From Full-Time Job to Full-Time Joy

What if you could transform your passion into a thriving business while balancing a full-time job? Join me as I reveal the exhilarating highs and the heartfelt moments from the grand opening week of my new shop, Brewtifully. From the overwhelming support of the community to the creative classes that have sparked electrifying energy, this episode captures the essence of what it's like to see a dream come to life. You'll get an inside look at how I've managed to juggle unconventional store hours, foster community collaborations, and infuse every part of the shop with unique artistic flair.

As I take a mindful moment to doodle, inspired by Ello Lovey’s "cookie" prompt, I'll reflect on the incredible turnout and the positive buzz surrounding Brew to Flee. Hear about the exciting prospects on the horizon, including a potential permanent selfie station with Fun Booth Canton and the continuous addition of new classes and art pieces. This episode is a whirlwind of emotions, from stocking the shop with fresh items to planning future events, and I can't wait to share this rewarding journey with you. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or just curious about the behind-the-scenes of opening a storefront, this story is packed with inspiration and practical insights.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

hey, welcome back. It has been a an amazing first week open at my shop. I am beyond excited about the future of having brew to flee as a storefront. It was a great grand opening. I had it on a Sunday Sunday fun day and so I was just super swamped with getting things ready previously. So that's why I didn't get to record I'm sorry, because you know the weekend was coming up and I did have some time off, but it was just, you know, completely swamped with getting the store ready and, yeah, it opened and I had a great turnout, in my opinion. I mean first time I had a business open like that, so I really didn't have a gauge, but I was totally pleased with it and just so grateful for everyone who stopped out and stopped by.

Speaker 1: 1:07

And I'm just super excited about the response that I've had and the energy that is in there and the people that want to take all these creative classes that I keep scheduling, because there's so many things that I want to share out in the world and it's just happening. It's happening and I am very excited, but I am going to take a mindful moment today and doodle, because I need to do that. I kind of just need to get that energy out, and the prompt from Elo Lovey is cookie, oh sweet. So I am definitely going to be doodling that as I chat today and share just. You know everything that's going on and what I've experienced so far, and I would love to know, if you've opened a business, what that was like for you. The adrenaline rush you know everyone's like. Are you even sleeping? I am, I'm, you know, trying to make myself, you know, get to bed at a decent time, but I am still working a full-time job and I am doing both, and so that is a reflection of the hours that I'm open.

Speaker 1: 2:28

So Monday through Friday, from 5 pm to 9 pm are my store hours, and then Saturday noon to nine, it's my long day, and then Sunday noon to five, and the noon hour gives me some time to spend with my husband and gives me some time to also get some things ready, for examples because of all the classes that I am personally teaching, and then just gives me some grace to get some things done in my house. So there's reasons behind those times that I have to kind of honor and not fret, because they're not like a standard, I guess, traditional store hour, but it works for me and everyone has been very, very receptive to that and I appreciate it so, so much. But I am just beyond grateful for how people are supporting me and sharing and just stopping by to say hi, and I had to get more business cards. I don't have any more of the schedules of classes printed, which is silly to print them, honestly. You got to go online birdofleacom because there's new ones added all the time and it's not a set schedule, because there's people that are like I would like to teach this and then there's people that I've talked to that I would like to take a class in this and I want to add them. And I'm getting, you know, contacted all the time about setting those up, getting contacted by artists who would like to display, which just thrills my heart beyond words. I want to do that who want to wholesale with me. I'm just, I'm blown away. I'm so, so, super excited.

Speaker 1: 4:14

I still continue to get things in every day to resell in the shop either from my online site that I have had now for four years. I can't believe that, but now that I have the storefront, I'm putting those things in a little bit in the store for sale, along with my art and the classes and it just makes such a fun experience. Sometimes the kiddos are looking through the things to do and then their parents are shopping the celebration room. I love how the oohs and aahs that it still gets people stopping by. I'm very excited about a collaboration with the Fun Booth Canton that I will possibly have a permanent selfie station in there, so when you're doing a party or a get together, you will have the opportunity to share a personalized experience of pictures. So we're working on that and that's pretty exciting.

Speaker 1: 5:20

Still, promoting all of the businesses that are there in the plaza. The restaurants are phenomenal, and so there are some classes that I have collaborated with and really the businesses. I'm just doing it on my own, so if you schedule a class, you can get a gift certificate for one of the restaurants and then there's a discount but I'm just covering it because that is a bonus for you to grab a soda or a beverage, a Dora drink, appetizer, anything and bring it over, sit down with that for the class and enjoy it, and get to enjoy something from the plaza to eat. There's like nine places to pick from. It's amazing. So that's available and the whole thing is walkable Literally. I mean even the drug mart. I walk to drug mart all the time and it's totally walkable the entire thing and that makes it so nice. You know the parking is right there, and then you've got the amphitheater and last night there was music and it was so nice, had the doors wide open, people were coming in until I closed and it was just so much fun. I just had a blast and I can't thank my community enough and I can't wait to have a guest on from either the artists that are teaching or displaying and I would love to have some of the kiddos talk about the classes that they're taking.

