S6:E3 - A 25-Year-Old Buys a Quilt Shop with TJ Roney

You are listening to the Growing Small Towns Show, a podcast dedicated to supporting you, the person who really cares about the future of your small town. We believe when people get better, everything gets better, and our episodes offer the ideas and actions that prioritize people and small communities. Thank you for listening. We're so glad you're here. Our guest on today's episode is TJ Roney. TJ is back for a second time. Her original episode was published and produced before we went to a season-based format. So if you go back and look for episode 132, she joined us to discuss recruiting young people to small towns because she at that time was serving in the role of our relocation specialist. You'll hear that she still is on a part-time basis, but since then, TJ with her, uh, 25-year-old— she's 25, we talk about it pointedly, uh, she bought a quilt store. So we lovingly say she's a 25-year-old grandma. And we talk about, we talk about why, why a quilt store? Was that part of a plan? We talk about how being the child of entrepreneurial parents, how it shaped her, like how did she become a person? Because it's one thing, you know, when we first talked to TJ, we were talking about what What do small towns have to offer young people? Um, and that was, you know, that was a whole bunch of stuff that had nothing to do specifically with running a business. And, uh, in a, in a short year after being here, not even within the year, um, she had been approached by and decided to purchase, uh, a quilt shop from the current quilt shop owner. It's a great story. I think you're going to love it. TJ's a delight. And I, again, when I think about like, what do I hope you take away from this? You get to, it's your, it's your episode. Let your ears take you where they will. But what I hope people take away from this is just how much our businesses, the businesses we choose to run, can actually stand for something bigger than what it might seem. It's not just a storefront. She's not just selling fabric. TJ has a mission, and I'm gonna let you listen to hear what that is. But this is the future, friends. This is what's possible for our communities. And we need to start looking at our communities this way. Instead of thinking, well, no young people would ever want to come here for that. And I think, I think to some degree our show, we get— I get a little heat sometimes because I think there's this impression that I only care about young people. That's, that's really not true. But the hard truth is that we are going to need young people if our communities are going to thrive because they are the future, especially the ones that are coming back and choosing to take over brick-and-mortar businesses. We need to rally behind them and we need to see more opportunities to plug them in into these specific ways. And it's just a delightful conversation with TJ. So buckle up, friends, and enjoy this talk with our very favorite resident 25-year-old grandma. Well, hey, TJ, welcome to the show. Welcome to the podcast studio.

I know, this is so nice.

Well, and you work right in this building and this is our first time sitting down and using the— Yeah. The new digs and the new equipment.

Great.

Yeah, love it. So, um, you've been on our show before. Welcome back.

Thanks, glad to be here.

Yeah, and now we're here to talk about— so again, we'll— this is where my prep is ridiculous. I could have looked back and been like, what episode was it where TJ was on talking about relocation and being a relocation specialist? We'll get it in the show notes, whatever folks like. But go back and listen to that one, cuz that's really cool. You're still doing that role, very part-time, but Since then, what have you done, my dear?

Well, since then, I aged about 50 years and became a 25-year-old grandma. I bought a quilt store.

Yeah, you did. Yeah, you're a 25-year-old running a quilt store.

Yeah, it's not common.

It is not common. That's why we're— that's what we're here to talk about. Like, okay, so there's a bunch of stuff that, of course, like, delights my brain about all of this. I mean, namely that you bought a business in Oaks. We're so lucky to have you. Why don't we go back to maybe, 'cause we didn't, I don't really think we talked about this much with your relocation specialist role because it was just different. But maybe, and again, you haven't been prepped for any of this stuff, so if you're like—

We're just really jumping in.

If you wanna be like, Rebecca, no, I'm not doing that, you can absolutely say, no thanks. But I'm curious, of course I know your parents. What and how do you feel like you were shaped? Like, why entrepreneurship? Why, why did you buy? We'll get into the why a quilt store, because that's fun too, but just like owning a business at, for as young as you are as a 25-year-old, it's not easy. It's not a simple thing to do. It's not something everybody's like, oh, I think I should especially move back to a community like ours. What, how, what was your influence to do so? Or maybe what kind of, did you always want to have a business? That kind of thing. Talk about entrepreneurship just a bit in general.

Both of my parents run their own businesses. My mom has the store right across the street from mine. Um, and she's been there for over 30 years. My dad's a farmer, you know, he's never done anything but either work on his dad's farm or work on his farm. So I, I just honestly don't really know anything other than it when it comes to careers. Like it's just what, what my parents did.

It's what we do.

Like my mom jokes, she's like, why can not? Because my brother is also an entrepreneur and my older brother, my little brother's still in college, but she jokes, she's like, why can none of my kids just get a job that has like normal health benefits and is like steady and like makes so much more sense? And I'm like, you, it's honestly, you're to blame. Like you did this to us. I swear.

Okay. You're going to have to fact check me on this, but I swear your mom and maybe Heather, if you're going to, hopefully she'll listen. She'll listen to this. Hi, Heather. I'm pretty sure she had a sign in her store. At one time, because I'm pretty sure I took a picture of it. It said something like, owning your own— this is a paraphrase, so maybe it said, owning your own business is as overrated as natural childbirth, or something like that. And I remember looking at it and just giggling, because that's like, again, I think, I think, uh, store ownership, like, and your mom's shop, I mean, let's be real, it's an independent bookstore coffee shop, like eatery, and an ice cream shop, for crying out loud.

Like, that's my childhood, was great.

Yeah, right, exactly. And that, like, that, that sounds so picturesque and like, oh my gosh. And people love, and people love your mom's store, and with, I mean, rightly so. But I think, like, she's still— I just love that she was very much like, oh yeah, it's, it's not, it's not all fun books and sprinkles on your ice cream cone, you know?

Yeah.

And so, like, did, did she what were, did you guys talk about it? Like, were, was it just so naturally a part of your upbringing that you guys didn't really talk about it?

Or honestly, no.

I'm just curious.

I have parents that are very much like, if you bring an idea to them and you're like, I don't know, I kind of think I wanna do this. They'll be like, okay, like, sure. You know, let's do it. I feel like between me and my older brother too, he's the same way. Like, we've had so many different hobbies and things that we like enjoy doing and have tried and whatever, because our parents were never like, hi, you know, I don't know, is that the best idea? Maybe we should— maybe you should go a different direction. They're always just like, okay, sure, like, we'll help you figure it out.

Kind of like down, down to try, down to play with whatever.

Like, if we want to do something, like, they're going to help us. We might fail at it and it might not work out, and that's fine, but, um, we can't say we didn't try at least. And so I feel like they've just always, it's just kind of always been there because it wasn't ever like turned down as an option from our parents, you know, we, which is so great. And I'm so grateful because it's so great. A lot of people's parents would be like, uh, you know, I don't know.

