couple of places so I mentioned Amish country before. They have a really large store there. I will call it a store. It's really three or four things in one. But I kept saying, okay, I like them, I like when I go there, I like how I feel, I like what it's like. And when I talked to them, I found myself then, whenever we went anywhere that I liked to shop, I was like, oh, how did they do that display or how did they do that logo, or what?
Speaker 1:did they do? And at first I thought, well, I can't quit my job, Maybe I'll do it online first, Maybe I'll start online and then work from there. And then I started to think well, but where would I put all this stuff Logistically? Our house is not big enough to just store all this product so.
Speaker 1:I reached out to you guys and at first I was kind of looking at another space. But we looked around downtown Delaware and then you guys showed me the space where I'm at now and I was like, hmm, this is wow. Well, how, how, how long would it take to get there? Like, what would I have to do? And because of my job before is very process oriented.
Speaker 1:Then, when I started to kind of make a list well, this needs to happen and this needs to happen in my brain just went, okay, well, this needs to happen and this needs to happen. And my brain just went, okay, well, can I do this? Like, what was the timeframe that I would need to do this? And my, my husband kept saying you keep going back and forth, you keep saying you're going to do it, but then you say no, cause you're scared. And he's like you just need to do it, you just need to do it. And so I think it was the day before Thanksgiving last year, we signed the lease on the space we're at now and I was like, okay, and it's go time.
Speaker 1:Now we're going to go, and so at that point it was more of a I'll regret this if I don't try it. If I don't try it now, when would I do it? I mean so, for me it was a drive Like I kept getting pulled back to it. I kept getting pushed back to it and I kept getting all these little, if you will, god winks saying okay, here's something you might want to do, or here's someone you should talk to, or I would get encouraged by somebody.
Speaker 1:I talked to Bridget a few times and I did ask her like how did you know? And she said I just, I just knew I wanted to do it. I just knew that I had to do it, and my mom had done it, so she kind of had a starting point. She had watched her and had helped her, and so I finally was like okay, okay, I'm in, I'm going to do it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I love it. So that that leap was taking, uh, or signing the lease which, yes, I remember I think we uh sat at this very spot, uh, when we did that and, um, that was a big moment and I knew that it had been a big buildup for you. Again, I didn't know all of these details, we didn't talk in high specificity, but it's just so fascinating to hear, kind of from your perspective. You know, this went from an idea and then, just like one thing after another kind of keeps lining up, you know, with the people you need and the resources you need and everything for all of that to be able to happen. And you took the leap and, you know, I mean you stepped off and uh, there's a lot of people that don't do that, and um, so I totally respect your courage and I'm excited that you did. And um, it's been, I know, a wild ride. I mean, coming up on, you know, a year since you made that decision. You have learned so much through that time.
Speaker 1:I'm sure, and in that process, like I also, I also felt a really deep responsibility to not leave my previous job in the lurch, cause there were a lot of things that I knew that the rest of the team didn't know, and I really wanted to not just leave them. I wanted to make sure I set them up so that they could succeed too and transfer all of the knowledge I had. So I wanted to make sure I set them up so that they could succeed too and transfer all of the knowledge I had. So I wanted to make sure I had enough time to do all of that as well, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So there was a lot kind of wrapping up your responsibilities at your job, then putting all the different things in motion for the space and how you were going to merchandise it and what the heck you were going to sell, and getting it all set up and everything.
Speaker 1:And of course we did a lot of cosmetic improvements to the space and you did a wonderful job, thank you. Thank you, yes our team did.
Speaker 3:It's so fascinating to look back. I love people like you that have the vision to be able to step into this rather bland space. You know I mean it had ugly carpet and you know just walls and holes and very poorly lit and all of that. And you said yeah, I think this has potential, and we said definitely has potential. It's just a matter of you know, if you can see it and us work together to really make it everything that you envision it to be. You know so the colors and the flooring.
Speaker 1:It was the windows. It was the windows that got me. I was like, oh, those are gorgeous and they're huge and I can see everything, and it just felt very open.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, and if folks haven't been by, she's right on the corner storefront and so it's like windows on one side and windows all the way down the other side and you know, with the kind of the there's like kind of the dark, sort of moody tones of the space, but then you have like some very bright elements and colors and you know again, it almost looks like people are looking through someone's living room window to see that space, the way that you have it set up. So that's very cool. But let's talk a little bit about what you've learned in the again almost year since you made the decision, and six or so months here, six, eight months that you've been open the decision, and six or so months here, six, eight months that you've been open. Tell us some of the surprises, whether it's joys, whether it's challenges, that have come along with the ride.
