S1, E40: The Stockist - Helen Wade

Discover the dynamic evolution of Salt Lake City's neighborhoods, especially the transformation of Sugar House and 9th and 9th, with insights from Helen Wade, the visionary founder of the boutique store Stockist. Helen takes us through her remarkable 15-year journey adapting to the changes, expanding her store, and celebrating its milestone anniversary. Listen in as she shares her diverse background in snowboarding, horse culture, and raising a family, painting a vivid picture of the personal and professional growth that mirrors the community's own development.

Reflecting on her dad’s career with Outward Bound, we explore how his passion for scenic vistas led the family to settle in Sandy, Utah. This chapter is filled with personal anecdotes from her time at the University of Utah, adventures in van travel and snowboarding, and the inspiration to create a unique clothing store in the 9th and 9th area. The store was born from a desire to provide a welcoming shopping environment for young professionals, shifting away from the impersonal experience of larger retailers. The vibrant community and convenience of the 9th and 9th neighborhood played a crucial role in bringing this vision to life.

Join us as we reminisce about local entrepreneurial ventures, from selling hand-engraved sunglasses to hosting ping pong paddle art shows and bike races. We discuss the challenges faced by local businesses, such as COVID-19 and road construction, while celebrating the sense of community fostered by beloved local spots like Coffee Garden and Mazza. Helen also shares her insights on the evolution and sustainability of boutique stores in the fashion industry, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and personal touches in store design. Exciting future projects, including a potential Park City pop-up and the launch of a private label collection, promise new opportunities and continued growth.

Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time 

https://smalllakecity.buzzsprout.com

Transcript

Helen Wade: 0:10

So that's where, like I think we really I was like we need to have a place where, like these young professionals have nowhere to go. We created a whole 9th South map, oh really. So the first three, four years were like pretty amazing. I moved here and I was like where do you get coffee? How do people survive? We've really stuck to is the clothes we carry for like an everyday life. Well, I'd like to say, yeah, I totally planned this great 15 year celebration. I didn't, so I'll have more details.

Erik Nilsson: 0:40

I just you know, not everything's signed, so I don't want to be like we're doing it, thank you. Thank you, fix my hair Shoe brush.

Helen Wade: 3:08

Butt, here we go.

Erik Nilsson: 3:14

Okay, what up, what up, what up up. Let's do an intro let's do an intro.

Erik Nilsson: 3:22

Let's do an intro. Okay, what the bees? Can I get a coke with my rum? Okay, what is up everybody? And welcome back to another episode of the Small Lake City Podcast.

Erik Nilsson: 3:41

I'm your host, eric Nilsen, and it's no secret that Salt Lake has changed a ton. No matter how long you've been here whether it's been a year, five years, 10 years, 20 years or your entire life you've seen the facelift that Salt Lake has gone through. And now not all change in all the areas has been the same. I would argue that one of the most changed neighborhoods would be Sugar House, with all the different apartment buildings, different storefronts and, most importantly and painfully, is the road construction going in and how much that is. But that's a whole, nother conversation. But another neighborhood that's seen a lot of change is the 9th and 9th area.

Erik Nilsson: 4:15

Now, if you're from here, you've seen it go through so many changes. So many new businesses come in. It's become this walkability that is almost unmatched by any other area. Now, in a lot of that change, a lot of businesses have come and gone, but there's one that's been there through a lot of it and you know it today as Stockist.

Erik Nilsson: 4:34

It started off as fresh and it was started by a woman by the name of Helen Wade. Now she has seen the change gone through so much. She has such an interesting background in snowboarding, culture, horses, and is currently raising a family here as well, so she has a great perspective on the change through it all and especially creating a business that celebrates 15 years this July. So we talk about all the changes that has gone through, the changes in the store, what she's looking forward to, how they're celebrating 15 years and some really fun projects that she's currently working on, but, most importantly, an announcement of a new location. So great conversation with Helen, such a down-to-earth, grounded individual. That was an absolute gem to sit with and talk to. So enjoy our conversation and, yeah, enjoy, okay, and so, yeah, like very much, that area that went on mission once upon a time came back.

Helen Wade: 5:28

Oh and you got a mission.

Erik Nilsson: 5:30

Washington, yeah, Washington State.

Erik Nilsson: 5:34

Spanish speaking washington yeah, washington state uh spanish speaking I mean, it's one of those things like I have a very different opinion about now, and it's funny because I haven't talked about it like in detail until I started the podcast and now it's been like oh yeah, you want to admission that this, I did this too, or, oh, let me, that's a funny that you experienced this, because I also experienced that where before, yeah, I hadn't mentioned it to anybody.

Erik Nilsson: 5:58

Okay, no, so this has been. So one of my favorite things, especially for like let's call it like more local people, is like getting to know their story more, because it's usually harder to find information and harder to kind of understand. But there's been like an. It's been fun to kind of piece together all of these articles and interviews into kind of like the story that I perceived it to be okay and so I'm excited to dive into it, because if there's one area in salt lake, I mean probably two come to mind that have gone through the most change over the years it's sugar house and ninth and ninth correct and you have had like a front row seat to all of the changes at ninth and ninth and been such a big part of all of that.

Erik Nilsson: 6:33

Yeah, it's got to be such I mean we were just talking about. I mean everything's changed so much and it's just going to keep changing and to try to control it from changing is a losing battle. Yeah, yeah, but, um, yeah, I mean it's such a cool place because, like I remember, when kind of like that development started, there was the, the barbershop, still there, but it was something before that was connected to like that store um, well, before any of that, like it was, contender had both spaces, that's right.

Helen Wade: 6:59

And then they bought a building up the street, moved up the street. Zurich, yes, was in the spot that I'm in now okay and they, and then this um gentleman named kit, started a one chair shop at Zurich.

Erik Nilsson: 7:15

Yeah, because it's like in the back.

Helen Wade: 7:16

Yeah, like actually where my office is now. So it's pretty funny. And then I was across the street and I was like okay, it's five years, it's time to either stay in the spot and just kind of like stay whatever, or like grow. We need a little bit more room, we need to do some things. I want these other brands, but we don't have enough room. And I was like looking across the street one day I was like I asked my manager at the time I'm like do you think I'm crazy if, like, I reach out to them like see about the lease option?

Helen Wade: 7:51

and I was actually in negotiations for the spot that curriculum is in now okay which was formerly zurich yes um, I was on like visiting my in-laws and my realtor calls me and is like, hey, actually zurich wants the spot that you're negotiating on because they want to expand their barber shop more, so their spot will come up for lease. And I'm like, sure, whatever, I just need a bigger spot, same square footage, definitely a weird layout, but whatever, we can work with that. And then, yeah, it all came to fruition and here we are.