And so, well, I mean, you, you joked about it that your mom was like, why can't you just get a normal job?

And I'm like, this is literally your fault.

Like, yeah, you, you made us stay home. You did this to us. But it's, you know, like, I know she like means that in some regard. But truly, she's just— she decided to encourage your creativity. She decided to encourage your willingness to try. And I think— I, of course, think that's amazing. And I hope that my kids are kind of seeing— I hope my kids are seeing that same kind of thing. Regardless of it— OK, because I really feel this way. And I think this will be a fun conversation for the fact that you're back and you're now helping people relocate here. Still doing that while you're running your quilt store. Um, but I think community are like our community. You look at the community of Oaks, it isn't entrepreneurial thinking and that willingness to try and that kind of audacity to say, hey, we should do this. That is not, that does not just live in Main Street businesses or businesses, right? It's every great idea that a community needs has to have somebody saying, hey, What if we did that? And then people around them saying, oh my gosh, what if we did? And then we try it, right? So it's, I think it's, I think that's special. I think our community needs more of that. So thank you, Phil and Heather for, for, because it's also cool. You and Grayson own your older brother. You own, you now own physical businesses both across the street from your mom and right next to each other. Yeah.

They, him and his girlfriend bought purchased that building, I don't even know if it was, it wasn't a full year. It was only a few months prior to when I purchased mine. Well, maybe, whatever. Yeah, it was less than a year.

Yeah.

Anyhow, um, so that was kind of fun because I like texted both of them and I'm like, hey neighbor, and they're like, what are you talking about? And I'm like, well, so it was fun, but it's also super fun like right, you know, across the street from my mom, so It is.

It's really, I think it's really special. So let's talk about the quilt store in particular. So, because I think what's really fun about this, TJ, is that it wasn't your, it wasn't your grandma's business. We call it a grandma business in total joking, right? But not really, because honestly, quilting, I, okay, I don't, so here's my background with quilting. My mom's mom, my grandma Dorothy, quilted. She gave me and, uh, Jeremiah the most beautiful— it was a, you know, handmade quilt for our wedding. Um, she did that for a lot of my cousins, right? And my mom didn't ever really fully do the learning hands-on with my grandma before my grandma— my grandma died young at 76. She wasn't very old. It was sudden, all the things, right? So after, after that, my mom learned how. My mom sewed. I sewed when I was little, like in 4-H and stuff.

Yeah.

Um, but it's just one of one of those things that it's like, I— if you don't have somebody teaching you to quilt, it tends to be— at least again, this is fairly anecdotal. I'm kind of testing you on this too. Is this like true? But who's gonna teach a person how to quilt if it's not something that's kind of passed down, right? So I still have a— I still have a chance. Like, my mom is— and of course my mom— oh, she's a great quilter. She loves it, and it's perfect for her and her like very perfectionist little brain, and yet it's creative. So it's a really, really great outlet for her. Um, but that— I mean, this wasn't your mom, this wasn't in your family, and it's not like you moved back to Oak saying, I'm gonna buy the quilts. It was— so how, how did this come about? Because I think too, like, I want to help people, anybody listening to this, to realize if you have a business and you assume the next person to succeed you has to be your family, this is such a great example that That's not necessarily true. So I mean, and as much as you want to share about kind of the dynamics of that, but I just think it's really special.

Um, so my grandma taught on my mom's— so this is, I'm talking my mom's mom, and on that side of the family, she only has just 5 grandkids, 2 girls, 3 boys. She taught all of us to sew. Um, my one cousin, um, and myself stuck with it. But when I was 5, I think I was 5 or 6 when I started my first quilt. And she just, she didn't teach us wanting us to like have, she just wanted us to know, you know, similar to like when you're in 4-H, you know, you learn to sew and it's a good skill to have and maybe you don't do it again for 30 years.

Ever. I haven't.

But you could probably sit in front of a machine and at least maybe figure it out. Right. Um, so she just taught all of us so that we had the skill and I've always done it as a hobby ever since. Um, I love fabric.

I like just all fabric.

I just, I love fabric creativity. I like being creative. And so I've always done it, you know. I never in a million years thought I would own a quilt store. I just, it was just a hobby.

It was strictly a hobby. Yeah, it wasn't like, that's just what I think is so fun about this. It wasn't like a, like, oh, one day I'm going to own a quilt store.

It was definitely my dream to own my own business, but I didn't know what that looked like exactly. I didn't— definitely not think it was a quilt store. But, um, so when I moved back to Oaks in January of 2024— yes, yes. Um, I— well, I had approached you, um, we kind of got the relocation specialist stuff going, and I was working at my mom's store 2 days a week, just over lunch, helping her out. And, um, I— in a part of— not, not a part, you're gonna have to cut that out because that was the wrong word. Um, in addition, in addition to helping her at the store, I was doing her social media as well. And then, um, I don't— I honestly don't even remember if the, at the time, owner of the quilt shop approached me or I had approached them. I think I had approached them as just like, hey, you know, I, I like social media, like, I'd be happy to like run your Facebook page for you. Um, so that I did that all of 2024, and it was It was spring of 2024 when the owner was like, would you ever want to be interested in purchasing this? And I was like, you know, I had just gotten out of a business, you know, prior business deal, whatever. And I was like, I just, you know, I think I want a break. I'm not up for it right now. And she's like, okay. So, you know, she never really mentioned it again until later that fall. She was like, are you sure? Because I am going to list it for sale and She didn't want to see the community lose the quilt store.

Yeah. Can we, I was just gonna say, let's just pause for a minute and talk about this.

There it is.

You went right into what I was hoping you'd touch on. Yes. Yeah, go ahead.

I think it's 24 quilt shops throughout the entire state of North Dakota. Fargo has one quilt shop, which to me is so wild and crazy.

It is crazy, TJ, but it's also like, what's the name of it?

Uh, Ray-Ban.

Okay, so, but there used to be a Joann Fabrics, right? Which had— and again, it's like kind of these bigger— it's like everything, like with everything, kind of the market shifts and these bigger kind of, um, standard, or, you know, the, the stores that you expect to carry that kind of stuff, they end up closing. Or I don't know what—

I don't know what happened to Joann Fabrics if they like actually big corporate thing, bought them out. Yeah, I just switched— oh, kind of tried to take their inventory to more home goods rather than—

okay, fabric.

Yeah, it just kind of fizzled out and then they went bankrupt essentially.

Right. And so, but that's so interesting that Fargo only has one.

It is.

That's wild.

People assume that, oh, Joann's closing, that must be so great for you. I'm like, I actually, I don't necessarily think it's that great. Um, they carried a lot of apparel fabric, and quilt shops like me, we don't carry apparel fabric. It's— we can't justify the cost of having it in our stores.

