Main Street Moxie: Stories from small-town founders and entrepreneurs told by students and faculty at Franklin College

This week's guest is found on the literal Main Street — happens to be Jefferson Street here in Franklin; lots of Founding Father names around here — in an antique shop next to a retired train station. Julie Stewart of Salvage Sisters Antique Market is a local establishment unto herself, and Riley and Zach dive into her story with all its twists and turns. (And even a surprise customer visit in the middle!)

Learn more about Salvage Sisters here: https://salvagesistersantiquemarket.com/

And read a local news story from just before the shop turned ten: https://cbs4indy.com/in-your-neighborhood/salvage-sisters-antique-market-bringing-re-loved-treasures-special-sisterhood-to-franklin-for-nearly-a-decade/

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These recordings are made possible by the Engaged Learning team at Franklin College, which includes the offices of career and professional development, global education, the Center for Tech Innovation, and the Kite Shop, our little entrepreneurship program. You can learn more about these programs at FranklinCollege.edu, at theKiteShopFC.com, and you can send ideas, feedback, and questions to thekiteshop@franklincollege.edu.

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Jeremy VanAndel is the director of professional development and is an instructor of business at Franklin College and publishes this podcast. The views expressed in this recording are those of the instructor and students only and should not be attributed to Franklin College.

Creators & Guests

Producer
Jeremy VanAndel
Jeremy is the director of professional development and an instructor of business at Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana. Jeremy thinks about, writes about, talks about, and helps support entrepreneurship in rural areas. He lives in a non-rural neighborhood in Indianapolis with his wife, kids, dog, chickens, and more hobbies than any man can understand. He grew up in Goshen, Indiana, and yes, he has Amish family members.

What is Main Street Moxie: Stories from small-town founders and entrepreneurs told by students and faculty at Franklin College?

Hear stories from the builders, dreamers, adventurers, and founders that knit communities together with businesses big and small. Whether it's a corner shop, a B2B agency, a nonprofit, or a high-powered startup on the rise, you'll hear about the ideas, the journeys, the challenges, and the victories from real people who make our small towns special.

Periodic special editions will focus on student entrepreneurs at Franklin College and surrounding schools, as well as other programs around Indiana and the world. Follow along so you don't miss a single episode.

Jeremy VanAndel:

This will be the last time that I do one of these introductions for a recording in this semester's series of Main Street Moxie. But I just wanted to say, real quick that going forward like, these are these are intended to be loose, open conversations between students and, and entrepreneurs. And the opening to this podcast recording is Chef's Kiss Perfect. Enjoy.

Riley:

Okay. Growing up, where did you grow up? What was oh, I see. Oh, my bad. I screwed it up already. Hello. My name is Riley.

Zach:

I'm Zach. I'm and we're students at the Franklin College helping to tell stories of real life entrepreneurs in our community. We're joined today by

Julie Stewart:

Julie Stewart.

Zach:

Who's the founder of

Julie Stewart:

Salvage Sisters Antique Market.

Zach:

And thank you for talking with us today. K.

Riley:

Where did you grow up? What was your early life like? And where did you go to school?

Julie Stewart:

I grew up on this street, east of here, and I went to Franklin. And, what was the other question?

Zach:

What was your early life like?

Julie Stewart:

As far as getting in, like, my business, my parent this is my mom. So they they would take us to auctions and things like that, and they collected old things. What old things.

Zach:

What first inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

Julie Stewart:

I had my son at 36 and decided I didn't wanna go back and work in the working force. So I started a landscape business, and I did that for 13 years. And then I started this and and got rid of my landscape business.

Zach:

Was there a particular moment or event that initiated a passion for starting your own business?

Julie Stewart:

No. As far as Salvage Sisters goes, I love all the old stuff. It's better than the new stuff. So I I was a vendor in a shop, for 4 or 5 years as just with a booth, and, they had to close their shop because they moved. So that's why we opened the store.

Julie Stewart:

K.

Riley:

Can you share the story behind the your initial idea for your business? How did it evolve from the concept to reality?

Julie Stewart:

From the time we left the store as a vendor at the at a different store and open this, we had 3 weeks. And, you know, it's it's all evolved. I've been here almost 15 years, and it's evolved over, being picky on your vendors, you know, so that we have a good selection of merchandise.

Zach:

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the early stages of your business?

Julie Stewart:

Getting customers to shop here. You know, when I started, social media wasn't as big as it is now. But, yeah, it was getting people to know we were here because there wasn't really anything else in Franklin besides the shop next door to me.

Zach:

How did you overcome?