Speaker 1:So my perspective is that you know, sometimes when you're heading towards the right direction, life will do its thing and throw all this stuff at you to see if it can throw you off. So in this year year I got sick. I haven't been sick in years. Twice now We've had some family stuff happen that was unexpected. Our dog died on the day of our grand opening like just crazy, crazy stuff and all like out of the blue.
Speaker 1:But the whole time I felt like, well, this is happening now, but it's not going to deter me from what I want to do. Like this is the path. I feel like God kind of put me on and I'm going to keep going.
Speaker 1:No matter what is thrown at me, I'm just going to keep going. I will say it's been great to feel that I did it. I got it open, Like here we are, so that's been like a huge blessing and being able to shape my life a little bit, be more in control of my daily work life and figuring out that process and well, this is what I need to do today and this is what needs to happen every day. And kind of figuring that out on my own has been challenging, but also fun and also good, and I I personally enjoy the whole decor part. So like I get to do a little bit more crazy stuff there that I can do at home, so crazy stuff there that I can do at home.
Speaker 3:So yeah, yeah, and it's continued to be a family affair.
Speaker 1:Yes, right, so tell us a little bit about kind of what that looks like on the day to day. So Matt is a huge blessing to me. He actually works in the back room most days so that if I need to run an errand really quick he can be there and back me up. My kids will work on busy weekends with us if we need to. My grandson he comes in the store and like the first before there was even furniture in the store, the chandeliers were there and she brought him by and he goes Ooh and he looks up at the chandeliers.
Speaker 1:So he has been fun to watch all of this too. And, yeah, I enjoy having them with us and obviously I don't. I don't expect them to want to do it, but I have three daughters. I want to be a good example for them and I want to show them that, look, while I was good at my job and I loved the people I worked with, I really felt I was being pulled in a different direction and I wanted to be more creative in my life and I want to be a good example to them to show maybe the perfect job isn't something you have to find, maybe it's something you have to create, maybe you have to create it for yourself.
Speaker 1:And I want to show them that they can do it if they want to do it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I think that that is such an important message and other guests have spoken to that a little bit. Just, first of all, the impact of having the support of family is just invaluable. As you've went through this experience I mean I hear you saying that for sure but also the example that you're setting for your, for your kids, I mean, although grown, your children um is uh sending a strong message to them as well and hopefully an inspiration and it can be fun uh to to work on these things as a family. You know, I know, for us I mean, my kids are are quite a bit younger than yours, but you know we kind of have commented, lindsay and I, that we feel like at our best often as a family when we're like working together and we're working towards a common goal. So you know that's been hopefully fun for you to experience that as well. Yes, very much. We didn't also comment on the fact that, again, like your daughters have been such adopters of the downtown as a whole.
Speaker 1:Yes, they all live downtown now.
Speaker 3:Yes, invested themselves and their time and their lifestyle in living downtown. And so you know, obviously they're close to your work and you're close to them, so that's kind of fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, One of the things that I didn't realize it took me a minute to remember is that. So my parents are musicians, like I mentioned, and I spent most of my childhood at rehearsals in the Palace Theater, while they played for every musical or whatever was happening there.
Speaker 1:But when I was not quite two, my parents opened their very first store on the corner of the palace where the ticket office is and so we went back through pictures of my mom and we saw like there wasn't a thing in the paper that we can find grand opening but we can find little articles about after they were opened and we found pictures of my dad in the shop and it was so small but they started teaching piano lessons and selling pianos and organs and that was their very first shop and I can see it from my corner every day.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh, that's so fascinating and cool. Yeah, those that may not know kind of the context of this, but the historic Marion Palace Theater is literally right across the street and so, yeah, beth is on the corner and through those big open windows she can see that space. So, yeah, just another like really full circle moment and then with you then spending so much of your time downtown and in the, you know, in the shadow of the Palace Theater, and then with your girls living downtown and having all this experience. I mean it's really cool how this has all sort of come together. And really I guess I don't know if we could say that if Zara hadn't moved downtown initially, that you know if you would kind of have this interest in locating here or not. I don't, I don't know.
Speaker 1:I think it definitely piqued my interest for sure yeah. But Marcel is my neighbor, so we knew of her restaurant. So yeah, I was like huh this is all very fascinating to me. And like I said, because we were commuting to Columbus all the time, we really didn't have the opportunity to know what was downtown, because we spent so much time in the car or out of town.
