- Pregnant with Jesse, selling from home, 1986.
Today is a very special day for me. Twenty-four years ago today I put my key in the door at Connie’s Kids at 10am, and opened my store for business for the very first time. Words cannot explain the exhilaration I felt that day.
After selling at home parties and out of my own home for two years, I finally had a real store! My heart races even as I type this, because it is still so fresh in my mind. I was making my dream come true. Now was the scary part. I had built it, but would anyone come?
Selling out of my living room before opening store, 1987.
The answer to that is clear, as I am still here, loving what I do every day.
Just when I thought I had it all under control, the internet sprang up, and I had to decide whether to make a web page or not. I HATED computers, they scared me to death, so the answer to that was pretty clear to me. But, my brother, who was much more computer savvy than me insisted, and I went along for the ride, kicking and screaming the entire way. I really believed if I hit the wrong button the world could explode, and I didn’t want that on my shoulders.
- Adding the finishing touches before our store opening, 1987.
But as soon as I received my first order for a $12.99 hanky bonnet from someone in Texas, I was hooked. I could not understand how it worked, but I knew I had to get on this train, or it was going to leave without me. I quickly began taking pictures of everything in my store, and uploading them to my site. It went in fits and starts, and many nights I sat crying at the keyboard, not knowing how to make a shopping cart work, or edit a photo properly, or just make my site “findable” on all the search engines. It was totally mind-boggling, and I had more meltdowns than I care to remember, but I kept going.
My daughter Lindsay, first buying assistant!
Just when I felt like I was getting the hang of the internet, along came Damien Smith at Guerilla Social Media, telling me I needed to get on board with yet another modern technology; social media! Good grief, I thought, not another thing I have to learn!
- Our Very First Ad, Announcing our Opening!
Through Retail Alliance, I began taking classes to learn the value of having a face book page for my business, and was quickly hooked when I saw the enthusiastic reaction from my customers! I love seeing the children dressed in their Connie’s Kids outfits, and have forged many new friendships through this more casual setting of getting to know my customers on a more personal level, and including them in my decision-making.
Grand Opening Party, 1987!
There have been many twists and turns along the way, with personal and business setbacks, but Connie’s Kids has not only lasted through it all, but exceeded all the expectations I had back in nineteen eighty-seven. When I look at these photos of my old living room, it amazes me how we actually lived in that house, with a demanding newborn, and a busy three-year old, but we managed.
It all comes back to knowing in your heart what you are meant to do, and following your passion. I am grateful everyday for the good fortune I have experienced, but mostly the friendships that have been established over the last twenty-four years. If anyone would have told me back then that we would be honored by winning ”Best Children’s Shop” every year, and Chesapeake’s “Retailer of the Year” three years in a row, and even asked to help produce a catalog for Willbeth, I would have laughed!
Who would have guessed when I opened that I would someday be twittering, facebooking, and blogging? They weren’t even invented back then! I hope to continue to grow, but I just hope there is not another BIG THING coming any time soon!
- Winning Chesapeake’s Retailer of the Year!
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