We recently connected with Aimee Moehring and have shared our conversation below.

Aimee, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about making remote work effective.

I have made remote- or a licensed non “brick and mortar” location work for me by being accessible for traditional and non traditional store hours for my clients. If they need to pick up orders or supplies at non business hours we work out a pick up and drop off schedule, and I am glad to take many forms of electronic payments. My business is accessible on social media platforms, weekend shopping events, personal shopping appointments, and I am always available by phone or text.

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

My name is Aimee Moehring and I am the owner and creator of “REECreations Home Decor and Paints.” I am also a wife to my hubby of 26 years, a mother of adult children, and a serial craft and paintaholic!

I have been dabbling with creative endeavors since college! In 2013, I started recreating home decor pieces that I owned- or thrifted- and sold them! I got lots of compliments and liked the idea that I was saving home decor items from landfills as well as feeding my own need to make something with my hands! In 2013 I registered my business and started a platform for people to purchase my created and recreated items through Facebook and Instagram.

In 2014, a once little paint company called Dixie Belle Paint Company of Florida, asked if I would be interested in trying their paint line. I did try it, and I was hooked!
Later in 2014 I incorporated Dixie Belle Company Paint Products in with my created items line! Since that time, I have enjoyed a two part business approach. Selling my creations, and helping others create with Dixie Belle paints.

Currently, I invite my existing clients and prospective clients to book casual shopping appointments with me. My little studio is located at 93rd ave and Deer Valley Rd, in Peoria, AZ. I love customers to come in and shop displayed home decor items or to sit down and discuss all their painting project needs. They should leave feeling like it was worth their time.

The best part of owning REECreations has been having no daily corporate quotas, an opportunity to change directional course as the market demands- and I can keep the passion for what I do at a high level! My work ethic and reputation directly effects the outcome and success of my business.

The reputation I develop as a small business owner, and as a human being for that matter, is very important to me.
I am pretty transparent with my customers and think of most now as friends!

A somewhat recent addition to my two part business model is incorporating a third option to gain exposure. I have joined up with other small business owners in my area to have boutique shopping events open to the public. We started doing them about once per quarter year but now have been hosting them every 4-6 weeks due to demand! I am not a great photographer, so it gives the public a chance to see for sale items in real time. It has been a great way for us as business owners to maintain relationships with our customers, and have a chance to thank them face to face!

In 2020, one of my adult sons built me a website to use to expand my reach and to supplement the social media platforms I work from. Sadly, I haven’t had the time to make that my mainstay! I am grateful sales have kept me busy enough not to sweat it at this time!

I think there are lots of great businesses out there doing what I do, but I think what sets me apart is the fact that I like to get to know my clients, I do share personal stories, and I must ALWAYS give back to my community.

For many years I have led a “Spirit of Giving Campaign”. This is usually done annually at Christmas time. We as contributors, both my clients, and other small businesses owners in my family, have come together to help school children, patients at Phoenix Children’s hospital, made outings to retirement homes, collected for foodbanks, etc and THAT is what gives me the most joy! Seeing my customers come together to make a difference for others in a situation where help is needed is such a treat!

The only shortfall of small business ownership is this– I wish I had a photography background, an extra set of hands, a full time marketing assistant, a full time shipping associate, and about 12 more hours in each day! But since that seems a tad bit out of reach, I am content to keep getting up everyday and doing what I love with the best of my abilities.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I keep in touch with my clients and foster brand loyalty by being very REAL, and not using filters, and just being myself on social media platforms. I hope I portray a “normal” working person, not succumbing to pressures of the social media world, but providing a service and making people laugh, maybe cry, and definitely not getting too caught up in the money part of my business. If you are ethical, and honest, the money part will take care of itself. Be a light, be and example and if that isn’t enough, let them move on. I try to post something EVERY day… as I don’t have time to worry about algorithms etc… if I build a relationship by responding to people and getting them interested in seeing what REECreations is up to, it will work out the way it is supposed to. I guess you would say, I just do my best and keep the faith. Clients and loyalty will come from that.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Sure, I can share a generic story, because I have a few that may illustrate my resilience in the business. I guess, I am like a weeble wobble from days of old, (if you are under 40 years old you might have to google “weeble wobble toy”)

I have been “resilient” about three times exactly when other small business owners, sadly all women business owners, didn’t play “nicely” in a field where we should be supporting each other. I have been tainted by that -and have had a slower response to pairing up with other women business owners and sharing all my secrets of success with them. I am super cautious about working with people that do not contribute now -or are unethical, or dishonest with me- or their clientele.

So those times when I have been flabbergasted seeing what people are capable of, I chose to be mad but not throw them under the bus so to speak. Get back up and get on with business as usual. Their reputations are being built too, and it will take care of itself. I do not need to help it along.

I am working on forgiveness and moving forward and opening myself up to new opportunities all the time. As there are more good people than bad out there and the little bit of bad shouldn’t taint the whole bucket, lol.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.facebook.com/Aimeesreecreations
• Instagram: @reecreations_home_decor
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/aimeesreecreations
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimee-moehring/

Image Credits
Aimee Moehring