Erik Nilsson: 8:31

It's fun Because I remember when Zurich was there, Because one of my friends from high school I think it was his dad started it and so we always thought it was the coolest place to go there, yeah, and where I got my haircut there when it first started, because I thought that was such a cool, like unique thing as like a what? 16, 17-year-old kid.

Helen Wade: 8:45

Yeah, it's like a new experience, yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 8:50

Yeah, but yeah I mean before's going. Now I mean celebrating 15 years next month, which is crazy to think about.

Helen Wade: 8:55

Insane.

Erik Nilsson: 8:56

Want to start with kind of like how it all started, because you're from Salt Lake City, utah, correct? Okay, I was 50-50 on it and I couldn't find anything that said so. So where are you from and how did you get in the Valley?

Helen Wade: 9:07

Okay, I'm originally from Oregon. What?

Erik Nilsson: 9:09

part.

Helen Wade: 9:15

I was born in Forest Grove, lived in Portland for like the first two years of my life.

Erik Nilsson: 9:19

Then we moved to Connecticut oh wow Coast, to coast.

Helen Wade: 9:20

Yeah, we lived in Easton, connecticut till about right after elementary school, then moved to Utah, lived in Sandy for three years all through middle school, moved back to Oregon for high school school, moved back to Oregon for high school and then, like legit, two weeks after I graduated high school, we moved back to Utah.

Erik Nilsson: 9:41

What was the reason for so much moving?

Helen Wade: 9:43

My dad works for Outward Bound or he did at the time and he worked at the Pacific Northwest School. Then he worked at Greenwich and then he took a little hiatus. The first time we moved back to Utah and worked for the Waterford Institute. Like you know, the Waterford School.

Erik Nilsson: 10:02

My niece and nephew went there, like my brother-in-law did their like fundraising for them.

Helen Wade: 10:07

Yeah, so he worked for the Institute which created like educational computer games, and I honestly don't know what he did. I was in middle school.

Erik Nilsson: 10:15

I wasn't paying attention. He had other things going on.

Helen Wade: 10:17

Yeah, and so I went to Waterford for those three years. I think he kind of got burnt out on that, wanted to get back into Outward Bound, went back to Oregon for that and then he started running Outward Bound International.

Erik Nilsson: 10:35

I'm not completely familiar with.

Helen Wade: 10:36

Outward Bound. It's an outdoors I don't want to say school, but it's like outdoor program climbing, hiking, camping, adventure. I'm probably not explaining this the best I can, but it's all outdoors focused. There are programs for youth that go on too. There's all outdoor focused. There are like programs for youth that they go on to. There's also adult programs, and then my dad took over the Outward Bound International program, so there were schools opening up, like across the country or across the world, and he would travel a lot for that, and so that's what brought us back to Utah, because there he could work from anywhere. He could work from home.

Erik Nilsson: 11:14

Oh cool.

Helen Wade: 11:15

And we joked around like all our lives. He bought a house based on the view. It could probably be in like the crappiest area and he'd be like but look at the view so you can see the mountains. So in Oregon he was definitely sad because the views were not that great, cause it was always gray and rainy. But when he moved back here, when we all moved back here, back here, he was definitely happier what was the view that he chose when he came to salt lake?

Erik Nilsson: 11:39

uh, so, sandy, probably somewhere, yeah it's in sandy.

Helen Wade: 11:43

Well, um, my mom still has the house my parents split once we moved here. Okay, um, but it's in. Yeah, it's like sandy draper gorgeous view. I get it wouldn't live there, um, but gorgeous like you know. Um, just like right, yeah, kind of like borderline sandy draper area. So, and then my dad lives now in midvale. He's retired, but it makes me laugh. He like lives in midvale. He owns a sprinter, an Airstream, okay, and him and his new wife, or I guess I mean they've been together forever, whatever His wife, they travel and go camping in their Airstream I think they're on the road right now, I don't know, but they live in like those manufactured homes.

Erik Nilsson: 12:32

Oh cool.

Helen Wade: 12:32

So it's like a one level home so he doesn't have to like do stairs or anything make it easy.

Erik Nilsson: 12:37

Yeah, and then yeah, get in the airstream and go and travel, so yeah, I mean, if for someone who appreciates a good view, he can pick whichever one 100, yeah, so I mean so I lived in. So in 2022 I traveled in a van for six months, okay, and that was like my favorite part of it, too, is like wake up, like sometimes I'd forget where I was. I'd be like, oh hello, like Olympic National Park.

Helen Wade: 13:00

Hey, that would be fun.

Erik Nilsson: 13:02

Badlands, like just whatever it was. It was so fun so I could definitely appreciate the good views. So you come back into Salt Lake right after high school and is that when you started at the U?

Helen Wade: 13:12

Yes, Did I start at the? U? Yes, okay, because I so in Oregon. I lived in this tiny little town, sherwood, which is not that tiny anymore, but I think my graduating class at a public school was like under 100. Oh, wow, All those kids had grown up together. I was like the oddball that moved in and I was kind of over it too, because we kept moving, like at like really important times, like we moved right after elementary had to start a new middle school, right after middle school started new high school and I'm like I'm just over it like brutal, like I don't want to make friends, I don't care, yeah we're probably gonna leave soon

Helen Wade: 13:44

anyway, yeah, I'm like we're just gonna. Who cares um? And I rode horses and like I was very like I still ride horses, but horses were great, I could do my own thing. And so my junior year of high school I was kind of just over it, like my one friend was graduating that year. So then I went to their community college and started getting college credits. So when I moved here I was able to go to the U transfer. Some of that stuff Did take me seven years to graduate.

Erik Nilsson: 14:14

It takes a lot of people seven years.

Helen Wade: 14:17

Um, I'm also was way into snowboarding, so I kind of chased that dream for a little while and, yeah, just had fun.

Erik Nilsson: 14:26

I mean the perfect combo. I mean, here's the thing. Like I remember when I was in college, I was in Cabo for spring break and me and my friend, we were drinking, we're having fun, chilling on the beach, whatever, and this guy comes up to us. He's like, hey, I'm just like here with my family from west virginia. He's like I just want to let you guys know, like, enjoy this, like enjoy all of this. It's never coming back. You're gonna go start a job and then you're never gonna be able to get time off. Like it's never gonna be the same. So enjoy, yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 14:50

And all of us, like we're so dumb and stupid, like yeah yeah and then now I'm like oh, like I wish I would have almost taken longer to go through college. I wish I would have like just enjoyed the, the view more. Like I talk to people now who are in college, it's like, oh, I just want to be done, I just want to do this like just chill, just like it's not as good as you think. It like, yeah, you want to have money, yeah, you want to have freedom, yeah, you want to go do whatever, but like it's relaxed yeah, just just just take it all, enjoy the view.

