Transcript of Sinders Sisters Podcast
E12: Family and Business it takes a Village with Our Stylist -Erin
In this episode of our podcast, we sit down with Erin, a bridal stylist and seasoned entrepreneur, who shares her journey from starting her first business, Kentfield Kids, to managing multiple family businesses. Erin discusses the challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship, from unexpected pregnancy and job loss to leveraging social media for business growth. She reflects on the importance of community support, balancing family life, and the resilience required to thrive in business. Tune in for an inspiring look at how personal and professional challenges can lead to profound success and fulfillment.
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Meghan
Okay. Welcome and welcome, Erin to our podcast.
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Stacey
Thanks, guys.
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Meghan
So Erin is one of our guys here at the shop, one of our stylists. if you have the pleasure of coming into our shop, then you might see Erin as your bridal stylist. but she has also worked with in the business industry as well. She's on her own business. They currently have a family business. We want to talk about business today, not bridal.
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Meghan
So, Erin
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Stacey
Okay.
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Erin
where do you want me to start with my store. Would that be.
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Stacey
Yeah. Yeah. Like what business? Okay. Well. Your first.
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Erin
Yes. Okay, so first business would definitely be when I started Kentfield Kids. That would be my first business, which was after my third child. So 2008.
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Stacey
She has four children. Four. Okay.
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Meghan
We get our kids in businesses.
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Stacey
Like. Yes.
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Erin
So we have Kentfield kids, which I've since sold, but we also have Wkentfieldrenovations, which is my husband's company as well. So definitely a couple businesses in our family.
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Meghan
So it's a, it's a, it's an overall family thing. Like it wasn't like because in my household I have a business, but my husband's government, so there's some kind of stability in that. You guys are both entrepreneur minded. Yeah. You both have your own businesses. How how does it how did this look and how did it. Because it overlapped, right.
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Meghan
Like you have Kentfield Kids and so yes.
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Erin
Okay. So it started with when I started Kentfield Kids, I had the stable job and three kids, and I said, I'm either going to start a business or have a fourth child. That was kind of what I was thinking. So my husband, amazing and supportive. He had a good high tech job at the time. He's like, let's do it.
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Erin
Let's start your business. So, started my little shop in Almonte. I'd been there a couple months and I got pregnant with that.
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Stacey
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Erin
So that was.not the plan. It was plan either go back and get the maternity leave stability or start the business. So yeah, Kentfield kids, started and then I had Roman, her fourth child, and then my husband got laid off work actually. So we then had no income. So my husband and I remember sitting at the barley Mow having a drink bear, being like, we literally have nothing.
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Erin
Like we don't have a job technically. But to the outside world, we just went on like everything was fine because you don't want everybody to know your internal stress. So we started the business and we just knew it had to be successful. Yeah, I think we have no choice.
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Stacey
I think that's when you burned the boats. I think that's the whole thing. And when you talk about like sink or swim. Yeah. And so we the only way and it was swim. let’s do this.
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Erin
No choice. that meant working like I feel bad and I look back now I missed a lot of events that people had, whether it be birthdays or funerals or events, because I thought I just have to survive. So you just have to pay your bills, you know, feed your children. And we worked and then from there, my husband started renovations because he was like, what do I do now?
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Erin
And I'm like, what are you good at? What are you good at? And he was good at building, so he worked for other companies. And he did that for years. So he did a lot of other things. But building is when he he started it. And then my business was going well. And we're like, let's just take the leap of faith.
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Erin
We did it with mine and he was so supportive and he did it. So it's his company, like it's not mine. But I mean, I'm very involved, but it technically it's his company. So for a while we were definitely both running our own. But it's a lot I'm not going to lie. It's a lot. When there's no government paycheck, there's no benefits.
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Stacey
No, there's no sick days.
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Erin
So all that stuff, there's a lot of pros having your own business, as you guys know, but there's also a lot of hardships that come with it, too.
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Meghan
And did you feel the difference? How long did you own Kentfield Kids?
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Erin
11 years.
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Meghan
So did you. Looking back, do you feel a difference between those early days? Did it get easier as you went on?
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Erin
Oh yeah, that yes. The first few years were definitely hard. We started with like next to no money.
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Stacey
Yeah.
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Erin
You know and then it grew. Luckily I started and I had so many other business owners around me. I was surrounded with all women. Around 2008, it Almonte switched to all women business owners. It was really unique, Interesting you know, the interest Emily that had cheerfully made was one of the first ones. And then myself, I brought along, my space.