Um, and so I actually don't necessarily think it's that great of a thing when it closed, because all it's done is just like cut off access to that many more people, you know what I mean?

It's like harder for people maybe to get into it, into sewing, but they want to do the apparel side of it. That's great. You're probably— you can, you can use my stuff at my store, but maybe that's not what you're exactly looking 4. So, you know, that's a big— yeah, I'll assume I'm like happy about that. It's, you know, not necessarily great, but anyhow. So yeah, throughout the whole state of North Dakota, there's— I think it's 24. And the closest one to us— I mean, if we butt down into South Dakota, there is one in Aberdeen. That's technically the closest. Otherwise, the closest shop, if we're staying in North Dakota, to Oaks is Fargo, and that's, you know, an hour 45 minutes away. We are, I mean, there's so many quilters in the southeast corner of the state that this is the shop that they came to. And so the owner at the time was, you know, she very much didn't want to see the communities lose the store. So she really wanted to try to sell it to somebody who would keep it as a quilt store. Hence why she didn't want to list it, put it on the market officially and stuff and have somebody buy it and turn it into something else, which would be great too, but She really just didn't want to see the quilters in the area lose the shop. So she really, really, really wanted me to buy it, and I really, really, really didn't. I was like, I just don't think I want to do it. And so that fall, and I had told her earlier in the fall, I was like, how about you get me a number, get me the information, and I'll think about it. We'll see. So it was like about October of '24. Yeah, October '24. And so we sat down and she just kind of went over how much she wanted and this and that and, you know, all of the things. And it was essentially impossible to say no. I mean, just from the standpoint of investing in a Main Street building, just to have the building on Main Street, let alone the business and the inventory and everything. I literally was like, I think this would be dumb to actually say no. And I'm like, and it's not something, you know, I enjoy quilting. I know I can run a business. I'm good. Like, I'll just, I'll do it. I'll do it. Whatever.

So was there, were there any conversations you had that just felt like it really solidified your decision? You know, I mean, who, how did you, how did you go about deciding? It was more, this is kind of meta, but it's, I think it's important. Important because, you know, it's like you literally weren't gonna— she's, you know, you had no— this is not on your radar at all.

No, no, no. It was so out of the blue. And I mean, not necessarily out of the blue because she had kind of mentioned it to me, right? But I had kind of thought, you know, whatever. And I had actually told her, like, I don't want to have a business right now. I was feeling burnt out of it. I just, I didn't want to do it. And I had told her, I'm like, but I will take photos of the store for you, like, so that you can use those to get a listing up. Like, you know, I'll help you in that sense, but otherwise, like, I'm just— I don't want it, you know. And it was really the conversation when we sat down and went over the financial aspects of it all and what she was asking. And, you know, of course I had sat down, looked through the previous, you know, sales from the year prior and all of that, and I'm like, Because here's the other misconception is I think a lot of people just assume any retail business in a small town makes $0. Mm-hmm. You know, and that it's just whoever's doing it is doing it for fun and as a hobby. And it, that's not true. I mean, a lot of times you're, if you have a resale business, you're doing it because it is something you enjoy. But it can also make money like it can. And I think quilting is such a niche business or hobby, I guess. And if you're not a part of that world, you have no idea. I mean, quilters, they're retired ladies who have this hobby that they love. They are going to do it and they invest in their hobby. And if you're not in that world, that makes no sense to you. And so I think a lot of people just, you know, were like, I can't believe you're buying this store. You know, like, I can't imagine it makes any money. I'm like, you know, I just really thought, I thought it'd be fun to buy a failing business. Yes. Thank, thank you. Yeah, for sure. That's totally what I'm doing here. So it was that, I think. And, and just seeing like, okay, you know, I can, and I knew at the time their, um, online sales, they did do online sales, but—

you knew that that was— yep, you knew there was a lot of potential. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You, you could see the potential of it because you also understood social media.

Yes, and social media was a big part of it too. I'm like, obviously that's not something you can sit down and be like, I will grow, you know, the business this much because of social media. It all just happens how it happens, you know. You can't force people to look at your stuff. So, but I knew I could grow it more from where it was at. So I was like, I think, you know, this is, this would be ultimately like a good investment if nothing else. And I know I'll enjoy it because it's something I like to do. And so after that conversation, I had told her, I was like, I'll let you know by the end of this month, you know? And I probably messaged her the next week and was like, I'll do it. So, and then from there, yeah, we decided on, end of the year. So December 31st was her last day of ownership and I, we had signed papers earlier that month and I officially took over January 1st, 2025. And then I was closed that whole first month of ownership to, I just wanted to like to rearrange and refresh the store a bit.

Yeah. Right.

And do some different things, get some new display pieces. And there was a basement in the store that that prior had been covered up. I mean, for probably 20 years maybe, the basement had just been totally covered up. And it worked great for them. They didn't want to have the basement. And so they, you know, used, put some boards on top and had bolts of fabric on it. But it was about 500 square feet of space. And I just wanted to have that as retail space. I'm like, I, want more stuff. Like, I, I like to buy things, so let's, let's fill her up, you know. And so I kind of— that first month too, we were working on the basement and needed, you know, painting, um, new carpet, lights, all that jazz. So yeah, that was fun too. So that whole first month was just kind of rearranging, doing all those things to get it kind of back up and running. And then February 1st was my grand kind of reopening, and I had changed the name as well, so that took a lot. Just from the standpoint of making accounts, you know, my wholesale accounts and whatever else, right? Um, and then I also did a total website revamp as well. Um, and that— the website was actually shut down for about a month and a half. I didn't get that back up till about mid-February. Um, and that has been super great. And yeah, so then, yeah, I went into my first year.

And, and also, um You, you are now on one particular social media platform that I would guess not a lot of quilt stores are on.

Yeah, can I like say the name of it, or is that like—

yeah, well, I think— yeah, go ahead.

Okay, I'm just like, I don't know if you can like name though.

I, I think we can. I mean, I guess they can come after us. I'm not sure what they're gonna do to us, TJ, but, but you— can you share some of the stats of just, uh, you know, and again, I didn't prep you for this, but even just generalities. But so talk a little bit about what your strategy was and like what you're sharing and why.

My personal favorite social media platform to just be a user of is TikTok. I love TikTok. I— people hate TikTok and I'm like, listen, I have learned so much on TikTok. I love it.

Same.