Erik Nilsson: 15:13

If you don't enjoy the journey, who knows you? Yeah, probably not gonna enjoy the destination anyway, actually. So I I empathize with that, especially if you're just like I mean doing the, the classic utah college thing. It's like, oh yeah, cool, I'm gonna have class either at night or early in the morning and I'm just gonna have 7 am classes.

Helen Wade: 15:29

We're insane. But then I could go snowboarding all day and then I could go like do my restaurant job or like work. I feel like I had like different lives all through college, so I had like a corporate job through college too, cause I had to like pay for things through college so I still had to have a job. Um, but it was interesting, it was fun, it was a fun seven years so yeah, and so I mean, at what point did actually let's go a different route?

Erik Nilsson: 15:56

I mean was because I imagine to open up a clothing store, there has to be some sort of passion that comes from it. And, like I've always been someone growing up, I've always been very specific on like, let's put. My mom never had to dress me. I always was very opinionated on what I wanted to wear. I was always gravitated towards shoes and sneakers and whatever that might be, and just always use that as the way that I express myself. Was there a point in your life or where have you always been that way, or what did this passion for? I mean clothing and fashion and dressing the way that you wanted to come to?

Helen Wade: 16:58

Yeah, no, I laugh about it because when I was like young young, like elementary school I didn't know where my clothes came from. They just appeared and also like we didn't have a lot of money and my parents were very good about not letting us know that we didn't have any money. So, yeah, clothes appeared, didn't really know where they came from. Through middle school, like when my dad worked at waterford, that was like probably one of like his better jobs where I was like, oh okay, but you know, we got discounted rate so we got to go to that school. And then high school, we shopped or I started or I got my first like real paying job at 14. I worked at bernie's bagels. Yes, I'm like I have to, I need a paycheck, I have to, I need a paycheck. I have to like buy stuff, I have to live. And I would shop at Value Village, and not because that's like the cool thing to do, it was because like that's how I could get clothes. It wasn't, I remember like putting a pair of boots on layaway that I really wanted. It took like six months to pay off, but it was worth it. And they didn't even fit right. They were like a half size too small but I really wanted. It took like six months to pay off but it was worth it. And they didn't fit right. They were like a half size too small but I really wanted them. So, um, yeah, clothing was like it was unobtainable for a little while because I just couldn't afford it totally.

Helen Wade: 18:19

But I also, living in like Oregon, we were so close to Portland that we could go in and like the shopping there, I guess, or like the go in and like the shopping there, I guess, or like the coffee shops and the community that that created.

Helen Wade: 18:31

I just latched onto and I loved. So I originally always was like oh yes, I want to do like a coffee shop and music, cause I really loved music. And now if you ask me about music, I don't know anything, my brain is just but so it's always been a passion. I always wanted something like a coffee shop and a place that people could come hang out and feel themselves and be welcome. I just had to pinpoint it. So when I was working up at Brighton on Park Crew, it was more just starting a conversation with one of the other guys that I worked with on park crew, it was more just starting a conversation with one of the other guys that I worked with and we talked it out for like six months and then finally, like, the idea of the clothing store came out as well.

Erik Nilsson: 19:16

So it's and I like that. It it started as one idea, you're like okay, it's gonna be coffee, we're gonna music. I want this place like this, where community can come and and be feel welcome and then by the end of kind of riffing with this guy for I mean six months in park where you're like actually we're gonna do clothing.

Helen Wade: 19:32

We're.

Helen Wade: 19:32

Gonna do clothing, we're doing something a little bit different and I mean there's a little bit more to that story too.

Helen Wade: 19:35

I went to what really kickstart the clothing idea is. It was my birthday and my sister took me shopping and we're it was down at the Gateway when, like Gateway like first open, super cool place, open days, yeah, like so busy all the time and there's some really cool local stores in there, and we just went into one store and the customer service was so horrible and I was like so excited to go to the store because I could finally like buy a pair of sneakers that I really wanted. I had to go to the store because I could finally like buy a pair of sneakers that I really wanted and the person that worked there was so put out and I just walked out like I really wanted to like spend my like 70 dollars on this pair of sneakers that I really really wanted, but I just couldn't give it to them because they were so rude and I was like I don't want anybody to feel that way, like that sucks, especially like as a young, like young person. And you were so rude and I was like I don't want anybody to feel that way, like that sucks, especially like as a young, like young person and you work so hard and you're saving your tips from your restaurant job or you're, like you know, saving a little bit from your paycheck and you get to go buy something nice for yourself and you get like treated like you're nothing.

Helen Wade: 20:42

I'm like dude.

Helen Wade: 20:42

That sucks yeah and so that's where, like I think's where I think we really need to have a place, where us at the time, because I was like 20. I forgot 25 or 26. When we really started talking about it and getting it serious, I was like these young professionals have nowhere to go. Like you can go to Charlotte Ruse or Forever 21, but that sucks.

Erik Nilsson: 21:07

Yeah, no one wants to do that.

Helen Wade: 21:07

Yeah, nobody, I didn't even want to do that. So I'm like let's create something. And we came from like the snow world too, so we had a little bit more influence when we first opened of like snow and ski culture.

Erik Nilsson: 21:22

yeah, and I've just grown from that yeah, it's a little more, because I mean again, like you go to I mean forever 21 and zoom in like any of those stores, it's such like this very corporate, very like it's just like the feeling that I mean it's just very strategically conveyed in a way.

Erik Nilsson: 21:38

Yeah, and in reality, like I mean especially like that era of snowboarding and skiing was so much more underground and rough and rugged that it's like almost this juxtaposition of different things, and then couple that with like a terrible customer experience. You're like, well, screw you guys, I'm going to do my own thing and do it and be the thing that for my community, that I want it to be. And coming back to that community perspective, yeah, and so so you have this idea. You have kind of an I mean you've, I guess, fostered this idea for like six months. You have an idea of kind of these other influences of your life, of, I mean, snowboarding and everything that's come to. I mean, at what point was it like all right, this is the store, this is what we're doing and we to, because you started with your brother too.

