Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Latonya Brabham. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Latonya, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

The biggest risk I took was starting my business while working a full-time job. It literally felt like jumping off a diving board in the middle of the ocean.

Once I finally decided to showcase my business I had to plan the grand opening of my small business so I started looking for venues to host my first pop-up event. I nearly drove myself crazy trying to find the perfect space when a close friend said “why not use your own backyard it’s big enough and just call it a garden pop-up?” I was energized even more and the plans were in the works. The garden pop-up was a huge success!! I made over $2000 in a few hours and that motivated to keep going. I continued to sell pieces to coworkers, friends, and eventually total strangers began supporting my small business. I never thought it was possible until I finally started seeing the results of all my hard work.

I always encourage others never put off tomorrow what you can do today. If you have a dream or desire to do something don’t wait. Take a risk on yourself because if you don’t who will? Following my first pop-up it gave me the drive to pitch my business to other small businesses that are brick and mortars and for the most part has turned out to be the best collaborations ever. I tell other small business owners put yourself out there. If you hear “no” a no never killed me, I just moved on and pitched to another one. These are the sacrifices and risk we all take in business but well worth the effort.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hey ya’ll I’m Tonya! I am the owner of Vintage Mod Mix, a small vintage reselling business. I started my business out of a “inner nudge”. I was working an extremely stressful job and over time it just left me depleted and anxious all the time. The inner nudge I believe was the Holy Spirit telling me that I no longer belonged there, however with a child headed off to college I couldn’t afford to leave just yet. Every day on my lunch break I would journey and in my entries I would write out random thoughts about what was to come. I have always loved fashion so my journal entries were reflective of that and included words like clothes, thrifting, vintage. and community. Being raised by my grandparents, I was determined to reflect the core moral and spiritual values I was raised on within my business. I eventually came to the conclusion that I was going to start my own thrifting business. The next step for me was to do the research. I started following other small business owners, who were already where I wanted to be. I made up my mind that it was now or never. One night I took my first photos of my pieces in my dimly lit hallway. I made an official announcement on Facebook. The moment I hit the post button I wanted to puke. All of the doubts, and anxiety, flooded my mind and I instantly felt regret, but there was no turning back now. This was the birth of Vintage Mod Mix.

I provide an array of vintage and modern pieces that promote sustainability, which is infused with modern apparel for a chic modern look. VMM additional services include personal shopping, closet organization, hosting/engaging in pop-ups. I want a multifaceted business that promotes a sustainable lifestyle. I offer different fashion options through secondhand clothing and accessories to clients, who may not otherwise know how to go about it. I set myself apart from other resellers by not following the crowd, but creating my own lane. I have earned the unofficial title of the “Pop-up Queen” given my numerous participation in pop-up events. I’m honored to have earned that title because I get to meet some of the most awesome people. I want new potential clients, customers, followers and fans to know that when you support VMM either online or in person they should prepare to have fun! My moto is “come play dress up with me.” I never take myself too seriously. I want to connect with folks authentically and I’m not interested in being the line leader just genuinely creating a connection with my clients while offering quality thrifted pieces. My content shows my goofy side and that’s my safe space. One thing we’re gonna do over here is laugh.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of building new clients for me has been connecting with them personally. It is important to me that I continue to foster and nurture those relationships. I want my clients/customers to feel that I’m approachable and willing to go the extra mile for them. I have a rule during my pop-up events and live sales. The rule is if you purchase from me then you have to give me a follow. My QR code is always on my table. Sounds simple and corny right, but it works for me and my business. Sometimes the simplest techniques are the most effective. Currently, I have under 4k followers and have consistently grown organically with this ritual and I’m okay with that. Most people with large followings can’t say they have met or personally know the folks, who follow them. I would never even think of paying for followers because we all know that is a dead end street. Most of my followers have connected with me in some form or fashion.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I moved from CT to NC in October in 2020. I was just getting started booking events and other small business collaborations when I relocated to a new city. (It was like having a hot hand in poker, but nobody to play with). In addition, the whole world was shut down because of Covid-19. What was I going to do? My next dilemma was out of nowhere I had to have emergency gallbladder surgery. My husband of 20+ yrs had to briefly return to CT until he could officially retire. The culmination of all of this sent me into a bit of a depression. I lost all motivation and didn’t know how to resuscitate VMM.

A few years back I met another reseller at an event in MD. She was one of two people I knew in NC. She was cool and started introducing me to folks in the reselling community. She had been invited to participate in a vending event, but was unable to make it. She suggested I take her place. I did so and as they say the rest is history. I then came up with a marketing strategy to sell my pieces in other ways. I launched Saturday Night Live and Vibes, which included me, she soulful music (cause Instagram don’t play that) your drink of choice and a few loyal followers. I grew from there and continue to strategize along my journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vintagemodmix.com
• Instagram: @vintagemodmix
• Facebook: Vintage Mod Mix
• TikTok: @vintagemodmix