Julie Stewart:

Social media. Sad to say, but social media. I haven't paid for a lot of advertising. We've just done word-of-mouth and social media, and I make sure that what's in here is good for customers.

Riley:

K. Who has been your biggest supporter or mentor throughout your entrepreneurial journey?

Julie Stewart:

I'd say the supporters are the vendors. I have 24 vendors in here. You know, my parents were not business owners. They they worked for well, she my mom worked for herself when we were growing up, but, I'd say the vendors. You know?

Julie Stewart:

We all support each other and make the store work.

Riley:

How have so how have they helped you?

Julie Stewart:

They have a stake in this. I mean, I have I carry the name and all the stuff that goes along with the with, you know, owning a business. But they're like individual businesses in here. So, you know, they have a stake in it too.

Zach:

Do you ever find yourself with the question you didn't feel you could get answered or that you needed a resource that wasn't available?

Julie Stewart:

Not really. I mean, not with what we do.

Riley:

Was there a

Julie Stewart:

pivot just a second.

Riley:

Was there a pivotable moment in your journey where you felt like giving up?

Julie Stewart:

Yes. Many times.

Zach:

Can you share a mistake you made as an entrepreneur and what you learned from it?

Julie Stewart:

Maybe, letting things go that needed to be addressed pretty quickly. Did that go off? Just to not make waves. I don't do that anymore.

Riley:

How do you view failure, and what role has it played in your journey as an entrepreneur?

Julie Stewart:

You're gonna fail if you don't work at it, if you don't have a good work ethic, you don't pay attention to what the public wants. What was the other part of it? I'm sorry. I've been here all day.

Riley:

No. You're good. I understand completely. Like, what role has it played in your journey as an entrepreneur?

Julie Stewart:

Oh, every day is a a journey. You want you always wanna move forward and never go backwards.

Zach:

How's your business, had to adapt or pivot in responses to challenges?

Julie Stewart:

We haven't really had any challenges. Well, you know, when the streets were closed, and we've had street work on the side here, COVID yeah. We had to do what what we had to do to survive and, you know, they closed everything down for COVID. I worked in here every single day for 61 days and sold off a off our Facebook page and then had to drop it on the curb so people can pick it up.

Riley:

Yeah. Off topic, but have you ever looked into eBay? That's kinda something I've been doing since

Julie Stewart:

I don't wanna do it.

Riley:

You don't wanna do it? No.

Julie Stewart:

Well, for 1, I mean, they've changed eBay. Yeah. And, you know, now they they track what you sell. I don't know if you know that or not. And they'll send you a 10.99

Riley:

Yeah.

Julie Stewart:

If you make over so much money. I do that here. So I don't have to ship from here. We don't we don't, sell online from here. It's all here.

Julie Stewart:

Yeah. So you can you can call and buy it over the phone, but you have to come and pick it up here.

Riley:

Interesting. Okay. So, what's the biggest risk you've taken in your business? How did you decide to go through with it?

Julie Stewart:

I think the biggest risk was starting this because Franklin had a flood in 08. We had a recession in 09, and I started in October of 09. So call me stupid, but I wanted to go I wanted to do it. I wanted to keep doing this type thing, and it seemed like the only way to do it was to open my own store.

Zach:

How did you decide to go through with it?

Julie Stewart:

Just by opening my own store and I said and getting

Riley:

I was just telling him.

Julie Stewart:

Oh, and, you know, it it's great working for yourself, but you have to be very disciplined and, you have to surround yourself with good people that, you know, like my vendors. Mhmm. So

Zach:

have you changed personally since you started your business?

Julie Stewart:

I think I've gotten a little bit more easier, softer, than when I started. You gotta let stuff go sometimes.

Riley:

Yeah. So how do you manage the balance between running your business and your personal life?

Julie Stewart:

I would say, you know, when I leave here, my day doesn't stop. But I try, you know, to not do a lot once I get home because we also farm. And, so you just you've gotta you've gotta pick that balance. Not if I wasn't married and didn't have a child still at home. Who cares?

Julie Stewart:

Yeah. But yeah.

Riley:

So, like, let's say in 10 5 to 10 years, where do you see yourself and your business?

Julie Stewart:

Still here.

Riley:

Still here?

Julie Stewart:

Yeah. I'm gonna be 60 this year, so, you know, I had a business plan when I started. I didn't know that this would take off like it did. And my business plan was in 5 years, you know, where I wanted to be, but that, like, took about 3 years. So I'd say I'll still be here.