So I, I like, and I enjoy, I love filming things when I go up somewhere. I like to take pictures, I like to make little, you know, film little video things, you know. And so, and I like to, you know, put that together and make fun little TikToks with some fun music. Like, so I had just a little bit been doing that here and there, um, in the year prior or whatever, a couple years prior. But January, it was actually— and I wasn't even gonna necessarily put it out there, just I put together a compilation of clips I had throughout the first probably 2 weeks of 2025 when I had just been redoing things and moving things around. I had just been filming some things and I wasn't necessarily going to post it, but it was right before TikTok was going to go away. Mm-hmm. And we didn't know what that looked like. And so— we didn't know if our accounts would get totally deleted, you know, right? If we got— if it ever came back, it was horrifying. I'm making this sound so dramatic, but for real, I hated it.

I was like, I love this in their take. What am I gonna do at the gym? It was my whole thing. Like, oh my God, that's how I get through workouts.

I know, I love to scroll. Um, like, I am chronically on TikTok. It's bad, but whatever. So I, we— I didn't know if my drafts that I had created would save, and so I actually— it was the day before it went away. I was like, I need to get my drafts posted so that I can then— I can at least like save the video to my phone. Yeah, you know, and have the video just for the memory of it. So I posted a video And it was literally, it was like, come buy a quilt store with me. And it was just all these little clips of like me signing the papers and then unlocking the door and going in and moving some bolts around and whatever. And I just like didn't think anything of it, posted the video, and then TikTok went away. And I was actually with my family at like a, my aunt and uncle's cabin for the weekend, and TikTok came back. It was only down for, I mean, it was like very dramatic scenario and it was all like of like 2 hours that it was gone.

I know it wasn't gone very long, but remember Do you remember? Just, I mean, just so we get the record straight on this, I was like, okay, I'm just gonna delete it off my, like, take the app off my phone. Do you remember? I didn't like delete my account, I just took the app off my phone. Like, I don't want to see the icon because I'm gonna want to press on it and there's nothing there. And so for my own mental health, or so I thought, that's what I did. And then it was like, oh, we're— it's back, but if you took it off your phone, you're not going to be able to re-download it. And then I had Yeah, so I had to wait. Yeah, it was— it still wasn't as traumatic as we're making it sound, but yeah, it felt like I would— and my son was like, oh Mom, you screwed up. And I was, I was a little bit devastated, but it did, it came back. I don't know, it was what, a couple days maybe? Yeah, not even a week, I don't think.

Yeah, I was gonna say, put it back in the ass, or like, I think maybe a week later or something.

But, but yes, I know it was technically only down for advertising. It was. Oh, I know.

So Anyway though, so I post this video and TikTok goes away, whatever. I was at my family lake weekend, whatever. I wasn't really on my phone much anyway. And it was like the day it came back, I was like, oh my God, it came back, you know? And I didn't go on it though because I was, you know, hanging out with family. That evening, I think, was when I finally went on and I was like, oh my God, what are all these notifications? And I'm like, I've got this video that's like blown up. Like, blown up is just like a little bit dramatic.

Yeah, I know. Look at— you're looking at your phone. I'm just like narrating this for everybody.

Yeah, I'm going to pull it up.

Because I think what we have to remember— I mean, again, just for context, our town has 1,800 people in it. So when you share— well, and there's actual— like, we could look it up and say what actually constitutes a viral video.

Yes, that's a big question. I don't know.

Um, while you're looking up your stats, let me, let me look it up because I know Tessa, when she was on, we looked, she talked about looking it up.

And so yeah, I posted this video, it went out, yeah, it was January 18th, I think the, the ban happened on the 19th. And it was just literally a video like, come by a quilt store with me, um, paper sign, now time to reorganize. It was very, I didn't think much of it. And obviously since then the video has continued to get views and stuff. So right off the bat within that first day, I don't actually remember what the number was, but go ahead. Right.

No, yeah, okay. No, I'm just looking. I don't know yet. I'm seeing— it literally says, it feels— it says one video hits 10,000 views and feels huge. And then another reaches 100K and doesn't feel viral. So I haven't gotten an answer yet. So yeah, go ahead.

And so I had had— so the thing with TikTok is when you look at your videos, like, it'll tell you how many views you have in the bottom left corner of each video. And when it gets to 10,000 is when it goes to— it says 10K. That's when you get the K, is 10,000. Yeah. And I had only ever had one, like, random video from a couple years prior ever get the K. So that K was a It was very exciting for me.

It is a big deal. And, um, that's, so here, here, like here's, here's what we can talk about. How many followers do you have?

Well, let me say this number because otherwise I have to scroll all the way back down.

Okay. You're good. No, you're good. Yeah. And then we'll talk about it.

I will, I will say the followers though. So that video currently has 210,600 views. Um, 18,600 likes. 380 comments, 428 saves.

Yeah. Okay.

And I was just like, oh, okay.

So what did you do with comments? Did you reply to 'em or just like, or what did you decide? What did you decide to do?

Um, you know, ones that were genuinely asking a question, like, do you have a website? You know, I'm like, it's coming. Like, I'll have it in a month.

Right. TJ.

Otherwise I was mostly just liking them at least. So that I was acknowledging them.

Yeah.

You know, that person. Um, and then I was like, okay, so I can't just post a video and never post again about this. Like, this is— I have to do this.

You're like, well, shit, now I've gotta like—

I was like, now I'm—

now I'm a, I'm a content creator.

Like, what? TikTok. And so research had kind of shown me that, you know, I should post a video a day. And that's what I stuck to since that video.

That feels extra. I, is it a lot? Does that feel like a lot for you? Sometimes it is, but have you ever skipped a day just because you're like, yeah, that's okay, good. I'm like, that seems insane.

There's like 2 or 3 times in 2025 where I went like 3 or 4 days without posting just because a lot of times I, I'll create when I'm in the mood to make a TikTok, I make like 10.

Yeah.

And I kind of just bank 'em up there.

There's a good, there's a good smart strategy.

Yes.

Because otherwise this isn't content creation is not something. That always feels good, right? Like it goes up and down with your moods.

Well, and it's very like, yeah, like I, I don't, I don't like what, how, what I'm wearing right now, so I'm not gonna be in any videos. So then that also alters the type of video you're gonna make. I can't be in the video because I don't wanna post videos where I'm not looking like, not that I, I look fantastic in all my videos, but like I don't wanna feel like a potato in my, you know, like totally get it.

Yeah, I totally get it.

So from that video, I've pretty much posted every day aside from, you know, a few here and there. And after that, I kept posting more videos and I was like, oh my God, like they just keep commenting on my— like they keep— like the people are watching my things. And so like I did the next video was literally me sitting there talking and I'm just like, hey, so here's an update. So this is the thing. Like this is what— this is what's happening. This is what it is. And that got 18,000— 19,000 views.