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Erin
I went to Jerry's habit. My friend Cynthia. I kind of sold her on the idea of opening a store on the main street. Like, I just really want to encourage people and, like, if you're thinking it, do it. And so it got a lot easier. And social media picked up because we had no social media when I started, like, and I was like, I am not doing Facebook.
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Erin
Nope, nope. You know, like we didn't want to be those people. And all of a sudden you're like, wait, this can actually work to my benefit. But I actually was really against it up at first. Social media. But you know, it's much it got much easier for sure.
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Meghan
I think that was that was a huge shift though, like the way that Facebook started, what it became and what it is now are very different.
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Erin
Maybe that's what it was.
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Meghan
Yeah. So when other social media platforms came, they all fight amongst each other anyways, right. So when others started they shifted. So it was probably not necessarily that when you choose not to chose not to use Facebook, it might not have been the right platform. It might not mean.
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Erin
Maybe that was it. Yeah, yeah.
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Meghan
And it became so then.
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Erin
Yeah, that it really helped us with events. I also Cynthia that had apple to gift baskets, also as my neighbor and she noticed we have of side by side and she had young children, I had young children and we would talk about how hard it was to balance our business. Right. And then sitting there having our tea, we were like, we should do this together.
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Erin
Like we're here every day, you know, we're both we have the same goals. And we also had family was really important. So we were like, let's merge, let's merger businesses. And it was literally a conversation and I'm like, is she going to do this? And we really.
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Stacey
We're actually doing this.
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Erin
How do you guys run?Like we're like, are we going to do this? We tell our families. And then I think they're like, okay. And the next thing you know, we became business partners. And that was the best thing for both of us because we both went down to working three days, one week, four days the next week. And I had full faith in her.
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Erin
She had full faith in me so we could actually leave. So on our days off, we weren't there. We didn't. You could be the family. So that's how we found the balance, because it was very hard those first three years to have balance. And it was actually my kids. And I was like, oh my God, we love everything about my job and work.
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Erin
And one of them was like, I don't like it.
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Meghan
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Erin
And it killed me. And I remember someone saying, the only person that will remember how much you work.
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Meghan
Is your children.
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Erin
Yeah. And I was like, wow, that was that was hard. So I found we got that balance. It was perfect. It made, you know, made life easier.
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Meghan
Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Like kudos to you by yourself. Would we’d played off each other constantly. And it's not even just this the time off. But it's the mental stress as well. Yeah. If you don't have somebody you can talk to everybody. Right to and and but they don't. They're not.
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Stacey
The same. It's not the same
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Erin
It's not the same. That's a good point. No.
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Meghan
So fantastic.
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Erin
No. It's definitely nice when you're both in it. You have the same goals. Yeah I think.
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Meghan
So. And how was it with the kids? The kids came after school. I mean, you watch you watch.
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Erin
Us every day. I know, I feel like.
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Stacey
Well, she has to work with my now just, you know, with one another, just ones now.
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Erin
I love it so much now because I get to take a back seat and I, I honestly know how fast it goes. And I love that I got to bring my kids to work. I think of Roman. I carried him in the carrier like I was off for, I think five days when I not even when I had them.
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Erin
And you have no maternity leave. Yeah. So I had a lovely lady, Pamela, who helped me out. Oh, she was amazing. She she just helped out in the store so much. But I was right back in as soon as I could get in and brought the kids and my mom, of course. You know, like your mom. Like, mom's very involved.
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Erin
Mom, picked the kids up as much as she could. She fed the kids like my mom was a godsend to help with everything. I love those years with them. I would love for you guys to talk to them someday.
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Stacey
And see what they think. That would be very cool.
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Erin
I would love to Know what they thought of those days, but think they like Baker Bob’s and going for ice cream and you know, the treats that they wouldn't get to come. And I think it also taught them how to respect it. My business, when I'm talking to people, they knew how to be patient and have to wait. And they knew this was so important right to me.
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Erin
Yeah. So I felt like it was actually really good for them. But yeah.
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Stacey
I think it's important for the kids to see too, that mom isn't just mum. Yes, mom has something else. And I think that was big because my guys were the same. I grew up here and they grew up in the building and the people around them and the whole community as it is. But they also then enjoyed very much being in town because we didn't live in town at the time.