Speaker 1: 6:49

One young lady came in last night. Her name is Eleanor and she's taking the friendship, the big friendship class, which we're making giant friendship bracelets, and she can't wait. She was the sweetest, she and her mom were just so much fun and I cannot wait to have that class because it's so cool to make those bracelets. And my sample one again is for dear Iris. I know she had her surgery on Monday for her cancer treatment and so she is a wish child from Wishes Can Happen and I get to participate in granting her wish, because she wants a giant craft room and I cannot wait to help with that wish. That just is what an honor to be able to help make that come true for her. And she's a very big Taylor Swift fan, and so I made my sample bracelet in honor of her, so her name is on it and hanging on the wall. But, oh my gosh, so we just have so many classes lined up.

Speaker 1: 7:50

I still have the space for the December knitted blanket, and so you don't use tools and it's not arm knitting, so it's really cool. It's super, super easy to pick a color and make that blanket within three hours. My sample is at the store so you can see it, and people are just so excited for that class, and so the September one is sold out, the November one is sold out and there are, at this time, eight spots left. Then I have a new class Josh, with Lucky Bonsai, is doing a bonsai, the art of bonsai, and that is going to have a tree with a beautiful ceramic pot, the dirt, the wiring. He's going to teach you how to manicure that tree and take care of that tree, and you go home that night with your tree, with your bonsai tree. And this was a wonderful activity that my husband picked up years ago and just enjoys it so much. So it's such a good thing for mental health to be able to concentrate on something like that and it does help him, and so I wanted to bring that for the community to do. So there are spots left for that class and that's in September. Tonight we have a Fajoli class, so we're making our bowls and lights, and I only have three spots left for that and I have another one coming up too. But it was so much fun when we did that at the barrel room so I wanted to do that, of course, in my space, and we're doing that tonight, on a Friday night. So I'm really excited about that class. It's just so much fun and people were just like oh my gosh, I can't believe I made this.

Speaker 1: 9:39

I was interviewed by a local gosh I don't know what to call Denise. She is a Plain Township resident and she runs a community page and she's also a real estate agent and she does this little segment on YouTube called Out and About and talks about different businesses, and I've been on her program before with my mural at Belden Village Mall and so she got together with me and filmed for the new location. So that was very cool to have her do that and I appreciate her immensely and I'm very excited about a possible collaboration for the community with her. So, working on that, I had my meeting with an organization that we were awarded an art grant and that is a project that I am just beyond excited to participate in. I can't wait to share more with you. And it has to do with I can't even say because if I say you'll know who it is, I have to wait. Oh, I have to wait so, but yes, I cannot wait for that collaboration.

Speaker 1: 10:54

And just, there's so many things happening, so many community things happening. Yeah, it's, I have lists everywhere, so I try not to forget. I'm just again so excited, beyond grateful, and I just and Just I just barely have words to talk about how excited I am about all of the art and creativity and the community love that I feel. So I'm just here to shout it from the rooftops and send my appreciation to everyone and tell everyone to follow along on my website and Facebook and Instagram, because I'm sharing daily. I do have a shop online, so if you can't shop personally, you can purchase things on there. It's now free shipping if you spend 20 bucks and if the shipping is under $30. So that's a nice feature. So everything is available. Pretty much that's in the shop. Um, there are some things that I I can't, that are more like local, that I don't have on there, but there's a lot on there. So, um, you can take a look at that and, yeah, it's all coming together, it is all happening and it is everyone wants to know.

Speaker 1: 12:22

Did I get this business model from anybody? And I didn't. I am doing what I love and I'm translating that into a location. Honestly, that's the best way I can put it. I have always wanted to have my own art spot, but there are things that I love to do and to wear and to experience and I'm like, if I like it, somebody else may too.

Speaker 1: 12:57

And that's exactly how this was built. It was based on my heart in me and it is totally something that I can't even put into words, like how it developed. It is just literally a dream. I would wake up at 2 am and like I have to incorporate this, or I would, you know, write ideas down and make my Pinterest boards to reflect. This is what I want to manifest. This is my shot, my vision board, my journal literally writing things down for years.

Speaker 1: 13:33

I can't even emphasize that this did not happen overnight. I know I got into that space June 16th and it's here now, but this is years, years and years and years in the making, years of wanting to have this space, years of wanting to have my art be seen and loved and appreciated and the community to enjoy it. Years and years and years. I can't emphasize that enough and I will continue to do that. I mean, I will never not do art and never not work, but this is my heart, and so I just wanted to say thanks and take a moment to doodle and talk to everyone and hope you can come by and see the shop. If not, connect with me online. It's all good. It is all good and it is all going to be a bumpy ride. This is going to be a roller coaster. This is not going to be a rainbows and sunshine, and I know that and I have dealt with that in my life already. And so why not do it with a spin of art and make it what it needs to be to make me happy, and that's exactly what I'm doing.

Speaker 1: 14:54

So thank you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for thank you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for being here. Thank you for the support. Thank you for the feedback. Hopefully my audio is a little bit better. Lizzie, love you so much for catching that. I thought it was my speakers, so hopefully, by reestablishing my microphone, I didn't realize it was like that. Wah, wah, wah, wah wah. So I sounded like a peanuts teacher, so hopefully this is clearer. So, all right, have a wonderful weekend. Hope to see you and, if not, catch me on Instagram Brutifly Facebook. Brutifly Facebook. Brewtifully, you can. Oh, everyone thought it was either brewing beer or coffee. I'm not, it's brewing art. So I will talk to you all next time. Take care, you are Brutifully made, don't forget it. Bye.