Looking at this, so what I've got in front of me is just a little chart that says like account size on the left-hand side and then views that off, and it says feel viral. The Growing Small Towns show is recorded locally at the Growing Small Towns podcast studio located in Oakes, North Dakota. It's produced by Pheasant Canteen Studio in Aberdeen, South Dakota. South Dakota, with marketing support from Cassidy Johnston in Canyon City, Colorado. Our intro music was created and produced exclusively for Growing Small Towns by James Bergman, singer and songwriter from Fargo, North Dakota. Local and small, it's what we support and it's who we love. Get your community a shout out on the podcast. Call 701-203-3337 and share your small town success that you just don't feel is being celebrated quite enough and let us shout you out. You can also share your biggest people challenge and we'll dedicate an episode to offering ideas to help. Hell, you can basically tell us anything and we'll do what we can to answer. We can't wait to hear from you. Can't wait to hear from you.

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But so like, what's your— what's— so when you, when you started this, because you did this on— did you start a, uh, an actual TikTok account for Quilters Mercantile, or is it you? It's you.

Okay.

That was just a general question. Post.

Post other videos sometimes too. Like, if I go somewhere, I'll post some travel ones, or like, I post a video with like my niece every once in a while, or, you know, just doing other things.

Again, what I find—

keep it to just quilt store. It is interesting though, because the ones that primarily get any traction are quilt store, and so I, I keep it mostly to quilt store, but once in a while I'll throw one in just because for me, my TikTok account is also like a memory bank of things going on in my life.

100%.

I'm gonna post for myself. I'm not posting this because I want a bunch of people to— I'm gonna post this fun video of me and my niece because I want to look back on that someday. I don't need this video of me and my niece to get thousands of— that's not why I'm posting that particular video, right? Um, and but yeah, besides that, I've got— right off the bat it was kind of hot. It was like that big one, the 18,000, a 10,000, 22,000, another 18,000. And then it kind of slims down again, 22,000, 18,000 again. But that's just kind of— it fluctuates. It's so—

but that's 10 times the size of our whole community, TJ.

That's so interesting that you say that because I've seen TikToks of people who have a large amount of followers and they'll like film themselves, you know, at a basketball game or an NFL game or something, and they— it's a video of the stadium or whatever, and they're like like, it's crazy that this many people follow me, you know. If they've got 70,000 followers or something, they'll be like, to think that this is the amount of people that follow me, it's crazy. And now I don't have a large, large amount of followers. Um, how TikTok works is once you hit, I think it's 2,000, I think it's 2,000, you're able to then, um, like tag products in your—

yeah, I can—

yeah, I buy something on TikTok Shop, I can go link that and somebody can buy it and I'll make like a $1.83 or something, right? Yep, big bucks.

And then every video that you hope, like, support one of those or endorse one of those things, it'll say like creator earns commission, right? Yeah, when you tag a product.

I don't post a lot of those, um, I, I don't know why. I think it's because it would require me to have to go on TikTok Shop and like buy a bunch of stuff, but I just don't. Once you reach 10,000, that's when you actually get paid for views. Um, you have to enter the creator fund and you have to have 10,000 followers. I think it's 300,000 views within 30 days or something like that. And then I think there's one more like criteria for it. I can't remember what it is. I do not have 10,000. My goal was 10,000 by the end of 2025. I didn't get there. So now my goal is 10,000 by the end of this year. So I have 6,839 followers.

Okay. So Here is what I'm reading. Now again, is this— this is some person's blog about this.

Okay.

Because I don't think there's hard and fast rules around some of these things. But basically it's saying new accounts or small accounts, which they consider a small account under 10,000.

Mm-hmm.

If you get 10,000 to 50,000 views, that's considered viral. The fact that your— this one video has over 200, like 200,000 combined views, that's for like accounts up to 100,000 followers.

Mm-hmm. So that is true.

Truly like, it's a truly viral video that you created. And that's so— that had to be so dang fun.

And okay, so it was crazy because I had— I remember my very first video I ever posted on TikTok. It was the end of— it was December of 2022. No, that's a lot. It was January of 2023, and I was still living in Minnesota at the time, and I was having lunch with two friends, and I had said, I really want to start posting on TikTok, but like, I just don't know, you know? And they're like, post on TikTok, who cares? So that's when I started posting frequently, but I didn't have that thing in my life that I was like, people are gonna watch me because of this. Like, you kind of have to start with like a niche thing and then grow from there. A lot of people You know, maybe they start because they're doing hair tutorials and those videos take off. So they stick with that for a while and then you slowly kind of can transition into like, you can, you're like exactly people, they know you, right?

Absolutely.

That's kind of where I'm at now is just like, I finally got that thing.

You're the quilt, you're the quilt store. You're the 25-year-old grandma.

Yeah. I'm the 25-year-old grandma. That should be my new handle. Um, and I don't like necessarily necessarily post because I'm wanting to like make millions of dollars from TikTok. I just posted, and it's funny because like that particular video, I literally posted it because I didn't know if I'd lose my drafts.

Right.

TikTok banned.

Yeah.

Like I just wanted the video for my own memories is really all it was.

Mm-hmm.

And so that's why I posted that video. And from there on out I've posted, yes, to kind of keep up with, and because people were in my comments that like, so I'm like, you know, like, I feel like I, I owe them this update now that they've followed me and they're interested in my journey, right? But I never have posted like trying to make a lot of money. I just want to be able to like, I don't know, get more people to sew. Like, I get online sales because of TikTok, which is a great bonus, but that's not why I'm posting on TikTok. I'm posting on TikTok because I'm chronically on TikTok and I like Yeah. Like I like to make fun little videos. So I do.

And like, again, I think there's so, there's so much to this cuz when this happened, like you, and then again, I get the benefit of, you get, I work with you, you know, a, a few days a week when you're in our office, in our building. Um, and I watched this happen and I was just like, there is so much we all can learn from this because I think, I think again, you touched on a couple of things. One being that mentality that we just kind of assume. That brick-and-mortar businesses don't really— like, if they're lucky, if they break even or something. Like, there's this weird idea that that's true. Um, and I, I imagine that's— that is horribly true when margins get really tight and, you know, you know, all the things. It just depends on what your business is. But, um, you're unlocking and kind of revealing the fact that, um, you— their social media is a tool that can actually elevate and help promote all of our businesses and the communities that are it, that they're in. So let's talk a bit about like some of the bus— yeah, buses of women that have showed up here, and they're women, um, that have shown up here to sew. Yeah, because you've invited them. And then what's the benefit and what's kind of the— what's the purpose of then doing a quick TikTok that shows highlights of their— you know, because you've done a lot of that. It's, it's so cool, TJ.

It's Okay, so I— and again, I— when these ladies come, I don't record it because I posted to TikTok because I, I'm trying to get it to go viral. I hope it gets a lot of traction for sure. Well, yeah, but I'm posting it because I think it's fun.

It is fun.