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Stacey
so they loved being here and they did go see their friends, but they could also come back. And this was like home base. Yeah. And, you know, like they grew up on the street, like they had these wife's little things that they would ride up and down the street.
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Erin
That's their memories and that's them. I love it. Right. Yeah.
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Stacey
I think that for how much they disliked coming to work, there was a lot of process actually come into.
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Erin
What I think they’ll appreciate it now even more. Correct. Yes. Correct. And we love seeing your kids grow up because for them it's like we're going to see them as adults too. Yeah, right. Like for them that's just this is part of their life for their kids going to school. But it's neat for us on the outside to see.
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Erin
And I know that for my kids, when they go back to Almonte and the stores recognize them by name, especially Baker Bob’s, when he sees Roman, like Roman like he does, it affects him. It's like he knows me. you know
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Stacey
He's known you since you was a baby,
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Erin
but they don’t remember as much as used that. Yeah. So I think it's really good. Yeah.
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Meghan
Yeah. That's, fascinating, honestly, because we've never talked this in depth about about your background and. Right. I mean, we know what you've done. Yeah, but the similarities are insane.
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Stacey
Oh, yeah.
00:09:12:18 - 00:09:28:16
Meghan
And, like, the struggle and then and the probably no paychecks for a bit and then the kids and that like the, the similarities. Yeah. And same but then also the community because we talk about that a lot especially on the podcast. Yeah. We would never be doing what we do without family and the people it is so true. Yeah.
00:09:28:17 - 00:09:30:20
Meghan
The village is the beyond and all.
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Erin
I think so too. And I think having a small business before I had it, I honestly don't think I understood it as much as people on the outside try to understand small business, I feel not like want to support every small business because it's someone's passion, it's someone's dream. And I love, I love seeing that, and I love my friends that have all done it.
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Erin
And I it's so important. Like I'm excited for them. Yeah. You know, I'm excited for every day what we have happening. You you know, I want to.
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Stacey
Be a roller coaster ride that it is here at the shop, you know.
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Erin
Like seeing your friends go through and see them started their ideas. And it was the same for Wylie when he started his business. But he's like, do you think I can do this? And I'm like, of course you can do this, right? And it's it's not just work. It becomes we talk about it at home and we have meetings at home, and it's so important.
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Erin
But seeing someone else's vision become reality for me is exciting. I love it.
00:10:18:08 - 00:10:22:08
Meghan
Yeah, I think it's a level of support that you don't realize people need until you need it.
00:10:22:11 - 00:10:23:24
Erin
right .Yeah, that's exactly it.
00:10:23:24 - 00:10:28:21
Meghan
Yeah. So if anybody asked you now if somebody was like, I'm thinking of starting this, you'd be all in like the.
00:10:28:21 - 00:10:32:02
Erin
Good question, I know it. That's good question.
00:10:32:04 - 00:10:52:15
Erin
I think it's good you start without knowing what you're getting into, to be honest. Like when I started it, I never saw myself as a risk taker. Honestly, I felt like I was pretty like, go to school and get a job, you know, until I would, I did know I want to try something. I look back now and I'm like, I had four, well, three kids at the time and I quit a really good job to do something that was on the end unknown.
00:10:52:17 - 00:11:00:11
Erin
Would I do it again? I love where it caught me, but like to tell someone to do that. You've got to be okay with the ups and downs. Yeah, but you have to be okay with that.
00:11:00:13 - 00:11:03:21
Stacey
Distress The sleepless nights. the like like.
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Erin
Are you resilient?
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Stacey
Yeah. Yeah. Pretty much because you're not don’t do it don’t do it .
00:11:07:16 - 00:11:22:22
Erin
Exactly. Yeah. No I think I would definitely tell someone I would hate for someone to miss out on something that could be so fun. Yeah, because coming to work for me has been, honestly, all the struggles and all the stress you talk about, it's still pretty fun, right? Like, I love it. I love meeting all the people I met, all the friendships I made, like a.
00:11:22:23 - 00:11:23:07
Erin
Different.
00:11:23:07 - 00:11:25:09
Erin
Kim. I met her as a customer.
00:11:25:11 - 00:11:26:12
Stacey
Oh my gosh, like that.
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Erin
She was a client. We talked about our children and allergies. Right. And so all the friends you meet along the way, it's not just about customers shopping. We all are as moms had we built friendships. Yeah, that's what I really like. So like community I think it's so important and I value it so much. Yeah for sure.
