We were lucky to catch up with Cait Quinn recently and have shared our conversation below.

Cait, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I am absolutely happier as a business owner. However, I was also privileged in my previous full time positions to learn from those experiences to prepare me for going out on my own. For two years after college I was a manager and wholesale buyer for a small boutique in Ann Arbor, Mi. This allowed me to understand the ins and outs of owning your own business – I learned how to work with vendors, bookkeeping, and the importance of marketing strategies. Then the next four years I worked in corporate events, which really instilled discipline and how to plan for the future, specifically predicting possible outcomes and how to handle unplanned situations.

Of course, I think about the benefits of working specific hours, and knowing what your day to day will look like. My home goods business ebbs and flows based on the season: holidays tend to mean longer hours, and full weekends, spring and late summer I focus on planning and testing new products. Because I am in charge of all aspects of my business, it’s easy to work all the time. I have a new idea and it’s 7pm? Or a new wholesale order arrives during an already busy weeK? I have to be flexible and work outside most people’s normal hours.

Ultimately it has been a lesson in balance. I chose to be a business owner because I do thrive without the confines of a strict schedule. Creativity doesn’t happen when you plan in and inspiration isn’t predictable. Being my own boss allows me to make space in my life to explore, and was a key reason I chose to leave my previous 9-5.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Fiber arts really just found me. When I first moved into my own place after college, I wanted to create a cozy and intuitive home that felt good to come home to. I discovered lap loom weaving online, and realized that I could create pieces for my home that fit my style, and gave me a chance to slow down after work and focus on a new skill. Quickly, I was weaving more than my walls could fit, so a friend of mine suggested I sell my pieces so I could cover costs and upgrade my materials and loom.

I knew from the beginning that I did not want to place myself in a box and only offer one medium. I love creating and learning new skills so I began to delve into macrame, rug tufting, graphic design, and curating vintage. My passion is curating and creating items that have a funky vintage feel and ensuring these items that can be used or enjoyed for years to come. Thus, Magnolia Mercantile was born.

Being flexible in the medium of fiber, and allowing myself to add new products allows Magnolia Mercantile to stay fresh in our offerings, while also staying true to my first love of fiber art. My customers know they can purchase intentionally made fiber home goods, and also find new products each time they shop with me.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Magnolia Mercantile was a hobby turned side hustle turned main career path for me. In fact, when first starting out, I was creating purely for the joy and fulfillment I was receiving working in a tactile meditative manner. Once I began to increase in skill, I wanted to create pieces that were made from natural fibers sourced from like minded small businesses.

As trite as it may come off, I did not want to sell purely for profit, or to add to the “more is more” consumer culture that proliferates our society today. I knew if I was to start selling my art I wanted to provide intentionally designed long lasting items that made the least amount of environmental impact feasible.

I began selling online and at a few local markets each year. This allowed me to scale up my business to invest in quality tools and supplies, as well as understand who my target audience is, and what items they loved the most.

A key milestone came in 2020. At that time, I already knew my goal was to take Magnolia Mercantile full time, and to expand my offerings from just fiber goods into a more rounded home goods business. While I was unable to quit my full time job due to the uncertainty of the pandemic, it allowed me time to plan throughout the year on how I could scale up my business, eventually taking the leap in February 2021.

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

I’m very lucky that I was supported by my Ann Arbor small business community from the beginning. Many of my close friends have their own shops, independent businesses, and creative endeavors. The ability to connect with them as I built my brand allowed me to begin doing pop-ups around the area and start to cultivate brand recognition.

A huge impact was attending the local artisan markets as a vendor. The ability to sell my goods face to face with local community members not only placed a face to the goods I offer, but brought me close relationships with customers, other artisans, and shops.

I firmly believe in community over competition, and the relationships I’ve built with other business owners and artisans in my community has not only benefitted me, but them as well. When my customers can see that I hold other artisans in admiration and support, it creates stronger bonds. My goal is not only personal success, but success for my community’s small businesses as well. It brings me pride to know that I care about more than just business – connection, community, and supporting small artists is at the core of my being, and the core of Magnolia Mercantile, and I do all I can to foster these ideals in all aspects of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.magnolia-mercantile.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/magnolia.mercantile
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/magnoliamerc/
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/magnoliamercantiles