We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brooke Webb. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brooke below.

Hi Brooke, thanks for joining us today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?

My husband actually is the one with the entrepreneur spirit behind starting our family businesses. Since we married 10 years ago, he wanted to have his own business. In 2020 the world became a different place than what we were all accustomed to. We were all faced with the uncertainty, and I believe it made us all think of the places we were in life. His brother unexpectedly passed the next year, which brought even more traction to his desire to make changes to our life. He started our first business in April of 2021. I left a government job to help him at our first store, and helped him with getting it started, while he kept working his day job to bring income in for our family. My husband would work his day job Monday-Friday and our store on the weekends. Our kids went a whole year without a single day with their dad. That was very hard for us as a family. We learned so much about business, retail, partnerships, and time management. That said, our kids came to our business to work. They loved being able to be in the middle of growing this business. We want to instill good work ethic for our children. We want them to see that if you have a dream, it is possible with hard work and dedication. There are sacrifices having a family business, but there’s also something so rewarding to be able to work in a business together and pass this knowledge onto them.

Brooke, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Brooke Webb, owner of Townsend Mercantile Co. In August 2021, I left a stable government job to pursue another opportunity. It ended up falling through, and I was devasted. This is the first time in my life I didn’t know what direction to go in, but I knew I had to continue to work. I could have gone back to my government job, but I knew there had to be a reason all these changes were happening. My husband was in the beginning stages of opening an outdoor retail store, so I immediately dove right in to help him get the store opened. We ended up purchasing the building we were leasing and an additional retail space came with it. After working in my husband’s store, I realized how much I enjoyed working in retail and knew I could do this with products I liked. My husband loved the idea, so we started brainstorming names for the business. We came up with Townsend Mercantile Co. One of our friends created the logo, and I started researching products and aesthetics of similar stores. In January 2022, I went to the Atlanta market. I ended up having to take the trip by myself, which was very intimidating. I had never done this type of work before, so I wasn’t sure where to start. However, I made a vow as I was making the drive that I would take this opportunity to learn all I could about this process even if I didn’t make one purchase. I asked questions, made notes, took notice of what others were doing and followed suit. It was a successful trip, and I ended up connecting with several vendors and making several purchases. My goal was to provide unique gifts to both tourists and locals at a reasonable price. I poured my heart and soul into curating a peaceful place to shop for anyone that walked through the doors. I received overwhelmingly positive responses from my customers and was so excited how everything came together.
However, two weeks before Christmas I found out we were selling the building and I would need to move out of my retail space by the end of January. Once again, I was devasted and not sure what steps I should take next. I contemplated going back to my government job because of the stability and consistent income. However, I knew I had a desire to continue this journey of being an entrepreneur. I’ve had several setbacks over the course of a month, and I’m sure there are more to come. Even so, I know this is only the beginning of my story. I have found my passion, and I want to see it through. I’m so excited to see what the future holds. I’ll finish with a quote that speaks on where I am in my journey: “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

For the past two and half years I’ve had to make several pivots in my journey into entrepreneurship. It began in August 2021 when I left my government job to help my husband start an outdoor retail business. This is when I realized how much I enjoyed operating a small business, and I began to think I could open a store with items and styles that interested me. In early 2022 we purchased the building where my husband’s business was located, and it came with an additional retail space. It was the perfect opportunity for me to explore opening my own store. I knew having a retail store with unique items for both tourists and locals would be an asset to Townsend.
The building needed a complete gut job, which took a lot of time and effort. While the space was under construction, I developed a concept for the store that would showcase the style I had in mind. I talked to artists and locals for ideas on the types of products to buy and researched other stores that had similar styles.
After months of preparation, my dream became a reality when we opened Townsend Mercantile Co in September 2023. The positive response to the store was more than I could have ever imagined. I had no idea the store would bring so much success, but it was thriving. People were responsive and enthusiastic over the style and aesthetic of this one-of-a-kind store in Townsend. I continued to find unique items that would keep people coming back. There were many long days, but it was very fulfilling as I was curating all my favorite things.
When I was first approached about this project, I didn’t know what I was going to write about. However, two weeks before Christmas, I found out we were selling the building and would need to move out of our retail space. At the time, I was devastated and unsure how I was going to continue this business. I was just getting started and it felt like the rug had been pulled from underneath me. I knew I didn’t want to go back to an 8-5 job. As others found out I was leaving my retail space, I received overwhelming support to keep going and find another avenue to continue my business. I realized this store was not only special to me but to others as well. It was the push I needed to continue on. While I don’t have all the answers, I know I’m being led to new opportunities. If nothing else this current pivot has taught me to trust in God’s plan and His timing.

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

My resilience has been tested more in the past month than any other time in my life. When I found out I had to close my store just a few months after opening and experiencing the success I had, I didn’t know how I was going to move on. I was emotionally, physically, and mentally distraught. My husband forced me out of bed, and our family spent the day together completely uninterrupted. If anyone knows what it’s like to be an entrepreneurial family, it’s that family time can easily take a backseat. We had both worked around the clock for the past year to build our businesses. If we were not physically at our stores, we were researching new products, responding to emails, maintaining our websites, adding inventory, and posting on social media. The day we spent together was all I needed to realize that even if my business had to close, I still have the most important thing in my life: my family. It was at that moment I decided to make the most of my situation and trust that God may be leading me in a different direction.
I took the Christmas season to sale most of my existing inventory at a discounted price. It was another lesson on God’s perfect timing. With that sale, I gained more followers, more confidence, and an even greater desire to not give up. I learned I have so many people in my corner and I need to continue this gift I was given.
Since beginning my journey with Townsend Mercantile Co, I have been blessed with a mentor that has been my cheerleader since I met her. Neither one of us knew where our paths would lead us, but we both knew it was the beginning of something great.
We are taking this opportunity to build upon the foundation of this business and reach new heights. The sky is the limit, and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds! No matter what, I know I have resilience to keep going thru any challenges that may arise. I have faith in God’s plan and know He will carry me through any storm.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.townsendmercantileco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/townsendmercantileco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/townsendmercantileco