Helen Wade: 22:16

Correct. Yeah, yeah, I started it. So this was kind of like the boring part. I wrote a business plan. I sat down, I talked. I went to a score, talked to like these older, like old guys, like they're all retired guys, but they'll like give you free business advice. They looked over my business plan, they liked it and then I went to the bank, applied for a loan and just I was like this is the most boring part of this Just paperwork.

Helen Wade: 22:44

Yeah paperwork and like the stuff that you're supposed to do, and it all worked out and then it kind of came to fruition. The location on 9th and 9th that we moved into first was originally it was a sneaker shop 10.

Erik Nilsson: 23:00

Yeah.

Helen Wade: 23:01

And my friend one day was like hey, I saw a release sign in their window, you should go check it out. And so I immediately drove down there and I was like oh legit, they're closing, okay, called the landlord. Everything just lined up perfectly. Because I think if we didn't land in that spot originally it would have been a different story. It would have been harder, because that neighborhood is pretty amazing too.

Erik Nilsson: 23:22

Oh, I mean it's like because, like, one thing that I love about cities is walkability. I like being able to experience all the sounds, all the people, like the whole hustle and bustle and energy of everything that you I mean. Unfortunately, like Salt Lake is a driving city.

Erik Nilsson: 23:36

Yeah that you I mean unfortunately, like Salt Lake is a driving city. Yeah, you don't get like. Even on Sunday, I just went down to like Regent Street, got ice cream and I just walked around downtown for like an hour and it's so fun, like, and that's what I used to do when I, like lived in Seattle, and ninth and ninth is one of the best places for that, because it's against like, oh, let's go to dinner at a pizza, no, no. And then let's go get ice cream now Spill mug. Oh, let's go stop by Stockist. Oh, let's go Like.

Helen Wade: 23:56

It's just such a convenient place, such a good area.

Erik Nilsson: 23:59

And then you've kind of had, because of the like, the energy and just the community that it kind of attracts, like it's just been continually built out and like all those houses have been purchased with the people who had to use that area and so it's like the people, how much that's changed in an area that I mean, growing up it wasn't a thing. No, it just kind of was. The only thing I remember of that area growing up was Great Harvest, because my mom would go there?

Helen Wade: 24:24

Oh yeah, well, do you remember when Coffee Gardens was across the street? No, do you know that? So, like where we are. So when I moved back, coffee Gardens was across the street. That whole block hadn't been bought yet by my now landlord, but coffee gardens was across the street. There was a flower shop inside coffee gardens twigs and co. Which I don't know if they're around anymore or they moved. And then there was like a record store sushi spot. There's like tiny little stores all down the block that I'm on. But then it all changed, which is great. I mean, coffee gardens is across on the other side of the street now. Yeah, but yeah, and great harvest is gone, which is sad, but but the whole block and insane, even the growth from like the whale all the way down to like six west the like. It's really exciting to see all that growth.

Erik Nilsson: 25:17

I know I was talking. I mean so I had mateo um sonia on the pod, the founder of mateo, and it's fun to like hear him talk about. He's like I see, uh, ninth south just being this restaurant row, and it's already starting to be that way because, again, like before, there was no real connection especially like the central ninth area.

Erik Nilsson: 25:33

Stop right at liberty, be like, oh, there's nothing yeah, and it hasn't been until recently where it's like, oh cool, like this whole area is, I mean being grown out between, like I mean mateo and like chubby baker, like I mean that whole. I mean everything. I mean one of my favorite places, central ninth market, and oh my god, I love them. Their sandwiches are amazing I could talk about and their pizza.

Helen Wade: 25:53

Did you go to their pizza nights? I don't know if they still do them or maybe they're like on pause, but their pizza is amazing.

Erik Nilsson: 26:00

Their breakfast sandwich.

Helen Wade: 26:01

Yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 26:01

No, like there's no one I've ever sent to get it or had it, they're like oh, I didn't like it, it wasn't for me, it's always like that was something I mean if they didn't then they'd have no taste buds. Exactly, I'll always go get a smash burger, yeah, and it was actually. I went on Monday to get a smash burger, yeah, and like he had me my food, he's like it's Eric, right, I'm like we're there. Yes, we did it. We did it. It was a proud moment.

Helen Wade: 26:24

Yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 26:29

I mean, like all of those areas are, I mean forming because of all of that and it's so fun to see and that's kind of its different thing. I mean it's just all of this, it's just growing, which is great.

Helen Wade: 26:37

I mean, and to pivot on that I don't know, maybe you haven't seen it because we ran out of them all but we created a whole 9th South map. Oh really, instead of doing like just 9th and 9th or just like our 10 top businesses, I was like, no, we need to include, because people from out of town come and they want to walk. So we created a whole map that started pretty much at the whale and we did all local businesses and I kept it all local businesses for a reason. I'm like I'm sorry if you're like a franchise or corporate business, you're just not going to make it on the map because we used our own money. I had, um, the lycan collective designed it for us and we're actually just updating it right now and we're going to have a new one printed because since we printed our first edition, it's already changed so I was gonna say businesses have, like six, moved in, moved out, um, and then we realized like, oh, one business, they're on nine south, but they're like around the corner.

Helen Wade: 27:29

So when we mapped it it didn't really show up, and so there will be a second edition of the map coming out shortly.

Erik Nilsson: 27:36

Noted. I will snag one because that sounds like the perfect, like where do I need to go for dinner? I'd be like uh and I was surprised how many.

Helen Wade: 27:46

When Emmy like pulled it up and showed me like the proof, I was like hold on, there's like over a hundred businesses listed and I was like that's legit.

Erik Nilsson: 27:56

That's real. Okay, cool, let's go. That's how much it's changed. Yeah, um, but I mean, I guess, being in that area for so long, I mean what were some of your biggest?

Helen Wade: 28:03

I mean surprises or memories that you have in the space that have stuck with you over the years um, the fact that we opened in 2009 when the world was like going to shit, yeah, and I was so young and dumb, that was all whatever this doesn't.

Erik Nilsson: 28:18

What do you mean? Recession?

Helen Wade: 28:19

it's like what is a recession. And I look back because those first few years were like super fun, like it was before. Like wasn't married yet, but I was with my now husband. We didn't have our kid yet. We were riding our bikes like around town every night like hustling hard, slinging sunglasses, like that said, like fresh slc on the side that we got hand engraved by like this cute little engraver guy. Um, we would have like.

Helen Wade: 28:48

One of our most fun events was like when we first opened we did a ping pong paddle art show oh interesting um, it's just one of our brands was actually doing like a traveling show, so they'd stop in each city, give local artists like a paddle, and then all those paddles would get collected and go on to the next city.

Erik Nilsson: 29:06

Oh, that's cool.

