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

Erica, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?

Owning a small business has proven more challenging than I ever anticipated, but the journey has been incredibly rewarding, especially having my family with me along for the ride.

June, who recently celebrated her 17th birthday, has become indispensable to the store’s success. Her responsibility, maturity, and creativity constantly amaze me. Her quick understanding of Shopify has been a lifesaver. I hope that when she attends college in a few years, she can take classes in retail management or business management—I definitely could use all the help I can get! Despite butting heads from time to time due to our strong personalities, the ability to depend on each other has proven so valuable.

Wesley and Finn also help when they can, whether it’s stamping bags, organizing products, or, most importantly, handling trash runs. Though the store has taken me away from home more than I’d prefer, I believe we are all gaining a lot from this experience.

Even with our separation, Nate remains a crucial part of the business. While our marriage has evolved, his support and friendship mean the world to me. Beyond being a part owner of the business, Nate’s financial management, creative input, and construction ability, from installing a pulley system for hanging clothes to building an incredible cash wrap, make him integral to our success.

Creating FORM + CONTENT has shaped every aspect of our lives, but it has also allowed us to redefine and strengthen our relationships with each other. I believe these unique bonds last forever.

Erica, 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?

After dedicating the majority of my adult life to raising my kids at home, I chose to return to school when my youngest started preschool several years ago. The interior architecture program was fulfilling, especially the color theory class, which sparked my passion for painting on canvas—an important creative outlet. Unfortunately, when the pandemic hit, my focus shifted, and I became a makeshift teacher for my kids during the lockdown.

During the height of COVID, on a road trip to my hometown in Oregon, we discovered a local boutique with cute clothing, unique accessories, and gifts. On our drive back to California, my daughter June suggested the idea of opening a similar store. Despite my limited retail experience (Baby GAP 18 years ago), it sounded exciting. Missing the in-person shopping experience during lockdown and believing that Santa Clarita needed more locally-owned boutiques, I committed to taking small daily steps toward the goal, always ready to reassess if the plan no longer made sense.

Of course, I never found a reason to stop the process, and opening a store has become the perfect focus. I’ve grown to love this experience for its retail aspects and as a creative outlet—sourcing products and discovering new ways to present them to our customers. More importantly, I’ve developed a special connection with our customers, who are more than patrons; they’ve become a supportive community.

“Our name FORM + CONTENT is inspired by the world of art and its connection to self-expression. In art, ‘form’ embodies the physical manifestation of the work, while ‘content’ represents the meaning behind the art itself. This concept aligns with our approach to fashion. Just as art is a way to express emotions, we believe clothing, jewelry, and accessories are avenues to express our unique personalities, stories, and beliefs. The ‘form’ represents the aesthetic aspects of what we wear, while the ‘content’ has a deeper meaning, expressing who we are.

The name FORM + CONTENT reflects our commitment to offering more than products; it’s a way for our customers to express their individuality and personality. It’s a celebration of both the outer beauty and the inner significance that fashion can bring to our lives.”

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

The impact of Carol S. Dweck’s ‘Mindset’ on my life has been truly transformative. The adoption of a growth mindset has not only altered my perspective but has changed the way I approach both business and life. It goes beyond the belief in the improvement of abilities; it has changed how I navigate challenges, handle failures, and adapt to life’s inevitable bumps in the road, both in my professional experience and in my personal life.

A growth mindset isn’t about enduring each day; it’s a proactive approach that involves actively seeking ways to improve. In the face of setbacks, which are bound to occur, I try to view them as opportunities for growth. I have an appreciation for effort over the idea of ‘inherent talent,’ embracing the valuable lessons in my mistakes, and accepting constructive criticism —acknowledging, that this is easier said than done.

A growth mindset is a strong belief in the capability for improvement, committing to being receptive to new ideas, and being able to confront challenges with a genuine willingness to learn and evolve.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Every step of starting and running a retail store has been a gigantic pivot for me. Though starting from scratch was terrifying, it was also wildly exciting! The space for the store started with literally four blank concrete walls, I had to figure out everything – from helping to design the electrical, heating, and plumbing to, of course, creating a space that reflected my style.

Additionally, I had to teach myself the ropes of running a store. This meant understanding sales taxes, hiring good employees and firing not-so-great employees, sourcing and pricing products, understanding margins, mastering effective merchandising, launching a website, and navigating the crazy world of Instagram and marketing. I learned all of this on the go, spending countless hours reading or listening to business books, speaking to others in the industry, and learning through trial and error.

Each challenge and milestone became a chance to grow my knowledge and understanding of the business. This process has not been easy, but it has been incredibly rewarding, shaping not only the store but also my own journey in the retail world, as well as how I see the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://form-and-content-v2.myshopify.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/formandcontent.shop/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/formandcontent.shop/
• Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/J_5bWhdwSXVjZILEwRpw3A
• Other: FORM + CONTENT Google page – https://www.google.com/maps/place/FORM+%2B+CONTENT/@34.3813318,-118.5292625,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x80c287db582b7139:0x590c559adbcf564!8m2!3d34.3813318!4d-118.5292625!16s%2Fg%2F11tjcbw0ng?hl=en-US&entry=ttu

Image Credits
The first image was taken by Melissa Goodman @melissagoodmanphotography The remaining images were taken by Partick Franco @focalpoint.prod Please feel free to use the first image for the personal image or the image of my daughter and I