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Meghan
That's amazing. And how would you how would you classify it? Now look, I know it's it's not specifically your business, but Wylie it. Yeah it's but you're in it and you talk about it every day in your head.
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Stacey
She's in it because what she does is she can design too. She's a multi-faceted woman here, she can design things so that her last accessories room. Yeah. And did the accessories room in the building here.
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Erin
So so my design skills are they're minimal but I can do it. So during Covid
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Stacey
Do not
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Erin
During Covid when it was like what do I do next? I sold my store right before Covid because they knew something was next, but again, didn't know what it was. But I knew my gut. It was my time. My kids were getting older. It was time to try something new. And while they did renovations and I was helping, but I didn't want to be unqualified to help.
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Erin
I need to be qualified, you know? So like everybody else, to something new, of course, online, kudos to those with online schooling. It was way harder than I thought it was. It was really harsh.
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Stacey
Yeah.
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Erin
But I felt I felt so proud that I did it and I did it for a couple of years with him. But my decision was more technical, not the fun, pretty stuff, which is what you would think. And that's what I thought I was signing up for. I was like.
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Stacey
I.
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Erin
Love decor, I design kitchens and bathrooms.
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Stacey
I like.
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Erin
Like, that's fine. And it needed to be done dry as he needs them and it's fine, but it's not my passion. Like I don't love it. Yeah. And that's why I always like what's next. What's pretty. Where is your nice people. Yeah. who If I met and you know who came to mind.
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Stacey
And honestly, it's.
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Erin
Funny how stars align. Had you guys not done a visit where you did a site visit or expressions said the wedding day where you come for the wedding day for the bride ? Yes. Right. Had you not done that? I know I met you over the years, but I don't know that it would have. I would have had that impression. Does that make sense?
00:13:29:02 - 00:13:36:14
Erin
Yeah. And you guys made that day. Yeah. On media. And that's how I've met a lot of people is that feeling you get when you meet people which brought me here
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Meghan
Well, I'm watching them work too. Not just telling them, like with your story, you met them and it was a full interaction. You bonded over something that was a similarity, right? But watching someone work in there area
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Stacey
Yeah.
00:13:47:17 - 00:13:50:03
Meghan
And seeing how they interact with. And it makes a big difference
00:13:50:03 - 00:13:50:18
Stacey
00:13:50:18 - 00:14:06:09
Erin
It's genuine. I think that's what I like with all of us. It's so important to be with genuine people. Yeah. And so with Wylie, the same thing, like with his clients, we have genuine relationships with them. We're not just contractors that build. He picks his clients like we both go meet them often. Yeah. You know, whether he gets a drink with them or coffee.
00:14:06:09 - 00:14:24:12
Erin
And we do the consults. He does all the quotes. I do all the HR, the payroll, the paperwork. and yeah, he does all obviously all the construction work, but he picks his clients the same way they pick him because you're in their house for weeks at a time. It's not here like a couple hours, right? You're six weeks, sometimes eight weeks, and someone says you want to like them.
00:14:24:18 - 00:14:25:04
Stacey
Yeah.
00:14:25:06 - 00:14:38:07
Erin
I'm doing the same thing on the mutual respect. And so I'm pretty involved. We talk about it a lot and it's growing with two sides now. But it's his baby and I'm just I'm just his HR
00:14:38:09 - 00:14:40:04
Stacey
That's a I know. that’s a lot Yeah exactly.
00:14:40:04 - 00:14:53:01
Erin
Support. But I think every business owner deserves that and needs it. Right. That partnership. But I think it's really good for us the same way I had a great business partner. I think I have respect to let him run it the way he wants to run it, but he also respects my business background so much with the people part.
00:14:53:05 - 00:14:59:08
Erin
Yeah, right. Like how should we do this house is going to work. You take care of all that stuff. I don't want anything to do with it. So.
00:14:59:10 - 00:15:20:03
Meghan
Yeah. That's good. That's amazing. So then third, third part of the section, like third thing for you is coming here. So how would you have. Why, where do you put that in. Because it's what we asked for everybody's opinion. Yeah. Often. And we're often like you have. Well I don't know what talk about you. I don't design things.
00:15:20:05 - 00:15:22:12
Meghan
So I'm like, well air is good at design,
00:15:22:14 - 00:15:28:21
Erin
I am oh come here. I love being here. I think coming here is a perfect fit.