Helen Wade: 29:07

We had ping pong tournament out there. We did like those bike races or like when they're on the whatever the track and you're like pedal really I forgot what it's called now, um, but yeah, so we did a lot of crazy stuff in there. We even did like, before the barber shop came around, we'd have stefan from steph's place come in and do like a pop-up barber, like clean up, which was funny. He'd bring his chair in for our night and everybody get like we're not every, but guys would come in and get like quick haircuts and cleanups. So the first three, four years were like pretty amazing, like it was just all so new.

Helen Wade: 29:46

Um, some of the hardest things was obviously covid, and then the road construction last year.

Erik Nilsson: 29:54

That sucked I know it's it sucks seeing more construction going into and I get it like road construction has to that sucked. I know it's.

Helen Wade: 29:58

It sucks seeing more construction going into and I get it like road construction has to happen and we can't stop it, but it'd be a lot cooler if the city would be a little bit more supportive or and or honest about it. Yeah, um, but that's a whole new, that's a whole nother podcast um, I could do a whole podcast based on road construction 100. You could have like all the the local businesses lined up here.

Erik Nilsson: 30:21

What a because. I mean obviously you hinted towards. I mean so much has changed. Yeah, I mean it's funny to think of like where Mazza was and like what.

Helen Wade: 30:28

Well, that was the saddest thing ever.

Erik Nilsson: 30:31

I know.

Helen Wade: 30:31

Like, that block is cool, that side of the street is cool. It'd be a lot cooler if Mazza was still there. Um, but yeah, I don't control that.

Erik Nilsson: 30:42

Yeah, mazza was the one. Oh my gosh, honestly, like Mazza was the thing that first brought everybody to 100.

Helen Wade: 30:49

Well, coffee garden. Oh yeah, coffee gardens Like coffee gardens was like my savior when I first moved back, cause that was another shocking thing how there was. Like you know, you come from Portland there's like a coffee shop every corner, like stay up all night, whatever, getting four shots of espresso, like every four hours, whatever, it's just having fun. I moved here and I was like where do you get coffee? How do people survive? I?

Erik Nilsson: 31:13

know you go from coffee shops every corner to churches every corner, and coffee shops every corner to coffee shops every mile.

Helen Wade: 31:23

Yeah, so, yeah, coffee Garden saved me and got me through all my 6 am or 7 am classes and then, yeah so Coffee Gardens and Mazda were probably the places that people really drove to 9th and 9th for Trying to think of what other, I feel like coffee runs is like the longest standing business besides continental cleaners true truth.

Erik Nilsson: 31:45

They've been there forever. Yeah, I guess the one that always comes to mind for me and this is probably a function of high school more than anything is I go to barbacoa.

Helen Wade: 31:51

Oh yeah, time oh yeah, we lived off of that for like the first right. I didn't. My brother would eat one of those burritos every day. When we first opened the store I was like how, how like you just I mean barbacoa.

Erik Nilsson: 32:04

Saved, yeah, saved us I remember in high school we would like nickname them like baby fetuses yeah and I would just be this 16 year old kid like, yep, sure, like inhale it be like all right. Well, back to still hungry. Can I get a quesad you? What was my mind when I I was thinking about that the other, because I went to cafe rio and I was like, oh cool, like how have a salad? I'm like, oh, tom tom hurts, like I can only have, like yeah like I gotta go take some.

Helen Wade: 32:28

Yeah, that's crazy.

Erik Nilsson: 32:29

Yeah, it could devour everything, yeah, um, but I think one thing that's really impressive, especially when you think about kind of like boutiques, especially opening stores I mean the two that come to mind is like the collective and FICE that have been able to be there for so long and have been able to adapt with I mean style changes and I mean just branding in general, cause I, my first job out of college was up in Seattle at Nordstrom and they always talked about, uh, two things is one we always want to be the industry leader, and they always talked about two things is one we always want to be the industry leader.

Erik Nilsson: 32:59

We want to tell people what's cool before they find out that it's cool. And second, if our age keeps aging like if our customers keep aging with us, we will die, just like. All of the department stores have it before them. And so you tend to see that with like a lot of boutiques is, you'll have someone's very gumptious loves, like very niche style or very niche something, and then everything changes, something pivots and it's not relevant anymore. It's hard, I mean, how have you approached a lot of the? I mean like, call it, stylistic trend fads, uh, over the years to stay on top.

Helen Wade: 33:27

Well, I think, like clothing is meant to be worn right, like it's meant to, like, do everything you're supposed to do in your daily life. So like, for example, like you know'm going to be at the barn with horses. When I say barn, people think I say bar.

Erik Nilsson: 33:46

So the bar for six hours.

Helen Wade: 33:48

For six hours at six in the morning and then I got to come home and then I'm going to go into work and then I'm going to go take my kid to her activities, but then I'm going to go back to the barn tonight to go grain these horses and, like the outfit I'm wearing right now, I'm going to go down to the barn and because that's just life, like I don't have time to change every two hours for this next event, it's exhausting.

Helen Wade: 34:12

So I think, like what we've really stuck to is the clothes we carry are for like an everyday life. It's not for like a special cocktail hour event or I mean we'll have a few little things here and there that will work, but it's meant to just last with you, like with everything you do. So whether it's like, oh, I'm going to go, I mean Salt Lake or Utah is like such a mountain town, right, like we can go hiking and then we can go to dinner and we can go skiing and then we're going to go watch a movie or something, so everything needs to kind of work together. So we've kind of just taken in that lifestyle and made sure our clothes work with that.

Erik Nilsson: 34:55

I think that to me, to me like, especially like, the pieces that I wear the most are like the staples, the thing I can wear every day, like your jeans and t-shirt or like what I don't know, your car hearts, or.

Helen Wade: 35:07

Yeah carpenter pants and a t-shirt a black t-shirt.

Erik Nilsson: 35:10

And it always frustrated me with my first couple of jobs out of school, actually probably until I started working in tech, where it's like, okay, I have to go put on my like professional work clothes, yeah, and like put on that mask and then go home and like change to something else.

Erik Nilsson: 35:22

And then it wasn't until, like I started working in tech, where I was like I can you I mean I can wear whatever I want whenever I want and it's like there's no demerit, like yeah sounds great and I was like cool, good to hear points like I can wear this outfit all day, it's how I want to express myself, how I want to be seen, and stuff that I can wear all the time and for whatever's going on, it can be there. Compared to I feel like there's a lot of those stores where it's like I mean niche, very specific, or like almost like a. I don't know I'm going to like gowns, but like something.