And like, I'll mix in, you know, I'll post a video of, you know, some snippets of Oaks every once in a while too. And like, people are like, oh, it's so hallmarky. I'm like, it is, you know, like, yeah, it's a great town. And, and I have people that come here and they're like, Oaks just seems like it has so much going on. Like I was just saying the other day, I had, not long after the park had been done, there were people, or after, you know, we started to have events and stuff there, I think it was the news article, um, I had ladies come in there like, we saw that on, um, the news and it just, Oaks seems like they have so much going on. We wanted to come check it out and they've got a quilt shop and You know, the quilt shop alone kind of drives people to the community just because, again, it is one of the only in the area. So quilters are like this crazy breed too.

They are. Yeah, exactly.

They will travel states away for a good quilt store. It gets a little bit crazy, but it's great.

It's a little bit like cultish in a good way. Yeah. In the sense that it's just, it's a really obsessive hobby.

It is. And a lot of times it's also because it's retired ladies.

Mm-hmm.

You know, if you're, if you're—

so they have time and ideally some, some expendable cash, right? Yes.

Yeah. You know, you have the time to go drive, you know, from Montana to— I, I remember every year they do Quilting Across the Dakotas. It's this big shop hop and it's across North and South Dakota, so it's 40-some shops total, and you have just over a month to get as many as you can, basically, for reaching certain milestones of how many shops you've been to. You get different prizes and such. And, um, my very first people that came into my store at the end of July for the shop hop were from Iowa. And I was like, you're from Iowa? Like, what are you doing for the North— what are you doing here for the Dakota's shop hop? And they're like, well, we went to the Minnesota one already this summer, and so now we're just doing the North Dakota one. I mean, they just drove from Iowa and they were just for a couple of weeks, they were just going to go drive across the Dakotas going to quilt shops. So it's just like a different breed, sort of, which does help because they'll come like they will come from afar. So that's fun too. And then a lot of times, you know, it's, oh, you should go across, you know, go across the street to my mom's store. I don't like tell them it's my mom's store. I just tell them that they have a good lunch or whatever. And then I'm like, well, Well, it is also my mom's store, so maybe I'm pushing you there a little bit, but you know, then they go and explore town and they're like, this is a great, this is a great place. So that's been kind of fun too, but I had, um, so across the state too, in the region, there's different guilds, quilting guilds, and like there's two in Aberdeen and they reached out to me. They're like, we just, we like to go other places for our meetings so that we're not always in the same spot. You know, can we come to your shop? We'll do, we'll shop for a couple hours. We're going to go get lunch if you have somewhere you'd recommend, and then we'll come back and we'll have our meeting. So I'm like, great. So, you know, they get in some big 15-passenger vans and they all drive up here and it's just really fun.

I have witnessed this. So this is, yes, I've seen these women show up on Main Street.

One time, the Thief River Falls Guild was coming and they actually had like a big bus. And I wasn't prepared. I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't prepared for like a bus. And so they like park and there's like this bus like parked on Main Street taking up like 5 parking spots.

Uh-huh.

And I'm like, alright, here we go.

I know.

So, you know, I take a video of them getting off the bus and they're like waving at the camera or whatever. And then I usually forget to record anything else because we get too busy, you know, cutting fabric and whatever. But I had a group come up from Huron, South Dakota. They were doing a mystery shop hop. So there was two ladies who had planned it that were driving these two vehicles. And it was basically you bought your ticket to get on the bus and you got on and you had no idea where you're going. So we were one of the stops and it was an overnight trip. They had no idea. After our shop, they were like, okay, you have an hour and a half at this store and then everybody's getting back in and we're taking you to the next place. So we've had quite a few of those. I would say, yeah, a handful or so this summer that came and did that. So that was really fun.

So what, how, other than obviously just existing, because we are talking about a very, I don't want to say like they're an oddity, like, you know, but they're, they are, they're, What would even be the word? How would you describe the, um, the desire that quilters have for— again, like this, this willingness to drive. It gets caught. It is kind of wild. Cultish is the closest I can come in my brain to what you would call it. It's just like actually obsessive.

It is.

Outside of being here, are you doing anything? Are you creating this network? Would you like— how did you— or are you connected? Sorry, I just kicked you. Are you connected to other quilt shop owners?

So I Actually, prior to officially deciding I was gonna purchase the store, my grandma, so it's interesting because Oaks has had, it actually makes me a little, ugh, sometimes because people will make comments to me, you know, about, I can't, I just, you know, it's just last night, literally a family member said to me, he asked me how the store was doing. I said, yeah, actually, you know what? It's been really busy for this winter. I wasn't really sure what to expect for the winter. Right. Like after post-holidays. And it's actually been really busy. It's like, it's good. And he said, oh, that is just so crazy to me. And I'm like, yeah. Like, what do I say to that? Yes, it's crazy to you, but like, you know, it, it's, it's busy. I'm not like, I'm not making it up. I don't know. I don't know what to say to you, but I feel like I've forgotten where I was going with this now.

What we were talking about. Um, so you started to say your grandma. I know.

Yes.

Okay.

Got it. And so people act so surprised that I am busy and I'm like, if you have looked up and down our main street in Oaks for the last probably over 20 years, there has been a quilt store. We, we have had a quilt store in this town for decades.

Mm-hmm.

It shouldn't be that crazy that it has continued to thrive, right? It has changed owners. I think I'm the fifth. Really?

That— well, that's interesting. I didn't— I wouldn't have guessed it was that many.

I think Suzanne Spies was the very first one.

Oh sure, sure she was. Yeah.

And then since then there was another ownership change and then it moved across the street.

Yep.

To a different owner than the one I bought it from, and then now me.

Okay.

And it's not that they're selling it because it's doing so poorly, it's because their lives changed or they wanted to retire and it was It's never changed ownership because of how it's been doing. It's just been lifestyle, basically. Like, this gal, she wanted to retire. She wanted to hang out with her grandkids and her great-grandkids, right? So it's, it shouldn't be so surprising that it does well. But anyway, whatever. Well, it drives me a little crazy sometimes. I'm just like, because your comments aren't necessary. Thank you.

Kind of just an— it's an ignorance, right?

Yeah.

I wouldn't say— I don't think They're trying to— I mean, I'm sure nobody's like, no, and that's fine to be hurtful. They just— it's something they just don't understand at all.

Exactly. When you're not— have no idea of that world, I can 100% understand how that can be weird to you. Yeah, for sure.

But, but I, I don't know, I, I want to actually ask you, I feel like you are running this business with a mission that seems— it's bigger than just running a quilt shop.

Yeah.

So I, I feel that you haven't expressly said that to me or anything, but if Is that true? And if so, what are you hoping? What are you creating with the Quilter's Mercantile?

Because it's not— I'm going to come back to that in 1 second.