00:15:28:23 - 00:15:33:13
Stacey
like putting you on the spot. So, like, I don't like computer,
00:15:33:15 - 00:15:42:09
Erin
I feel like just so I've had only a few careers, you know, makeup artist for 13 years. I had my store for 11 years, you know, so I feel like I'm in this for the long haul.
00:15:42:11 - 00:15:43:07
Stacey
It's like as.
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Erin
Much as a change. I change when when it's when you have that gut feeling where things need to change. Which, you know, I feel like I came in here at the perfect time. I agree, you know where wheels are turning and what you guys are still wanting to evolve to. And I think that's so important with business is not staying stagnant.
00:15:57:15 - 00:16:12:24
Erin
Yeah, I think wanting to change with the times. I think a lot of businesses make mistakes and stay here and we need to be here. And I think here we're always talking, we're always evolving. You guys are full of ideas and it's always exciting. There's something new. So I love everything about and I love that you guys have us involved too.
00:16:13:01 - 00:16:20:04
Erin
I think that's really nice that we're not just stylists and owners, right? I feel like it's really nice that you guys.
00:16:20:04 - 00:16:21:22
Erin
Involved and yeah, I'm.
00:16:21:23 - 00:16:22:09
Erin
a part of it
00:16:22:09 - 00:16:40:16
Stacey
Of it. Yeah. In a nutshell, I think that's really important though, because if it doesn't jive with how you guys feel and if you guys don't like it, then it doesn't work. And then the bride see it and just doesn't, and the whole damn business seems not cohesive. Yeah. So I think it's really important that everybody's involved. And sometimes you guys may have better ideas than us.
00:16:40:18 - 00:16:45:19
Stacey
Most of the time I know it's just for design.
00:16:45:19 - 00:16:48:14
Meghan
Sometimes we make rash decisions. and the girls are like, are you sure you know how to do that? And I'm like, we're doing it.
00:16:48:14 - 00:16:49:17
Meghan
And then when you finally did.
00:16:49:23 - 00:16:51:07
Meghan
You can't do that.
00:16:51:09 - 00:16:55:16
Stacey
Yeah. So the reason.
00:16:55:18 - 00:17:10:02
Erin
Oh, no, I think it's a good fit. I feel like, I feel like I love working with people. I love the brides, I love the small business. And I think we're so authentic here. I think if you come here not just for Sinders sisters, but with anybody we here, I think we're authentic. I don't think we could not be.
00:17:10:03 - 00:17:11:14
Stacey
Yeah, right. I don't think we could not be
00:17:11:18 - 00:17:14:07
Erin
Oh, I don't think we don't have it. We are so like.
00:17:14:07 - 00:17:27:10
Stacey
No, no, no, I don't have time, but no time. Yeah. Like, you know which personally am I today, I don't know. Yeah. Okay. Let me give you the gallery. I doubt I'll only with Chris poor Chris Yeah.
00:17:27:12 - 00:17:33:18
Meghan
Do you have to shut off like this? Nothing actually owned by you. Is there a shut off? Because I don't feel like you do.
00:17:33:19 - 00:17:36:03
Erin
That's a good question. Not really.
00:17:36:03 - 00:17:36:23
Meghan
Which I appreciate.
00:17:36:23 - 00:17:43:18
Erin
So I just talked about this yesterday. If we don't have a plan or something going on, we're like.
00:17:43:20 - 00:17:49:00
Stacey
What I do, I'll create my own, create something, have like what's happening. Yeah. No, I.
00:17:49:05 - 00:18:01:08
Erin
I think it's in our blood. I don't think I realize it. The older I get, the more you realize who you are. And it's what I love about getting older. And now for me, it's not doing what I love to do for my own business. I feel like I got to do that now. I'm seeing Eden do it with her.
00:18:01:08 - 00:18:18:13
Erin
Natural. Yeah. Her business. I see Brooklyn with her art business. I see Wylie with his I don't. And now the kids are getting older. So now it's more just helping them get to where they want to be. Yes, I think that's what it is. And being a part of this journey where you guys want to be, I, like I have said, like not being in the hot seat anymore because, you know, that's fair.
00:18:18:17 - 00:18:19:07
Stacey
That's fair.