Erik Nilsson: 35:51

Yeah I mean specific it's hard to have someone come back for a gown or for a.

Helen Wade: 35:56

Yeah, they're not buying a gown every week. They're not like, oh, I need my other black dress. But I mean there are people that do need suits and all that and I get that and there's jobs that require that. So maybe our clothing is a little too casual for their office job, but it's perfect for everything else that they do.

Erik Nilsson: 36:13

Yeah, so yeah, no, I totally agree. And yeah, I mean I think it's nice, like it's fun, to see how much you guys have evolved and changed, but also I was, I mean, bringing your husband back to it is. I love that how you guys have gone about decorating. Oh, yeah. And styling is like he's the one who's been building a lot of your furniture.

Helen Wade: 36:30

Yeah, he's a fabricator um. He learned how to weld um at brighton, like creating all the rails and boxes in the park he ran, is that?

Erik Nilsson: 36:40

where you guys met well we were.

Helen Wade: 36:42

We met in the snow world okay we actually met, like officially met, in mountain hood at one of the summer camps. He was working at windells and I was just being a snow bum and I was at government camp and I like looked across the street and I was like I know that guy, a ut Utah person. And then instinct, and he's like it's my birthday, come to the rat, which is a bar, and uh, then the rest was history so yeah, but he, um, he's amazing.

Helen Wade: 37:08

like I can ask for something and he could just like stand there and stare and be like got it and like build it, and it's just insane what he can do. His brain works so differently than mine, which is great, yeah. So, yeah, 98% of our fixtures in the store are all built by him. That's so cool Even the wood, like the woodwork, the metal work everything.

Erik Nilsson: 37:29

Everything. Yeah, I wish I, I always wish I could be that person, me too. But I'm not that person, yeah.

Helen Wade: 37:37

I mean it would take me five times. I'm glad I'm not, because I do not need one more thing to do, but it would be really cool to have that skill yeah, um, I mean, on top of other things you like to do.

Erik Nilsson: 37:48

I mean, it sounds like one of the most consistent things amidst all of your moving and opportune timing has been horses, correct. Um, I mean, how did you get involved with that? I mean it's, I mean, even perusing your Instagram is something that you just talking about your day to day. It's something that you deeply enjoy and spend time with, I'm sure, pass on to daughter and yeah, Um, yeah, unfortunately I did, which is fun.

Helen Wade: 38:09

Um, I grew up riding like in. I started when I was seven. We, fortunately in Easton. We lived in a really tiny town and there was just a lady down the street who had horses and she was like kind enough to like let me ride them and she would teach me, and then I would go to like a specific riding like a barn and get lessons as well. So my mom just realized she like sat me on a horse on some like trail ride adventure when I was like five or six and she just realized she's like she's meant to ride horses, like that's her thing, and so my mom's been a big supporter of that and always like helped me with all of that.

Helen Wade: 38:50

And so when we first moved back or first moved to Utah when I was 10 10, there was a barn right behind our house and, legit, the third day we lived there. My mom walked me down there and went and talked to the family and they're like, hey, she's a really hard worker. Whatever you need her to do, she will do to get lessons. I was 10 years old at the time. I'm like yeah, put me on anything, let me do anything here's a shovel.

Helen Wade: 39:12

Yeah, you know what I yeah, but they ran a summer camp and the dad called me like a day after we walked down there and he's like, hey, we need somebody to make lunches for the summer campers. Can you do that? I was like absolutely so, for all the summers I lived here. That first time I made lunches for like 20 summer campers and then we taught them how to like clean out the stalls and I'm like I'm 10 years old doing this Like kind of ridiculous, but it was awesome. And then I like created the family, had two daughters are about my age and, like I've grown up with that family. I still ride at that barn and now, um, like, one of the daughters is my trainer. Her and her husband are my trainers at the barn and it's just amazing. So I've known this family for 30 plus years and it's just been.

Helen Wade: 40:02

I mean, I definitely took a break from horses during college and stuff because I couldn't do it all, but it's been great. When my daughter was four, she decided she wanted to try out riding, so I called up my friend. I was like, hey, isla really wants to ride, can we come down? And I tried to like resist and not get back into it, because I know how, like I really tried to fight it. I used like I was having some back issues so I was like, oh, my back's too bad, I can't do it. I can't do it and like, but it's been great and I get actually leave. This Sunday I'm going to Canada for a horse show Langley never been there, I guess it's kind of by Vancouver. Um, yeah, it's sounds really cool. It'll be really fun. I'm really excited. So I've just been training for that and just really excited for that.

Erik Nilsson: 40:54

I mean, it's so fun to have something that you can share with your daughter too.

Helen Wade: 40:56

Yeah, it's awesome. I mean, isla comes down to the barn with me. She was down there this morning and she I'm just like, okay, go ask your trainers what they need you to do. Like, go set a course, go take care of this horse, go do something. And it teaches them a lot of work ethic too, which is really great.

Erik Nilsson: 41:12

So, and then she'll come down to the barn tonight and help me grain the horses, so it's fun it's always those things it's like, especially in a context, like, especially in a barn, where there's always something to do. Yeah, like it's not, like you can look around a barn, be like everything's perfect it's so clean yeah yeah, like, unless you're watching yellowstone, because I was when I was watching yellowstone I was living on a barn, okay, like on, I mean on a farm, yeah, where they I mean my friend's family had, I mean has a barn, a farm up in oakley.

Erik Nilsson: 41:39

They had like 30 plus horses and like, and so I'm terribly allergic to horses too oh, that sucks and so. But like we'd help with the like chores and stuff and I was watching yellowstone at the time like that's not realistic, that is 100, not, that is so clean, like yeah, no way no, uh.

Erik Nilsson: 41:52

But I found out that I was alert. So we did this family trip to jackson hole because I think my mom and stepdad because growing up all of our trips were always medical conferences, so my mom'd be like, oh, I'm going for the medical conference, our hotels comps throw in three kids.

Erik Nilsson: 42:08

Fine, we'll do it. It was great, because I mean a lot of great places. But we found ourselves in jackson hole and after we went to go do a horseback ride cause my mom grew up riding horses, um, in the UNA basin in Eastern Utah and I mean just a fun thing to do in Jackson hole. And so we'll get on the horses and we start riding and I'm in the very front behind like the guide and I'm just kind of sitting there. I'm like I think I just have allergies Like this kind of sucks. And then my mom's like hey, eric, how are you doing?