Okay. Yeah.

I never really answered your other question about the connection to other shops.

Oh, yeah. Well, thank you. That's my job to be like, back to my question.

You know, it's so easy to get sidetracked. So how I was getting to where I was going was I was bringing up previous shops because my grandma actually used to work at the Walton Quilter when it was was under Suzanne's ownership. And they would do kind of vendor shows and stuff. And they always did one in Aberdeen. And my grandma had met and since became good friends with the owner of the Falkton shop, Quilter's Corner. And so I had spoken to her prior to purchasing the store of just like, I don't know, you know? And she has been a really, really great resource just with everything. Like she's like, if you ever need anything, like let me know.

Her and then also the lady I bought it from too, Gwen.

Friend. She's been like so willing to help, you know, answer questions, whatever. So I have that kind of network. And my absolute favorite shop prior to purchasing this store— and now obviously like this is my favorite shop— was Bay Window in Perham, Minnesota.

Okay.

Love the store so much. Been going there since I was a kid. And, um, I've gotten in contact with her and, you know, have created friendships there too. So It's kind of because the thing with the quilt shops is there's not really like a— it's not a competition, I would say.

Right.

One, because we're kind of few and far between, but also we all— I think it's just an understanding that like everyone's going to— like, I'm going to get in different fabric and different lines than maybe this shop is that's 2 hours away. But there's going to— like, people are going to find things at any of our places and You know, I go to Purim and I, you know, I spend money there too because she gets in stuff I didn't get in that I still want, but I can't, you know, you can't get it all. You can't buy all of the things. And so it's, it's not really like a competition. So definitely have created good connections.

Well, I think there's—

I would love to plan like some crazy fun big bus trip, but we'll see.

Well, I mean, you've only been doing this now for a full year, so I know you get to keep having like those big dreams and goals on your, on your board.

My first year I was like, okay, I'm gonna, this is my year, I'm just gonna take it easy. Like, I'm just gonna get my feet on the ground. And then I had that video and I was like, I don't have time for that to get my feet on the ground. Like, I gotta kind of like, like, I gotta get my website up and running. I gotta get my kind of website in tip-top shape because there's people who want, are shopping on there from my TikToks. And, you know, so I'm like, okay, never mind so much for that. But It's still been really good, but I still have lots of fun ideas and stuff that I, I want to do and I will. It's just, it all takes so much time. I have great employees, but you know, it's not their— none of them are full-time. They work there because they want to get a discount and they love to, they love to sell and they love to socialize and visit with people. And so I don't ask them to jump on board of my crazy, crazy ideas.

So, right. So this is actually, this is all of this is a perfect segue into kind of the bigger mission of like why you're why you're doing this, what you're hoping to do, because then we can talk a bit about other things that you've done aside from just running the day-to-day of a quilt store, because you've done a lot in a year. So this is actually a good reflection point for you.

So, yeah, scroll back through my TikTok, see what I've done. I don't really remember. Well, that's—

again, there's that posterity that you never are going to lose it because you put it, put it out to the public.

It's great. So, I mean, ultimately, I feel like The stereotypical quilter is a grandma, you know, and that's not to say that there's quilters that aren't grandmas, like, that's just the stereotypical—

you think of an older woman.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's just what you think of. So I would love for that to kind of not be the stereotype. So I think when I like— people will come in and they'll be like, this is so great that, you know, you're so young and you've got this shop. And I'm like, it doesn't seem so bonkers to me just because I'm like, I mean, I've always quilted though. Like it's normal to me to quilt regardless of my age. I've been doing it since I was like 5. So to me, age isn't really that wild of a thing or concept when it comes to quilting, but it is to a lot of people. And I would love to get more people you know, under the age of 60 to 70. Yeah, you know, quilting. Yep. So classes for sure are the way to do that. I have had some. I would like to have more, but again, it just—

yeah, I think you've done a lot. I think you've hosted a lot of things this year.

I think last year I did— they weren't all quilting either, right?

Just, just neat, um, different things that people could do creatively.

Yes, yes, I did. I think it was 8 classes, but I did like needle felting, you know. Maybe you want to— I just want anybody to come into my store and like be able to find something that they could, whether it's a coffee mug or a puzzle or a candle, like, you know, or maybe it's a potholder that my grandma or I made to sell at the store, but I just want you to be able to find something. So Maybe it's a needle felting kit from, you know, the local wool place 50 miles down the road.

We right now, we need to shout out the fact that I bought 2 kits from your store for Christmas.

That's right.

It was a, one was a macrame quilt or kit.

Mm-hmm.

Way harder than it looks. Mm-hmm. Dude, it was hard. So nice. And I spent hours on it. And I, for my, for my best friend in Nashville, and there was 2 of 'em. One was, one was, um, just embroidery. So dang cute though. God, that North Dakota little thing is so cute. Do you have them? Are they on your website?

I do, but I think I'm out of them.

Okay, we're just gonna have to— yeah, we're just gonna have to make sure we link to these because I'm talking about these things like they're the cat's meow because they are. It was super fun, but there was something so special about— I loved it. It, you know, it's cold in North Dakota and I love that I would like sip some tea and work on my stuff. And there was some swears. There were some swears. I'm not gonna lie, because I'd get frustrated. Is, right? But having my Christmas movies on in the background while I was like working on handmade gifts for somebody I love. Yeah, there's, there's, there's— I'm not saying it's a lost art because I think there's actually, there's a lot of trends that are moving us in this direction where people want to make their own stuff, and I think that is so great. But that's what, that's what you're offering, and you're offering it to actually an entire, entirely different generation, right? I'm older than you by a a good amount. Like, I actually— I always joke, my joke is like, I could be your mom and I wouldn't have even had to be a teen mom, TJ. I could actually be your mother. So it's just, it's really— I think it's really, really fun. And, and you're seeing too in your classes, like, it's not all just— age isn't a thing.

Yeah.

As we're discussing this, and that's— I just think every— I, you know, I love it too. I think everybody should, everybody should explore their creativity.

Yeah. Oh, for sure.

And forever. Too. This isn't, this isn't like you don't age out of creativity either, right? Anybody, yeah, you know, can and should kind of explore the boundaries of it.

Maybe you're in your 60s and you're not a quilter and you feel like I'm not gonna learn now.

Yeah, like it's too intimidating.

You can though. I've had, um, a lot of the classes that I had this last year were either youth specific, um, or beginner level, or maybe not necessarily beginner but very basic, like I, I had primarily younger people, like my age ranges were very different, like throughout each class and stuff. But it was all, it wasn't your stereotypical quilter that showed up to the class. So I loved that. I actually have a youth class in a couple days again too. The youth classes are really fun for me. Um, because that's where like I first loved quilting was like when I was their age. I took a quilting class. Class, um, one of my— not my first quilt, but one of my first quilts. I took a class that my grandma was teaching at the Walton Quilter.