00:18:19:07 - 00:18:33:04
Erin
We really like not being 100% solely responsible for my own business, I do. I loved when I had it, I love having one business, but when we both have a business, it's a lot, right? So this is like my retirement
00:18:33:06 - 00:18:34:02
Stacey
00:18:34:04 - 00:18:35:20
Meghan
retirement to a full time job.
00:18:35:20 - 00:18:44:08
Stacey
So yeah. Yeah, exactly. No. Like I feel like this is a good fit. Yes. Yeah. Well we love it and we love you. Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:44:10 - 00:18:50:21
Meghan
Now we're extremely grateful. It came at the absolute right time. These talks frequently about like universe handed us universe handed us Erin
00:18:50:23 - 00:19:02:11
Stacey
that you never get Erin showed up at our door one day. It was like, I like to be hired than we were. Like, we're not looking for anybody. Okay, maybe we are, I guess. I guess that we are. All right. Hey,
00:19:02:13 - 00:19:17:08
Erin
No stars align sometimes, right? Timing. And I always do believe that, like, when it's meant to happen, it will happen. And I remember thinking that whether it be when I decided to sell my store, it was just a gut feeling. And I knew I had to be patient. Yeah. And I knew that being patient led me to an amazing store owner.
00:19:17:08 - 00:19:34:11
Erin
I didn't actually ever post my store for sale. It meant talking to people, but not putting it out there so people wouldn't talk. You don't want people be like, what's happening? Is she selling your store? Is it not doing well? Right. Whereas I wanted the opposite. I wanted it to be a smooth transition and it happened. So I think just sitting patient until things are meant to happen.
00:19:34:11 - 00:19:41:18
Erin
Yeah, I think I learned a lot about that. It and things do seem to work out. My mom would say that trust. Just trust. But sometimes it's very hard to do.
00:19:41:19 - 00:19:45:02
Stacey
Yeah, because that process doesn't happen fast enough, right where you're like, come on.
00:19:45:02 - 00:19:54:14
Erin
If you look back now that I look back to Covid 2020, like to see where I was and where I am, I'm like, oh, you know what? There was a plan. I was meant to be here. Timing all worked out.
00:19:54:14 - 00:19:54:21
Stacey
Yeah.
00:19:54:22 - 00:20:01:21
Meghan
Yeah it was. Yeah. It had patience in like in a long term aspect are you can looking back and be like, okay. Yeah. That was all right. Yeah. It it is hard.
00:20:01:23 - 00:20:06:17
Erin
No, it's so hard. Yeah. So see when you're sitting at your husband every night, I'm like, where is our next job coming from?
00:20:06:18 - 00:20:08:01
Stacey
Yeah. Right. Right, right.
00:20:08:01 - 00:20:21:18
Erin
Like that's literally what it's like, whether it be the store or the, you know, renovations. At first you're just hoping. And now luckily, we're at a spot where we're not there anymore. But it those years are those are tough, you know very tough year for business. Yeah. But nobody sees from the upside.
00:20:21:21 - 00:20:39:02
Stacey
Yeah. We don't want to because never looks good on the business. It's like right. It's not doing well. You don't want to be like oh my gosh, we're not doing great right now because any customers are like just freaking out. Yeah. No, don't do my gosh. They're not well they're going under. And then just rumors spread. And so yeah, it is business.
00:20:39:02 - 00:20:40:20
Stacey
What business does it just have to floats.
00:20:40:20 - 00:20:48:17
Erin
And I think that's it knowing it's going to go up and down And that's exactly it. That through the years there's always been better times and slower times. And you have to go it for the long haul.
00:20:48:18 - 00:20:50:01
Stacey
Yeah. You know. Yes exactly.
00:20:50:02 - 00:20:54:11
Erin
I do. And I knew that signing up, it was the long haul. I think people that give up too easily if you just waited.
00:20:54:11 - 00:20:55:02
Stacey
Yeah. Yeah.
00:20:55:06 - 00:20:56:24
Erin
But you have to be very invested.
00:20:57:01 - 00:20:58:24
Stacey
Yeah yeah yeah.
00:20:59:01 - 00:21:16:08
Meghan
So what what is the biggest thing that you like? I mean, you watch your, you watch your girls do their own thing and even has, I don't know how many portions right now that she started. She's amazing. Yeah. so her or anybody else, what do you tell them when they, when somebody is talking about their small business or about what they're starting?
00:21:16:13 - 00:21:19:10
Meghan
What are your main takeaways from everything that you've done?