Speaker 1:We didn't know what was happening and it was very. It's encouraging to me to talk to the other ladies downtown and to say, oh, wow, wow, they're really doing something here and it's so much different from when we were growing up.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I mean we didn't talk about kind of your earliest years, but I mean you grew up in Marion and, as you mentioned, your parents had a business downtown and everything. But yeah, in those years, like downtown Marion wasn't what it is today and so you probably had perceptions, as some people do, that you know there's not a lot going on, and that's certainly what we've been all working together to push back against.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's different. It's a good experience, it feels good and it feels like, like you said, full circle. Like oh well, this is where I want to be Like, this is where I would rather spend my time.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, and that's you know when you or you know my parents' generation or others. You know before, like downtown was where was that, and you know my parents' generation or others. You know before like downtown was where was that, and you know this is where all of the local events happened, it's where the local shopkeepers were, it's where you really got to know your friends and neighbors that had businesses. And you know, through part of the 80s and 90s, when you know there was some exodus of that and everything kind of migrated to shopping malls and big box retail and all of that. We really lost a lot of that community pride and relational element that I think that we're recognizing.
Speaker 1:And character, the character of the buildings alone. Oh yes, you know, I agree with you, yes, yes.
Speaker 3:Yeah, totally, and so it's good to see that coming back, and so I know that you are delighted when you have people that come in and you're able to give them that experience in your store. And I know that you've become a supporter of other downtown establishments as well and have really gotten to know the other business owners, and it is a really tight tight knit community, isn't it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's been fun too, because I felt like at first, a fish out of water, because I left my job and I knew what I was doing and I had this support team and I had people that I worked with that were I was really on a team and I was like where's my team? It's just me. So then I started going to the downtown collaborative meetings and meeting some of the people and talking to them and being able to go oh, I do have a team, I do have a support, it's not just me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, Speak to that a little bit. I know that you know you guys are having a lot of conversations and coordination and collaboration about different downtown events, as well as just sort of being a sounding board for one another right For different ideas or things that you're looking to do in your store. Maybe you're giving feedback on what other people are doing. Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I'm enjoying getting to know the other ladies downtown and some of the other stores. There are some new stores coming in. I did participate in the Forge this year. Yes right so there are some new people coming in there too, who are not quite open or just opening.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:That was nice to have that camaraderie with them, to go okay, we're all in this together, and to get to know what are they doing. And that's wow, how do they do that? This is fascinating. Oh, that's a good thing. We really need that too, so I'm really excited about that. I'm excited about the things that are coming up for the holidays.
Speaker 2:We have some fun stuff planned.
Speaker 1:Yes, pink weekend I really hope people will come see. We're really want to make a big party downtown and show you guys that, like this is a great place to be and we're going to make it fun and exciting and just a good experience.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, so talk a little bit about that. We've not talked at all about Pink Weekend on the podcast here and, yeah, there's probably a lot of people being like I've never heard of that before. What is Pink Weekend? Tell us more.
Speaker 1:So I've been listening to a podcast called the Boutique Hub and they are a group of people who are supporting small shop owners all over the US small business owners, and typically it's clothing stores, but all kinds of boutiques and they were promoting something called Pink Friday. I'm like, what is that? It's the Friday before Thanksgiving and the whole idea is to try to get you know people to notice that you're a small store and that you're downtown and your downtown area and be supportive of that. So, um, they have a sign up and we'll show up on the nationwide map that Marian is participating in Pink Friday but we're extending it to Saturday due to so that more people can participate. The people who are working and can't get there Friday can come Saturday too.
Speaker 1:So several of the stores downtown have committed to this and we're going to open our shops a little bit longer to give you guys extended shopping time. We're trying to work with some of the restaurants to maybe say hey, you guys want to get a reservation early this night so that you can make sure that you have somewhere to eat or have your kids jump at max air and give them something to do for a little while so you can go shop or go paint pottery. While you shop things like that, like anything that we can do to say, hey, this is a great place to be, we want to support you and we want to invite you into our stores, yeah, yeah, and really give that full experience.
Speaker 3:And again, I love the collaborative nature. You know, if you were to just do this in your store, people might you know you might get a few people that would come down just to support you.
Speaker 3:Maybe they know you and like you already and so they are going to come and support. But when it's a whole downtown wide thing and when there's these collaborative opportunities like yes, I mean we've had Chris DePue from Max Air on the podcast and and I talked to Chris about this and he's working on some sort of a like shop and hop or hop and shop or whatever- he's calling it exactly, but, you know, an opportunity for parents to actually leave their kids so that they can kind of have some time to go shop.