Yeah.

And I remember it so well because it was so fun. I got kicked out multiple times by my grandma because I would not stop talking, so she kicked me out almost. But she loves to tell that story.

I bet she does. I should— I might— okay, Grandma Wendy, you might need to come on and talk about that. But isn't that special TJ, like, okay, this is gonna be really weird, but just seriously, just earlier today, a gal from Oaks and I were walking around in the basement of my building talking about something. I'm not even remotely ready to talk about what this might be publicly, but I was, I was sharing with her, like, this part of the building, my mom used to do— they were called Make It Take It classes, like, in the '80s. And my mom was You know, this was a big craft store. And so I, I think that there is something so special about those deeply ingrained memories. Like you're talking about the Waltzing Quilter. If Suzanne gets to hear this, like she would love, she would love knowing that that was like a core memory for you.

That was so fun because it's so fun. So that's why I, I like the youth classes a lot because It's just like, it's kind of nostalgic for me, I guess, in a way. But like, what was really, really cool for me, my grand opening day was, you know, February 1st, 25. And, um, so Suzanne also— I spent a lot of time in the Walton Quilter too, just like my grandma worked there. And so they would like put me, you know, I would sort some buttons or shells or whatever. Yeah.

Yeah.

Tie a quilt. And I remember one time I was tying a quilt and my grandma was, you have to do, you know, make sure you take your time, be careful in this because if when we hang it up on the wall, we'll say that it was tied by TJ Roney. And so, you know, people are going to know it was you. So just take your time. And I was like, you know, that I remember that being like, I was so, it was like a big deal because my name got to be on the tag by the quilt. You know, what 8-year-old dreams of having their name on a quilt? Tag. Like, what?

But well, but now you're gonna instill that hope in a whole generation of kids.

Like, it's also my ballet teacher, you know, whatever.

Yeah.

And she came with her sister to my grand opening day, so that was super, super fun.

Oh, that is so cool. But it— but that's just it. And Suzanne, I mean, again, she— what a great example of a person that was just— had really eclectic— and she's— I mean, she as a seamstress made beautiful costuming for the FM Ballet, the Fargo-Moorhead Ballet, I think was the company she— I don't know if that's correct, but still supporting the costuming.

She's training to kind of take over her role is my best friend's sister.

Oh, that's so cool.

And we did not make that connection until like my best friend's wedding a few months ago. And we were like, oh my God.

That's so cool.

But it was actually really fun because when she was at my shop for Grand Opening, she found this material, she's like, "This would be a perfect skirt for this." I have to make a new skirt for The Nutcracker.

Yeah.

At the—

There we go.

That's like— And so I'm like, "Oh, so some of my materials like in the shows." I don't know. It's super fun.

It is. And again, I think all of this, I hope people love this episode as much as I had fun talking to you, but I knew it was going to be really fun. I think there's something unique about the opportunities that exist in our communities, towns like ours. I'll just say that. Again, it's not about the size of your community, but it's recognizing that that every single community has multiple generations of people. Um, those people, especially if they want to come back, it might not be taking over the family business, right? There might have been some expectation. I don't know if you ever talked about actually taking over your mom's shop when she would decide to quit, or—

I thought about this. Yeah, we've never talked about it, so I was like I, I wonder if I was supposed to take that over. She would never expect that out of me.

But that's the thing, and that's, that's— she didn't make it explicit, like, well, okay, well, now you're back and let's end up with this building someday.

So now, you know, like, she's not like— she's whatever. Yeah, actually, you know, maybe my niece will someday. My niece, her, she does look good.

She does look good in her little apron going into kindergarten.

That was what she wanted she wants to be when she grows up is an ice cream lady like JoJo. So yeah, you never know.

I know, I know. I just, I think, uh, I think it's— there's so much opportunity. And I think you, you're, you're, um, kind of crushing, um, you're breaking the mold in a number of ways, right? Like, obviously you're a 25-year-old grandma. Um, I also love— I also love— I think we have to give a shout out to Gwen and the fact that she saw potential in you and just asked. Yeah. You know, so if you're listening to this and you're sitting with a business and you don't know, you don't have somebody, who in your community would be a good fit? And what does mentorship to that young person look like? That's the other thing too, right? She's, again, I, you know, it's not about what a concession, how much the concession was, what she sold it for, any of those things. People have to make those decisions, the, on the financial side of it. But she very, very clearly offered her support, her wisdom, her friends, her counsel, and just help, right?

It takes— in a community like ours, it takes people to come back and want to do the things, but it also takes those people to be like, you know what, this was a big part of my life and I owned the store for 10 years, but I'm ready and I'm willing to lose it. So I'm gonna just take the time to find the person for this, and I'm gonna help them, and I'm gonna want them to succeed as well, and not just be like, here you go, like, or like, or, or have some weird control that it needs to look exactly, you know, the same. And I was so nervous.

I'm sure, for the first time, I'm sure you were.

And she's like, this is— this looks awesome, you know? Like, I'm like, why was I nervous about that?

But well, it's just because you're thought— you have— you're mindful about it.

But those are like the people it takes too. It takes on both ends, you know? You need all of it.

So yeah, well, thanks for coming back, TJ. Yeah, it has been so fun to have you in our building. It has been so fun to have your energy your perspective. Um, and so that's, for me, it's, it's funny. Every time I go somewhere and we're talking about generations and just what, how do we get this young generation, you know, that's kind of this grumbly, whiny thing. And I'm just like, well, that's not my experience with the young generation at all.

Mm-hmm.

You know, because I've got you here, Bailey's here. I just don't, yeah. We're so lucky that you decided to come back and I'm glad I did. I know. I, I really appreciate you sharing kind of all the ins and outs of what you've experienced. To. Hopefully we inspire more young people.

I hope so.

To either move home or move to a small town and like take up sewing. Exactly. Or take it, you know, just be creative, right? Like literally, I hadn't sewn, and I haven't sewn like with a sewing machine in truly in decades. And I really think that maybe I should, like maybe I need to, maybe I need to learn how to cook.

It's just like a, like a betting on yourself no matter what, whether you're going to be creative Just take the chance on yourself, whether you're going to open a business.

I don't know, just make something. Why not make something cool?

And when people laugh at you in your small little town because you're making cringy little TikToks, so what?

Yeah, right.

As long as you have fun.

Yep. And surround yourself with good people. I mean, that's what it takes no matter what. So thanks for being one of those people today.

Yeah.

Okay, come on back soon because eventually we're gonna have to just— you're gonna keep hitting different levels and we'll keep having you come back and talk about it. Yeah.

Okay, thanks, buddy.

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