We were lucky to catch up with Jasmine McKeever recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jasmine, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I believe my calling in this life is to be an encourager. An uplifter. To be a positive influence. I hope that my legacy includes people feeling encouraged after our encounter. Encouraged to follow their dreams. Encouraged to make a better life for themselves. Encouraged to carve out a path where there was not one originally. Encouraged to grow. Encouraged to rest. Encouraged to live life to the fullest.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m an ambitious go-getter who loves to try new things, come up with different ideas, and be creative in everything I do. A quote I resonate with heavily is from Frida Kahlo: “Soy el tipo de mujer que si quiero la luna, me la bajo yo solita,” which loosely translates to “I’m the type of woman that if I want the moon, I’m gonna go and get it”.

For a long time, I had this inkling of wanting to create something of my own, something more. One day, it just clicked in my brain and I was like – why don’t I just start this business now? Why keep delaying my dreams? Let’s go after the moon.

I’m most proud of my diligence and of the execution of my creative vision. I not only want to offer pretty things to my customers through my vintage reselling business, but I also want to provide them with an experience. Whenever I’m set up at markets, I curate my inventory and design my booth in a specific way that catches the eye and allows customers to step into a ‘groovy-er’ time. I want excellence to ooze out of everything I do and not just make it about the money. I love getting out into the community and sharing my love for unique decor and colorful clothing. My business, Retro Rejects, has added so much to my life and I’m so thankful that God blessed me with this opportunity to bring back old pieces and appeal them to a newer audience. I use my marketing background to observe trends and cater to what I think my target audience will like. I also use my graphic design eye to make branding and booth setups that draw people in. I’m always looking for ways to improve my business and add on to the Retro Rejects experience.

I’ve genuinely never been quite this giddy and motivated about anything else before.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Consistency. Consistency is truly the name of the game. It’s showing up even when you don’t feel like it. Even when you’re burnt out. Even when you want to give up.

Participating in local vendor events and getting to meet those in my community has been HUGE and has allowed my business to grow more than if I had just decided to stick with an online business model (in my opinion). People are beginning to recognize me and become repeat customers, which is a wonderful feeling. Communicating with other vendors and collaborating with other small businesses has also been amazing. Some of my biggest supporters and most engaged with followers on my social media platforms are my fellow entrepreneurs. It’s extremely fulfilling to see other people believe in your vision and resonate with the product you’re putting out into the world.

There were definitely times when I was tired, overwhelmed, and flat-out broke – but I’m proud that I continued to move forward and get my brand name out there as much as I could through these in-person events and posting more online. I’m extremely interested to see what the future holds for Retro Rejects.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Watching other small business owners and entrepreneurial spirits on YouTube has actually been incredibly beneficial for me. Some of my favorite creators include: Monica Razak, from, Kayla, Uncomfy, XXL Scrunchie & Co, and Cozy K. I get so inspired from watching their content, while receiving little tidbits of knowledge along the way. In a sense, it’s kind of like ‘you are what you eat’. By consuming small business content, my brain is then more likely to be focused on business-related things naturally. It truly keeps me going, and I’ve learned how to pivot when I need to, how to scale appropriately, how to hone in on my target audience, and that it’s okay to make mistakes and be human.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.retrorejects.store
• Instagram: @retrorejectsstore
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/retrorejectsstore

Image Credits

Image credits to photo of me: Kirstyn Shin; the rest of the photos were taken by me.