The Other Side of Retail

I love watching people shop.  Especially sisters and friends.  They are brutally honest with each other without hurting the other's feelings.  One says something and then they both burst out laughing.  It makes for such a fun day in the store. 

The other day I was watching two women trying things on and getting the other's opinion.  They were in here for about 45 minutes.  Typical friendly banter between the two and again, the honesty.  The one gal came up to check out and the other was still right there, advising her about how to accessorize one of the outfits.  We finished up her sale and she turned to the other and said, "It was so nice to meet you - have a good day."  I was dumbfounded for a moment.  I honestly thought they knew each other. 

For so long I shopped at the "big box" stores and it was rare to have any kind of conversation with anyone.  Since I opened Absolutely Her, I've seen the other side of retail - the great side of enjoying the atmosphere of smaller shops and meeting women who inspire me in ways they probably never even imagined. 

That One Thing

Thrifting has become a new way of living to some, but I've been doing it for a while.  Now it's the anticipation of what I might find and then the great price I'll pay for it.  For me it's about the hunt.  It's become a game of chance.  Right now I know exactly what I am looking for.  It's nothing special to most, but for some reason, I want one.  Do you have that one thing?  I put a quote in the last newsletter..."Somewhere someone is looking for exactly what you have to offer".  

It is fun to hear someone tell me what they are looking for and they "have been to all the stores in the mall" and can't find it.  The fun part?  Many times I can go over to a rack, pull something out of it like a magician and abracadabra...it's "exactly" what they wanted. 

That's what consignment here at Absolutely Her is about.  Not only do we take classic pieces and things that are currently in style, but we like to listen to what our customers are looking for and we keep our eye out when new items come in.  Our "Wish List" feature in the computer system helps us even more.  So if you have that one thing, please let us know so we can help you find it.

And if you're wondering about my "one thing", it's called a quaffer or a double-bubble shot glass.  It could get me into a lot of trouble, but what can I say?  Sometimes I like trouble. 

Stop and Take a Minute

Did you know I have 3 step-daughters or as someone else says, "bonus daughters"?  I came into their life over 10 years ago.  We've been through some devastating times and some incredible times.    I don't always have the time to see them or check in with them, but they are constantly on my mind.  Today Stephanie, the youngest one, is celebrating her 25th birthday.  Kristen, the middle daughter, and her husband, Ryan, are getting ready to have a little girl (Baby Concetta) join their son, Levi.  And the oldest, Lindsay, is getting ready to embark on her own journey.  They have been a blessing to me.  And some days I wonder if they know how much they really mean to me. No matter what.

Do you have those in your life whom you love dearly but aren't always sure they know?  Make sure they do.  Stop and take a minute to let them know.  You never know.  Today may be the day they need it the most. 

Girls, I'm not sure if you will even see this...I love you. 

Spring is Just Around the Corner...

Though it hasn't been a bad winter (yet), I am ready for spring.  Ready to get out and walk without fear of falling on ice on the sidewalks.  Ready to see some flowers come up.  Ready to start fresh.  Especially at the store.  I am ready to see the bright colors again.  But in order for that to happen, we have to start emptying the space by having a sale.  A huge sale.  Sometimes I'm not always sure what I am going to do and have to go back through and redo a few things in the shop to get ready.  But it is always exciting to see the items being snatched up.  The sale starts on Thursday, so be sure to make some time to come in and see all the incredible deals we are offering.  You won't be disappointed!

It's All About the Numbers

Do you have someone or many someones in your life that when you think about them, it just makes you smile and your day just gets better?  For me, that happens when I see numbers.  Consignor numbers.  I have those that are memorized and I know exactly who the item belongs to.  Just now I was looking at 1848.  That's Lou.  And then there's 971.  That's Jean.  And 999.  That's Diane.  And I am ever grateful to #57, Kathy.

Consignors and customers are surprised when I call them by name after only having been here maybe once before.  To some it's called customer service, but I think it's about meeting new friends.  I may not always know the name, but I hope I can recognize the face and the smile or maybe it's what they are looking at/looking for or what they are wearing.  That's a great compliment to see it come back through the doors being worn or carried. 

Having come from a profession where I sat in the basement and only saw about 35 people on a regular basis to having a "room with a view" and seeing hundreds (actually thousands) of faces, it makes me appreciate the value of a good equation because it is "all about the numbers".

The Pre-Fall Collections

We're already talking about the "Pre-Fall Collection" and we're on the 5th day of January! 

(We just finished announcing the 2013 color of the year:  "Emerald is no longer green with envy. The rich, vibrant shade is Pantone LLC’s Color of the Year for 2013, beating out all the other shades of the rainbow."  I have to admit I love the color of the year - it has such great memories for me prior to Leonard.)