Speaker 3:Maybe it's for Christmas things, maybe it's for some gifts, maybe it's for gifts for the kids at toys or whatever, and so being able to have that time, or maybe it's just to drop the kids off and hit a couple stores and then, you know, have a little time for a relaxing dinner and catching up. You know it's such a busy time of year, so I love that and I think that what a lot of people might not realize is that Small Business Saturday is, you know, historically, when this is kind of like done. But as we've noticed around the downtown, especially in Ohio in November, and you know that particular Saturday is always the Ohio- State Michigan game.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 3:And so I mean you can barely walk down the street or into a restaurant for the first like two or three hours of the day, and then everybody goes home and watches the game. And you know stores are, you know there's a real missed opportunity there for really shopping local and thinking local first, and you know doing the whole support small business thing. And so I love this idea, you know really truly it being before Black Friday, before kind of the traditional shopping weekend there, so that people can have a little more time to do those experiences. Maybe you're spreading it out a little bit because really as a shop owner, when you have 50 people in your store because they're all trying to, you know, mash in before the game on Small Business Saturday, you're not able to give them the experience that you'd really like to.
Speaker 1:Right. And then there are people who might be out of town because they're traveling for the holiday too, right? So you know, we want to give them the opportunity to get to know us, to shop, to let us help them find that gift. If they're like I don't know what to get, we will help you. We will 100% give you a more personalized shopping experience than a big box store, right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I love that you mentioned that, because I think that that is something that's so often overlooked. We've maybe become sort of just getting. We've gotten in the habit of going in and if we're asked, if we're, you know, need some help, oh we're just looking. You know, because maybe we're accustomed to sort of a you know big box store clerk that, like, doesn't exactly really know, they're just sort of obligated to ask you but they're not going to be able to offer really personalized advice. But you know somebody like you this is your passion, you know. And so if I'm walking in and I'm saying, you know, I need a gift, or I need this home decor item, or you know, beth, please help, my wife said this thing and I don't understand what that word means but you do Right, then you know, then you're really set to be able to help in a way that's totally unique.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I actually have some gift basket ideas. I'm just going to make some grab-and-go stuff. If you're a coffee lover, if you love to cook, if you're running home and you need a hostess gift or whatever, I'm going to have all of that ready to go too. Yeah.
Speaker 3:I really like that idea. I think that's phenomenal. I mean, if somebody's out there listening and is a boutique owner or whatever to be able to. Just, I've heard the saying that when you make it easy for people to buy, they buy more and they buy more often. Because, yes, I mean as a busy person or as an uneducated gift giver. You know it's not my love language, and so I need help from people like you that can curate these really great, you know really unique items and they're presented in a way that looks like I didn't you know, just throw it together at the last minute, that's great.
Speaker 1:Well and I'm thinking back to my, you know life as a working corporate job, like I didn't have a lot of time, so sometimes it was, oh, I've got to get something and I don't know what to do. Like I want to solve that problem for past me. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think that's phenomenal. So, yeah, so we're looking forward to Pink Weekend, and so, again, that's the Friday and Saturday prior to Thanksgiving, extended hours. I'm sure I know there's talk of some special deals and just some extra fun things to sort of make it, you know, more worthwhile. And then we've got a really a whole lineup of things that are coming kind of in downtown and I know you've been involved with some of that planning as well, of course. Yes, still Black Friday, small Business Saturday, some open houses, and then the Christmas events with the Lighted Christmas Parade and Santa and the park and the Santa shop and all of those different things that are great for families and gift giving as well.
Speaker 1:I'm excited.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. So it's a great, great time coming up here, and then I know you've got an open house scheduled so tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 1:So November 1st we're going to have a Christmas gala and that will be kind of a if you will first look sort of at all of our Christmas stuff. I don't have it out on the floor yet. So all of that transition is going to take place. The store is going to transform from fall to Christmas. I'm super excited. I have it all planned out.
Speaker 1:But that night we're doing a ticketed event from 6 to 8 pm. The tickets are $20, but all of the money for the tickets is going to the Humane Society. So I'm giving back to them by providing food and some discounts for my shoppers and some gift for my shoppers. But that night is all about them. I want to support them. We've got several of our pets through Humane Society of Marion County and I know that they really could use that boost to their nonprofit. So we're doing that Friday night, november 1st, and then the second and the third we're doing our holiday open house. So we have some fun stuff planned. Then too, we actually have some live music. We're having one of the local show choirs come in and they're going to sing for us and we're going to give away some specials and samples and all of the good stuff.
