Take Home a Token of Love

I credit much of my small business to humble beginnings: hopping from one yard sale to the next with my mom and little brother on Saturday mornings, flipping through the racks of clothes at the local Goodwill, moseying through antique malls with my grandparents.

I learned early on that not everything my family owned needed to be new or expensive. My dad – one of the hardest workers I know – was laid off from work due to budget cuts several times during my childhood. Money was tight, but we made it work, and thrifting was just part of that equation.

I also saw the benefit of side hustles and having something to fall back on. For as long as I can remember, my dad has owned and operated his lawn maintenance business in addition to his full-time job. When my brother and I were little, and my mom was a stay-at-home mom, she used to offer her art skill to paint for a woman who made baskets.

Growing up, I saw respect and intrigue for antiques and vintage in my parents’ home decor. It’s no surprise that I quickly latched on to the thrill of finding treasures.

Fast-forward a decade (plus a few years), I graduated from Kent State University at Stark with my bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and began working at the university full-time on their marketing team. I was a graphic designer, social media guru, and event planner.

March 2020 rolled around, and as it did for so many, COVID-19 changed everything. While I was grateful to be able to keep working at the university, my job responsibilities changed and slowed drastically. What was once fulfilling was falling short. I missed using my creativity and working with students. I realized how much I had tied my worth to something that could be gone in an instant.

Around the same time, my husband David and I were moving into our first home. I dove into that treasure-hunting part of myself once again to find furniture and decor to fill our home. I began getting inspired by the thrift and vintage culture – particularly on Instagram. One of the first Instagram resale shops I followed was @homewithashleyetsy owned by Ashley Sedelbauer out of Dayton, Ohio. I was so drawn to her perfectly-curated, colorful squares. And the wheels in my head started turning…

It lit a fire in me that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Inspired and a little scared, I took the leap and decided to open up my own small business – Little Thimble Thrift & Vintage – at the end of May 2020. Was I technically ready? No. But, was I passionate? Yes. And that passion is what continues to sustain my little shop.

When I started Little Thimble, I made a silent vow to myself that when the world opened back up and people began returning to in-person jobs, I wouldn’t give up on my small business. And somehow it seemed in my unknowing, I knew. No matter what the future held, this newfound passion was something I wouldn’t let go of.

By day, I was a marketing specialist for the university, by night I was my own boss. I was and still am the lead in every role of the business: sales, marketing, packing, shipping, finance, strategy, human resources, you name it – it’s me. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a little help along the way. I have been fortunate to have David, family, friends, and my fur babies (cats) Mr. Rose and Moira, offer support.

Customers and shop owners recognize Little Thimble for curated, themed product collections or “drops.” Early on I made it a goal to connect with other shop owners and expose the sincere support and kindness I felt in the reseller community. I created Two Thrifters, Twenty Treasures, an Instagram Live series where I would meet another shop owner and we would each show 10 available items in our shops. I did that once a week for several months and hope one day to return to doing something similar. In February, I introduced Speed Dating: Thrift Shops Edition, a meet-and-greet-style Instagram Live event as an effort to make even more connections.

In March of 2021, Modern Vintage in Historic Downtown Hartville was accepting vendor applications for their new, larger location in the renovated Hartville Meat Locker. Modern Vintage was a shop I grew up going to with my mom – it was one of my favorites and one I knew so many people were going to try to get into. I quickly applied and was accepted into the family shortly after. June 11, 2021, is a day I will never forget – opening day. That day, something just clicked in my head, “This is it. This is what I was meant to do.” All of the uncertainty and discontentment I felt finally made sense when I saw my dream become a reality.

In April 2021, I formally ended my employment at Kent State Stark (just weeks before we were asked to return to the office) to pursue something my degree and employment there had unknowingly prepared me for. I tried juggling a part-time job with my business, but quickly let that go, too, to dive into Little Thimble full time.