And I love what they are saying about the pre-fall collection - black is back!  I love black.  My closet has double-rows for my shirts and the top is full of the "regular" colors but the bottom row is all black.  Don't know what to wear today?  Wear black.  Have to go to a fancy dinner?  Wear black.  Meeting up with old friends?  Wear black (it makes you look skinnier!) 

Did you know that you should wear black, not white in the summer?  That's what the physics says about it.  Surprised?  I am!  For me, black is the go-to color and will always be my official "Color of the Year". 

Hello World

So, I have an idea for the business.  How hard do you think it was to convince the Bank of Leonard?  Tough.  Very Tough.  But I knew the way to that man's heart was not with food but with a business plan.  I secretly created one while I was off work for a bit.  I spent days in what I called my office (a small study room at the library) to create the plan and research.  Then came the day when I presented the idea.  I think he was a little surprised and somewhat impressed that I had been working on it without him knowing.  In order to get the go-ahead to quit my job and totally change our lifestyle, the last thing I had to do was go back to Arizona and spend some time with a consignment shop owner I had met on a previous trip.  Kim was gracious enough to let me go and learn from her by going to several stores in her area to see what they did and then work in her store.  I have pages and pages of notes from those few days and still use them almost two years later.  She was (and still is) amazing.   

[I have a tendency to get side-tracked sometimes, we call that Kitty (aka: Sidebar):  This would be one of the biggest pieces of advice I would give anyone who was thinking about opening a new business.  Find a mentor and ask questions.]

One of the best days of this journey?  The day I put in my resignation (along with a packet on how to hire my replacement - complete with test and everything!)  As I waited for one of my biggest cheerleaders (Mick) to come to my house for our early morning walk/run, I started that day listening to a song by Lady Antebellum called "Hello World"...

"Well, hello world, how you been?  Good to see you, my old friendSometimes I feel as cold as steelAnd broken like I'm never gonna heal
I see a light, a little grace, a little faith unfurlWell, hello world"

I was actually in my driveway spinning around with my arms opened wide (at 0430, I don't hink anyone saw me, but I wouldn't have cared.)  That day was like freedom.  It was scary not knowing what the days ahead would bring.  But there was also excitement to learn about what the days ahead would bring.   Truthfully, this road was and is one of the hardest I have ever travelled.  And there have been plenty. 

We opened the doors to Absolutely Her on September 27th at 1:00 pm.  With over 1,200 items already, I felt I had a lot of inventory and was good to go.  Boy was I silly.  Today we have over 5,000 and are busting at the seams.  I LOVE IT! 

It's About Time!

I have a list of resolutions.  So far So Good.  I've actually kept them past 2 days.  So this is a record.  Actually, I started about a month ago.  The main one was to plan ahead and so I started in December to plan for the year at Absolutely Her.  I've got my sale and major events planned for the next few months along with the window displays.  The first display for the window was going to be a snowman and snowflakes with different winter coats.  That's what I wrote down.  But when I went to actually put it together, it didn't feel right.  So instead it has a theme...Miracles Happen Everyday and the color purple.  Technically I didn't stay with the plan that I had, but the actual goal was to change out the window.  Sometimes our lives don't follow the plan but we reach the goal.  Never knowing what was to happen but learning it was okay the way it turned out.  I've got several different things that I want to do this year.  And I'm hoping my first resolution of planning ahead is going to make the others fall into place.  Taking the burden off of one part of your life can lighten the load on the others as well. 

This blog is the start of the new year's goals as well.  And as I try to figure out where to go and what to write about, I think I should just start at the beginning.  Along the way you'll learn about the store, about consignment and more about me than you ever hoped to know. 

ABSOLUTELY HER has been my "dream" for a very long time.  Even before I knew what exactly it was going to be.  I knew I wanted my own business, but I sure didn't know what it was at the time.  For the longest time my obsession was shopping.  I loved to go to the malls to see what new things were out and what I just had to have.  There were bright and shiny objects tempting me at every turn and I bought them.  Lots of them.  More than I ever needed or ever wanted.  Some were beyond what I should have spent, but back then, I didn't care.  Just hand over the card.  Then a friend of mine introduced me to Goodwill and other thrift store shopping.  I found the same things at the mall for such a small price that I realized I couldn't stand to pay full price for things anymore.  By this time I was in a job that wasn't me but I stayed because I was afraid to leave.  It had been over 20 years.  How do you walk away from that stability?  And that paycheck?

People say that timing is everything and I know that to be true.  I was in the hospital with my mom when a story came on about consignment store shopping.  That's when the lightbulb came on and the idea started to form about what we could do in Papillion.  Convincing my husband was the next step...