It’s been a minute.

I kept thinking, “make a post…MAKE A POST”. But life happens.

Guess that’s a good thing, right? As I head into my THIRTEENTH holiday season as a small business owner, I am BEYOND thankful. Thankful for all of the folks I have met. Thankful for all the things I have learned. Thankful for how I have grown. Some of my favorite people I wouldn’t have met, had it not been for opening Gather & Collect.

Too many to list…you know who you are. Thanks for sticking with me.

Along the way, I’ve learned a little about myself as well. I truly had no real expectations for what I wanted out of the shop. Obviously, you want to be profitable and show growth. I am driven, but not so much by the money aspect of it. I love to thrift. LOVE IT! The chance to curate found treasures while adding in a bit of personality…well it’s my happy place. To help some folks out along the way…icing on top.

Gather & Collect has done well, through the ups and downs of illness, CRAZY pandemic years, moving locations, growing pains, and a nearly 8 month brutal downtown construction project…

I am going to take a moment to focus on the ups. I’m still in business. I still unlock the door and think “holy shit! this is MINE”. I still hear laughter in the shop. Customers have become friends. Employees have become family. And I still like…no, LOVE what I do. Running a small business is not for the weary. Or wait…running a small business makes one weary…either way, I appreciate my family and friends for their support. I appreciate my customers for continuing to walk through that door.

It takes a Village…and boy oh boy do I appreciate mine.

Cheers to a life well lived – Julie