Erik Nilsson: 42:35

And I turn, I'm like I don't know, my eyes are just like bulging out of my head. I can't breathe and I just remember seeing her face of just like drop and her eyes get all huge. Yeah, and I mean there's nothing you can do. You're not a horse like you, just kind of endure. We get to the car and she just like pumps me up with menadryl, throws me in the back of the car. I take an hour nap and wake up and everything's fine. My hitch face was gone. But I always am envious of horse people because horses have such like a fun, like just energy yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 43:01

Like yeah, so I'm jealous that you get to have that. And then again like share that with your daughter as well, because there's only so many things that you can enjoy with the youths these days.

Helen Wade: 43:10

Yeah, I mean she's 12 turning 13 and she still wants to hang out with me and it's cool. And she has fun, so I'll take it.

Erik Nilsson: 43:18

Yeah, what else can you ask?

Helen Wade: 43:19

for let's go.

Erik Nilsson: 43:22

But yeah, I mean coming up on 15 years and what a huge accomplishment to I mean 15 years in general but to still have, I mean, such a great space that continues to get better. It's fun to hear people talk about it and like that's I always every Christmas. I always go Christmas shopping. I was going around like I was going to ninth and ninth and just kind of make the loop and go and that's always been a place that I've gone and shopper friends. Um, but I mean looking forward to the 15th.

Helen Wade: 43:44

I mean, you have I mean on the 15th, 15 years, Um, I mean, I totally planned this great 15-year celebration. I didn't. I'll be in New York for the men's market like men's buying. I'll be buying like spring 25.

Helen Wade: 44:04

Yeah, I'm like what year are we in, but we do have some shirts. Our good friend, trevor Hudspeth does some really great designs and he just designed a really fun just like July shirt has popsicles and fireworks and it's coming out this weekend, so we'll have that. We have another collab that we're doing with my friend, jeremy, who is a personal boarder. Jeremy Jones, people may have heard of him, yeah, you know that guy, but he's actually, um, my coach at the sect, at the gym that we go to as well. Oh, interesting um he I mean, if whoever's listening to this, if you know like he got caught in a crazy avalanche many, not many, several years ago, and but he's had this great saying of like, if what doesn't kill you, just doesn't kill you, so we're kind of doing a fun.

Helen Wade: 44:57

He approached me about doing a collab for that oh fun and so we're doing a couple shirts with him for that and that should be out mid-july. We're just like finalizing the designs. But I'm like it's kind of true jeremy, like I'm like it's perfect timing for 15 years. So I'm like I'm still alive, the store hasn't killed me yet, like my fear and anxiety has not destroyed me quite yet. Um, so that's exciting and I think we'll just kind of like continue growing and just like offering new things. There is I I want to say it but I don't want to jinx it but we are going to be popping up in Park City come September. That's exciting. Yeah, it's really exciting. So I'll have more details. I just, you know, not everything's signed, so I don't want to be like we're doing it and then it's like psych, we're not.

Erik Nilsson: 45:46

Never mind.

Helen Wade: 45:47

Haha, gotcha. So that's exciting, just having these opportunities, and I'm remembering everything we're doing now. So my brother, who is kind of still around but lives in Japan Physically not so much.

Helen Wade: 46:03

Physically not so much, he was just here for a month, but the great thing about him working in Japan is he has a lot of inns in the factories out there. So we are going to be launching our own like private collection. Like we have our t-shirts getting produced right now. We'll do fleece in the fall, but it's been great and we're doing it under Edwin Arthurs, which is actually my brother's middle name.

Helen Wade: 46:28

He has two middle names. It's after my grandparent or grandfathers, so we'll be launching that as well in probably about August, and so that's. I guess there are some cool things happening. I just forget. And then I have to like, rattle it off and be like, oh yeah, we're doing this and this. It was pretty cool. I have to remind myself. I think I just get so lost and just like, so, like, okay, what's next? What's next?

Erik Nilsson: 46:50

what's next? Yeah, like I forget. Like is actually pretty cool what we're doing yeah, no, that's cool, you guys are starting a private label like that's every time, like, because there's been times like if I were to start like a clothing, yeah, like what would I do? But I feel like I would be the person that would be consumed by everything I'd be. Like the drape is off, like it needs to be a little bit thicker, like the way.

Helen Wade: 47:10

Yeah, like that would drive me nuts it is kind of crazy, because we tried once and it just didn't work out well and I was like I don't love these shirts, I don't want to do it, my heart's not into it, but now I'm like it's time and we are getting them made in Japan, which is awesome.

Helen Wade: 47:25

Oh, the best place to get them so cool and like Ian's like working hand in hand with the factory, so we have like a great relationship. It's not like we're just like sending in this order to La La Land Factory. We're like actually working with the people. So I'm really excited about it and we've sampled. Everybody in the store that works for us has like tried the shirt, given their opinions, my husband's given his opinion. Whether I like it or not, I don't care, but yeah, so I'm just excited for that to all come out no, lots of great things happening.

Erik Nilsson: 48:01

Growth, I mean in so many different ways. Yeah, good to have a inside informant in japan yeah manufacture, because I can't imagine like I wouldn't be able to do it without. Yeah, I'd be like uh trying out that back and forth communication from different continents and different languages, trying to like a lot, like well you're trying to talk to my brother.

Helen Wade: 48:18

I'm like he's 16, 18 hours ahead, so trying to even have like a meeting with him is insane. He's like I can do it at 7 am or 6 pm and I'm all okay, whatever like and that is not great for me, no matter how we will figure it out.

Erik Nilsson: 48:34

Yeah, it always works out eventually. I mean, there's a project I was working on. Work once this guy's in hong kong. I'm like oh, how's it going? He's like I had to wake up at 2 am for this meeting. I'm like sorry, my fault? Yeah, but what else, um? I mean outside of. I mean spending your time at brighton, spending your time at the barns, anytime at the store. I mean, what other places do you like to go? Enjoy businesses? You like to support places, you like to shop?

Helen Wade: 48:57

um, I love. Okay, there's a lot of going camping with my friends now where you like to go we go.

Erik Nilsson: 49:05

I mean, do I tell you, if there's spots, then you don't know we go.

Helen Wade: 49:09

So right now in the summers, we kind of head to driggs, idaho, and we take we all dirt bike, which is really fun. We two weeks ago where we were like in Green River, utah, dirt biking I think we caught, like the last weekend before the weather turned like 9,000 degrees, st George. I kind of just go wherever they say we should go, like my best friend Jake. He's like our trail guide tells us what to do, where to go and we just be like okay, jake, whatever you want.

Erik Nilsson: 49:42

I need a Jake, everybody needs a Jake, because I love camping, I love adventureing, but my ADHD brain can't plan like a month ahead.