Riley:

Would you wanna open more stores? Or

Julie Stewart:

I've considered it, but, you know, why why take away from this? Or why take that chance of doing it and it not being like this. And, you know, we have a pretty good business here.

Riley:

So when you say like this, what do you mean by that?

Julie Stewart:

Well, because I've got 24 vendors that are good vendors. They all know what it takes to, make this store work. So I would basically be starting from ground 1. I mean, so everybody knows our name. They're not even if it's in a different location, it's not gonna be the same as what it is here.

Zach:

What's your favorite thing about running a business in this community?

Julie Stewart:

I think everybody's really friendly and, you know, they they shop small and they shop local, and, we appreciate that.

Zach:

Is there an event or a moment that exemplifies what it's like to do business here?

Julie Stewart:

Is there what? Mom, stop.

Zach:

Is there an event or a moment that exemplifies what it's like to do business here?

Julie Stewart:

I'd say when we do all the festivals or, like, when Franklin has an event downtown, you know, that just brings more people. Like today, we had a market out at our fair grounds,

Riley:

so it

Julie Stewart:

just brings more people.

Riley:

So if you could wave a magic wand and add one thing, to or for the local business environment, what would that be?

Julie Stewart:

I don't know. I I don't I mean, if you look at as far as the town goes, more parking.

Riley:

Yeah. Yeah.

Julie Stewart:

I mean, seriously. But, you know, you know, as far as here, everything's everything's pretty smooth here. I mean, we don't really have anything that, stops us from doing something.

Riley:

So have you would you say that your business has grown since you started, like, just consistently?

Julie Stewart:

It's I've never gone backwards. Even during COVID, never went backwards.

Zach:

Wow. That's impressive. Yeah.

Riley:

That is impressive.

Julie Stewart:

Yep. And I've never had to pull and this is something when we started this, we started it with $2,000 and I've never ever had to pull money out of my personal money. The business has sustained itself.

Zach:

Well, that's that's awesome. It's really impressive. Yeah. Beyond success in business, what kind of impact do you want do you hope to have throughout your work?

Julie Stewart:

Just to, I don't know. I think I've had vendors leave here and start their own business here in town. So I think, you know, showing them the way to do it, and then they went out on their own. I've had quite a few do that.

Riley:

So when you say vendors, like, what do you mean by that?

Julie Stewart:

So each little section in our store is a vendor, and they may have their own little business name. They buy their own stuff, for their space. It's all under the umbrella of salvage sisters even though they may have their own little name. But, the each little booth has its own little business in here.

Riley:

Beyond success in business, what kind of impact do you hope to have through your work, and what legacy do you wanna leave?

Julie Stewart:

I don't know about the legacy. I'm too young to know that right now. I I think it's just a matter of staying involved and get involved. I sit on some committees for the city, and, I think it's just about staying involved with the community.

Zach:

Based on your experiences, what advice would you give to someone to starting their entrepreneurial journey?

Julie Stewart:

I would say make sure that you have a business plan. Make sure you're financially secure to start a business or know that you can take out a business loan. I've never had to do that. You just don't say, oh, I think I wanna start a business and try it because that's not it's not easy to do that. It's not easy at all.

Julie Stewart:

But I'd say a business plan is the start to owning your own business.

Riley:

Yeah. So aside from all the questions we've asked so far, is there anything you wanna add about your entrepreneurship journey? Is there any, like, distinctive points you would want other people to know if they were wanting to start their own business?

Julie Stewart:

I would just say say you have to stay really focused. You have to stay focused. You know, people that go to work and clock in at 8 and clock out at 5, they don't think about their work. You know? I think about it from the time I get up till the time I go to bed.

Julie Stewart:

You know, I try to separate it a little bit in the at at home. And and, and I do. I mean, I've been here 15 So is

Riley:

this a class you guys are doing? Yeah. I heard about you,

Julie Stewart:

So is this a class you guys are doing?

Riley:

Yeah. I heard about you. Your sister works in the mail room. She told me about you. And so then I just that's how I decided to pick you as

Julie Stewart:

the person we were going to interview.

Zach:

I I love antiques.

Julie Stewart:

I love antiques. Well, and, you know, you have to have a passion for what you do. A lot of you know, I did the landscaping for a long time, but I tried to do both. I tried to do both in the beginning and it was too much. And I just decided as I age, this would be better on me than doing landscaping.

Julie Stewart:

So, yeah. It's, I love it.

Riley:

Questions? No. I don't have anything. Thank you for your time.

Julie Stewart:

Yeah. Yeah. I appreciate you guys asking.