Speaker 3:All kinds of fun stuff, yeah, yeah. So that's really fun. I mean, we're getting into the time of year. It's obviously a great time for you and you know a busy time for you to be making all those transitions and having the special events and all of that, but also just a really fun time to come down and around downtown Marion for folks that are here, you know, somewhat locally, even if you don't live in town, to come explore a little bit, cause, yeah, I mean, there's just all those things that just kind of get you in the the mood for the season as well. You know, it's not just about the shopping but also just, you know, yeah, the music and the, the, the atmosphere and everything that you're, you guys are working hard to create.
Speaker 1:I'm excited. I have a whole I just I don't want to say too much, but I have a whole thing planned. It's going to be good.
Speaker 3:I won't press you too hard for details until you're ready to release them, but we'll leave it at that, hopefully a little bit of a uh, an enticement for folks to to keep an eye out on, you know, social media channels and all of that.
Speaker 1:Oh, and on November 1st, Santa is coming to the shop.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:So that would be a great photo op. If people we have a nice, beautiful fireplace set up a lot of photo ops for people and Santa will be there. So, yeah, I love it.
Speaker 3:Okay, there you go. So, um, I mean, as you look out to the future, for not only your business but also for the downtown and the things that we're seeing that the city is doing and the other shop owners are doing. You mentioned, you know new stores that are coming and you know some some talk of some new restaurants as well. I also can't say too much there, but you know there's, there's things in the works, but you know what, what's exciting to you. I mean, what does that vision look like for you?
Speaker 1:So don't laugh. But the Hallmark movies, the Hallmark Christmas movies. I would love for our town to be in one of those, because it's so pretty and all of the things that are happening downtown. It kind of reminds me of that in a way, you know where. Like it's this nostalgic walk down memory lane for some people and for some people it's a completely new experience, like they are not used to it being there.
Speaker 1:So I'm excited to like be out there and encourage people to come in and see, like look at what we're doing, look at all the shops that you can go to, look at all the unique things you can get instead of like the you know 5,000th TV. Like you know, get something unique, get something special, and not just that, but like I feel like in our home the decor, like it's in the background, but when you think about it, that's what you think about. You think, well, we had this ornament every year, or we got these from our grandparents, or this chair has been at my grandpa's house for a thousand years. Like all of those things are kind of memories that we build our lives around and I I just enjoy that part. I want, I want to be part of, like the antique things, but also like the new things and helping people establish their home.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, obviously a lot of kind of the why behind what you're doing, what you're doing. And then, as it, you know, I my mind goes to, as you think, about the greater context of that, with kind of the nostalgia that a lot of people have about the downtown. You know there is again a generation where you know, they remember that. You know there was again a generation where you know they remember that you know kind of Hallmark movie setting where you know you went downtown and you bought your gifts and you got a new Christmas outfit and the window display yeah.
Speaker 3:The window displays and maybe you had a special tradition around a meal, you know, and and then we kind of like skipped that for a generation or so as some of that was lost. And now again it's kind of coming full circle to where you know, like my kids, for example. I mean, you know all of their memories are around downtown and we've been watching the you know the Christmas parade for years now and they have memories around that and you know, doing Christmas shopping at the Secret Santa Shop. You know they did that and then they helped with it as they got a little older. And so it's just it's exciting to see that.
Speaker 1:I think You're establishing traditions with them.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, and especially when you can connect those generations, when you still have the maybe it's the grandparents or maybe even the great-grandparents that had that experience downtown and then you've got the grandchildren that are experiencing it for the first time. You know, kind of the bridge of just the nostalgia with also the reimagined version of that in the present day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I can see that happening. I can see that happening.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I mean, I see it as well, that happening, I can see that happening. Yeah, yeah, I mean I, I see it as well and it's happening. I think, more and more as we continue to to invite people into that and and create more of the experiences, like you're talking about, on a store level as well as, uh, kind of a total downtown level, to to give them, you know, those things that are going to anchor those memories.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So really cool so. I always like to ask about if there's a like, favorite inspirational or educational resource that you've kind of found along the way that you would share with others that might be looking for some education or inspiration.
Speaker 1:Okay. So there are a couple of resources I've been listening to. The first one I found was called Retail Maven and I was like, what is this? So I started watching some of her segments on YouTube and she kind of talks about retailers and small business owners and what you need to learn, and here's something you didn't think about, and so I listened to her some. There's also one based in Michigan called the whiz bang command Academy, I think, and they're, um, not boutique based, but just small business based, and they have a lot of good information too. But, um, the boutique hub.