00:21:19:12 - 00:21:35:10
Erin
Good question I think you have to love what you do. I don't think you can start a business if you don't love it, because you have to spend so much time doing it, because running your business is such a small part of what you love to do. And I think that's a misconception. If you've never run a business, people think it's all pretty like my story.
00:21:35:10 - 00:21:54:02
Erin
And here's your store are So beautiful. Which is lovely. All the compliments and it's pretty and your stuff is beautiful. And that's a big part of it. But there's all the hours, like all the business side of it, that people don't see when running your business. So I think if you're you, when you do what you love, you have to really love it because you are so invested in it.
00:21:54:04 - 00:22:11:17
Erin
And yeah, that's what you spend your time doing. So find something you really like to do. I could not do a business. I couldn't have been successful at any other business. It could. Someone said, go run. I don't know any other business that I wasn't interested in. I could not do it like it just wouldn't work. So you have to be passionate about it in my mind for it to be successful.
00:22:11:17 - 00:22:15:19
Meghan
All agree. So yeah. Yeah I absolutely agree. Yeah. Passion.
00:22:15:24 - 00:22:30:03
Erin
Yeah yeah. Passion. I think that's where it all starts. I remember watching over 20 years ago on The Secret and, you know, doing what you love. And don't worry about how it will happen, but if you love it so much, the universe will. All stars will align. When I started my store I was like, what do I love?
00:22:30:03 - 00:22:36:08
Erin
I love fashion, I have time, I love my kids and I loved small towns, I love community and I'm like, I'm opening a kid store.
00:22:36:09 - 00:22:37:15
Stacey
00:22:37:17 - 00:22:39:21
Erin
I told Wylie, he's like ok
00:22:39:23 - 00:22:42:04
Stacey
Are you sure I got what I.
00:22:42:04 - 00:22:58:05
Erin
how what Like, you know, but I think when you when I'm like, I love all these things, when you're spending time doing what you love, it's not like you're working, right. Like, yet like, we get to see each other every day. We have pretty dresses, you know, like when you love what you do, it's. It's great. Yeah, yeah. So any entrepreneur, you want to not just take over someone's business.
00:22:58:05 - 00:23:15:10
Erin
You need to love it. Really, really love it. Yeah. I think our friend group right now, like we talk about it a lot. We love our friends. Yeah, we love the people we work with. whether it's us hiring employees, whoever it is, we feel like skill set, something you can train a lot of people, and we really believe it.
00:23:15:12 - 00:23:31:17
Erin
but people and we have a lot of our friends are business owners themselves, small business owners. So they people love talk about and understanding and we motivate one another. But yeah, just really surround yourself with people that encourage you and genuinely want to be happy for you. Yes. And we tell the kids that too.
00:23:31:20 - 00:23:34:09
Erin
Your group of friends really represents who you are. So I think.
00:23:34:09 - 00:23:39:10
Stacey
Just what is that? The five people you hang around with? Yes, it is, but that's who you are. So like.
00:23:39:12 - 00:23:42:08
Erin
Rest of your circle and I and I really like that because I'm like, I like.
00:23:42:08 - 00:23:44:02
Stacey
Cooking. yeah.
00:23:44:04 - 00:23:59:23
Erin
I feel like as you get older, you know, those teenage years and you have the people that you don't fit into those groups, even in your 20s and 30s, you're trying to fit in, but you don't. Yeah, I think I get a lot of people getting older. It's like, no, I feel really good about where I am and the people I hang out with and choose to spend our time with, and they generally care.
00:23:59:23 - 00:24:05:12
Erin
And I like the people I care about. Right. I think it's so nice, good for the kids to see. And I think it's important.
00:24:05:14 - 00:24:17:03
Meghan
It's like the community, like the community aspect and the village aspect, but like on a whole different level, because it's not just the business, it's home life too. Yeah, just making sure that everything works together in its proper little place. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's great. that’s great point.
00:24:17:05 - 00:24:30:16
Erin
I think so. I think it's hard for the kids too sometimes I'm sure. How to your host to with them having the business. But I think they get to see what we go through. And I think that's important for them to see what it's like to have a business so they understand it as well. Very. Yeah.
00:24:30:16 - 00:24:43:09
Erin
Versus I know people that have worked at jobs that they can't wait to retire. Like they're like, oh, I get to retire in five years, ten years. And for me that would be a death sentence. Like, I couldn't imagine having a job where, you know, you want to entertainment I let them.