Helen Wade: 49:52

Oh, I can't yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 49:53

And then so, like even the other day, my friend texted me or I like sent him. I think I sent him like a meme or something and he messaged back. He's like hey, I think we're going to go float the Weber on the 29th. Do you want to come? I'm like, yes, thank you. Like I'm in a hundred. Let me know how I can help. But if you plan this, I will. I will do people I need in my life. You need those people Because or else I would just be in my daily life forever and always.

Helen Wade: 50:18

I mean, even today, I had to keep reminding myself every hour. I'm like, don't forget. Tonight five o'clock, you have the podcast and I'd be like okay, tonight five o'clock, tonight five o'clock. I was like dang it. I got to drop Isla off at dance at five. Isla, you're going to dance early. I'm like I'm sorry, I'm probably going to pick you up late. Sorry, Mom still loves you. We're still going to go, You're fine. Do you want to walk home or do you want to just go grab?

Erik Nilsson: 50:43

like a drink and wait for me. She's like I'll grab a drink, yeah.

Helen Wade: 50:45

Other businesses. I love Picnic. It's a coffee shop down off of like 13 South and 5th East v that used to manage the public. I believe she did. I don't know if she did all the publics, but she was way in with public. She started picnic probably a year over a year ago, kind of through covid. I was just. Amazing coffee shop has pastries, bagels. Holywater is another great coffee shop that just opened. Let's see Bedlam Baking he does. I mean he doesn't have a storefront but sometimes if you come in on the weekends we'll have his cookies for free. Ooh, Pete does some amazing cookies.

Erik Nilsson: 51:34

I'm just rattling off food which is bad. Don't get me wrong, I always off food which is bad. Oh, don't get me wrong, I always love food, Rick.

Helen Wade: 51:37

Oh, we just discovered Blacksmith Ice Cream. They just opened a location kind of by our house, across from like the Harman's and Brickyard. We went there.

Erik Nilsson: 51:47

My favorite, like Utah ice cream.

Helen Wade: 51:49

Yeah, I didn't know they existed until my friend was like hey, I just saw this, let's go. So on Friday night we went. I was like this is good, let's go back. Saturday night I'm like this is great, let's keep going.

Erik Nilsson: 52:01

Let's go back Tuesday. Let's go back Thursday. We did go Tuesday, we went last night.

Helen Wade: 52:04

We go to like Tuesday nights we go get tacos at Real Taco and then, fortunately, blacksmith is on our way home, so obviously we had to stop there. Um, I honestly just like love hanging out with my friends. We have like a good group of friends that will hang out like Friday or Saturday night. Just go to somebody's house. It's just such a nice like decompression Cause like I love my store, but you're around like people all day, which is great Cause that's what you want, right. But like sometimes you just need to like recluse back in and just be like I need to like recluse back in and just be like I need to like throw my sweatpants on and just breathe for a second.

Erik Nilsson: 52:38

So that is me. I'm like, I'm all gas, no brakes Like either I'm like here at Edison, where I'm like, oh here is I mean people everywhere doing everything, or I'm like I need to go home and just paint by myself and just throw on headphones because I can't be around people.

Helen Wade: 52:54

Yeah, you just need like those breaks, and it's great to like be able to recognize when you're like I need to go home and just like decompress for an hour and then I could be back at it.

Erik Nilsson: 53:04

Exactly. Know your energy, know your levels, spend with the right people. Go from there, of course. Well, helen, before we wrap up, I want to ask you two questions. I always end every episode with uh. First, if you could have someone on the small lake city podcast and hear more about what their story when they've been up to, who would you want to hear from?

Helen Wade: 53:20

oh, my goodness, that's hard. You know what? Amanda from mochi kids, and actually there's like several and they're all gonna be females. So amanda from mochi kids, I think, v from picnic, sheridan from hip and Humble Diane from Children's Hour. I mean, she's been in business for like freaking 40 years.

Erik Nilsson: 53:40

Yeah, like insane yeah.

Helen Wade: 53:43

So I think a lot of those businesses. And you know what? Jake started his own business and he does the Bolts Roadhouse, which is like he will build like a dirt bike for you, and he also rents out sprinter vans. He's an awesome guy to talk to. He probably won't be on the podcast, but I just want to give him recognition Cause, like he's been a huge supporter of me and the store um since we decided to be friends, so he would be an awesome guy to hear from hey, we love supporting the supporters.

Erik Nilsson: 54:15

Yeah, and then, lastly, if people want to find more about the store um, about you information or where the store is, uh, where's the best place to find it?

Helen Wade: 54:26

the world wide web that'll do it um, I don't know, come into the store. I know a lot of people are like helen, you're never at the store. The sad thing is I'm usually at the store. I'm behind the wall doing the most boring things, like I'm on the computer, like, so ask if I'm there. Come talk to me. I'm always open to talk to people too. I'd rather talk to people face to face than like hear hearsay from anybody. But yeah, 9th and 9th thestockershopcom, or just come talk to us. The whole crew is awesome, so just come talk to any of them.

Erik Nilsson: 55:01

Yeah, I feel like every time I've been in there, it's been it's always like oh, that was like an, actually like cool compared to like our gateway experience with people saying, oh, if you want to buy shoes from the crowd, no, no.

Helen Wade: 55:11

I mean I've told everybody, because people are like, oh, I can't come in or I'll buy something. I was like you know it's free to say hi. Yeah, like you can just come in and say hi, there's no expectations. If you're just here to like, if you're in the neighborhood for five minutes and you just want to say hello, pop in. Like I'm not going to force anything on you. Have you seen our new, more hyped that you came in and said hi, versus hearing like, oh, I was in the neighborhood, I just didn't have time or I didn't want to spend money. I'm like I don't care, just come say hi. You're like thank you, thank you, yeah, thanks, but be cool to see you in real life.

Erik Nilsson: 55:42

So so, yeah, if you haven't been in the stockist, go check it out, go say hi to helen. Lots of good stuff to look forward to, from park city stuff to private label to 15 year celebrations. A lot of really cool collabs. I've been excited for that. And a lot of the stuff to come and excited for we'll see.

Helen Wade: 55:58

We'll see what happens at the 20 year reunion oh my gosh, my hair will be gray or and yeah, and I will be out of high school.

Erik Nilsson: 56:06

That'll be terrifying crazy, I know I'm almost ready to drink almost almost, yeah, awesome. Well, thanks again, helen. It's been great to sit down and get to know you better yeah, thank you for the future.

Helen Wade: 56:17

Cool thanks.