Speaker 1:I've been listening to a lot and they have great resources, not just you know a podcast, but also like here's, like things to think about. Here are a hundred hashtags you can use or here's, you know, some ideas for things that you could do to think about your customer first and to help them through their process. And here's how you need to prepare yourself mentally and physically in your store for the holidays, and so all of that's been really great. And again, obviously, all of the ladies downtown have been very welcoming and very encouraging to me and that, again, is invaluable to me.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, yeah, yeah, those are experiences like and telling me real talk like okay prepare for this and this is going to be how it's going to go, but it's going to do well, it's going to be great. Like don't worry yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, those are. Those are some really good resources. Thanks for sharing those and I know that you know it's. What's cool is that you've shared them also with your fellow boutique owners downtown and once again, I just love the spirit of collaboration and cooperation, as you guys are technically competitors but kind of having this attitude of hey, we can do more together and you know we all stand to win if I share this. You know resource with them and they get better at their marketing or their. You know branding guidelines or you know all those different things we've talked about.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, at the end of the day, we're all kind of doing the same thing, right. We've all put ourselves like in a position where this is a risk I'm taking. But I really love what I'm doing and I really want to succeed and I would much rather help someone else succeed and learn from them as well than to compete. I don't want to compete. I want to be a part of a team. Like I said, I want to be part of a community and I'm really happy that we decided to do it in Marion and not take it out of town.
Speaker 1:I'm glad that we decided to do it here.
Speaker 3:Well, I absolutely am too, and have been enjoying this ride, and I know that you're only going to continue to learn and get better, I mean in the grand scheme here.
Speaker 3:Like you're very new at this, I am very new Still drinking from the fire hose but it seems like learning a lot, making the adjustments to not only what you're learning from these communities and your you know kind of teammates around downtown, but also from your customers, right? I mean customers give feedback, whether they actually use their words or not, you know, based on what they're liking on social media, what they're coming in and buying like. All of that is feedback that we have to adjust to as business owners.
Speaker 1:And I love it. I love hearing from them. I love seeing what they're doing with the decor. I love it when someone comes and asks me what do you think of this paint color? Like, I enjoy that because it's just what I love to do. Like I don't, I would do that even if I wouldn't didn't have a store. I would say, yes, I want to see that. Like, show me pictures of your house.
Speaker 3:Like I just didn't enjoy doing it yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. So hopefully more and more, uh, people will discover the ability to, to work with you and tap into your kind of genius in that area and hopefully help them make their spaces a little more not just beautiful but also homey and again kind of the backdrop for the memories that you talked about. I think that's a really compelling way to share that. So if again, if folks aren't familiar with you, if they've not yet checked out your store, tell us where to find you and also some of your social media and what they might find there as well.
Speaker 1:We're at 285 West Center Street, so we're on the corner across from the May Pavilion at the Palace Theater and also right next to the Harding Center. Sweet Amaze Art Cafe is right next door to us. You can find us on social media, both on Facebook and Instagram. Right next door to us. You can find us on social media, both on Facebook and Instagram. We are the Foxglobe Hollow Home Decor. There's more than one Foxglobe Hollow, shockingly out there, but that's us.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, so yeah, look for the fox in the logo and then also look for the upcoming Christmas version that I'm sure will be released to the socials here before too long after this episode drops. So great. Thank you again, beth, for taking the leap and taking the leap here in downtown Marion. It's been really fun watching your progress and excited for what the future holds, and excited for what the future holds. Thanks for sharing with us also, not just for those locally, but I think you've dropped a lot of wisdom and insights for somebody that might be looking to do what you did in another community or maybe with a twist, somewhere else, and so I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. And to our listeners. Thanks again for tuning in Again. Please, if this has helped you, please share with someone else who it might impact. That is our goal with this podcast to hopefully help as many that are on the fence out there and not yet taking the leap to do so. I believe that communities get better with these types of dreamers, creators and doers doing their thing, especially in small towns, so that's why we're here and sharing this message. So thank you to all of you. Thanks again, beth, for being with us. Thanks.
Speaker 2:Thanks for listening to the Main Street Reimagined podcast. To learn more about Main Street Reimagined Henry Development Group or our work in downtown Marion, ohio, please visit MainStreetReimaginedcom If you want to connect or if you know someone who we need to interview, shoot us an email at info at MainStreetReimaginedcom. Until next time, keep dreaming and don't be afraid to take the leap.