04/22/2026
I’ve sat down to write this many times…what happened last week to Painted Tree, not only affected my business but caused an unexplainable wound to the entrepreneur spirit of over 12,000 small businesses that gave life to the Painted Tree…
What none of us have lost, is the support of our communities, loyal customers, family and friends. I graciously appreciate every ounce of support… even the silent moments of thoughts, prayers and good vibes… Everyone single one of them was felt and added healing to my entrepreneurial spirit❤️ Thank you for believing in me and reminding me of my strongest qualities ❤️
As a small business we are not just mourning 3 painted walls with an outlet… A vendor booth in a vendor mall store…We are mourning an incubator of creativity and a family of collaborative entrepreneurs… The spirit of how can we make your dream happen… The origins of this store allowed us to dream as big as the founders. When you decide to open a business or take risks in business you need that strong tribe of not only encouragers but also people who inspire you… Whether you knew every vendor or not their inspiration was always there to fuel yours and yours fueled theirs… No other platform of vendor mall stores offered you the opportunity to become a chain… You had access to so much at such a little cost to pull off businesses that anywhere else would be pipe dreams. For example if you had a passion of Western wear clothing and you did not live in an area that demanded that… you could open up a store in another state and be true to the things you really wanted to create and sell.
6 years ago after COVID hit my brick and mortar struggled to pay an inflated rent from a healthy economy that was never reduced to reflect the covid economy… I struggled to stay fresh in a large store against the Amazon giant. Staying fresh with new inventory was hard when buying was reduced drastically. People did not stop coming they just reduced their purchasing by half. Painted Tree came along and allowed me to save my business by having many opportunities to sell my wares and bring in fresh inventory. I was able to finish a 5 years ago lease without having to lose my name because of Painted Tree. Painted Tree recharged my entrepreneurship and gave me new opportunities during a time of retail struggle. It welcomed me into my empty nester stage and allowed me to be more flexible to my family. As I grew into my middle age stage my kids grew up and ended up on 2 different coasts. I made a decision to commit to one Painted Tree Location by closing my Rustic Fox locations in Illinois this fall. I wanted to be where I felt the most creative and supported in my business. Painted Tree Virginia Beach provided that opportunity. I could keep up with having this location and balance family spread across the states. My booth was always tended to and I could count on people and friends to stock it for me and rest assured it always was true to my aesthetic.
This spring I was excited about having one location and discovering creative ways to continue to spread cuteness to customers who have found me all over the states. Painted Tree made my business become a countrywide boutique not just a local one.
It has definitely caused a pause for the moment as I figure out how to go forward. The cuteness will continue!!!
I am already figuring out new avenues. There might even be some grass roots pop-ups and local markets in the future so stay tuned❤️
Thank you again for allowing my dream to find each One of you🧜♀️❤️