00:24:43:11 - 00:24:58:01
Stacey
All right. Discussion every day about like, being able to, you know, could you go back and work in the workforce? And I was like, what? No, no. Imagine me going to my boss's desk and be like, I have an idea. I have this idea. I'm never going to get out of my office space. I mean, like, no, no, no, no, no, I'm serious.
00:24:58:01 - 00:25:05:23
Stacey
And it's going to be really good because I realize today, yeah, I never thought this would pick me pick me. Yeah.
00:25:06:00 - 00:25:21:05
Erin
No, but you know what, you guys, you know, I have to say, one thing that's amazing to realize is you're so open minded. I feel like that's amazing, too, because I think so many people run their business. And I get that it has to have structure and it has to have all these guidelines. But I think everyone here knows the guidelines and you guys are still open to everything.
00:25:21:05 - 00:25:32:04
Erin
Yeah. Like you guys know like we've had meetings about ideas and you guys. Yeah yeah. You're like great group. Sure. Put it down. Like there's no that's a bad idea. Like we explore everything and what will help this business. And I love that.
00:25:32:07 - 00:25:36:06
Stacey
And I think that's important because just because we've owned it doesn't mean that.
00:25:36:12 - 00:25:53:09
Meghan
We might have some kind of insight. Maybe. Yeah, we might often. That's why we do it. That's why we ask for like, interior decoration from other people. Because we've been here for so long and done it for so long. We feel like we can't see past that time. That's right. We can't see what it's capable of sometimes because we're too far in it.
00:25:53:09 - 00:25:58:14
Erin
I completely understand that, completely understand that. And it's like you need to, like, step out and start fresh.
00:25:58:14 - 00:25:58:20
Stacey
Yeah.
00:25:58:20 - 00:26:11:16
Erin
Because yeah, even I found that when I was doing people's houses and like, it's been like that for so long and I'm like, okay, but it doesn't need to be. And they're like, what do you mean? And like, we can change it. But it's so when you're living in it, it's very hard. Yeah. To change. Yeah, it is definitely.
00:26:11:16 - 00:26:15:17
Erin
But yeah. Yeah. But you guys are open minded. I love that.
00:26:15:19 - 00:26:17:07
Erin
I love it I love.
00:26:17:07 - 00:26:18:18
Erin
It. We'll never get stagnant here.
00:26:18:18 - 00:26:21:02
Stacey
It will know that. Never. Yeah.
00:26:21:02 - 00:26:29:12
Erin
And I think that's important too because some like when we have all these creative minds together, we would get bored. And this way we're too creative and we'll never be bored here. No, I think that's what keeps people.
00:26:29:14 - 00:26:31:20
Meghan
Yeah. Totally agree. Yeah. The roller Coaster.
00:26:31:20 - 00:26:33:19
Erin
yeah the roller Coaster.
00:26:33:21 - 00:26:42:00
Stacey
Sometimes we want to slow it down a bit. I talked about that yesterday. But you'd like, like somebody controlling it. Maybe that's why he's so bored though.
00:26:42:06 - 00:26:54:17
Erin
Yeah. We would be so bored. Yeah. And I think it's good. As a child, you never know where you're going to be because I think now, like, if someone said you're going to do all these things, it would make no sense, right? Like, I love the unknown and I still love you. I know. Yeah. I think that's what's exciting.
00:26:54:17 - 00:26:56:14
Erin
I don't like the predictable.
00:26:56:16 - 00:27:07:00
Stacey
Yeah. No, no, I totally agree. Yeah. Yeah I wouldn't want no no no no it's exciting. Oh that's exciting with that. Yeah I know right.
00:27:07:02 - 00:27:16:04
Meghan
Yeah okay. That's amazing. Thank you very much. Thank you guys I've had fun. Yeah that's a good session. Kids business. Yeah yeah yeah
00:27:16:06 - 00:27:21:21
Erin
Not too much on the internet.
00:27:21:23 - 00:27:25:08
Meghan
okay wonderful . Do you want do your sign off? You're going to get angry at me if I say it.
00:27:25:10 - 00:27:27:05
Stacey
No, I'll let you sign off today.
00:27:27:07 - 00:27:33:07
Erin
That was the best system ever.
00:27:33:09 - 00:27:37:24
Meghan
thank you for watching. If you're on YouTube, thank you for listening. If you're on the podcast. until next time.